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Which language school?

Achilles 1-1

Destined Among Shadows: The Indama Chronicles.
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So, I've thought about attending a language school in Japan over the summer as an exchange student, is there any specific ones you would recommend?
 
I would think there may be a large sum of money needed unless you are lucky enough to get a sponsor or win a contest. Years back local Rotary Clubs would sponsor students but not sure if anyone still does. Seems we heard a few horror stories years back where American students stayed in Japanese homes. Your folks OK with putting up with a big bill? Lots to think about here. Sometimes you need to be a junior or senior in high school to make such a trip. Then you would have to get the language school to help you with a special visa I think. Be interesting to see if anyone ahs info or ideas on this.
 
EF is well-known but could be pricey as Frank says. I looked into this two years ago since I was thinking of sending my son for a couple weeks in the summer but I decided it would be more of a holiday than a learning experience for him (since he already knew Japanese pretty well). I sent him to Spain instead. I don't think he learned all that much Spanish but it was a great experience for him.
I can't find my notes on the Japan schools but there are many. You can start with Google or AI searches. Note not all of them allow < 18 years of age but many do.
 
Huh. EF sounds pretty good, especially since they have an age group perfect for me (13-16). I would definitely look into that with my parents.
 
Some schools such as GenkiJACS allows you to start any week and you can stay however long you want. Minimum age is 18 years old in Tokyo, 16 years old in Nagoya, and 14 years old in Kyoto/Fukuoka schools. Pricing really is quite reasonable at the current exchange rate.
 
Master of Puppets,

Have you mastered the two Japanese writing systems called hiragana and katakana? I strongly recommend you master them BEFORE going to Japan. (Just mastering them might take you a couple of months.)

Also, be advised that many Japanese schools conduct classes in Japanese, so if you want to take any class conducted in English, you might need to take them in your country, before traveling to Japan.

Also, I heard from one YouTuber that the Rotary Club was great, and better than other exchange programs.

You also need to find out if EF helps with housing before you go.
 
Yamasa in Okazaki

The Yamasa Institute - Study Japanese in Japan

Japanese language school with its own student accommodation located in Okazaki city in central Japan.
www.yamasa.org

I had a friend who went there, and I've actually been on their campus. I had a very good impression of the place. I don't know if they have an age minimum, but you can check out their website above if you're interested.
 
I almost recommended them but they only accommodate 18 or older.
 
Ooooh, i would LOVE to go to Kyoto, seeing sannen zaka is on my bucket list, and kiyomizu-dera! that said, EF doesnt have the whole 18 years old requirement for Tokyo, so that kinda sucks, and you can also book excursions to Kyoto with EF, so I'm not entirely sure.


@Buntaro a host family is included with EF, or you can stay in an EF accommodation with other students if you so desire. I have not mastered katakana or hiragana, so if anybody could recommend any website to master them, much appreciated. Duolingo is good, but they have a five strike system, and i used all my strikes today, so I have to wait 25 more hours for five more hearts.
 
Master_o_puppets said:
I have not mastered katakana or hiragana, so if anybody could recommend any website to master them, much appreciated.
Click to expand...
There's an ancient system called "flash cards" that still works well. You might need to Google how it works. Then once you have achieved recognition, use the flash cards in reverse and then write them.
 
Master_o_puppets said:
I'm more so worried on being able to translate hiragana and katakana.
Click to expand...
You need to start with learning to recognize each "letter" first. Once you can do that, words are just vocabulary. (And you can use flash cars for that too.) But if you insist on using a web site, check out quizlet.com.
 
Most of us here did indeed use flashcards and writing practice from a book or a printout. I believe for kana it took me around 2 months. each character represents a syllable (not any meaning just a sound), I think it is common to learn them in 2-3 months it depends on effort and how things stick for you.
 
Master_o_puppets said:
I'm more so worried on being able to translate hiragana and katakana.
Click to expand...

Master of Puppets,

Here is a series of videos on how to learn hiragana and katakana. There are 46 hiragana and 46 katakana. Watch the videos and try to learn five kana everyday.

The first three videos in the series are only informative, you can watch them in one day. After that, watch one video each day. Try to learn five kana everyday.

Write each kana ten times, then move on to the next kana. Do not dwell on one kana, but try to move through them at a reasonable speed. (I had one student who wanted to write each kana 100 times before moving on to the next kana, which was a mistake.)

Let us know how it is going. Tell us when you can write the first five hiragana (a, i, u, e, o).

Thread 'Japanese writing system for beginners'

There are many people who would like to learn Japanese but don't know where to begin. I know they would like to start by learning simple phrases such as "Hello," "How are you?", "It's a nice day, isn't it?", "What is your name", etc., but I want everyone to put aside the learning of such phrases for now, and instead begin by learning the basic Japanese writing system.

Here is a YouTube video which gives a general overview of the Japanese language. Please watch this video, then feel free to post any observations and questions you have in a post below.

 
The first five kana are easy for me to write, lol
 
Spend some time learning the proper way to write with tracing paper, just like you did your ABCs.
You can use this free pdf.

Tofugu's Learn Hiragana Book

Print or use it on your tablet. Everything you need to know about remembering hiragana in this book!
www.tofugu.com
 
Yeah, ive been using to learn hiragana book by tofugu, its pretty good.
 
Master_o_puppets

Watch this video. Tell me what you think. (Click on the link below, where it says "Watch on YouTube," and let it take you directly to the YouTube page.)

And let us know when you print out that tracing paper.


 
Master of Puppets,

I like the idea of finger tracing. I never thought of that before.

Did you have a chance to watch that video?
 
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