Questions on a 1 year japanese course

NYCFreed · (#1 (**permalink**))

I found similar threads to this but none specifically dealing with what I'm interested in so I'll start this thread, thanks in advance for taking time to read this!

I'm finished with high school in may of next year (graduating with an IB diploma, i hope

) and i've had the idea of going to japan and studying japanese for about a year before going to college. If anyone could help me find some good year long courses for japanese i'd appreciate it greatly, also varying price ranges would be spectacular ^^. My grades are average, I currently have a 31 out of 42 possible points and have great motivation to take japanese courses in japan!

Some other information that I think will be relevant: I know VERY little japanese at the moment and am a native english speaker, I turned 18 august 1st, i've been going to high school in france for a few years now and speak some french and spanish. I would like to be in a city and am used to living in city environments (paris and new york city so far). i'm also an american citizen with residence in california.

If there is other information needed please ask and i'll edit to include it.

Related help of any kind would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

manners · (#2 (**permalink**))

It probably requires you to approach a language school in Japan that provides visa sponsorship for the course duration. I think 2 years is the maximum time allowed. You need to decide which area you want to live in as learning standard Japanese in a dialect heavy area is going to frustrate you at times.

Before you go, get some basic knowledge so it makes your stay and study easier.

Of course this is not advice so do your own research. Contact a Japanese consulate or embassy for info.

NTREEG · (#3 (**permalink**))

You should look for a language school that will sponsor your pre-college student visa. Be careful because not all language schools in Japan can do this.

I can't help you much with selecting a school because it's a bit of a crap shoot with trying to pick a school without actually visiting it. I was in the same situation a year ago. I pretty much blindly picked a school and lucked out that it was pretty decent. I've met some JETs that were already here and they had the luxury of visiting a few schools for a free lesson to guage how much they like the school and pick the best one for them. Obviously that's not possible from abroad, unless you come over for a scouting trip ahead of time.

Anyways, no matter what school you pick, you need to submit your paper work about 6 months ahead of time so that they can get your pre-college student visa processed. You'll receive a Certificate of Eligibility in the mail. You take your COE to your nearest Japanese embassy (in the USA / France / wherever you are) and receive your pre-college student visa.

You'll need to arrange for accommodation. Lots of people use guest houses like Sakura House or Leo Palace as it's not so much of a hassle. Some of my friends have started out in the guest houses and moved to other apartments in the city once they've had a chance to explore a bit / find room-mates / etc. Also, some language schools can supply dorms but I don't know which ones those are.

Don't worry too much about not knowing Japanese before you get here. I didn't know much either. The schools will give you a level check on or before your first day and place you in an appropriate class. I will say that already knowing how to read and write hiragana and katakana before you get here will give you an advantage. Learning at my own pace, it took me a couple months to learn kana in the USA. But when I got to classes here in Japan, they sped through kana lessons in like 2 weeks. Also, if I had to do it all over again, I would have started taking all of my notes in kana from the beginning. The more you use it, the faster you'll be able to read and write. Using romaji will slow down your reading development in my experience.

Here's a database of language schools in Japan:
Japanese Language School Database - information about all JLSs in Japan!

NYCFreed · (#4 (**permalink**))

Thank you guys for your opinions and advice! I'll be sure to look into it in a few hours when I've got more spare time.

kenmei · (#5 (**permalink**))

Look for international schools. Most have 1 year programs that are specifically for foreigners trying to learn japanese. Specifically i know Kanda international school has this. If you wanna go beyond that and do a 4 year college program, look into Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (not the Ritsumeikan in Kyoto, it's in Beppu). Up to you, both you have to show that you/your parents have enough money to support you thru the school year I believe.

good luck