When I first arrived in Japan, I knew two words in the Japanese language: geisha and sake. I quickly learned how to join these together with wa doko desu ka (where are they?) and off we went.
My first school in Tokyo was the then newly established Aoyama Language Academy that was located in the Aoyama Twin Towers. I was one of three students in my class. One dropped out and we were down to two: Bob, a long-term American resident of Japan who could read well but needed practice speaking and myself.
Because Bob's overall ability was much higher than mine, I was in the fortunate situation of having one teacher and one tutor. In addition, Bob, insisted that we had to speak Japanese together through the lunch hours that followed the morning classes and preceded our afternoon culture lessons in shiatsu, shodo (calligraphy) and sumie.
As a result, customers in our regular lunchtime restaurant were subjected to a red-haired gaijin and a blond-haired gaijin speaking animatedly to each other in bad Japanese. This drew curious looks and the occasional, "why are you guys doing this?"
However, we persevered and I was able to enter the intensive Japanese language program at the Yotsuya campus of Sophia University. There, in addition to a heavy emphasis on grammar and speaking, we were required to learn 100 kanji per week and were tested at the end of each week. This test included how to read the characters (sometimes up to 25 readings), how to write them in the correct stroke order. Inevitably, after each test, 50 kanji would slip out one ear as the next 100 were forced in the other.
My daily routine for two consisted of teaching English for two hours (in order to survive) early each morning, attending the Sophia classes from 9 am until noon, attending other afternoon classes, teaching for two hours in the evening, doing three hours of homework and then getting some sleep in order to repeat the process the next day. Not a process for the idle.
I returned to Toronto for about a year and a half in order to complete a degree and was able to obtain a Mombusho (Japanese Ministry of Education) Scholarship to return to study in Japan, first as a research scholar at Hiroshima University and then as a graduate student at Tokyo University.
During my time in Toronto, my Japanese language level slipped, although I was studying full time at the University of Toronto. There was inadequate environmental reinforcement, or so I claim.
So, from that perspective, I was happy to enter the graduate school preparatory program at Hiroshima University. I was one of the first "Nakasone Plan" wave of international students to descend upon Hiroshima and we managed to stress the unsuspecting infrastructure to the max
There were lots of opportunities to speak and read Japanese outside of class as we navigated the university bureaucracy, negotiated apartment rental contracts, participated in home stays with local families and engaged in a variety of official and unofficial activities.
However, Japanese learning is deceptive: just when you think you have made significant progress you are faced with another steep curve that forcefully brings home the message that you still have a lot to learn.
Upon entering the graduate program at Tokyo University and attending regular graduate seminars in Economics and Politics, it was clear that I could only understand 60% of the seminar contents. Yikes!!! More work...
Since these days it is clear that Japanese language education for non-Japanese students has improved dramatically. There is less emphasis on the stultifying four-year method of teaching every conceivable fine point of Japanese grammar and more emphasis on cutting through to the keys points that allow for quick and effective communication.
Japanese language schools now tend to specialize on specific markets: language acquisition for business people, language for academic and technical school preparation, and more hobby or culture-oriented programs are just some of the examples. In addition, self study tools, some CD-ROM and text based and some web-based are becoming increasingly available and effective communication.
In selecting a method of study, it is important to consider the following factors:
1) Aims: what do you hope to realistically hope to achieve in your studies, when you consider that it takes the average person two full years of intensive study in a Japanese-speaking environment to become functionally fluent?
2) Type of program: Does the program you are considering have the right type of focus: i.e. is it adequately business-oriented if that is your focus?
3) Program Cost: this varies from school to school so it is best to check on tuition prices. Sometimes financial assistance and scholarship programs are available so it is important to find out whether you might qualify and what the application process entails.
4) Location: in reality it is best if the school is located close to your home and/or place of work. Sometimes it is best to study outside of Tokyo and other major cities, as there tend to be fewer distractions.
5) Is there too much emphasis on the written language and fine points of grammar? This may not be desirable if your goal is to be able to communicate as you travel through Japan in your off time.
6) What is the class size? Classes that focus on conversation should not have more than ten students, while academic preparatory courses should not have more than twenty students, if you are to maximize your study time.
7) Are the instructors sharp and flexible? If not, you may become frustrated.
8) What is the mix of nationalities? Too much emphasis on one or two nationalities may not produce the most desirable learning environment.
9) Text and Learning Tools: Does the school have updated texts and learning tools? There is constant innovation in this field and it is important that schools be on top of the latest texts, products and methods.
10) Evaluation and Testing: Does the school have a proper method for evaluation and testing? This is of critical importance if you are goal-oriented and have levels to reach and timelines to meet.
For a list of recommeneded study programs and methods in Japan , please click "Japanese Language Schools".
This article is written by James Yellowlees, President of Global Daigaku http://www.globaldaigaku.com
