1. Purpose of your study
What are your goals in learning Japanese? There are two main types of Japanese language schools: university and/or workforce preparation schools, and what we call "communication-based" schools.
If you plan to study at a Japanese university or enter the workforce in Japan, make sure that you select a Japanese language school that is accredited by the Japanese government. Only these schools are allowed to give student visas. They generally require study of at least a year, and typically only have two or four student intakes per year.
Many accredited schools offer preparation courses for university entrance exams, and those are the schools we referred to as the university/workforce preparation schools above. However, note that such schools generally focus far less on communication and more on memorizing the necessary vocabulary and kanji. Their goal is typically to help students pass the exams necessary to enter university in Japan or apply for jobs here.
If your eventual aim is anything other than strictly passing exams, we recommend a communication-based school, be it for short-term or long-term study. These schools focus on speaking and listening skills equally or more than reading and writing. In particular, if you are currently studying Japanese overseas (outside Japan), it's likely that your skills fall shorter when it comes to speaking and listening, as you are not surrounded by the language regularly. In this case, a Japanese language school that focuses on output and allows you to use the concepts you may have already studied in your home country can increase your fluency greatly.
If you want to actually use and speak Japanese, a communication-based school is what you want to look for.
Whether you’re looking to enrich your experience on a short vacation, or you are looking to not only work toward passing exams but also want to be an active participant in Japanese society, this would be the school type for you!
Additionally, make sure to think about the purpose of your overall trip. Are you looking for a Japanese language school that provides a full range of services, both inside and outside the classroom? If you have friends in the area you’ll be studying in, or you have your own plans for your free time, a school that only offers standard classes may be a little cheaper. However, depending on your needs, some schools offer a variety of after-school and weekend activities that can enhance your experience and give you a great gateway to meeting local people and experiencing the culture.
Finally, if you attend a student visa course and intend to stay in Japan (for example, to work) after completing your studies, ask your Japanese school if they provide accommodation, university entry, or job search help to their students. (GenkiJACS does.)
If you still have any doubts about whether you should be studying at a Japanese language school in Japan, or rather in your home country, check out the benefits of studying Japanese at a language school in Japan!
2. Budget
Japanese schools can generally be divided into 3 groups:
- big, expensive schools
- small, expensive schools
- small, less expensive schools
Big schools (in general, many government-accredited ones) are expensive because of the large overhead they have to support - multiple campuses, visa screenings, and extensive course structures. In this case, you pay a lot of money but (similarly to a university) don't receive much personalized attention. Classes are usually large - around 20 students - but teaching methods tend to be satisfactory. And, of course, you have access to the resources of a large school, which can include having a lot of Japanese people on campus, if the school also teaches other subjects.
Small schools can choose to cut costs in certain areas, such as hiring only part-time teachers, putting students at a variety of levels into a single class regardless of ability, or providing photocopied materials instead of textbooks. Such schools can be an attractive option if your budget is very limited. However, in general, the quality of teaching will also be lower than more expensive schools. Other small schools (such as GenkiJACS) charge more but provide proportionately higher levels of service. For example, at GenkiJACS, if you are the only student booked at your ability level, you will have one-to-one classes with a teacher.
You get what you pay for
If your budget supports it, we recommend spending a little more than the minimum, as choosing a cheaper school can mean that you end up not learning much, and thus not getting as much out of your time in Japan as you could. Most people can only take a limited time off of work or school to study at a Japanese school in Japan, so it is important to make the most of that time.
Make an informed decision
It's worthwhile taking the time and doing the research to make sure you choose the right Japanese language school for your needs. You are making an investment in your future.
3. Learning style
Before selecting a school, make sure you have an idea of the countries that make up their student body.
Many Japanese language schools in Japan accept mostly Asian students. This means that the teaching style and classwork focus is on the needs of Asian learners. To give examples, students from China use kanji (to some extent), so classes may assume that students will already be able to write kanji. Similarly, Korean sentence structures are virtually identical to Japanese and many words are also pronounced similarly, so Korean students can often pick up the language quickly. Learning styles are also very culturally based, and thus in schools with mostly Asian students, classes may be mostly lectures rather than two-way communication.
The flip side is that if your classmates and you don't share a common language, you end up having to speak Japanese, which helps you to practice. So, for native speakers of English, a Japanese school with students from across Europe, South America, etc. (i.e., countries with similar communication styles but different languages) can often be the best choice. Regardless of the student body makeup, when you really want to improve your Japanese quickly, it’s important to look for a school where Japanese only is allowed during class time. This way, you get used to speaking Japanese with your classmates, and you can carry that habit outside of the classroom to keep speaking Japanese with them. Finally, flexibility in teaching methods is a definite advantage. Smaller schools with smaller classes can adapt the content of lessons to each student.
4. Location
When deciding to study Japanese in Japan, students have to make a series of important decisions, but perhaps the first and most important of these is: where to study? In terms of personal preferences, people often fall into two camps: those who prefer to learn Japanese in the major hubs of Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka, or anywhere except those two areas. Both of these are valid choices, with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Decide what size of city and atmosphere you prefer and choose a school accordingly. In a big city, you may be able to have a more "fun" stay, but being in the countryside where few people speak English can give you more opportunities to practice, and deeper relationships with the people around you. (In terms of the general English usage level of our campuses, from least to most, we’d rank the cities as follows: Okinawa, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Kyoto, and Tokyo.)
Many language schools are clustered in and around either Tokyo or Kansai (Osaka and Kyoto), which is where many people want to go. However, you should be aware that these areas are very different from the rest of Japan, and it is easier to get by in them without using your Japanese language ability (thus, less external motivation to learn). Many GenkiJACS students who have been to multiple campuses end up choosing smaller cities in their second or third courses to get a taste of a different part of Japan.
The climate also varies greatly from place to place - the north of Japan can be very cold, with long snowy winters, while Okinawa is sub-tropical goodness! Kyoto, Nagoya, and Tokyo all have fairly similar climates, although Tokyo is a bit more moderate in summer. Kyushu (where Fukuoka is located) is warmer than most of Japan.
Here is a brief comparison of the five cities our Japanese language school is located in:
Fukuoka
Nagoya
Kyoto
Tokyo
Okinawa
5. Period and time of study
Depending on whether you’re looking for a student visa course or not, your available course start dates will vary heavily. As mentioned above, student visa schools typically have two to four intakes per year. Depending on your plans after a student visa course, it may be important to consider not only your start date, but your end date as well (i.e., if you plan to enter a Japanese university, you’ll need to finish your course in March as school years start from April here!). That being said, some short-term schools also limit their intake periods (for example, only once per month or once every 6 months), while others like GenkiJACS accept students at any time of year.
Generally, schools with limited intakes have less seasonal fluctuation, meaning less of a busy season. Schools that accept students at any time tend to have large volumes of students during holiday seasons (mainly July and August), which can make everything a little more chaotic at those times. If attending a school like this, we recommend attending outside of summer if you want a calmer experience.