Why did you start studying Japanese?
The first time and I travelled to Japan was when I was 10 years old
and then I started becoming interested in Japanese artist and Japanese music.
I think I was kind of fascinated by the kind of idea of learning another language.
So yeah, I've always been kind of a dream of mine to do that. So when I decided to quit working,
I said this is my kind of a chance to come in and learn Japanese for real.
Why did you choose Akamonkai?
Well, I choose Akamonkai because before coming and before even finding at school I used Go! Go! Nihon actually
And I was looking at all the schools in Tokyo. I was sure that I wanted to start in Tokyo
Akamonkai was actually the most fast-paced school
and I personally kind of wanted that I want to like make the most of my experience out of like staying here and learning Japanese, that was the main reason.
I had kind of done a lot of casual studying, and I wanted to take it more seriously.
You decide you want to focus on studying you kind of I think need, you know, the structure around a serious program.
The teachers are going to hold you accountable, other classmates are taking it seriously.
What are some strong points of this school?
What's special about Akamonkai is that there are a lot of students from a great number of countries.
Asides from that, it's a school in which you are able to study properly, all thanks to the classes that are divided by the level of progression of the students and their learning level.
For starters, the beginner levels are divided between the fast class and slower class.
After that classes are divided between students who wish to advance to the intermediate level, as well as a class for those whose objective is not university studies or working in Japan.
We also have Japanese business classes as well which is a class aimed at those who wish to work.
What is your school timetable like?
Right now, I'm in the afternoon schedule in Akamonkai so I start my lessons around 1- 1:20 p.m.
and I finish around 4:30 p.m.
And usually it really depends on the level. If you're studying the intermediate level,
but right now we always start with Kanji and we basically learned like new words
and we learn how to write out the read them. And then we will 'Shadowing' as well. Shadowing, is basically when we listen to the Japanese and we repeat the Japanese and we practice pronunciation
and then we usually study grammar points, and we read texts and there is as well 'kaiwa' practice, conversational practice.
How does the school help you with day-to-day life?
Yes, so for example when you first come to Japan, you have to go to the city council, and you have to do a lot of paperwork. I usually went by myself,
But you can always ask for help.
How does the school support with part-time/ full-time job search?
We also offer support by introducing our students with both full time and part-time jobs.
We introduce them to the person hiring, as well as make sure to check their CV.
What language are the classes taught in?
The classes are taught in Japanese only. There are students that cannot write Hiragana, or those who haven't come to Japan yet.
However, everyone is able to become fluent, so don't worry about it!
Are there any extra events or activities outside of class?
One of our extracurricular activities is our Japanese conversation club, in which students can converse with native Japanese people.
We also have something that touches on the culture more such as calligraphy.
For our first-year students, we offer once every year. A bus trip to Kamakura.
Do you have a message for future students?
My Japanese is very sloppy before I was just picking it up here and there I feel like I've really strengthened ability to communicate
and I'm more coherent manner over the last 4 months.
If your goal is to learn Japanese, I would suggest that this is a good program to come and spend a year or two a focused.
All of the office staff make sure to support the students in their daily lives. Even if the students are nervous or anxious, I believe we offer an environment in which they can relax and study at ease.