learning japanese

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
they have wkend classes but i think u have to ask them. call them up or visit the website lor.
 

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
kingz said:
i see...but i not sure which school is good. Because i am new to japanese and may be slow in learning it. i would prefer a smaller class size though
yes, i do agree tat a smaller class would be preferable. In hougang, a class size ranges around 10 - 20. But as u advance, u may find the class getting smaller and smaller.....it would be good to ask about the class size first. Some institutions would not start a class before the registered members hit a certain quota. start off slowly. Japanese can be quite confusing at the start (not to indicate other languages are not). Build up a firm foundation and u will enjoy it. Good luck to you!
 

fumofumo

Master Member
Joined
Feb 7, 2005
Messages
2,647
Reaction score
0
how abt japanese for children?

My colleague's 10 yr old son wanna learn japanese... and seems onli inoue got courses for children?
 

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
Wa 10-yr old learn japanese??? unless enroll him into an international school lor.....i'm not sure.....it would be rather hard and different in teaching a kid and an adult. Sorrie, I can't help in this area. Calling other language schools should help. JCS, given the direct link to the Japanese Ambassy should have a solution for that. Why not try calling them?
 

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
spicyboy said:
So only got 2 schools have webby to see?
nothing beats goin down to the schools personnally to take a look to assess whether the school suits u or whether the teachers are good.
 

v1hypersg

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
831
Reaction score
18
questions about JCS

hello

has anyone attended the elementary course at JCS ?

called up once to enquire and they mentioned that their courses are not geared towards the passing of JLPT and just for people who are interested in learning the language and their courses takes one year per level and to complete their course takes 5 years

so i went to bunka instead for their elementary 1 course

not bad but a bit rush since 1 session is 3 hours per week, too fast a pace for me to absorb and since i am quite lazy and does not practise much

thinking of signing up for the elementary course at JCS in june, which is the intensive course but i asked them if i am unable to make for a day, there is no replacement clasee provided and one shot , the lession is 4 hours per session, is it too stressful ?

can anyone comment ?

really want to learn my japanese well and hopefully can get a job and then can work and live in japan !
 

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
The courses prepared in JCS are not geared towards JLPT but then, aren't all lessons good in preparing you for that paper!?? haha.

I also have dreams of working in japan but the best i can get is working in a japanese company dealing with the japanese accounts. Not bad, i am using an 'imported' pc from japan with japanese windows OS and systems and all. Coz companies in japan usually prefer one to have a japanese degree....they have a lot of pride in their nation :p

As for intensiveness of course...rather intensive. And my advise is to go slow for foundation coz if ur foundation is weak, u will get into more troubles once u approach the higher levels which can be more confusing.
 
Last edited:

ender51244

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
384
Reaction score
0
i don't think its 4 hours per session. i think its 2 hours per session for 2 days in a week. you better check the schedule properly. for level 1 & 2, it is really simple, as long as you follow what the text book says. for me, i could easily breeze through the first 2 years (yes, i spent 5 hours studying for the exam and i can get over 75 marks). but when you begin the 3rd year, you really have to work very hard as the lessons are very solid. there is a jump in standards, really. so that is why you will NEVER see intensive courses for level 3 (aka Advance 1). the approach will be slow for you to catch up you studies.

but the most important part is patience and being hard-working. As JCS is subsidise by the japanese embassy, the school fees is considered cheap and lessons are more "traditional". Each year, you will see long queues outside JCS to be enrolled into the sch (though it isn't as long as it used to be... but you will still see queues from the 5th floor to the ground floor and all the way to the THIS FASHION shop.) You will always see the class full in the beginning of the year but by mid-year, half the class is already gone. My class has around 25 students when term started but is left with 8 miserable people (including me) by the end of the year.

you can also take a look at the sch statistics. as the level goes up, you can see the number of people failing is lesser. as people who could make it past the 3rd year will are students who are really serious in studying Japanese. JCS is also proud to put up the statistics that students studying over at JCS will have a higher passing rate in JLPT. In addition, there are also JLPT preparation classes available in April and August to aid to get through the JLPT exams.

Bunka and JCS - the differences being JCS focus more on grammar components whereas Bunka focus more on the oral components. Of course, to get your foundation strong, you will need JCS but you won't get much out of your listening and oral parts. In this case, you can always make up by going for extra classes (a little more money, but at least you get discount, if you already is a student there.) like conversation courses.

Word of caution - working in Japan requires the usage of Keigo, which is another language all together. Apart from the 13 form variations to a word you will learn in Japanese, you need to learn Keigo to be able to work in a Japanese company in Japan. the words you use when you speak to your boss/clients is different when you speak to your colleagues. there is also another set of words you will need to use when you speak to your subordinates.

i'm not trying to scare you or anything, but learning Japanese isn't as easy as you think and there are alot of things to learn. Even i'm learning more daily.

and due to the fact that i have been studying at JCS for a long time without trying other Japanese schools, the "advice" above might not be that accurate. Sorry if i have been mis-leading in any way.
 
Last edited:

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
In reference to ender51244 on the case of Keigo. Personally, it might appear freigtening since one has to learn another formal form of japanese. But in my experience in dealing with japanese, keigo is used more on emails and documentation. Speech wise, keigo was kept to the minimal. In fact, my boss (a japanese) once remind me not to be too polite in case it is mistaken as 慇懃無礼inginburei which translate to hyprocritical formality....haha it's important to strike a balance. And yes, japanese can be a rather difficult lesson to being with at the start. I always describe it as a concave curve. The difficulty keeps on increasing to a peak, and once u cross that peak, u will find it a whole lot easier.
 

ender51244

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
384
Reaction score
0
agreed.

keigo, may not be used so much on the office, but when you speak to clients, you will need to use it right ? and in Japan, keigo is everywhere. in the trains, at the malls and so on. it is confusing to learn but ... it is a necessity to do so. and somehow there's 3 forms of keigo. which makes things worse. ><'''
 

ShougunX

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2005
Messages
1,635
Reaction score
0
ender51244 said:
agreed.

keigo, may not be used so much on the office, but when you speak to clients, you will need to use it right ? and in Japan, keigo is everywhere. in the trains, at the malls and so on. it is confusing to learn but ... it is a necessity to do so. and somehow there's 3 forms of keigo. which makes things worse. ><'''
haha but do not be burdened by the confusion. It is already confusing enough at the start when one starts to learn all the basics. Just get a solid foundation, have passion for the language, then worry about keigo later. As time goes by, with some getting use to it, you may start to enjoy it more than just a burden. Learn to walk b4 worry about running.
 

ender51244

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
384
Reaction score
0
lol. thanks for the advice. i'm half-way through my jcs course... still managing pretty okay. though i have alot of catch up on keigo, demo atashi wa kanarazu ganbarimasu. =)
 

unrealx262

Arch-Supremacy Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2005
Messages
13,063
Reaction score
1,508
any where in the central for secondary students anot ? play com til sian already wanna try somthing new .. charges and date ?
 

v1hypersg

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 13, 2003
Messages
831
Reaction score
18
which course are you in ?

hi, which course are you in ?

elementary ?

wanted to join the elementary for the normal course which is 1 year but i will miss 4 lessons and have reservist in feb and march, will miss more lessons, so decided to sign up for the intensive elementary course in june, and in the meantime, will try to be very disciplined to memorise my hiragana and katakana so that i can improve faster till the JCS course start

by the way, does anyone know how much are the courses at JCS and is it true that if you miss a lesson, there is no make up ?



ender51244 said:
lol. thanks for the advice. i'm half-way through my jcs course... still managing pretty okay. though i have alot of catch up on keigo, demo atashi wa kanarazu ganbarimasu. =)
 

heguhegu

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2006
Messages
518
Reaction score
0
I'm currently having lessons at Bunka, I see they focus more on grammar and speech. Will probably make up for what they lack with some self study.

IMO the best and all rounded Japanese lessons should be from MOE language centre. It's free too! Unfortunately it's not a public school and I regretted quiting few years ago. Can't go back there now.
 

ender51244

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
384
Reaction score
0
v1hypersg said:
hi, which course are you in ?

elementary ?

wanted to join the elementary for the normal course which is 1 year but i will miss 4 lessons and have reservist in feb and march, will miss more lessons, so decided to sign up for the intensive elementary course in june, and in the meantime, will try to be very disciplined to memorise my hiragana and katakana so that i can improve faster till the JCS course start

by the way, does anyone know how much are the courses at JCS and is it true that if you miss a lesson, there is no make up ?

i'm in advanced classes now.

for JCS courses, there is a price increase as you move up the levels and you can split the payment and pay part of the school fees first. or you can pay the whole year's school fees in full through your one time registration. but i would suggest you to split up the school fees because if you feel like quitting, at least you will just lost that 3 month's school fees. its not an offence to you or anything, it is just that throughout my schooling years in JCS, i have seen the classes emptying out by more than half by the end of the year.

Since its your first time there, you have to pay for the registration fee, textbook and school fees. i think it is around 200 to 250 (sorry can't remember the price). but the subsequent 2 payments are less than 200 for the first year. so all in all, you will pay less than 600 for the first year.

make-up lessons are possible, provided you write a letter to the principal early, stating your reason of absence for the particular date and would like to make up at another class. There are even make-up exams, meaning that if you can't make it on the allocated exam time slot given to you, you can write a letter to request for a change of examination date / time.

JCS enforces strict discipline. if you are absent for 3 lessons (written on a piece of paper given to you on your first lesson) without a valid reason, you are barred from taking classes/exam. but there's a loophole involved. so if you are absent, you can write a letter explaining your reason of absence, and they will treat it as you taking "leave". but its better not to do that so often, otherwise you won't be able to catch up.

JCS elementary classes are rather simple. for the first few weeks you will learn hiragana (you will only learn katakana in the next level) and the teachers undstand that students don't exactly revise, so they will do a mini revision first, before continuing with lessons.

most students would find it easy for the first few weeks, and stayed in that stage. but as weeks progress on, lessons become harder and people find it difficult to catch up (based on students doing NO or LITTLE revision each week) as they have gotten used to the easy stage. Japanese is hard because the grammar, sentence structure is different from english and chinese. Most Japanese words changes forms when dealing with expressions and their particles and action words are different from the languages we learn here. for example, there are 15 different Japanese form changes while there are only 4 form changes in English.

well when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Patience and hard work are just some of the key factors to studying Japanese.
 

ender51244

Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2006
Messages
384
Reaction score
0
[OFF TRACK]

eh heguhegu,

is that the BLACK CAT anime you are watching ? *points to the avatar*
 
Important Forum Advisory Note
This forum is moderated by volunteer moderators who will react only to members' feedback on posts. Moderators are not employees or representatives of HWZ. Forum members and moderators are responsible for their own posts.

Please refer to our Community Guidelines and Standards, Terms of Service and Member T&Cs for more information.
Top