learning japanese

[heguhegu]

My Bunka EL1 test this Sat. I know there is a oral /wriiten test. How is the style like? Which major area they test you for? I very scare of the oral test. =.=

小生怕怕

Don't worry, EL1 oral is very easy. It's just on answering short simple questions like 'what time is it', accompanied by pictures. Everything is short and sweet. Before the test there will be a review where your sensei will give a lot of hints and tips about the test.

 

[terraj]

From my own experience, Ikoma does not teach kanji although it slowly introduces more and more kanji as the readings get more difficult. You will have to learn it on your own though and it'll really help you to speed read. I can't imagine reading Japanese books completely in hiragana

IKOMA. It's abit expensive, but teaching, sensei-s, customer service, environment, notes...all very good!
Encourages a lot of oral practice in class! Highly recommended! Taking FT Basic 1 and am enjoying every minute of it However, you must have the self-discipline to self-study a little after classes, because there will be a dictation test every lesson.

Anyway, does anyone know when will kanji be introduced in Ikoma?

 

[lui_0209]

Don't worry, EL1 oral is very easy. It's just on answering short simple questions like 'what time is it', accompanied by pictures. Everything is short and sweet. Before the test there will be a review where your sensei will give a lot of hints and tips about the test.

Thanks for the hinting.

 

[arcadefire]

Does anyone know of a good website where I can download and/or print practice pages (the word+boxes/spaces to practise writing) for Hiragana/Katakana?

THANKS MUCH!!!

 

[Nethergate]

Hi guys, currently I'm studying in JCS for about half a yr now. From my experience, I think JCS is having too big a class and that tends to make you feel less of a sense of belonging. Most of the time in class I'll find myself just sit through the whole lesson without any chance to really practise my japanese (not counting those times where u repeat the sentence after the sensei).

My sensei tried her best to converse with 2 - 3 students at a 1-on-1 basis on during each lesson(while others are doing worksheet) but there is juz simply too many students. Consequently, it makes me kind of start losing interest in learning. I tried to make some new friends but well... other ppl usually sign up for classes with their own grp of friends and are not really into making new friends.

My advice, grab a friend or 2 to learn with you and if I choose over again I think I would like to pick Ikoma. I'm stuck now since I already paid for the fees Maybe its juz my luck? Any other JCS students can share their experience?

 

[Nethergate]

Does anyone know for studying japanese in JCS after how long can I try for JLPT 4?
After 1st yr will I be ok etc?

 

[Lew_Lian]

yup, i'm from jcs too.
coz the price there is a little bit cheaper, so the class size is bigger.
and we hardly haf a chance to practice ani conversation.
i would still think dat paying a higher price for a smaller class is worth it.
my sensei now dosent even bother remembering our names!
at least my previous sensei at jcs did bother to do so...

 

[arcadefire]

I wanted to sign up for JCS Intensive Elementary, but by the time I reached the place, there' weren't any places left! So I eneded up signing with Ikoma, and I guess it's really a blessing in disguise (based on earlier posts). Ikoma stresses alot on conversation and interaction, but does not neglect on writing/reading, and vocab! More of less well-balanced, I must say. Ikoma is indeed a good place for beginners, because the teachers do make learning fun, and that keeps my interest in check, and spurs me on to do homework and self-practice. I find myself looking forward to every lesson

And because I am in a realtively small class with 10+ people, everyone knows each other My sen gave us tablecards with our names written in Katakana on it, so she sort of knows our names by heart already.

 

[Ah_keong]

IKOMA. It's abit expensive, but teaching, sensei-s, customer service, environment, notes...all very good!
Encourages a lot of oral practice in class! Highly recommended! Taking FT Basic 1 and am enjoying every minute of it However, you must have the self-discipline to self-study a little after classes, because there will be a dictation test every lesson.

Anyway, does anyone know when will kanji be introduced in Ikoma?

yah, Ikoma is really worth the money sia...

 

[Ah_keong]

Hi guys, currently I'm studying in JCS for about half a yr now. From my experience, I think JCS is having too big a class and that tends to make you feel less of a sense of belonging. Most of the time in class I'll find myself just sit through the whole lesson without any chance to really practise my japanese (not counting those times where u repeat the sentence after the sensei).

My sensei tried her best to converse with 2 - 3 students at a 1-on-1 basis on during each lesson(while others are doing worksheet) but there is juz simply too many students. Consequently, it makes me kind of start losing interest in learning. I tried to make some new friends but well... other ppl usually sign up for classes with their own grp of friends and are not really into making new friends.

My advice, grab a friend or 2 to learn with you and if I choose over again I think I would like to pick Ikoma. I'm stuck now since I already paid for the fees Maybe its juz my luck? Any other JCS students can share their experience?

yah, i went JCS alone and my best friend is the sensei!!
coz others go there with friends and yah, the class size for elementary and intermediate is huge...

JCS focus on the grammer / vocab so if u want 2 practise conversation, talk 2 the teacher after class which wat i normally do... but still not good bah...

 

[Ah_keong]

Does anyone know for studying japanese in JCS after how long can I try for JLPT 4?
After 1st yr will I be ok etc?

for JLPT 4, u need 2 clear elementary class and half of the intermediate class knowledge...

so unless u sign up for elementary and intermediate intensive that finish in 1 year...
else difficult...

another way which i did was, i took elementary intensive then study JLPT 4 on myself (but with help from sensei)

so gd luck 4 ur JLPT!

 

[Ah_keong]

I wanted to sign up for JCS Intensive Elementary, but by the time I reached the place, there' weren't any places left! So I eneded up signing with Ikoma, and I guess it's really a blessing in disguise (based on earlier posts). Ikoma stresses alot on conversation and interaction, but does not neglect on writing/reading, and vocab! More of less well-balanced, I must say. Ikoma is indeed a good place for beginners, because the teachers do make learning fun, and that keeps my interest in check, and spurs me on to do homework and self-practice. I find myself looking forward to every lesson

And because I am in a realtively small class with 10+ people, everyone knows each other My sen gave us tablecards with our names written in Katakana on it, so she sort of knows our names by heart already.

wah!!, looks like i must start my basic at Ikoma soon!!

 

[Ah_keong]

yup, i'm from jcs too.
coz the price there is a little bit cheaper, so the class size is bigger.
and we hardly haf a chance to practice ani conversation.
i would still think dat paying a higher price for a smaller class is worth it.
my sensei now dosent even bother remembering our names!
at least my previous sensei at jcs did bother to do so...

u now at intermediate or advance level at JCS??

is it tough??

 

[Lew_Lian]

u now at intermediate or advance level at JCS??

is it tough??

i in advanced2, i think it;s managable.
the teacher explains alot of the things in the txtbook.
and i feel the txtbook ocntains quite alot of information.

haf to pay attention in class, den do some self study aft lessons.
and another thing, the classroom veri stuffy. recently they installed wall fans, so the situation improved slightly...... air con not working one

 

[Ah_keong]

i in advanced2, i think it;s managable.
the teacher explains alot of the things in the txtbook.
and i feel the txtbook ocntains quite alot of information.

haf to pay attention in class, den do some self study aft lessons.
and another thing, the classroom veri stuffy. recently they installed wall fans, so the situation improved slightly...... air con not working one

yah... like no air circulation like that...
i was thinking of continuing my intermediate in Jan...

 

[Nethergate]

Hi guys, currently I'm studying in JCS but I wanted to jump ship to Bunka. If I have got more money I'll go for Ikoma but unfortunately I don't.

Can any senpai from Bunka give me some review on the way classes are conducted? Does it has more opportunity for u to speak japanese and interact in class? Becoz in JCS we do not do so and that's the main reason I'm switching school. I have read the previous review for Ikoma, seems reali gd but nothing is mentioned regarding Bunka.

After half-a-yr there I do not know a single name of my classmate and I'm sure I was quite friendly, juz that the enviroment is not conductive.

 

[dingoz]

Hi guys, currently I'm studying in JCS but I wanted to jump ship to Bunka. If I have got more money I'll go for Ikoma but unfortunately I don't.

Can any senpai from Bunka give me some review on the way classes are conducted? Does it has more opportunity for u to speak japanese and interact in class? Becoz in JCS we do not do so and that's the main reason I'm switching school. I have read the previous review for Ikoma, seems reali gd but nothing is mentioned regarding Bunka.

After half-a-yr there I do not know a single name of my classmate and I'm sure I was quite friendly, juz that the enviroment is not conductive.

hm, i've just finished int 4 1 week ago and going to pre-adv lvl while taking jlpt 3 prep course for end of year jlpt exam.
been studying at bunka for 1 year till now, and im not really sure how other schs conduct their lessons.
in bunka, class conducted around 10 or less students per class, besides explaining new words and terms, teacher also ask student to answer questions from the textbook, arrange some interactive conversation amongst the students. only elementary lvl the teacher uses english more cos beginner lvl, e2 onwards mostly japanese already, and you're required to speak in jap, if you dont know how to express in jap, jus ask the teacher to translate for you then you repeat. classmates wise, it's up to you to interact with them, cos the age group is pretty wide, from sec - working adults, mostly all are just shy, just talk to one another will do. and mostly the same class will proceed on together to the next level.
pretty much the norm i guess...

 

[Lew_Lian]

yah... like no air circulation like that...
i was thinking of continuing my intermediate in Jan...

hmmm the air con problem is for my classroom, room3.
i;m not sure if the other rooms encounter the same problem though.

 

[arcadefire]

yah, Ikoma is really worth the money sia...

Teah! Ex but worth it.

 

[dimitri_can]

The best is the principal will stand at the lift and thank you for coming after every lesson. haha