Hi azumangadaioh, thanks for clarifying.
I am currently doing my university studies, considered quite a heavy load le...but i want to study jap so time should be the concern - gives me the flexibility to make up lesson if that week i cannot make it, the second factor will be pricing though I find that these 4 schools pricing are rather similar.
I did study elementary Japanese before but now I can only remember how to pronounce few basic words..btw, I also need the teacher who is slow, my bf went to take jap somewhere at hougang - the teacher speed the course so fast that he cannot understand especially when he does not know how to look at which Japanese words. I don't want to ended up spending more time of self-study because of the teacher.
Anyway, based on the requirements, which school would be better?
[ NOWS ] Bunka has 2 FREE replacement class per course, additional replacement costs 40++ Most ppl just use up 1 replacement class only, so should be no problem for you.
Going to lesson tmr so will confirm the cost of replacement class again.
I used free replacement classes to take lessons that are close to each other in terms of dates, so no need to take 8 weeks, if you are good, use the system to finish it in 6 weeks and jump to next level. [ Applicable to Ele levels only ]
The senseis are using a fixed format to teach, will have a routine to follow [ they have a checklist if you observe ] so that when you take replacement classes [ usually it's on another day, by another sensei ], you can still follow through. Another thing is,
[ NOWS ] for Ele levels especially, if you have friends taking different days, but same level, you will find that lesson 1 for you and lesson 1 for your frd will be the same, same notes, same words taught, of course, same homework, same for other lessons like 3, 5, 6 etc, although not 100%, even if it's different sensei for you and your friends, but mostly consistent.
The standard stuff that I recall for Ele1 were:
- pronouncing words properly [ pitch / tone / speed ]
- writing exercises [ sensei will actually walk around and see how you write, check your homework and correct them, even if a stroke is slightly longer, curves are larger, for Hiragana ]
- speaking together after sensei explains a word and asks the class to repeat the word
- sensei to student [ sensei asks 1 question per student to answer in Japanese ]
- student to student [ dialogue practising: 3 or 4 questions decided by sensei, and asked and answered between partners using words learnt to apply in context ]
- homework
- tests [ final test and surprise ad hoc test ]
- Romaji will be dropped and Hiragana will be used for teaching for the remainer of the course from a certain X lesson onwards [ you will know when the time comes ]
