Standard Intensive Japanese Language Course in Hokkaido

I went to study at JaLS for 6 weeks last summer (2014). The classes were great and the teachers were very engaging. I learned a lot and really want to come back again.
I made lots of friends from around the world and we all became like a family.
The housing was really nice and the people who lived there wanted to help with homework and anything we might be struggling with.
i had a lot of fun with the cultural activities after school (such as taiko drumming, making sushi, and wearing kimono) and the weekend trips (rafting, Otaru, onsen).
Overall this is an A++ course and you should check it out!!

My time at this school was my first time travelling to Japan. I thought it would be a normal dull language school and a good class, but what I had experienced was far beyond my expectation. My first impression of the school is that the decoration and environment was very nice. All the classrooms and living area is beautifully renovated and give a warm and welcome feeling. The staffs and teachers are very kind and helpful. I almost feel like they are my own family. The class is taught in a small number of people so I learnt Japanese really fast and got to talk and have fun a lot with my teachers and my friends. The principle said he will always keep each classroom with small group of students to create a great learning environment. He is very kind and often come to talk with us whether we have any problems or issue. Moreover, I had made a lot of good friends from all over the World including France, Germany, England, Hongkong, Macau and definitely Japan. We are still good friends and always keeping in touch(also with my teachers and the staffs!). My first Japan trip become vivid and memorable time I will never forget. I highly recommend Hokkaido Japanese Language School for anyone who seeks for great study and experience in Japan.

I took the summer course last year and I have to say it was an amazing experience. The lessons were always fun - but also a lot of content was taught. The cultural lessons were amazing and something to always look back on. A great way to meet people from all over the world and to form new friendships.
The staff and teachers were awesome and made those 4 weeks very special.

In just 6 short weeks of studying at Hokkaido JaLS, I learned a whole college semester's worth of material -- and without all that much effort. Every day you have class in a relaxed environment from about 9 - 12:30 with a few breaks in between. There are often activities after this if you wish to attend them, or otherwise can spend the rest of the day travelling around on your own. The classes are kept down to a size of around 6 students, which means that interaction between the students and the teacher is very good. The classes are taught entirely in Japanese, but the teachers are very good about explaining things through drawings or other methods if the students aren't able to understand.

All of the students at this school come from all over the world, and it gives you the opportunity to meet all kinds of different people. The school also provides tons of activities for travelling around Sapporo and Hokkaido, and experiencing various aspects of Japanese culture.

Naturally, since the school is located in Sapporo, the lessons in addition to daily life experiences in Japan come together to enforce what you are able to learn in classes. Before coming to Japan, I had little confidence and was afraid to speak Japanese, but after leaving the program I found myself very far ahead of my classmates at home.

The dormitories are all very clean and nice, and filled with friendly people. Some of them are more socially oriented and others are more of just a place to stay. When you make friends with students at the school, you'll be able to visit various other housing locations.

On top of all this, the program is very inexpensive. I chose to return to this school a second time this year because aside from the program being great, I'm able to stay in Japan for nearly 3 months and still have a lower cost than my university's study abroad program for just 5 weeks. I highly recommend this school!

you won't just pay for a course just to study japanese abroad, right ?
i've been taking 2-month japanese cultural course and it was awesome !! i had 3 hours for lesson every morning (mon-fri) and some afternoon we joined an event held by school. we've lots of opportunities to try many things / join most of the festivals during that time together. it was one of my best time in my life coming to jals !

- Standard lessons with experienced teachers, learning by playing, talking, and have fun
- Friendly teachers and staffs, the atmosphere is warm
- Many fun activities to do with schoolmates and staffs, including many Japanese traditional activities
- An opportunity to help others with learning, we all can be the teachers
- Many choices of accommodation, I chose "sharehouse" and it brought me a lot of good memories and friendship :)
- The location is not far from subway station and there are plenty good restaurant nearby XD
- Meet new friends from another part of the world, it's gonna be fun for sure!!

I spent a month in Hokkaido JaLS in July 2014 on their standard course, and I loved every minute of it. I was nervous at first, but the friendly teachers and relaxed atmosphere helped me settle into the place very quickly.

We had two teachers who took us on different days during the week. Both of them were super friendly and funny, and very able to make learning Japanese a very easy and fun experience. We used the 'Dekiru Nihongo' textbook in combination with various other learning resources. The textbook can be a bit dry on its own, but the teachers made a great effort to transform lessons into group activities and as a result I got to practise spoken Japanese every day. Writing and listening was also thoroughly practised. Although I had some difficulty writing my first essay, my teacher Haruka-sensei helped me with my Japanese and I improved massively as a result. Lessons lasted from After school there were often other activities that gave us the chance to meet Japanese people and practise Japanese with them. Almost constantly there were activities over the weekend which you could opt into, and these provided the perfect opportunity to mingle with other students. I made many friends in the school who I'm still in contact with and my teachers even still help me over the internet!

The accommodation arranged through the school was not only affordable and comfortable but had a brilliant atmosphere and I made many life-long friends while living there.

I was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

I am currently a student at the school who is taking private lessons only. I moved here from a different school as I wasn`t achieving my desired results. The progress that has been made over the last 6 months has been amazing (went up one JLPT level). My teacher really pushes me to learn more, in a Japanese only environment. Everything from the course material to the homework set changes with my needs - the bonus of being a private student! The materials are matched well and I will stay here to continue my language journey!

I`m a little biased with my opinion on Sapporo due to me living here. The winters can get cold and the roads slippy but it`s worth it, for the awesome Summer weather. Summer in Sapporo is fantastic. There`re so many festivals and fun things to see and do.

The school trips are well put together and help students not only see more of Hokkaido but meet some good people and share some fantastic experiences!

All in all the school is fantastic. The whole experience from dealing with the office staff with my countless queries and schedule changes, to being taught are effortless regardless of Japanese ability!!