Program Reviews

I've spent 5 weeks at the JALS school in Kyoto. It's very personal and the staff is very friendly and always concerned about your wishes and they are very uncomplicated.

The location is very new and clean. The teachers were absolutely lovely and took there time to explain the theorie and practice it.
The Book at first was intimidating, because it was all in japanese, but you get used to it and maybe thats not even a bad thing, thats the way you learn it. I am currently using this book to continue to study japanese.

The school is very active in organising activities for everybody, and you can feel they are doing it with all there love and energy. There are only positive vibes at the school. They organise things such as making chopsticks, going to festivals, converstion afternoons and other japanese activities.

I studied at the school for just to weeks, but it was totally worth it. Classes were fun and well structured and the teachers are great. Private classes were extremely useful as they cater to your interests. There are a lot of different activities, so there is something for everybody. The staff is really helpful and nice as well and make the experience even better. I would absolutely go there again

This is my first time that leave my home and go to other country by myself. I'm very excited! Japan is my favorite country.Kyoto have a lot of shrines,temples and landscapes,so I choose Kyoto.In Taiwan,I find UF Japan to arrange my schedule. In all school,JaLs's application information is most attractive.
First day I came to school,"wow it's so beautiful." I think.In JaLs everyone was very friendly to me.In a month I learned a lot of things and got a lot of experiences.
Although I encountered two typhoons,one was I go back to Taiwan.Airport was closed and flight was stop to fly,I stayed in Osaka four days.Patrick who is school's staff gave me a great help.
I'm very happy what I choose this school.Everydays is wonderful!

I spent two weeks at Kyoto JaLs in July and I felt welcome and comfortable from the beginning. The classes are small and the teachers are great! I learned a lot and had a lot of fun too. The organisation is very good and there are always on-site staff who are happy to help with any problems. There is a lot of opportunity to talk and exchange with other students and local people. The school also offers activities for the afternoon, some are a bit expensive, but definitely worth it, some are free. All in all, I really enjoyed my stay, my Japanese has improved a lot, I met very nice people from different countries and I would have liked to stay longer! In fact, I'm already thinking about when to go back to Kyoto ...

Kyoto JaLS is not just a Japanese language school. Instead, it has combined a café, study room, bookshop, and language school for Japanese students (especially English) along with the Japanese language school for foreigners. There was an activity every day after class, and both Japanese and foreigners were welcomed to participate in the activity. This made learning Japanese not only a school subject, but an authentic experience of interacting with the locals and exchanging cultures and ideas.

The concept of Kyoto JaLS as a space for people with different backgrounds sharing their ideas with other is amazing, not to mention the cozy environment (including the classrooms, study room, and café) and the friendly and helpful staff.

Concerning the Japanese language course, the teachers were very professional that my need was always satisfied and I never had to try hard to concentrate in class. The lessons focused much on conversation and every student had many opportunities to speak. Therefore, my speaking ability had improved a lot and now I am more confident to speak in Japanese.

To be honest, the course fee of Kyoto JaLS may be a bit more expensive than other schools. However, the quality of the course is worth the price considering the small class size and learning environment, which enhance the learning efficiency and motivation. If you do not want to waste time doing repetitive grammar exercises or getting bored during class, I would definitely recommend Kyoto JaLS to you.

What inspired you to go abroad?
I've always wanted to go to Japan. I enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures.

Why did you choose your specific program/organization?
I wanted a cultural experience along with an immersion program.

What was your favorite part about your host country/city?
It had a good balance of old architecture mixed with new.

What made your experience abroad unique?
It was set up in a way to help foreigners succeed.

How did local staff support you throughout your program?
They made housing arrangements and made sight seeing and restaurant recommendations.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
The housing I stayed in was mixed gender and had chores. This was not the case for everyone. I would have preferred paying a fee and not having to worry about doing chores as it did take away from the experience a bit. Overall it was no big deal but would have made it nicer. I would also recommend staying the full 6 weeks rather than a month if possible.

Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
I made breakfast, went to classes in the morning from about 9:30 to 12:30. Then lunch followed by an activity organized by the school. I usually went back to the school with friends to do homework around 5:30 or 6 then dinner and maybe a couple hours out or back to my share house by around 8 or 9 pm. The last bus home was usually around 10:30 so I rarely went home later then that.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
Sight seeing, restaurants, going to izakayas and going for walks and desserts.

What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
It was a share house with 4 other foreigners from all over. It was compartmentalized so your room could be locked.

What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
If you are not willing to study and try to improve your language skills during your free time or do homework you will likely waste some money.

Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
My reading and writing in Japanese have improved and I am able to study a bit more on my own.

Would you recommend your program/provider to others? Why?
Yes, It is a great well rounded program.

I studied at Hokkaido Japanese Language School for 10 weeks in the spring and stayed at a share house organised through the school. Sapporo is a great city and it’s easy to get out into the countryside, definitely a good choice if you’re looking for a quieter alternative to Tokyo or Osaka.

The lessons at the school were excellent, the learning materials are good and the teachers are very helpful. You are placed in a class that is right for your ability and the classes progress at a fast enough pace to learn plenty of Japanese but still leave you with time to explore the city.

Hokkaido JaLS also organise many activities for their students and they are good value and a great way to socialise with your classmates and experience Japanese culture. I was very happy with the share house as well, it was clean and sociable with a mixture of JaLS students and Japanese people living there.

I had a fantastic time in Sapporo and so much of that is thanks to JaLS, the staff and teachers were very supportive, the school itself is a great place to study and meet people and the activities really added to my experience. I would highly recommend studying there!

When I first tried this program a year ago, I was hesitant as to what would happen. At first, I was excited to go to Japan for the first time, yet there was so much mystery that I was scared to face. Looking back at it now, it was probably the biggest life decision of my life.

The program has fundamentally helped me grow as a person as it has opened my mind to what the world has to offer. The staff and students were all very kind and open to learning. The environment within JALS is internationally minded. Everyone gets to learn Japanese culture while sharing their own culture. Within a month I was able to speak a bit of Japanese to my taxi driver on my way back to the airport. It was one of the most fulfilling experience. I met some of my greatest friend in JALS, they were able to help me learn and share their experience of learning Japanese. I would say that the reason I was successful in this program, is because of the people I met throughout the course. The kind staff and students in JALS all helped me grow as a person.

The trip was overall really fun and exciting. The activities that Kyoto JaLS had planned out let us experience many outlets of Japanese culture. We experienced the food, the entertainment, and the people. We were able to socialize with many Japanese locals and make many new connetions. The views and scenery of Kyoto are also very beautiful if you like to take photos. Would reccomend Kyoto JaLS to anyone that has the time and money to explore the world.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our time studying Japanese at Jals.

All the teachers are enthusiastic and encouraging. They made me feel completely comfortable to speak up and make mistakes in class. I think this is really important when learning a new language.

It's more expensive than some other language schools in Sapporo, but the classes are guaranteed to be small so it's worth the cost.

The Jals staff are really helpful about organising accommodation and giving advice on setting up your life in Japan (subway cards, directions, bank account, phone etc). This was critical when we first arrived and couldn't understand the language at all!!

There is a beautiful library/cafe in the building which is a great place to hang out, meet people and do your homework after class.

We are heading south later in the year and already thinking about enrolling at Jals Kyoto.