Program Reviews

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!!

My time at Hokkaido JaLS as a student included morning group classes, afternoon 1-1 lessons, and activities. Everything was brilliant! I had a great time, made some amazing friends and gained confidence in my Japanese!

The morning classes are a maximum of 6 people so there's loads of time to talk and ask questions. The 1-1 classes were great for helping me learn the Japanese I needed to at the time (I was writing a thesis on the Japanese education system for my Masters!), and my teacher was really supportive. The active social environment of JaLS also made it easy to make friends, meet local people and just have the best time.

Normally, each week there were at least 4 social activities or planned trips which meant there was never a boring moment!

I would really recommend studying here, whatever your Japanese level!!