Choosing a Japanese School: A Comparison of Japanese Language Schools

NOTE: This is the first draft of an article we intend to publish to our website proper after a few more revisions. Any comments or feedback are greatly appreciated!
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We may not be the least biased source of information, but as insiders in the Japanese language school industry, we’d like to provide some pointers on things you should keep in mind when choosing a Japanese school.

Everyone’s needs are different, so here are criteria you can use to determine whether a certain school is good for you:
1. Purpose of study
2. Budget
3. Learning style
4. Location
5. Period and time of study

1. Purpose of study
What are your eventual goals in learning Japanese? There are two main types of Japanese schools: university preparation schools and what we call {communication-based{ schools.
If you plan to study at a Japanese university later, make sure that you select a Japanese language school that is recognised by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Only schools that are officially recognised are allowed to give student visas. They also offer preparation courses for university entrance exams. However, note that these schools generally focus far less on communicative topics than on memorizing the necessary kanji. They also generally require study of at least 6 months, and usually a year, and only have one or two student intakes per year.
If your eventual aim is anything other than going to a Japanese university, we recommend a communication-based school. These generally have more flexible courses and schedules, and focus on speaking and listening skills equally to or more than reading and writing.
In particular, if you are currently studying Japanese overseas (outside Japan), it’s likely that your biggest problems are with speaking and listening, as you are not in a native Japanese environment. In this case, a Japanese language school that allows you to practise the things you have already studied can increase your fluency greatly.
Note that some Ministry of Education-certified schools also offer short-term communicative-skills classes, in addition to their university-preparation classes.

2. Budget
Japan is not a cheap country, and Japanese language schools are not cheap schools. Japanese schools can generally be divided into 3 groups:
– big, expensive schools
– little, expensive schools
– little, cheap schools
Big schools (in general, most Ministry of Education-certified ones) are expensive because of the large overhead they have to support – their campus, etc. So, in this case, you pay a lot of money but (as with a university) don’t receive much personalized attention. Classes are usually large – 20 to 40 students – but teaching methods good.
Little schools can choose to skimp on some things (hiring only part-time teachers, putting many students into the same class regardless of ability, providing photocopied materials instead of textbooks) to reduce the cost of studying with them. This can make them an attractive option if your budget is very limited. However, in general the quality of teaching will also be somewhat lower than expensive schools.
Small expensive schools (such as GenkiJACS) charge more but provide concurrently higher levels of service. For example, at GenkiJACS, if you are the only student at your ability level, you will have one-to-one classes with a teacher. Students also receive two full textbooks (a 5000 yen value).
If your budget supports it, we recommend spending a little more than the minimum, as choosing a cheap school can mean that you end up not learning very much. For most people, the time that they can take off work or school to study at a Japanese school in Japan is limited, so it is important to make the most of it.

3. Learning style
Before selecting a school, ask them what countries most of their students come from.
Many Japanese language schools in Japan accept mostly Chinese and Korean students. This means that the teaching style and classwork focus is on the needs of Asian learners. Specifically, both of these countries use kanji (to some extent), so classes often assume that you will already be able to write kanji. Learning styles are very culturally based, and so in schools with mostly Chinese and Korean students, classes may be mostly lectures, rather than two-way communication.
The flip side of that, of course, is that if your classmates and you don’t share a common language, you end up having to speak Japanese, which helps you to practice. So, for native speakers of English, a Japanese school with students from across Europe, South America, etc. (i.e., countries with similar communication styles but different languages) can often be the best choice.
Finally, flexibility in teaching methods is a definite advantage. At GenkiJACS, we provide a learning styles questionnaire to all new students, and adapt the teaching style based on the answers.

4. Location
Some Japanese schools are in the city, some in the countryside. Decide which you prefer and choose a language school accordingly. In the city, you’ll be able to have a more {fun{ stay, but being in the countryside where few people speak English can give you more opportunities to practice, and deeper relationships with the people around you. (GenkiJACS is in the heart of Fukuoka City, with a population of 1.3 million.)
Location within Japan can also be important: many language schools are clustered in and around Tokyo, which is where many people want to go. However, you should be aware that Tokyo is very different from most of the rest of Japan, and it is quite easy to get by in Tokyo with very little Japanese ability (i.e., less external motivation to learn). Many GenkiJACS students who have been to both Tokyo and Fukuoka prefer the atmosphere and lifestyle of Fukuoka in the end. If being on 本州 (honshuu, the main island of Japan) is important for you, choose a Japanese school appropriately.
The climate also varies greatly from place to place – the north of Japan is extremely cold, with long snowy winters, while Okinawa is sub-tropical goodness. Kyushu (where GenkiJACS is located) is warmer than most of Japan. If beaches are a necessity for you, stay away from Hokkaido!

5. Period and time of study
As mentioned above, most university preparation schools offer courses of 6 months or a year or more. For shorter courses, look at communicative Japanese schools. Some schools limit their intake periods (for example, only once per month), while others, like GenkiJACS, accept students at any time of year. Generally, schools with limited intakes have less seasonal fluctuation, meaning less of a busy season. Schools that accept students at any time tend to have large volumes of students during holiday seasons (mainly July and August), which can make everything a little more chaotic at those times. If attending a school like this, we recommend attending outside of summer as much as possible.