Each class period is of 50 minutes duration. In the SILAC & Acceleration options, there are 23 or 28 classes in a usual week (one without public holidays). There is some variation in the number of classes per module due to occasional public holidays. There is less variation with the Option B (private lessons) format.

When the preparation time is included, the private lessons format is actually slightly more intensive than the SILAC format. (Plus with only one student in a class, there isn't anywhere to hide if you don't prepare). Acceleration is the most demanding of the 3 options.

While students in the program do not study for a full year, the pace of learning is such that this is one of the most intensive programs in the country, and yet retains the low at-cost tuition rates only possible through a non-profit institute.

The intensity of the program is a key reason as to why Yamasa is good value. Not only will your budget for public transport, cost of living, accommodation, internet access etc be much lower than for alternative education providers, but you will receive far more actual instruction in Japanese than elsewhere.

Class Hours:

Option A: Private classes

The lessons are scheduled on an individual basis. Starting no earlier than 9am and finishing no later than 3.30pm.

Option B: SILAC classes

Mondays to Thursdays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 2.30pm. (Standard format)

Fridays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 11.50am. (All formats)

Option C: Acceleration classes

Mondays to Thursdays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 3.30pm. (Unless you prefer private lessons to be re-scheduled)

Fridays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 1.30pm. (All formats)

Notes:
1. Program hours calculated as 50 minutes in accordance with APJLE regulations.
2. Program hours does not include time spent in essential tasks such as placement testing. Yamasa is virtually the only education provider that only calculates the actual teaching time as program time. According to the APJLE regulations, activities such as Welcoming Ceremonies, parties and day-trips can be counted as classes. Yamasa does not consider these activities to be classes, even though activities such as testing are of course integral to the program. This means that the gap between the actual teaching hours of Yamasa and that of other program providers is also usually understated.

Also please note that Yamasa's teaching teams use an interactive style - rote learning has no place in the curriculum. You will be required to speak Japanese and participate in class discussions and graded accordingly.

The class hours listed does not include preparation time. You will need to prepare for classes and submit homework tasks.

In addition, all students enrolling in the Internship programs should be able to learn to use Japanese language software and send/receive simple emails in Japanese. As mentioned earlier, all students will also have access to the interactive learning resources produced for Yamasa's OCJS as each resource becomes available.