Return to Online Catalog

Until the 1999-2000 academic year, Yamasa's Acceleration programs were only offered in the summer and winter as restricted entry short course programs (applicants needed to be university students with an intermediate level of Japanese). There was only 1 module in the summer (May - July) for university students , and a second module (December to February) for the southern hemisphere university summer holidays. At the same time, until the 1999-2000 academic year students studying in Yamasa's AIJP could only receive a maximum of 23 classes per week. There was always demand for additional lessons and an ultra-intensive curriculum, however a shortage of classrooms and faculty prevented Yamasa from increasing the number of options available.

From April 2000, this situation changed. The Acceleration Program now accepts elementary students for the first time, and it is also offered year round instead of just in the summer and winter. In addition the schedule has been altered so that long term students can also take advantage of the ultra-intensive format to rapidly improve their Japanese. Please note that this is currently the ONLY program offered in Japan by a high quality accredited institute that provides up to 30 classes per week . It is highly flexible, open entry, suitable for beginners and can be combined with long term studies in the AIJP.

The programs are taught in modules.

(1) For students with student visas:

There are 4 academic quarters (terms) and therefore 4 possible start dates. If you are starting or transferring into this program with a student visa, you need to enrol in the Acceleration program for 3 months before either extending your studies in the Acceleration program OR changing to the standard AIJP 23 class per week format.

(2) For students enrolling in short term studies (3 months or less):

For short term students there are 6 modules and 9 possible combinations to choose from. For short term students it is possible to enroll for 1 module initially and then either extend by enrolling in a second module or by switching to the SILAC programs run by Yamasa Extension.

The program is virtually the only ultra-intensive academic program in this country offering this sort of flexibility. Classes are taught exclusively by Yamasa faculty from absolute beginner levels to intermediate - in the early stages of each module you will usually find yourself reviewing past knowledge, brushing up on forgotten grammar, and having mistakes and bad habits/pronunication corrected. It is particularly useful for "false beginners" - students who have studied Japanese in the past but have either forgotten part or most of what they learnt, or were taught in an unstructured way.

Definitions:

Class Formats

The program is offered in two (2) formats.

(1) Standard Format: The standard format is for 30 classes per week, with a maximum class size of 15 students - 5 students less than the maximum class size required by the regulating body, the APJLE. Japanese classes start at 9.00am and finish at 3.30pm from Mondays to Fridays. The maximum class size is 5 students less than the regulation required for classes with student visas - who study in classes/programs that are regulated by the Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education (APJLE - more information in the Accreditation section of the center homepage). The average class size is usually around 13 during the peak periods such as summer, falling to around 10 at other times of the year.

The reason why Yamasa's maximum class size is 15 instead of the 20 required by the APJLE is because instead of rote-learning Kanji and grammar, we concentrate on the acquisition of communicative skills - being able to converse, comprehend, question and suggest. These skills cannot be learned passively. They require interaction between faculty and students. It is for this reason that we restrict the class size to a maximum of 15 (we break the class into 2 classes if there are 16 students or more at the same level). It is also why we insist that the desks in each classroom be arranged in a U shape - so that you can talk to other students. By contrast most classrooms in Japan have students sitting in rows.

(2) Seminar Format: The seminar format is for 20 classes per week, with a maximum class size of just 6 students. Japanese classes start at 9.00am and finish at 1.30pm from Mondays to Fridays. The seminar format has a maximum class size of only 6 students. As far as we are aware, this is the only full time and intensive academic program in Japan offering long term studies with such a small maximum class size. The average of course is less than 6 students per class. When the preparation time is included, the seminar format is actually slightly more intensive than the standard format (Plus with a maximum of 6 students in the seminar classes, you will have nowhere to hide if you haven't done your class preparation).

If the number of students at a particular level is 7 or more, then that module will usually be offered in Standard format. The choice of program delivery format will depend on the number of other students at your level. Please note that both formats remain communication skills oriented, and that the prices for both formats are identical. Our aim is to purely to ensure that you can continue rapid language acquisition which is best achieved by studying with students of a similar level.

If you have questions regarding the Seminar format, please feel free to contact Admissions.

"Why are there two formats and when is each one used???

The reason is cost and quality. Yamasa does not believe in using composite classes where students of widely differing level are forced to study in the same classrooms. By separating students by proficiency, we can ensure that you will learn more and learn faster, thus making the most of your time in Japan. However by dividing classes into carefully graded proficiency, it has often been the case with the Acceleration Program that for some class levels there were more teachers than students. A class size of 2 or 3 has been frequent. In terms of cost, this is prohibitively expensive for a non-profit institute without substantial reserves (Most profit oriented schools/corporations in Japan would simply cancel the class leaving the students high and dry, which is why so few of these kind of programs are offered in Japan).

The standard format is used whenever there are 7 students or more at the same/similar proficiency level. Whenever there are 6 students or less at the same/similar level of proficiency, the seminar format is used. The level of intensity is the same. We usually require at least 4 students at the same level in order to start a class due to the group work required. If there is only one student at a particular level, Yamasa faculty will consult with the student to design and individualized learning schedule. This would usually combine AIJP or AJSP classes, private one-on-one sessions and guided lab work and research. Students are never forced into classes at proficiency levels inconsistent with their text scores regardless of the number of students. It is one of the advantages of Yamasa non-profit status.

Teaching

Regardless of format, lessons are communication skills based Japanese classes that includes testing and revision classes. All four skills are taught - speaking, listening, reading and writing, though oral communication is emphasized. The classes require preparation time and private study. You will need to prepare for classes and submit homework tasks. From April 2000, all students will also have free access to the online resources being produced for Yamasa's distance learning project (the OCJS) as they are published.

Classes are taught via the direct method. The fastest way to learn Japanese is to be taught in Japanese and hear nothing else. Japanese is the language of instruction, however all of the texts at elementary level also have supporting translations and grammatical notes available in a range of foreign languages and other multilingual aids. You will be able to prepare your lessons in advance so that you can understand the Japanese language only lessons.

Romaji (english alphabet) is not used in instruction. From the initial lessons, you will be reading and writing exclusively in Japanese. This is for a number of reasons including; (a) the highly multinational nature of the student body, (b) the fact that use of Romaji oftens retards correct pronunication and (c) you will not be using Romaji later when you put your Japanese to use - so it makes sense to learn real Japanese from the outset. For more information please browse through the levels and curriculum section.

At the elementary level you do not need to be able to read Kanji as all of the texts have "furigana" (the reading of each kanji indicated with small hiragana - see the curriculum section). You will need to study the Kanji of course if you are going to really learn Japanese. Learning aids and faculty assistance is available throughout. Bringing a good kanji dictionary is helpful. Correct grammar use is a major focus. It is a key objective of the program that you will be able to communicate using precise and correct grammar. As a result a large number of classes are discussion based classes interacting with both Yamasa faculty and your fellow students. The faculty teams focus on correcting errors and keeping the communication skill level rising. Your mistakes are always corrected. This is why lesson preparation and homework is so important.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

To give you an idea of the intensity of the program schedule, please note that from 2000/APRIL/05 to 2001/MAR/22, there are no less than 244 program days. The standard format is scheduled to involve more than 1420 program hours. Even with the seminar format, more than 950 program hours will be delivered. By comparison, the APJLE regulations require a minimum of 800 - and most institutes deliver 810-820 program hours a year with the 20 students per class format in use.

When preparation time is included, the seminar format is actually slightly more intensive than the standard format (Plus as noted earlier, if there is a maximum of 6 students in the seminar classes, there is nowwhere to hide if you don't prepare). While students would not usually study for a full year in the Acceleration program formats, the pace of learning is incomparable. Even so, Yamasa has retained the low at-cost tuition rates only possible through a non-profit institute. The intensity of the program is a further reason as to why Yamasa's programs are good value. Not only will your budget for public transport, accommodation costs etc be lower than for alternative education providers, but you will receive far more actual instruction in Japanese than anywhere else.

NOTE 1: Each program hour is calculated as 50 minutes in accordance with APJLE regulations.
NOTE 2: Program hours does not include time spent in essential tasks such as placement testing. Yamasa is virtually the only education in 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. As you will see from the schedules for each option included in the Program Dates section (accessed below), 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 significantly understated.

STANDARD FORMAT: A standard format average weekly schedule might resemble something similar to the following:

SEMINAR FORMAT: A seminar format average weekly schedule might resemble something similar to the following:

Please note that both of the schedules above are only samples and would not apply across all classes. 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 all homework tasks.

In addition, all students enrolling in the programs should be able to learn to use Japanese language software and send/receive simple emails in Japanese. (A "name"@yamasa.org email address is supplied free on request). As mentioned earlier, all students will also have access to the interactive learning resources produced for Yamasa's OCJS as each resource becomes available.

PROGRAM DATES

The programs are offered all year round in the following modules:

(A) For students studying at Yamasa for short programs of up to 3 months duration:

* Note 1: Applications are accepted and approved on a first received/first confirmed rolling basis. It is wise to apply early.
** Note 2: If a homestay is your first or second accommodation preference - you need to complete tuition payment (not just a deposit but the full tuition) at lease 2 months in advance.

(B) For students studying at Yamasa with student visas:

+ Note 1: For student visa applicants, the relevant deadline is actually the student visa application deadline (June/July and December/January). Please note that if you apply for a student visa for entry into the AIJP and then decide even just a few weeks before the program start that you would like to enter the Acceleration program, this is usually no problem. If you are transferring from the AIJP or an Extension program such as SILAC or Internship, you need to visit the Admissions office to arrange your transfer before heading to Administration in the Yamasa II building.
++ Note 2: If you are applying for a student visa, you do not need to pay ANY tuition until your visa has been approved.

HOLIDAY DATES

Public Holidays: Japan has a large number of public holidays. The dates listed below are the public holidays that occur on weekdays during the program schedule, and Yamasa holidays such as Christmas and the Obon Festival in August etc. Public holidays that fall on weekends have not been listed.

PROGRAM COST

The low cost location, non-profit status and long-term financial support provided by the Hattori Foundation enables Yamasa to provide the Acceleration Programs at cost price to international students. In the case of these programs the tuition is priced ONLY according to the number of classes in each schedule.

Application Fees:

NOTE 1: *For student visa information, please read carefully through the visa requirements section in the center homepage.
NOTE 2: There is no application fee if you do not require a student visa.
NOTE 3: The application fee covers most of the costs incurred by Yamasa in obtaining the student visa. However even if processing your visa incurs costs well in excess of 21000 yen, you will NOT be required to make additional payments.
NOTE 4: Students requiring a student visa are usually required to enrol for a minimum of 6 months. If your university or other scheduling requirements are such that you need to enroll for longer than 1 quarter but are not able to enroll for a full two quarters then please contact Mr Declan Murphy (Director of the International Office) at Admissions as soon as possible and explain your situation.

Currency Conversion

For students studying at Yamasa for short programs of up to 3 months duration:

For students studying at Yamasa with student visas:

Notes for student with student visas:

(1) If you are planning to study long-term, it is usually best to start in the Acceleration Program and then shift to the standard 23 class per week schedule later. This is particularly the case if you are starting your studies in April and are aiming to pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test in December.

(2) If you enroll in the Acceleration Program for 3 months and decide to switch to the standard 23 hour per week format after classes have commenced, then you are able to do so. However please note that there is a 21000 yen transfer fee deducted if you transfer 10 program days or more before the end of a quarter (the transfer fee covers the costs of retesting and re-processing as your proficiency level will need to be reassessed, and your transferring may require an AIJP class to be divided into two classes if the number of students at a particular level exceeds 15 after your transfer.)

LEVELS AVAILABLE

All students entering the programs are graded via a placement test and placement interview on arrival. The placement test consists of 3 stages, a written test, a listening comprehension test and a one-on-one interview. This ensures that faculty can place you in a class with students who have attained a similar score in the placement test and are of similar ability. Depending on the number of students in the class above or below your intial placement and the difference in the proficiency level, it may be possible to change classes after consultation and re-assessment with your academic advisor.

Classes are usually offered from Foundation (absolute beginner) through Elementary, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate.

If you have studied Japanese before please check through the curriculum. At elementary level, the main texts being used are the Minna no Nihongo series. At this stage the main texts used in the intermediate levels have not yet been decided, as it will depend very much upon the level and Kanji background of the students who apply. The intermediate texts will require you to be able to read at least 300-350 Kanji.

One of the most difficult problems facing faculty members is to work out the level of proficiency of each student as early as possible (so as to increase planning time). Yamasa's multimedia studio has developed a series of online placement tests. These tests are not the actual placement tests but act as an indicative survey. They are designed to help you by allowing you to know where you would be in Yamasa's curriculum. You will be requested to complete an online test AFTER you have submitted your application form. However if you are worried about your level and would like to do an online test prior to submitting the application form, please contact Mr Declan Murphy (Director, International Office) at Admissions

Yamasa Admissions will then also be in a better position to advise you and assist with program selection.

MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The Acceleration programs is an academic course. All students will need to have a high level of motivation to learn Japanese. Most students are either graduates or university/college students, although this is not a minimum entry requirement. However if you have not yet matriculated, then please note that it is essential for you to prove that you have the academic ability to enter a university in your home country or current country of residence.

As an absolute minimum:

1) Applicants must have a minimum of 12 years of full-time education in their native country or have a diploma equivalent to a Japanese senior high school diploma. (For Hong Kong residents, please note that Form 5 is acceptable.)

2) All students applying for the student visa will need to be at least 18 at the time they will enter Japan. It is possible for you to start the Acceleration program on a tourist visa when you are 17 (subject to the condition 1), and then transfer to the student visa after your 18th birthday.

3) As a general rule students need to be 18 years and over. If you are not going to be 18 at the time of the program commencement please contact Mr Declan Murphy at Admissions

It is not a pre-requisite but it is helpful if you have some experience of studying Japanese or a foreign language before.

Citizens of certain countries will need to find guarantors. Please check the Visa Requirements section in the center homepage to see if this applies to you.

PROGRAM LOCATION

All classes are conducted at Yamasa's >Okazaki campus - just 7 minutes walk from JR Okazaki Station.

You will enjoy living in the historic castle town of Okazaki, located in Aichi Prefecture in Central Japan. The castle was the birthplace and initial stronghold of the greatest 'shogun' Tokugawa Ieyasu (born 1542), the founder of modern Japan. With a population of 330,000, it is a prosperous town with modern hi-tech industries that has also maintained its traditions and festivals and has many heritage sites, old temples and shrines including Hozoji - now more than 1200 years old. More information about Okazaki is available from the Location file in the center homepage. In short though, it is safer, cheaper and quieter than crowded cities like Tokyo or Osaka, and more suited for study and a taste of the traditional Japan.

For students, Okazaki has the advantage of being halfway between Tokyo and Osaka and convenient to both. It is also not too far from Kyoto and Nara to the west, Mt Fuji and Shizuoka to the east. It is easy to travel to each of these locations from here. Prices here are much less than Tokyo, Osaka or that of tourist traps like Kyoto, (rent for example is actually less than half that of Tokyo), the cost of living is therefore lower. Public transport is good, bicycles probably the best and easiest mode of transportation.

FACILITIES

All students have free internet access and can send and receive personal electronic mail. Students bringing laptops should be able to connect directly to the LAN through jacks provided specifically for student use. Most of the classrooms have a jack for LAN access as of course does the computer laboratory. Students without laptops will be able to access the internet through the PC's supplied by Yamasa. For more details regarding internet connectivity please read through the connectivity file in the center homepage.

All classrooms and amenities are large and western style. Yamasa allocates more space per student than nearly any accredited institution in the country. The extra space means that instead of sitting in chairs with writing flaps attached to the arm of the chair - student have wide desks for spreading dictionaries and study aids in front of them for easy reference. This extra space is assisted by the policy of having at maximum class size of 15, which is 5 students less than the standard required by the regulating body for Japanese language education in Japan - the APJLE.

The offices of your academic advisors are also located in the same building so that you can easily consult faculty outside class hours.

ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

i. Studio Apartments

Yamasa Villa I,
Yamasa Villa III, IV,
Residence U,
Residence K

ii. Dormitory

Yamasa Student Village,
Yamasa Villa 2

iii. Host Family

Homestay Program

For full details please visit the Student Accommodation section in the center homepage.

Students can choose various combinations of Student Housing. It is possible to move from one option to another. All prices are in the Student Accommodation section in the center homepage. Accommodation options are booked automatically when you complete your program application and are confirmed by email or written letter as preferred.

VISA INFORMATION