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Posted by Jan G. (Uhldingen - Germany)
on October 2011 - Germany
My experience at GenkiJACS
When I went to GenkiJACS in August 2011, it was the first time in Japan for me – and definitely not the last. Especially the great language lessons, as well as the Activity- and Culture-Class made my stay in Japan a fantastic experience that was really worthwhile.
Being just about 16 years old and traveling such a long way for the very first time (alone!), I worried a bit at the beginning. But since the very first time I went into the school, I felt really comfortable.
The teachers as well as the staff were so friendly and took great care of the students, I enjoyed the whole time at the school. They also chose a guest family for me who was very friendly and open-minded.
The most important thing about a language-school is the language-lesson, of course.
In my opinion, GenkiJACS' teachers have a really effective way of teaching, and being in class was interesting and a lot of fun every time . The teachers try to let you speak as much as possible, so that you're not only able to build a sentence on a paper but mainly communicate with Japanese people.
Even though the teachers have a curricular for every lesson, they're flexible and we could ask them everything, even if it has no bearing on the actual topic – they're great at explaining and I learned a lot of new vocabulary.
At GenkiJACS, classes include at least 7 students. Therefore, you are able to practice your Japanese skills intensively. What I also liked very much about the lessons is, that we students often got the possibility to exercise by speaking among each other what was very effectively in my opinion.
During the break it was always interesting to talk to other students from all over the world and to find out about their reason for learning Japanese.
On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday GenkiJACS offered “Activity-” and “Culture-Class”. After learning Japanese in the morning, we learned about Japanese (pop-)culture in the afternoon. For example, we visited a maid cafe, we cooked Onigiri and Gyoza and, what I liked most, we went to the zen-temple Shofukuji and did Zazen with a real Zen monk.
The location, Fukuoka, is a big and interesting city. In August it was very hot and humid, but all buildings, shopping-centers and public transportation have air conditioning, therefore it wasn't that bad. I loved the nature of Kyushu with its uncountable forested hills. The excursions with my guest family to the interior of Kyushu were wonderful, especially the visit of the Jigoku(very hot springs) of Beppu and relaxing in an Onsen with view of a bamboo-forest.
By the way, I would advise you to stay at a guest family by all means. I had so much fun with them and got the possibility to get to know the Japanese way of life. The highlight of each week was Friday afternoon when my guest father took me along to his choirs practice – singing Sakamoto Kyu's “Miagete goran yoru no hoshi wo”, I felt so much contended, or rather shiawase.
The prearrangement and booking of the journey was easy and comfortable, due to the large information on their website.
I'm sure I will do a second language stay at Fukuoka and I just can recommend GenkiJACS.
Posted by Martin D. (Czech Republic)
on October 2011 - Czech Republic
GenkiJACS, December 2010
As a working professional studying Japanese out of an interest, to broaden my horizons and get by with the language outside of Tokyo where the knowledge of other languages by the local Japanese population is relatively limited I was also looking for a language school that can offer flexibility. Genki JACS was able to offer that by opening most levels of classes every first Monday of the month (as opposed to every quarter like most other schools do) and if you are not a beginner and they find you fitting well into already existing classes you can join on any Monday of the year. Also, the teachers are constantly monitoring the classes that range between about 2 to 6 students and whenever they find someone would benefit from one level above or below they do not hesitate to move people around. You can also find yourself having one to one classes if there is no group at your particular level. The school requires students to be able to read hiragana but if you are a beginner (like I was) and can’t quite achieve that before you start the course you should still go ahead as you will be helped along the way. There are additional conversation classes available with local students or conversation partners looking for language exchange and it is a good idea to make the most of staying with a local host family all arranged by the school. I was slightly surprised by how relatively small and informal the whole school was but the quality of the staff is top notch with most tutors having international experience and years of teaching Japanese to foreigners post their qualification. You will typically experience several teachers along the way as the school rotates them between the groups throughout the week and month and the management is very receptive to comments and suggestions for improvements if indeed you have any such ideas. With Fukuoka being the friendliest and safest city in the world I have so far experienced (and I have seen quite a few on all continents) I think GenkiJACS is your hard earned money well spent, I can recommend the school without hesitation and will be making arrangements to attend follow up courses in the future myself again.
Posted by Glen R. (Brisbane - Australia)
on October 2011 - Australia
Genki JACs
I studied at Genki JACs for 5 weeks during spring of 2010. I was in Fukuoka for a year long working holiday, and wanted to get to a basic level of Japanese before I found a job. I started in the complete beginner class, knowing only a few words plus hiragana and katakana. 5 weeks later, I felt I knew enough of the basics, and I have continued my studies on my own since then.
The teaching staff and course content are of a very high quality. For the total beginners, all staff can speak good English, but try to use Japanese whenever possible. The classes are kept fairly small, my classes ranged from 2 to 6 people, so each student gets a lot of attention from the teacher. The textbook and homework are in a good format, and are easy to follow.
During my time at Genki JACs, the cherry blossoms in Fukuoka were in full bloom and the weather was just perfect. Every day I rode to school from my accommodation (which Genki JACs organised), through Ohori-koen and under the cherry blossoms along Meiji-dori. An excellent way to start the day! The staff of Genki JACs also organised a Hanami party in the ruins of Fukuoka castle.
The teaching and administration staff are all very friendly, and fun to talk to. Classes are always a lot of fun, and don't feel boring. Even now, (6 months later) I occasionally bump into staff members around Fukuoka, and they always stop to say hi.
I was quite happy with my choice of language school. The only downside to the school is the price. If it was a bit cheaper, I would have stayed longer. I have friends who have gone to other language schools in Fukuoka and, based on their (and my) experiences, I would say Genki JACs is probably the best language school in Fukuoka, but also one of the most expensive. If you can afford it, I highly recommend studying at Genki JACs.
Posted by Daniel K. (seattle - USA)
on October 2011 - USA
my time in fukuoka
Hello,
I attended classes as GenkiJACS for 3 week in September of 2010. At the time, I wasn’t too sure what to expect: I had never studied a language before but had learned some Japanese when I was little from my grandmother. Though I could understand some spoken Japanese in context, I had very little experience speaking, and couldn’t read at all.
As I prepared for my trip to Japan, I attempted to ready myself as much as possible by doing as much as possible in Japanese. I stumbled upon GenkiJACS’s website and decided to give it a shot. I saw on their curriculum that I had to be able to read hiragana and katakana, so I taught myself those and figured I was ready for some proper instruction. I can only imagine the difficulty of taking such a varied body of students for such varied lengths of time and attempting to pour as much as possible into them during that time period.
Overall my experience at GenkiJACS was quite positive! I received constant attention, and always had my concerns addressed whenever I spoke with staff. The teachers were willing to explain concepts from multiple angles, and spent time and energy making sure students don’t fall behind. Honestly, I think I probably experienced a little language confusion while I was in Japan, but this seemed little trouble for the staff. In particular, the head teacher was able to rearrange my classes so that I was able to continue at varying levels based off of my ability at different language skills.
I think a school such as GenkiJACS would be able to help anyone in their journey towards language success. Itte kudasai.
Posted by Fabienne H. (Switzerland)
on October 2011 - Switzerland
Would you like to improve your Japanese ?
Hi there,
My name is Fabienne and I’m a graduate student studying Chinese and Japanese language and history at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. A friend of mine told me about Genki JACS back when I was looking for a language school that would help me to improve my Japanese language skills and also pass exams back in Switzerland. Thus, I went to Fukuoka during the summer of 2010 for five weeks, stayed in a great Japanese host family, and enrolled in the Japanese Plus Conversation and cultural classes offered by Genki JACS. This turned out to be the best choice.
These classes offered many benefits that allowed me to better improve my language ability and learn more about Japan as a whole. The classes’ main asset is their small size - up to six students maximum, which allows you to interact a lot! The teachers not only use various teaching materials, like CDs, newspaper articles or comics, but they also always include in their courses cultural elements, such as celebrations. On the 7th of July, for example, you’ll learn all about the festival called “Tanabata”. There are also plenty of cultural activities at the school level : BBQ evenings, movie afternoons, school trips in Kyûshû and more. Last but not least, it’d be a shame to forget to mention the relaxed and friendly atmosphere created by the teachers and of course the Genki JACS’ staff. They will always be glad to provide you assistance. Whether you’re looking for interesting places to visit, wonder how to get to a certain place or are in need of a visa extension, they will always be ready and willing to help. You may even get a free haircut if you kindly ask Yoshinaga-san !
In the end, not only was I able to significantly improve my Japanese in quite a short time and pass my exams successfully, but I also learned a lot about Japanese culture and Japanese people’s way of living. Attending a tea ceremony while wearing a yukata, painting my own Hakata doll and visiting a shintô shrine with a guide are still nowadays among my favourite memories. – This is why I returned to Genki JACS in winter of 2011.
So if you’re looking to improve your Japanese and / or explore Japanese culture, I highly recommend you Genki JACS.
Posted by Dominique U. (Geneva - Switzerland)
on September 2011 - Switzerland
Language Study in Fukuoka City
Finding the right language school is tricky and differences can be important as I experienced it in two Japanese schools in Tokyo.
Now, Fukuoka is a great place to get a rest from the big cities or for an easy start with your Japan adventure. The "Genki" school, where I studied for 10 weeks, is definitely a place where teachers and the director of the school make their utmost efforts to help you with your Japanese language studies. I�d say that I was happy with 6 out of the 7 teachers that I had there.
Although I'm not a big fan of group activities, the school offers interesting excursions to other parts of Kyushu as well as other activities in Fukuoka.
All in all, I can recommend this school, however keep in mind, that learning to understand the Japanese culture has more to do with yourself than with Japan. Be ready to challenge your ideas of the country and its people on a daily basis, ask questions, be curious, dare being critical and last but not least go out and party! My tip: Imaizumi (South of Tenjin Station) offers many fancy bars and restaurants.
I guess my time at genki was a success since I was hired afterwards by Japan�s biggest newspaper company.
Posted by Morgan S. (USA)
on September 2011 - USA
Genki JACS
I am currently teaching English in Japan. I found Genki JACS while searching for a way to boost my Japanese during my summer vacation. I spent two weeks at Genki JACS and could not be happier with my experience at the school.
Though my time at the school was relatively short, Genki JACS arranged a speaking partner in addition to a host family. Having a speaking partner was a great way to explore Fukuoka as well as to get in some extra Japanese practice. Having a host family, one of the housing options, was another great way to get to know the area and practice what I learned in class. If you decide to join the school I would highly recommend doing both of the above.
Before I actually started class I was worried that the time spent in class would begin to drag but despite being in the same room for multiple hours the time seemed to fly by. The teacher you have for class changes almost everyday, you will most likely see a couple of the teachers repeatedly, which can be a bit disorienting and made some lessons feel a bit out of place but it did keep each day of classes fresh. The teachers themselves were very supportive and did a great job explaining vocabulary and grammar points in Japanese even when I was struggling. The staff are great and very willing to answer any random Japanese questions you may have as well as help you find things to do in Fukuoka. I also found the other students to be extremely friendly and supportive. After taking the placement test I was unsure if I would be compatible with the class suggested for me but the other students encouraged me to stay. They also supported my language pledge, not required by the school, and made efforts to talk to me even though it was quite difficult for several of them to do so in Japanese! Despite my short time at the school I feel that there was a noticeable improvement in my Japanese and am considering returning to the school next summer.
Posted by Tammiw M. (Farum - Denmark)
on September 2011 - Denmark
Genki Jacs
I studied a month by Genki Jacs and really loved it.
The atmosphere is very warm and the teachers, staff and students were all very friendly and there were always people there that could help you no matter the problem.
The first thing that happens when you arrive at the school is that you have to take a language test so that they can place you after level. After that you are placed in to the classes and start to learn Japanese. The effectiveness of the test various a bit, but if you feel that you’re either to good are bad according to the class you have been put in don’t be afraid to talk to your teacher about it and they will try to find a solution (other more fitting class) for you.
The classes use a lot of repetition so you are sure that you remember what you have covered in class because it will be repeated several times. Most of the classes I attended were on Japanese which makes it challenging in a good because it makes you focus more on what they are trying to teach you.
There are different types of classes you can take and if you want extra classes speak to the staff and if it’s possible they will make it fit in to your program. In that way the Staff is always very helpful and you can feel they care because they will always do what they can to make your stay more pleasant.
If festivals occur (in areas near Fukuoka) while you’re at the school, they will arrange trips for which you can sign up and together with other students and volunteer Japanese people go see together. This is a nice way to experience Japanese culture (also in different way, then if you were to see by yourself) and maybe make some Japanese friends and practice the Japanese you learned at school.
Posted by David S. (Slippery Rock - USA)
on September 2011 - USA
My time at Genki Japanese and Culture School
みんなさん、こんにちは。My name is Dave Schultze. I am an American male that studied at Genki Japanese and Culture School in January and February of 2011. It was truly an incredible experience, both in what I was able to learn in that short of a period of time, and in how pleasurable an experience they make studying the Japanese language. I had studied Japanese at two American universities for a total of 3 years, so I had a basic knowledge of the language, but very little actual speaking experience. But Genki JACS changed that quickly. Although I was at first a little intimidated by speaking only Japanese in class, I was soon speaking more Japanese in a day than I had in a semester of study at the Universities I attended. Additionaly, what I learned in class was reinforced during my offtime in my daily life in Japan. Additionaly the staff and instructors at GenkiJACS went out of their way to help me, not only in my study of the language in the classroom, but through extra curricular activities, either pre-arranged by the school or tailored to my specific needs and requests. I will return to study at GenkiJACS, and I recommend to anyone looking to study the Japanese language in Japan to consider this school.
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