Hi there! I’ve already looked at past posts about the topic, but I’d like to know more recent opinions. Especially since due to COVID, online lessons are are prominent.
I don’t have a particular JLPT goal, since my field of work doesn’t require Japanese. But, I’ve been living in Japan for 5 years and plan to settle down and have children with my Japanese fiancé . We’re thinking of kids in 2 years or so. My goal for learning Japanese at this point is to be proficient enough to raise my children in Japan and make other mama friends, ahaha.
I recently took N3, and I think I passed. I’ve been taking private online lessons on weekends for the past 2 years, and I enjoy it. But, I’ve always felt a little envious of Japanese language school students since they get to study the language full time. I don’t feel satisfied with my level, especially since I’m not allowed to use Japanese at work. (yes, I’m an English teacher!)
Before having kids and being a full-time mom, would attending language school for a year be a good idea?
13 comments
Go for it
I think you will definitely see your Japanese improve
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Doing *something* to get your proficiency up at this point would indeed be well-advised and good on you for having the foresight to recognize it.
If you can swing it, then it certainly could be a very positive thing.
This is a better question for /r/japanlife and the answer is most definitely yes. It’s a push to not get stuck at N3 and move closer to be a functional adult in Japan and not have to ask Redddit for English speaking doctors or how to use the post office.
It depends on your level of expendable income and what your goals are.
language lessons at a school are a great way to keep you accountable and to systematically expose you to new vocabulary and grammar.
But like anything else – it will be up to yourself to apply your effort and focus to improve.
If you really are looking to improve its a good first step but it wont be a magic bullet.
So it really depends on your expectation and how much you value money over the output
We think you should go for it if youre a serious learner and you can utilize your time well to also study outside of class
You can learn everything they teach you in language school at home, for free, and probably faster. However it’s much more difficult to stay motivated when you’re doing it alone. So whether language school is worth it, is up to you.
I studied Japanese at two different language schools in Tokyo and Kobe and can fully vouch that it is definitely worth it if you have the money and time to spare. Studying at a language school is completely different from (tutor-assisted) self-study and pretty much the best way to quickly improve your communication skills.
If you are roughly N3 now, an entire year will probably boost you to practical fluency. Just make sure you don’t go to a JLPT or business-oriented school but one with a focus on conversation.
I’d say it depends on where you live and the schools available near you. If you live in a major metro area, then you have your pick of the litter and it’s a non-issue. If you live in a more inaka area though, it may not be worth uprooting your whole life and moving for school.
Since you’re aiming for fluency and not JLPT, I recommend looking for a school that puts an emphasis on high level speaking skills, not just daily conversation/spoken grammar drills. For example, I think this video of the advanced class’s debate at [this language school](https://youtu.be/hrZ40Tk0kqc) looks super cool and the type of thing that I’d want to participate in.
I’m also curious about this. I hear the jump from N3 to N1 is brutal but it also seems like it mostly involves self study and hitting the SRS harder
That said, if you aren’t exposed to speech at all, then yes, totally
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I sure hope so! Going to start one in october.
I went to language school for a few months. A good school will give you lots of practice in class, and guide you as to what you should be studying on your own. You will be doing a lot of self-study even if you’re attending school. It’s entirely possible to get the same progress without going to school. So it’s just a trade-off of money versus self-discipline.
If you’re already living in Japan, I’d definitely recommend doing everything you can to learn the language before you have kids. For the first 5-6 years, between when they are born and when they start going to school, your free time will evaporate. And then after that, you still won’t have much time. So, it’s now or never.
I wouldn’t say it is worth the cost. I was in a school with “kanji region people” (China, Korea) as the only European guy and still the Japanese teachers were incredibly undemanding, the lessons were very easy etc. The only benefit was the visa.