Japanese city hall has english lesson classes (SJC). [http://www.foreign.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/en/manabu/manabu\_1/](http://www.foreign.city.shinjuku.lg.jp/en/manabu/manabu_1/)
How easy or hard is it?
I grew up in Tokyo for over a decade and spoke Japanese at home and also had japanese friends here in the west growing up so my speaking is native level. However, my reading and writing skills is really poor and am looking to improve them.
I am looking for someone with experience with these classes. My japanese is just at a really awkward level where there is huge discrepancy in different skillset and i am finding difficulty locating schools that could accommodate my awkward situation. Any other recommendation is appreciated as well
Thanks
2 comments
>How easy or hard is it?
From the page you linked:
“These are introductory and beginning level classes”
>However, my reading and writing skills is really poor and am looking to improve them.
If you’re looking for literacy support, city hall classes are ***not*** going to help you.
City halls all over the country have these classes. They are universally staffed by volunteers, not professional teachers. The quality varies depending on the volunteers, but they are always aimed at basic speaking practice, not hard core studying.
In your case you would be much better served by finding an actual language school that has classes specifically focused on literacy. You might have to dig, because the vast majority are focused on a combination of speaking/literacy, but the classes you’re looking for *do* exist. Just not at city hall.
I think it depends on your goals.
By “writing skills” do you mean writing kanji by hand, or do you mean writing papers for grad school?If you’re just looking to read Kanji, I think it would be better just to study by yourself. If you’re a native speaker you should be able to understand what people are saying if you have the Furigana. I would suggest just reading lots of Manga and working your way up through shounen-manga which is heavier in Furigana, to Manga for adults -> light novels -> novels
At least that’s how I learned how to read