Hi all, I have been taking Japanese classes online at my local community college for the past few semesters (Japanese I-IV and Conversational Japanese I) and I am approaching a crossroads with my studies because there are no more courses left for me to take at this institution. I already have a bachelor’s degree and began taking Japanese classes just for fun, but I’m really enjoying it and I want to continue learning. I’m just not sure which direction I should go moving forward.
I work for a university so I am able to take classes here at a very affordable tuition rate, but my job requires me to work 40 hours during the week and all of the language classes offered are in-person during the week. This just is not feasible with my current position. However, my university is a pretty reputable institution and offers a graduate program that would allow me to combine my interests from my previously earned BA as well as a BA in Japanese (a requirement for the MA program), so it’s pretty appealing. Having a master’s degree will allow me to earn a higher salary in higher education, but I’d definitely have to quit my job and pay the full tuition rate to be able to do this.
I’ve also been thinking about simply taking a few weeks/months to attend a Japanese language school out in Tokyo instead. In the end, learning the language is ultimately my goal, so I suppose I don’t necessarily need the degree. However, I’m older (will be 35 this year) and I recall some language schools having age restrictions so I’m not sure if this is even a viable option. I think I would be able to take an extended leave of absence from work to do this, but it might be tough to obtain approval from my supervisor.
Just wondering if anyone has some insight! I’m totally at a loss for what I should do next. Thanks!
2 comments
It’s not 100% clear to me what would be the first option: is it that you’d quit your job, pay full tuition for another BA, then go on for a masters, and after some 4 or 5 years (I’m assuming that’s how long both would take given you chose not disclose your location) you’d look for a new job?
If you’d like a new job that leverages a masters in Japanese, that seems like a good option if you have a good plan for supporting yourself during this new academic journey. If you like your current job and just want to learn Japanese, then the second option seems better. (But of course only you know the details, we can only point to things you may not have considered.)
PS: I remember reading on this subreddit that some language schools don’t have the age requirement, hopefully someone who knows better will chime in. But I’m sure someone is willing to take your money for the service; if not, you could find short term work there (maybe through [WWOOF](https://www.wwoofjapan.com/home/index.php)) and learn just from the immersion, never mind the classes (maybe you’ll learn even more).
I’m right about your age and I have a full time job and family responsibilities that are probably a bit more intense than normal due to special needs. If your goal is to learn the language then you do not need to do it formally. My progress and methods are something controversial on here, but as someone who powerleveled Japanese I can go into some methods and tricks I use if you want.
Being consistent is probably the most important aspect and having taken all the classes I would expect you to be N3 or N2 level. Is this accurate? This intermediate area is both interesting and frustrating, but I think you are closer to your goals than you realize. No matter what you do, self-study is more useful at your level than classes because the world that is Japanese content is going to open up as long as you keep going.