Undoubtedly the best 3 months of my life so far.
Every single teacher is outstanding. All of them have an interest in foreign languages, so they understand the struggles their students face when learning Japanese. They have been in your shoes before. Being surrounded by people you can relate to will help you stay motivated.
The classes are set up so that you only have a maximum of 4 classmates, making each lesson feel very personal. Thanks to the small classes, you will have a lot of chances to read and speak. Very often the classes devolve into full blown conversations about many different topics (language, culture, personal experiences…), effectively causing the class to turn into a “cultural exchange”. Having a natural discussion rather than just following a book makes the lessons that much more engaging.
The school often organizes events where you get to hang out with not only students, but teachers as well. I cannot overemphasize how crucial this is, as you will get to know them not just as teachers, but as people as well.
The events range from eating at a traditional restaurant to travelling to the other side of the island to do sightseeing. I would highly recommend taking part in as many events as you can!
The entire staff has been very kind to me, they will go the extra mile to help each and every student with any problem they might run into during their stay in Japan.
It was an experience I won’t ever forget, I’ll be sure to come back to the same school in the near future.