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Unlike the Yamasa II building, Aoi Hall has 2 different types of classroom. The Seminar Class rooms are used for private or small classes of 1 to 6 students, whereas the Standard Class rooms are used for teaching classes with 7 to 15 students.

Each of the 4 seminar classrooms have excellent lighting, air-conditioning and large amounts of space per student. Each room is smaller than the Standard Class rooms (the smallest is 17.46 square meters and the largest of the 4 rooms is 24.18 square meters). Even so there is a large amount of space per student. For example the 24.18 square meter room is only 2 square meters smaller than the APJLE regulations require for 20 students - and most seminar classes have fewer than 6 students.

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The reason we have seminar classrooms is primarily to help us customize programs to meet the needs of mature age and independent learners. These smaller rooms are perfect for small groups or private and semi-private classes and at the same time allow the building to continue providing lessons in the standard group format. It also offers greater flexibility - if there were 8 students in a class with a wider range of proficiency levels than was optimal, then at Yamasa we can split the class in two and run 2 separate levels. Many program providers wouldn't be able to do so.

Each classroom has wide desks that are arranged in a U shape configuration so as to maximize student/faculty interaction. The reason we do this instead of the usual Japanese practice of having students sit in rows is because it works - rote learning has no place at Yamasa.

Put simply, You can't learn the Japanese language unless you speak it. With teaching teams of 4-5 faculty per class, the classroom configuration becomes an important part of the learning process. Most of the desks also have access holes for LAN and power cables for laptop computers.

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All of the classrooms have 100 volt power access (standard voltage for Japan) and the teaching technologies are shared amongst the rooms. All of the classrooms have jacks (10baseT outlets) connecting to Yamasa's Local Area Network for internet access. This does provide a significant advantage for students who wish to use customized online resources and internet based training aids during or after classes. The online infrastructure is better than most Japanese universities and is well ahead of any other language program provider in Japan. In the seminar classrooms this is particularly important because the rooms are often also used for private study - many of Yamasa's Extension program students are professionals who need to make the best possible use of the time they will have available for studies in Japan.

There are 4 seminar classrooms in total. All are on the second floor and are accessed by either the stairs from the courtyard or the internal staircase from the Main Hall and Central Entrance. At this stage there is no elevator access to the classrooms, so students with wheelchairs will usually take their classes in the Yamasa II building or in the Distance Learning Theater on the ground floor. There are toilets on the ground floor and next to the courtyard outside. A toilet for wheelchair users has been installed so that all students can use both the main hall and the distance learning theater.

Questions regarding this file...

If any of the information in this file is unclear, or if you need more detailed information, please read the FAQ before contacting us. Best regards, Declan Murphy.