The reason why Yamasa's maximum group class size is 15 instead of the 20 required by the APJLE is because instead of rote-learning Kanji and grammar, we concentrate not only on reading and writing skills but also on the acquisition of communicative skills - being able to converse, comprehend, question and suggest in Japanese. These skills cannot be learned passively. They require interaction between faculty and students. It is for this reason that we restrict the class size to a maximum of 15 (we break the class into 2 classes if there are 16 students or more at the same level). It is also why we insist that the desks in each classroom be arranged in a U shaped configuration - so that you can talk to other students. By contrast most classrooms in Japan have students sitting in rows and use rote learning. You do of course study Kanji and grammar, but you will also learn how to communicate in Japanese.

For quality reasons, Yamasa does not believe in using composite classes where students of widely differing level are forced to study in the same classrooms. By keeping class sizes small and separating students by proficiency, we can ensure that you will learn more and learn faster, thus making the most of your time in Japan. As far as we are aware, this is the only full time and intensive academic program in Japan offering long term studies with such a small maximum class size.

If you have questions regarding the format, please feel free to contact Admissions