All classes are 50 minutes in duration. This is the same for each format offered - ie the two Private Formats (12 or 18 private classes per week respectively) or the SILAC or Acceleration Formats (23 or 28 class per week options respectively).

For students taking the SILAC and Acceleration formats, there are no classes on public holidays. The curriculum involves 2 week modules, so there will be a little bit of variation in the number of classes per module due to the occasional public holidays. At Yamasa we usually move any midweek public holidays to the nearest Friday, reducing the interference with your learning schedule, though still offering you the chance to get out and enjoy a long weekend. There are plenty of things to see and do in Okazaki or Aichi, optional weekend tours available, and the International Office can assist you with hotel bookings, advice etc for any independent travel. (Note: Last 5 hyperlinks open in new windows)

There are no group classes held on public holidays, but students taking either of the 2 Private (12 or 18 lesson/week) class formats may opt to have lessons on public holidays if 2 weeks notice is given, and a small surcharge of 500 yen per lesson is paid. Please note that in terms of intensity, Private Format 18 and the three Acceleration formats are the most demanding when the preparation time is included. With the private format please remember that you need to allocate approximately 2 hours of preparation and review for each hour of classes. With the group formats (SILAC & Acceleration), about 2-3 hours per night will be sufficient to get through the program successfully.

While students in the program do not study for a full year, the pace of learning is such that this is one of the most intensive programs in the country, and yet retains the low at-cost tuition rates only possible through a non-profit institute.

The intensity of the program is a key reason as to why Yamasa is good value. Not only will your budget for public transport, cost of living, accommodation, internet access etc be much lower than for alternative education providers, but you will receive far more actual instruction in Japanese than elsewhere.

Class Hours:

Mondays to Thursdays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 2.30pm. (SILAC format)
Start at 9.00am and finish at 3.30pm. (Acceleration format)

Fridays:
Start at 9.00am and finish at 11.50am. (SILAC format) Start at 9.00am and finish at 1.30pm. (Acceleration format)

Notes:
1. Program hours calculated as 50 minutes in accordance with APJLE regulations.
2. Program hours does not include time spent in essential tasks such as placement testing. Yamasa is virtually the only education provider that only calculates the actual teaching time as program time. According to the APJLE regulations, activities such as Welcoming Ceremonies, parties and day-trips can be counted as classes. Yamasa does not consider these activities to be classes, even though activities such as testing are of course integral to the program. This means that the gap between the actual teaching hours of Yamasa and that of other program providers is also usually understated.

Also please note that Yamasa's teaching teams use an interactive style - rote learning has no place in the curriculum. You will be required to speak Japanese and participate in class discussions and graded accordingly.

The class hours listed does not include preparation time. You will need to prepare for classes and submit homework tasks.

In addition, all students enrolling in the Discovery programs should be able to learn to use Japanese language software and send/receive simple emails in Japanese. As mentioned earlier, all students will also have access to the interactive learning resources produced for Yamasa's OCJS as each resource becomes available.