Thank you SO much for the inside scoop on ISI. I'm planning to attend in April 2024 for the 2 year program at ISI Kyoto, so this video is pure gold for me. Neema, it sounds like you study in the same style as myself.
please for anyone applying to these schools, avoid gogonihon. you're better off applying to the school directly, gogonihon takes too long to respond to an email, for me normally it took a week to get a response from them, sometimes even 2 weeks, it was a terrible experience for me. when they finally took me to the application process I decided to drop out and connect with my school (ISI) directly and it was so much easier, an email from ISI was normally a fews hours or at most a day later. also I learned from reading Reddit posts that schools tend to not assist you if something goes wrong because you applied to their school through gogonihon and not them, so you have to rely on gogonihon to assist you while in Japan which is troublesome because they take a hundred years to respond to an email.
welp I already paid everything now I didn't have such a horrible experience though, they applied for my school visa and it was way less stressful that way. But once you are in their system they don't take too long to reply
This was so great thanks! I was actually looking into ISI in Kyoto and tbh was a little worried it might not be intensive enough, sounds like that might be their model in general. Will prob still apply as a backup though. Looks like an awesome channel btw, I hope you're having an amazing time in Italy!!
本当にありがとう😊このビデオはめちゃ便利でした！Honestly I’m from Barcelona and I’m self learning with Minna, I’m with the 2nd one now and you girls gave me so much value and real experience! Gracias 😊 Just subscribed! Besos for you both 😇😇😇😇
Hola! Thanks for subscribing and welcome to the Hazina Fam! I'm so glad to hear that you found this video helpful! Minna can be quite confusing at times but I wish you the best of luck! がんばってね！
I wish your sister had a youtube! would love to hear more from her time at ISI and ask questions. but great video! I'm leaning towards ISI's Kyoto Campus for October!
thank you sm for this video! im currently thinking about moving to tokyo for about a year and visiting a japanese language school. This helped me so much!
I think much depends on what one is looking to get out of language classes...how you plan to apply what you learn...the style of teaching that you may or may not like/prefer, etc. ... So take me, for e.g. I learned two other languages (Spanish and French) a very long time ago, at a very strict high school. The method of teaching those languages was that the teachers 'drilled' things into our heads. Lots of repetition and memorization. We learned vocabulary in categories. So body parts. Various fruits and vegetables. Animals. Etc. And the teachers explained things to us, in English. So now, as for ISI, where I recently began N5 level classes.... I have been teaching myself Japanese, over the years, in an extremely haphazard way. No formal schooling. I had maybe 15 lessons with a tutor (over 10 years ago). I listen to podcasts (Japanese Made Easy is a favorite, BTW,, and the guy, 'Greg', does an excellent job at explaining things like 'wa vs ga', 'ga, o, no, de' (and when it's appropriate to use which), etc. I have imaginary conversations with myself, in Japanese, etc. I have a general understanding on sentence structure, word order, verb conjugation. But I have very little vocabulary, beyond the basics. And without much vocabulary, you can have trouble communicating what you want (as is the case, while I'm in Japan right now) or understanding what others are saying to you. As soon as other people start talking to you, and their sentences are full of words you do not know, you become overwhelmed. My main goal was to improve my overall ability to speak...without having to 'think' so much...and to also expand my vocabulary, mainly by way of being immersed in the language during the 2.5 months I am here, in Tokyo. I also want to improve my reading capability, as Google Translate can only help you so much, when you are in the middle of say, Shinjuku station, trying to find your way among a literal SEA of signage that is 99.% all in Japanese, ergo totally overwhelming. Because I'm not able to read Japanese (beyond recognizing ~60% of hiragana and katakana), ISI automatically put me into the N5 class. My first week of class began on a Wednesday, so I only had three classes during that week. (I've yet to begin my second week.) And during those three days, we had three different teachers. (It's not clear to me, yet, if that is the norm at ISI...if they think it's best to have different teachers, with different teaching styles, in order to give students a broader learning experience?) Either way, as folks here know, everything was entirely in Japanese, from Day One. And so while I understand that for totally new students, it would be very overwhelming, for me, it was painfully elementary...at least, the lessons themselves. It was things like how to introduce yourself...greetings... some basic vocabulary words like 'umbrella, desk, student', etc. Then almost an hour or more spent on 'this, that, that (way over there)' complete with ridiculous 'exercises' where we had to form small groups, each put a personal item (water bottle, pen, paper etc) into a plastic bag, and then take turns pulling an item out from the bag, holding it up and saying 'Kono pen wa, dare no desu ka?' I thought I was going to scream. Not only that but, nothing.....Nothing...is explained at all, in English (which is what the bulk of the students in the class can speak and understand). So for e.g., the concept of 'no', when it is used to show ownership of something. That concept can be very confusing for new students, not only because when English-speaking students see 'no', they think 'NO', but also because 'no' (when used in that sense) doesn't mean 'so and so's book', as much as it means 'the book OF so and so' or the book 'belonging to so and so'. I think the teacher should have explained this. Also, during our practice sessions for hiragana and katakana, the teachers simply had us take time during the class to practice the patterns for the various characters. However, I think it would have really been helpful for the other students, if the teachers also suggested to us 'AS you are writing out the various characters, quietly SAY the character sounds (to yourself), at the same time. This will help to further ingrain in your head, not only the appearance of the various characters, but the SOUNDS that each character has.' (I figured this out on my own, and so every time I'm writing out a character, I'm quietly vocalizing the sound of the character, at the same time. After class, another student was saying the same thing to me...that she too does this same thing...and that it would have been nice if the teacher recommended it for the other students...) Two of the three teachers I had during the first week seemed pretty bad, and one in particular seemed like she was in over her head...as if she had no real sense of 'how' to teach. It seemed like she was grabbing at straws...trying to think of ways to fill up the class time...having us do the most ridiculous exercises and 'games' with fellow students, over and over. (I even heard at least one other student behind me, groaning at how ridiculous it all felt.) Homework assignments are very haphazardly communicated and I honestly get the sense that most students really don't understand 'what' our homework assignments are, much less are they doing them. Perhaps part of the reason why the N5 level class may be so bad at ISI (and perhaps other schools, as well?) is that the range of student levels in the class is far greater than it may be at other levels. At the N5 level, you have students who are totally new to Japanese...where it might even be their very first foreign language they are trying to learn (and maybe they will find they simply do not have any aptitude for foreign language, period)..and then there are other students in the class - like myself - who already know many of the basics, and are now ready to challenge themselves (but who, because they are unable to READ Japanese), are put in a class with total beginners. Also, while in some respects I can see the benefits to the entire class, from start to finish, being conducted in Japanese, I don't see why it can't also include some explanations, now and then, in English. Many times the teachers are saying things to us, and it's clear from the students' faces that not a word the teacher uttered was understood by us. I just don't see how folks can learn that way, when things are so over their head, that their brain just shuts down. It's one thing if the teacher utters the same phrase...the same word...over and over again each day, and finally we are like 'ah, so THAT must be what that means' (because we are able to get context and see a pattern). But it's quite another thing when the teacher is just saying this or that (i.e., it's not a standard, everyday classroom phrase like 'now it's time for our break' or 'class is over...class is dismissed'), and we don't understand one word. So...the jury is out on ISI. I'll see how Week #2 goes. Oh...and I should add....my class has about 50 students, which many have said is simply way too many students, for one class.
I would like to hear your opinions on this little problem that has been going around in my head for a few months now. I need 15k € to pay for language school in Japan. Right now I am doing an Internship at a company that told me would be interested in hiring me at the end of the internship ( September ). One year with this job would be enough for me to reach the 15k goal. However, I hate this job and it leaves me practically no free time. Since I would like to leave for Japan in a condition where I can understand something and have simple conversations, I need time to study it ( which this job does not give me ). So my dilemma is: Do I look for another job, maybe part-time so that I have more time to study, although it will take longer to collect the money. Or do I endure a year of work here and then study a bit before leaving ?
Interesting vid~ I’m trying to save up to go to language school next July, but that’s the one thing I’m worried about: that borders will still be closed. And I HATE online classes 😂 can’t do it haha. Plus if I’m paying all that money, I want to actually be in Japan getting the full experience, y’know? XD
I applied for July on ISI, I am looking foward to it but as you said, I am afraid of taking online classes... Where do you get your news from? I would like to be informed and up to the latest news but I can't find a reliable source to know when they will open borders.
@@OfficialDinvention Which school do you want to go to specifically? Me, I’m trying to go to ISI in January 2025! I’m taking this year to self study and get ahead on the N5 since I know I’m a slow learner 😅
@@threeeyedtribe any school that accepts me but it must be in Kyoto, Kobe or Fukuoka. 2025 is too far bro pls let’s go together next year July intake or October intake
How are the classes conducted? Do you listen to dialogs and stories? Do you get practice making conversation? What percentage of the class is conducted in Japanese? Do you read dialogs and stories and does the teacher ask you questions to test your understanding?
after attending were you able to pass the JLPT N2? Were you able to find work in Japan after and extend your visa or did you have to return home after language school? What were housing costs? dormitories don't seem that great of a fit.
Good video ! How much time of learning at Akamonkai to have a good japanese level like to speaks with editors or other, and how much hours of studiyng in home additionaly to the curses thanks !
Is there any way to get a student visa to study Japanese for more than 2 years. Or to apply to extend the visa beyond two years? Or do you need to apply for a different kind of visa at that point ???
Have either of you lived in a Tokyo Sharehouse? If so, how did you like it and how did you choose one? I am going to language school this April so long as borders open. I am having trouble choosing a place to live.
Hey I don't know i am going to get answers. Just wanted to ask i am also going for ISI the difference is i will be going for N2 & N1. I just want to ask simple question is it worth it because i want to get N1 level + Speaking + experience Japan too that's why i choose to go to Langauge School than pursuing MA in Japanese in my Home Country. Plus, look ahead for Opportunities in life. What is your take as an experience person in Japan.
But you talk only ISI Japanese Language School even if I'll go to japan and propably I want to study at ISI Japan Language School (tokyo) but I want know the difference with akamonakai
If you want some more info you can watch my old videos about Akamonkai … it’s been years since I was there so I can’t really give you updated information unfortunately 😅
I am enrolled for isi kyoto in april and they haven’t said anything to me about requiring a vaccination for anything in japan. I dont know all the details because I don’t know anyone who lives there currently. How will being unvaccinated limit me in japan?
Not sure if you ended up going, but they're still not requiring the vaccine, thank god thats the case. I'm gonna go October '23 so hopefully it stays that way.
I’m also unvaccinated and applied for ISI Kyoto April 2023. Did you end up going? I’ve been searching for そめreal reviews of school but having a difficult time. What is your experience like at the school? Any advice? ありがとうございます🙏🏻
