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Location
  • Japan
Length
2 to 12 weeks
Language
Japanese

Program Details

Language Level
BeginnerIntermediate
Specialized Courses
Business
Class Size
Private Lessons Small Class (1-7) Medium Class (8-15) Large Class (15+)
Weekly Classroom Hours
23
Housing
Apartment Host Family
Age Min.
18

Pricing

Starting Price
820
Price Details
Price is in Japanese Yen and covers a 2 week long study course.

Tuition fees include costs for all course materials.
What's Not Included
Accommodation
Mar 04, 2021
Mar 25, 2017
Wish List
2 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

SILAC features high quality and personalized curriculum that has been developed over a period of decades, experienced and empathetic teaching staff, classes where the only mode of communication is the Japanese language. Enrollments are held every Thursday so it is easy to start studying at your earliest possible convenience.

To truly advance in one’s studies, being in an immersive environment where your chosen tongue is spoken exclusively is essential. However, it can be difficult for many to ‘drop everything’ and go overseas for a long period to do so. For this reason, the YAMASA Institute implemented the SILAC (Short Intensive Language Acquisition Course) Program in 2001 to help students who fit the description above.

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Multicultural student body/
School building
Japanese Culture Experience

Program Highlights

  • YAMASA has hosted students from more than 80 different countries in its 25 years of existence. This lingual diversity indirectly helps you to speak Japanese during your time here.
  • Students can participate in a range of events outside the classroom such as weekend tours to locations such as Kyoto, Shirakawa Go Village, as well as cultural workshops which teach Japanese past times such as calligraphy and tea ceremonies.
  • Class sizes do not exceed 16. This means you will receive sufficient attention from your teachers.
  • SILAC is focused on conversation. We give you maximum chances to speak Japanese during class.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 1 review
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  • Instruction 5
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Housing 4
  • Value 5
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Adam
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Well run, great experience

Mar 25, 2017

I attended the SILAC program in early 2016. My background was a basic understanding of the Japanese alphabet and simple grammar. The teachers and staff were great, I never felt uncomfortable with my level or that I was falling behind. Small class sizes were helpful too. The housing was simple but it was clean and comfortable with an on-site caretaker. Okazaki is a lovely town and you can catch the train into Nagoya or to the mountains at Gifu for weekend sightseeing.

Overall I would thoroughly recommend Yamasa. After my three weeks I went travelling and it felt great to chat to people with real conversations as I went.

25 people found this review helpful.
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Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Kyoko Komura

Program
SILAC: Short Intensive Language Acquisition Program
Job Title
Principal

Why did you become a Japanese teacher?

woman teaching in classroom pointing to a whiteboard

The main reason for becoming a teacher was that I had heard of children of foreigners in Japanese schools who were taking classes but couldn’t understand Japanese.

Although, I had never personally taught in elementary or junior high school, I was aware of this situation where students were stuck in a classroom where they understood none of the language, and realized how taxing that could be.

I wondered if there was anything I could do to help. It was at that point that I decided to become a Japanese teacher.

What has been your happiest moment as a teacher?

Every time my students finally grasp the meaning of what I am trying to teach them　and when the students thank their teachers for all their hard work.

Japanese people especially feel very gratified upon being thanked. To us there is an underlying spirit in that very simple gesture.

For us to carry out our job and then be thanked for it is a good feeling for us as teachers and something that we treasure.

What is the thing you most look forward to when you wake up in the morning?

When I wake up every morning, the thing I look forward to is going to YAMASA - seeing the students, the teacher’s smiles, and how they are feeling. It’s something I really look forward to.

What is the philosophy behind YAMASA?

Our philosophy is based upon six promises that we make to our students which are also shared by the larger Hattori Group (YAMASA’s parent company).

The focus of these promises is the students, then broader society and all staff members. That is what we aim for as a school.

Ideally, what should students be able to do when they leave YAMASA?

Of course, the most important thing they should be able to do is speak Japanese!

The other thing students who study at YAMASA should be able to do after graduation is say that they enjoyed their time at YAMASA but also to have fallen in love with Japan as a country.

This means different things for different people. Some may fall for the culture and some may enjoy the people. I want them to see the best of what Japan has to offer.

How does YAMASA serve the learning needs of the students who study there?

As one might expect, different students have different needs. We like to keep tabs on where our students are at by issuing surveys during the course and at the end of each semester.

By doing this we can get a good grasp on what our students are thinking and what they want to achieve which gives us new ideas to make our existing courses even better.

What type of impression should students have of YAMASA when they leave?

I would like students to be eager to return when they graduate. If this is a place they ultimately want to learn in then I am happy.

Studying here is a small part of one’s life but we would like them to treasure the memories they have of Japan. When they go home to their home countries, I’d love it if they thought of it as their home in Japan thanks to the time they spent at YAMASA and in Okazaki.

Lots of our students say this when they make their final speeches at their graduation ceremonies, and I like to think this is the case.

Location

Location:
Japan
Currency:
Japanese Yen
Weather:
Jan-Mar
63 F / 14 F
Apr-Jun
79 F / 32 F
Jul-Sep
90 F / 48 F
Oct-Dec
82 F / 19 F
Airports:
Haneda Airport
( HND )
Narita International
( NRT )
Kansai International
( KIX )

Throughout Japan, you will see the confluence of traditional and modern. Whether you are traveling to one of the many metropolitan cities or meandering through the country side, there will be traditional pieces of art and architecture surrounded by modern technology, transportation and architecture.

About The YAMASA Institute

The YAMASA Institute is a well regarded Japanese language school located in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Having been in operation for 25 years, YAMASA puts great stock into meeting the individual learning goals of a wide variety of Japanese language students. Offering it's own range of accommodation, you can rest assured that your personal and...
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