Intensive Japanese Course in Fukuoka with Meiji Academy

From July 13th to August 5th I've been studying at Meiji Academy located in Fukuoka. Two privates lessons per week and 3 hours per day in class, but it also felt like private lessons because we were 2 students which is nice.

Before joining the school I needed to ask questions regarding scholarship, visa, accomodations etc and the staff was really helpful and quick to respond. I received clear answers in english, wich was really reassuring since I was about to fly on the other side of the planet to meet them.

I've been studying with 3 different teachers and textbook Genki II during my scholarship. The teachers were really kind and competent, with the right amount of friendliness to make it interesting, and the right amount of seriousness because we're here to learn. They had different ways of teaching japanese but they all focused on practicing oral skills and fluency. I've never used Genki textbooks before and I really like it, it's great for learning japanese with other students in a class like this. The teachers also brought there own studying material, like other textbooks, newspaper, culture related articles etc. I only wished I had more homeworks assigned, but instead I prepared the upcoming lesson. Teacher and staff alike were always available to answers any language related questions.

The staff, was very friendly and helpful overall. They gave me good recommendation about places to see, food to taste, things to try. They brought really good insights about japanese culture as well. They also invited me multiple times to go to the onsen and now I'm love with it. Even though I stayed for 1 month, I was able to participate in a language exchange event with another school of japanese people learning english. They organised a beach party which was really fun; ice-breakers, games on the beach, watermelon and all. Good times, I practiced a lot that day.

Also it is worth mentioning that I lived in a homestay selected by Meiji Academy during 1 month. I know this is a review for the school but honestly it was almost the best part. My homestay mother was very kind and helpful in every way imaginable. Sightseeing spots, restaurants, activities ... She is also a japanese teacher in elementary school and helped me with vocabulary and tricky grammar. Also she had an adorable dog.

Here is my review for Meiji Academy. Maybe I should have said something along the line "Go to this school, it's great" but I would rather tell you my story. My language skills improved, I discovered japanese culture and I met people I can call my friends. Every aspect of my scholarship was interesting and entertaining. Never thought I would miss school in my life 😅. Thank you Meiji Academy.

I had been working in Japan for several months already in an import/export company, and it bothered me that I wasn't able to speak Japanese properly. I mean, it's quite convenient that everyone in my company speaks English, but I just couldn't make any progress in Japanese even though I was living and working in Japan. So I signed up for classes with Meiji Academy and finally got a solid knowledge of Japanese which it's amazing! This school is great, the teachers are talented and nice and it was a very good use of my time. I made new friends in Fukuoka and they showed me many places I didn't know. Taking these classes was definitely the best thing to do!

I took a Japanese option at university but the level is not very high, so I took advantage of my trip to Japan to take lessons directly on site. I saw that some of the staff were European so it gave me confidence. And I think that I did well to trust them because they immediately understood my needs. The director and the other foreigners of this school are also people who have gone through the learning of Japanese, and they clearly know what they are doing. The teachers are all Japanese and it's really great to learn quickly. We are not dealing with a single teacher, but several, which is great for getting used to different accents and different ways of speaking. In addition the majority of them are rather young (in their thirties) so it was very easy to talk about pop culture with them. I had an absolutely magical stay in Fukuoka and made incredible friends from all over the world. I was able to practice Japanese with native speakers during the activities and language exchanges, and that is what helped me most to speak with confidence.

I always asked so many questions to my teachers but they never lost their patience! :p This language program helped me gain self confidence. I improved so much in Japanese and I realized that I was actually capable of learning a new language. While in class, I felt like I wasn’t making any progress, but then we attended some language exchange with actual Japanese students and, boy, did it show that I spoke proper Japanese. I could chat away with them fairly easily! We had classes every day and learned very quickly. The private classes were very useful to work on specific grammar or themes. The staff was nice and welcoming. On the first day, they added me on LINE and we could contact them at any moment. During the first week, I was placed in a group with two girls, and from the second week, another guy from England arrived. We became quite close thanks to all the activities Meiji organized for us.

The course I chose was called "Intensive Japanese Course". I wanted to face a new challenge and learn Japanese, if possible in Japan directly. I read that Meiji Academy was an amazing school so I chose them. I can confirm that it is a wonderful school and that you won't regret taking part in their programs !
We had amazing teachers. They were very clear and easy to understand while and teaching us Japanese. The staff was friendly and helpful in many ways explaining how the use transportation, providing good accommodation and holding fun activities. It was so pleasant to be surrounded by open minded people from different backgrounds. We all became friends and I miss them so much.
I definitely recommend this program for anyone wanting to learn Japanese in Japan ! I am coming back as soon as possible !

I always knew I would learn Japanese someday. I dreamed of traveling to Japan ever since middle school and I finally realised my dream! I started taking some Japanese classes at uni, but it wasn't enough and I wasn't improving that much. With Meiji Academy, I really liked the private classes they offered. Even the group classes were only with three or four other students. It was way more efficient that my Japanese lessons at uni with more than 20 people! I found this school thanks to the Facebook page of my university because some other students took part in this programme before. It was a really good choice. I had a blast with those fantastic humans at Meiji Academy and my Japanese improved so much! Fukuoka is a brilliant place located on Kyushu. My best memory is the strawberry picking that the school organised. Strawberries are famous in Fukuoka and it was so yummy!!

Meiji Academy is a nice language school with people from all over the world. I made significant improvements while studying there. The atmosphere is perfect to stay focus on learning Japanese and enjoying Japan. The journey was tiring with a very long flight and a stop in Taiwan before arriving in Fukuoka, but it worth it!
We took part in some excursions and events with the school, which were a really good point. I think that language exchanges were the best activities. It was a good way to meet Japanese students and practice Japanese with natives. I would recommend you to take part in the activities organized by meiji because this is something you will remember forever!

Learning a new Language is not something easy that you can achieve by studying from time to time. You need to focus on it and work hard. Learning Japanese was one of my goals for 2019, but it was so difficult to study and stay motivated alone. Then I read a Book called "The one Thing" (that I recommend btw) and it made me realized that the best way to achieve something is to put all your energy into one thing. So this is exactly what I did when I came to Fukuoka and started studying at Meiji. I listened to my teachers' guidance, I worked hard every day and my Japanese level really improved a lot!