During the course we had lessons every morning. I joined Class 5 where I studied alongside a diverse range of classmates, ranging from those who were studying Japanese at university to professionals who had taught themselves the language as a hobby. The standard of the class was high and it matched my ability well. There were a range of classes available starting from beginner therefore the lessons were well suited to everyone’s needs. The best thing about the teaching was that the teachers didn’t simply focus on language but they also provided opportunities during lessons to engage with people from different countries and explore their cultures. The teacher kept the lessons varied by including videos, recordings, role play and lots of discussion. This meant that the lessons were enjoyable and I wasn’t disheartened to be studying in my summer holiday!
In the afternoons there were many cultural activities organised by the course that we could sign up for. I made the most out of these opportunities and attended a whole range from visiting the main sights such as Kinkakuji and Nara to trying out traditional Japanese activities such as wearing yukata (traditional Japanese dress, see right) and tea ceremony (bottom right). This was great as it would be hard to organise these events alone and taking part with classmates strengthened friendships. As well as taking part in such activities, exploring the city in our free time with classmates was great fun. We often went out for karaoke in the evenings, went to the cinema (we watched Frozen in Japanese and loved it) and attended the games centre frequently to play arcade games; we explored all aspects of Japanese culture!
My stay in Kyoto was so much fun and although it was my first time away from home, I didn’t feel homesick and felt constantly surrounded by friends and helpful staff. It’s great to meet people of all ages from around the world, to compare viewpoints and cultural differences but to also laugh at and enjoy the same things. Kyoto is a beautiful, amazing city; I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in Japan!
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