The most productive part was definitely the group session, since we were studying for six hours a day.
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
I really enjoyed the trip to Yamanashi Prefecture. It was a great opportunity to explore outside of Tokyo and get to know other people in the program. The shingen mochi was delicious!
What were the most productive and interesting aspects of the program for you? The least interesting and productive?
The most productive part was definitely the group session, since we were studying for six hours a day. That was the section of the program during which I experienced the most rapid improvement in my Japanese. I also enjoyed being in the regular class with non English-speaking students, which was a great opportunity to practice casual Japanese. I wish that we had spent more time in class covering grammar and vocabulary more formally; the class was a bit too unstructured for me, and I would have learned a lot more if grammar points were explained in detail and then applied in conversation at the end of class.
What activities or materials did you find most helpful (e.g., pair work, drill practice, tests, small group sessions, textbooks, games)?
I found pair work, especially with non-English-speaking students, to be some of the most helpful work. I also found the workbook exercises to be helpful.
Anything you especially liked in the living arrangements? Any problems you experienced?
I loved living at the dorm in Daita! The manager was super nice, the location was very cute and accessible, and the rooms were very nice.
