Standard Intensive Japanese Language Course in Hokkaido

Translation: Special thanks to Jals. I am a Japanese-based teacher who comes to school. Because I have to live in Japan for a long time, I have a lot of language and stress. I am afraid that I will not understand. But don't worry if you come here. There are good teachers, good staff, and the kindness is really great.

I have been studying in school for two months in 2017. I have learned a lot from here. Whether it is the knowledge in textbooks, the life in Japan, or all kinds of anecdotes, the teachers will be very serious and will let me speak in this language. I have a lot of fun to learn Japanese every day and want to know different Japan. Most importantly, the school has extracurricular activities every afternoon, so that you can learn Japanese and learn more about Japanese culture. It is very good. There are also foreign students from all over the world. When chatting, they will not know more about the cultural differences between countries.

I came here again at the beginning of this year. I have a lot of improvement in Japanese and I am very happy. I hope to like Japan, a small partner who likes Japanese, will give you a different learning experience!

Learning a new language is always hard, you’ll never pick it up over night. There are also many ways to study a language too.

With JaLS Hokkaido Langauge School they create the perfect and ideal way of learning a new language. The school itself creates a sense of joy the is very intoxicating. It makes you want to learn and stay forever. Wether its the staff members or your new classmates or even meeting Japanese people, JaLS provides a safe and fun environment for you to be yourself and to study the languages in many new ways.

The Language School itself creates many opportunities for you to practisce your Japanese skills not only in the classroom but in extracurricular activities. For example: the school hosts many language exchange nights. These events are a great way to meet native Japanese speakers and become good friends. Another example is the school has each week multiple activities for you to opt into that help you get to know more about Japanese traditions, cuisines and way of life.

So wether or not you are old or young, knowledgeable or not, JaLS Hokkaido Language School accommodates to all people, so that you can have the best time of your life.

I went to Hokkaido JaLS for two months, staying in a share house offered by the school.
The school was simply amazing. The staff are all friendly and easy to talk to, the classes are fun and you learn a lot!
In my class, we used the Minna No Nihongo textbook, going through two chapters each week. The teachers were all very kind an knowledgeable, and although classes were all in Japanese, they used simple language to help us understand.
There are many activities you can sign up for in the afternoon some free, some for an extra charge. The activities are a great way to see the city and meet fellow students!
Living in the share house was so much fun. People from all over the world lived there, and it was a great way to learn about different cultures. We would sometimes have parties where we would make food together such as takoyaki and nabe. The public spaces in the house (kitchen, livingroom and bathrooms) were all kept neat and tidy.
I loved my time at Hokkaido JaLS, and I'm definitely considering going back!

Often when you read things about a school on their site they exaggerate how good the school is and how great your experience there will be. So when I read the over positive information about JaLS on their website, I thought that it was an exaggeration as well. That the experiences I would gain there and the school certainly could never be as great as was written on their site. I have never been more wrong in my life.

When I went to Sapporo all on my own to study at JaLS, I was very scared. I had been there before, but I had never gone there alone. Plus, I was feeling down because of a recent experience. I was not happy. I was not enjoying life. However, being at JaLS really changed that. I started feeling happy again. I started smiling again. I have met so many amazing people during my time at JaLS and I have gained so many valuable experiences. At the sharehouse, at the school and during the breaks with my classmates I spent so many wonderful moments with so many people. And I finally discovered what I want to become in the future. I struggled with that for so long, but thanks to JaLS I finally found it out. I know now that I want to become an English teacher in Sapporo. I already obtained a TEFL certificate for that during the last few months. And I also took the TOEFL. My dream is to return to JaLS one day and to become an English teacher there. I love the warmth and kindness and the overall atmosphere at JaLS. It makes you feel welcome and it lets you feel at ease. I’m really glad that I decided to do an internship and study Japanese at JaLS. I will never forget all the amazing moments I spent with everyone there. JaLS is like a second family to me. And it made me love Japan again. I had started to hate Japan because of previous bad experiences, but thanks to my experiences at JaLS, I started loving Japan again. I’m eternally grateful for all the things I gained thanks to JaLS. I will certainly come back one day and become an English teacher there. I would recommend this school to anyone. JaLS will change your life in a way that you would never expect.

Marion Meester (23), The Netherlands

I studied at Hokkaido Japanese Language School for 10 weeks in the spring and stayed at a share house organised through the school. Sapporo is a great city and it’s easy to get out into the countryside, definitely a good choice if you’re looking for a quieter alternative to Tokyo or Osaka.

The lessons at the school were excellent, the learning materials are good and the teachers are very helpful. You are placed in a class that is right for your ability and the classes progress at a fast enough pace to learn plenty of Japanese but still leave you with time to explore the city.

Hokkaido JaLS also organise many activities for their students and they are good value and a great way to socialise with your classmates and experience Japanese culture. I was very happy with the share house as well, it was clean and sociable with a mixture of JaLS students and Japanese people living there.

I had a fantastic time in Sapporo and so much of that is thanks to JaLS, the staff and teachers were very supportive, the school itself is a great place to study and meet people and the activities really added to my experience. I would highly recommend studying there!

When I first tried this program a year ago, I was hesitant as to what would happen. At first, I was excited to go to Japan for the first time, yet there was so much mystery that I was scared to face. Looking back at it now, it was probably the biggest life decision of my life.

The program has fundamentally helped me grow as a person as it has opened my mind to what the world has to offer. The staff and students were all very kind and open to learning. The environment within JALS is internationally minded. Everyone gets to learn Japanese culture while sharing their own culture. Within a month I was able to speak a bit of Japanese to my taxi driver on my way back to the airport. It was one of the most fulfilling experience. I met some of my greatest friend in JALS, they were able to help me learn and share their experience of learning Japanese. I would say that the reason I was successful in this program, is because of the people I met throughout the course. The kind staff and students in JALS all helped me grow as a person.

My boyfriend and I really enjoyed our time studying Japanese at Jals.

All the teachers are enthusiastic and encouraging. They made me feel completely comfortable to speak up and make mistakes in class. I think this is really important when learning a new language.

It's more expensive than some other language schools in Sapporo, but the classes are guaranteed to be small so it's worth the cost.

The Jals staff are really helpful about organising accommodation and giving advice on setting up your life in Japan (subway cards, directions, bank account, phone etc). This was critical when we first arrived and couldn't understand the language at all!!

There is a beautiful library/cafe in the building which is a great place to hang out, meet people and do your homework after class.

We are heading south later in the year and already thinking about enrolling at Jals Kyoto.

really grateful for the chance to study here, the teachers are very great, they use a very great method to teach, so japanese language feels so fun to be learned, the staffs are really nice, the school provided many facilities. also we can make new friends here. the accomodation was also really clean and nice. i went there not knowing any japanese conversation and after 6 weeks, my speaking skill is improved a lot. thankyou jals!