As a part of ICU’s commitment to internationalism and bilingual education, almost all students are required to take an education program in their non-dominant language. In our previous article, we heard from four of our writers about their experiences in different streams of the English for Liberal Arts (ELA) program. For students who are English dominant, there are two different Japanese language course paths available: the Japanese Language Program (JLP) and Special Japanese Program (SJP). In this article, we want to break down the differences in structure and experience for both programs!
- Japanese Language Program—Lisa
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The Japanese Language Program (JLP) is the Japanese course at ICU that is aimed for foreign students and students who have little background in learning the Japanese language. In my case, although I am half Japanese, I had little background in actually learning Japanese so it was a good fit.
The JLP is divided into seven levels starting from J1 to J7 and focuses on grammar, vocabulary/kanji, writing and everyday communication. Taking this course implies that you must complete all levels unless you are an exchange or graduate student here at ICU. Before the fall semester begins, all students must take the JLP placement exam. The exam—which consists of reading, writing/grammar, and kanji—identifies which level best suits your abilities. To my surprise, I was placed in J6 which meant that I only had to take the course in fall semester and later take the J7 course in the Spring.
As Japanese is a difficult language to learn, the courses in this program do take up a big portion of your schedule, which means you will be spending time in class for longer periods. Sounds rough, I know, but in return, JLP teachers are realistic in regards to workload and are always willing to help students. What I found helpful were the tutorial sessions; one on one meetings with the teacher to discuss any matters from classwork to concerns about living in Japan.
What the JLP lacks, from my experience, is the connection between classmates. Yes, we have classroom discussions in every class, but because many JLP students are exchange students, there is a possibility that they will not be here anymore in the next term, either because they’ve left or have decided not to continue the program. In these situations, it is difficult to make friends unless they are regular students of your year.
Since the JLP’s main objective is for students to obtain enough language proficiency to speak and write in social and slightly professional situations, I decided to take an additional course called Advanced Seminar in Japanese. This course aims to enhance Japanese proficiency in the speaking and listening department.
Being bilingual is not only crucial for our future, but through learning a language there is so much more you can learn than just the language itself. JLP may be rigorous but it is definitely worthwhile. It has helped me improve my Japanese skills and become more confident and proud of my culture.
- Special Japanese Program—Sarah
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The Special Japanese Program (SJP) is geared toward students who are already fluent in Japanese conversation, often having been raised with the language. Many of these students, such as myself, are Japanese returnees from abroad or students from international schools in Japan. There are four levels, from SJP0 to SJP3, with most students required to complete courses through SJP3.
As a student who began in SJP1, it took me a year to complete the program, as each level took one semester. SJP1 focused on reading comprehension, composition, and conversation, with one of the major assignments requiring us to formally interview a professor at ICU. Practicing formal Japanese in a classroom setting was tremendously beneficial to me because I had spent the majority of my life speaking informal Japanese among my family and friends. Higher level courses (SJP2 and SJP3) focused more rigorously on reading and writing in Japanese.
Arguably, the most tedious and dreaded parts of SJP are the Kanji classes. Having been raised in the digital age, lots of SJP students are fairly proficient in reading and typing kanji characters, while their writing skills are lacking. Of the three Japanese writing systems, Kanji is easily the most challenging because of the sheer number of characters, many of which can look deceivingly similar. The Kanji classes are memorization heavy, but they aren’t too difficult if you put your mind to your studies!
In SJP, you’ll definitely spend lots of time in-class with your classmates, but maybe not so much outside of class. This was certainly the case for my class—we got along well enough, but at the end of the day, we were mostly individualists focused on our club activities or jobs or what have you. We did have a handful of group outings during our time as classmates, but have yet to reunite since ending our program. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; we’re all friendly with one another, exchanging waves and smiles in the halls. Don’t forget that every class is different, and the vibe of your SJP course will depend on the people it’s made up of!
All in all, I found my time in the Special Japanese Program to be greatly beneficial. Not only did the program help me obtain the Japanese language skills I was lacking, it also gave me a great community of people that I could see regularly and rely on right at the beginning of my college experience!