The Summer 2010 session at KCP International Japanese Language School is going on right now. Here are some shots of life at KCP in the summer–the academic side.
Class time–group work.
A one-on-one session really jump-starts this student’s ability to speak Japanese. The luxury of a real back-and-forth with a native speaker!
A gift from KCP students to the staff. Everyone there works very hard!
In the hotel during a KCP overnight trip. Even during a fun excursion like this, students study hard. When we’re all together in a new place, though, it has a festive feeling–and we’re often learning things we’ll use right away.
No question: kanji is difficult. One of the payoffs is calligraphy class.
Every second works for you! On the bus during this KCP trip, teachers lead students in activities and games that use Japanese.
Omikuji, Japanese fortune telling paper. Students are usually interested in good luck in love and learning.
Tags: Japanese immersion, Japanese language school, kanji, KCP, learning Japanese
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Our KCP alumni have plenty of advice for new students or those considering the KCP program. Here’s some of it.
Get out and do something every single day, especially those studying only for the summer short term. My best weeks were those in which I spent the afternoons having fun with my friends and my evenings studying.
–Ryan Easterling
Be prepared for a rigorous program. KCP has high achievement standards; I highly recommend it only to those who want to study hard and learn as much as they can.
I spent no time with Americans at first because I took an all-or-nothing approach to speaking Japanese. I met only Asian friends, but after 2 months my stress level was very high. I learned it is better to spend time with Americans too. It won’t hurt Japanese studies to speak English every once and a while . . . less stress helped me do better in my Japanese classes.
–Brian Metz
If you want to shop, go to Harajuku and Shibuya in Sunshine City (Ikebukuro) for sure. And Shin Okubo is great if you like Korean food.
–Adela Chang
You have to be the right type of student to succeed at KCP and really improve your Japanese. I let the pressure get to me sometimes, since I went for the gamble in Level 2 without having taken Level 1. Unless your speaking and listening are really good, take Level 1 first.
–Casimir Ninichuck
Don’t assume this is a free pass. Studying will engulf a large amount of time for those who are serious.
–Lynn Asselin
Don’t be afraid to do things on your own. Since I had a limited time here, had I only done things when other people were available to go with me I would not have been able to do and see nearly the amount I did.
–Sarah Miles
Know your hiragana and katakana before even thinking about applying to the program.
–Laura Gonzalez
Take advantage of the help that the teachers gave because it really moves you along in the class.
–Trisna Gozali
Be flexible with your schedule, because sometimes the best things to do are suggested right after class.
–Brie Anne Dombrowski
Before you come to Japan, practice speaking Japanese every chance you get. Conversation is the least stressed skill in American classrooms.
–Rebecca Smith
Be prepared to try harder than you ever have in your Japanese classes at home. The expectations are high here, but they are also reasonable. Don’t be afraid to approach staff—they are remarkably helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly, and everyone at KCP makes sure you are heading toward your goals.
–Stephen Moncrief
Tags: Japan, Japanese immersion, KCP, opinion, study abroad
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Wikipedia calls chindogu (珍道具–literally, chin dogu, unusual tool)) the Japanese art of inventing ingenious everyday gadgets that, on the face of it, seem like an ideal solution to a certain problem.
Anyone using these gadgets, however, would find even more problems. So chindogu are sometimes called un-useless.
Since the coining of the word in 1997 by Kenji Kawakami (a Japanese inventor and publisher of the magazine Mail Order Life), it’s taken off like a . . . . well, like a funny, pseudo-useful, frivolous thing.
A few finer points of Chindogu–
People can’t actually use them. If they do, the gadgets are not chindogu.
They can’t be sold or patented.
They are not meant just to be funny, though they usually are. The humor is incidental.
They are something of an antidote to practical consumerism and an ode to the spirit of anarchy.
Chindogu do not convey a commentary on society, nor are they of a sexual nature. They are innocent, anti-functional, and grass-roots.
These are some of my favorite chindogu. What are your faves?
More info–
Are you Chindogu? By Harley L Sachs
wikipedia chindogu
Tags: chindogu, fun, Japanese lifestyle, KCP
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