KICC Japanese Language Class

Of course the best way to learn a language is to take a class, and the Kyoto International Community Center offers 1.5 hour Y50 classes everyday of the week except Mondays, often offering both morning and evening classes. Each class is divided into three groups based on skill level, so there is usually a 4:1 student to teacher ratio or less. Often you can even get individual attention. The classes are taught based on the text book Minna No Nihongo, but you do not need the book to take the classes as they generally photocopy everything for you. That said it seems like a pretty good book, comparable, if not better than the AJALT books. It is also available in Kana and Romanji, but may be difficult to find outside Japan. While we were here we would go to class three times a week, with Tuesday mornings and Wednesday nights being our favorites. The beginner's group focuses mostly on need to know and basic grammar stuff, like where you are from, telling time, and calendar stuff. The mid-level is more conversational, and perhaps the most helpful. We never made it to the advanced class. The only problem we ran into with the beginner's classes was to much review of old material, I guess we were afraid to make the jump to the next level! The whole program is run by volunteers.