While studying at Saitama University, students have the option to enroll in an intensive Japanese language program. All aspects of the language will be covered and the class meets almost everyday. The course covers material equivalent to the corresponding JLPT level. Click "Read More" to find out more about the academics at Saitama University. There are multiple language courses offered at the university, ranging from beginner to advanced. If a student has little to no experience with Japanese, they will be placed in the 'A' class. Students with a slightly stronger understanding of the language will be placed in the 'B' class. The A and B classes correspond to JLPT N5 and N4, respectively. In the A class, Minna no Nihongo I will be used.
Students who complete JAPN 100 and JAPN 101 at the University of Nebraska at Kearney prior to arrival will be placed in the 'B' class for sure. A typical week for me: Monday: Japanese B (9:00-12:10), Worlds of the Samurai (13:00-14:30) Tuesday: Japanese B Review (10:40-12:10) Wednesday: Japanese B (9:00-12:10) Thursday: Japanese B Review (10:40-12:10) Friday: Japanese B Kanji (10:40-12:10) Students can also choose to take various culture classes taught in English. The classes offered differ each semester, but there is a wide variety to choose from. I chose to take "Worlds of the Samurai" for my first semester. It is a history class that covers the true facts about the samurai. There are also courses in literature, economics, history, international relations and more. It should be noted that each course at Saitama is worth 2 credits. If a student takes just the Japanese language program with kanji, it will be 7 credits per semester. If a student wishes to complete the Japanese minor at UNK, they need to transfer back at least 14 credits (about half in language and half in culture). It is possible to take the full 14 credits in one semester. There is an international student counselor at Saitama by the name of Shinichi Nakamoto (at the time of writing). He is very friendly and willing to assist students in any issue they may encounter. Students will also have the option to be assigned a regular student tutor. Each tutor is native in Japanese and will help students with anything from places to eat to getting a haircut. I highly recommend getting a tutor if one is a beginner in the Japanese language or is a first-time visitor in Japan. Saitama's terms are broken into four quarters. Most classes will span two quarters and essentially be the same length as a typical university course in the United States; however, some courses are condensed to about 8 weeks and can finish in just one term. If students have any questions, the Office of International Affairs is located in the same building as the Japanese language classrooms. When a new international student arrives on campus, there will be plenty of help offered, so it will be very easy to learn the locations of the buildings. There are English signs on most of the buildings and several campus maps will be given out. I believe Saitama University does a nice job in making sure new exchange students are settled properly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am a student from the University of Nebraska at Kearney who studied abroad at Saitama University in Japan. I want to share my experience to inform future students about the program. Archives
March 2018
Categories
All
|