It's a great program for people who want to quickly improve their Japanese.
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
Pretty much anything that was done as a school. I love the other American students, but hanging out with my classmates was a great chance to make new friends and practice Japanese. If possible, I think there should be more schoolwide events.
What activities or materials did you find most helpful (e.g., pair work, drill practice, tests, small group sessions, textbooks, games)?
Other students may hate me for saying so, but I feel that having frequent, small tests was very helpful. It's a little stressful, but having frequent tests helped keep me on my toes as far as studying. When tests are spaced apart, it's easy to get caught up in everyday life.
Any further thoughts or tips for those considering the program or new KCP students?
Be ready for a challenge. KCP is not for people who are just going to want to have fun and smell the roses; it takes time and commitment to have a good experience at KCP. It is definitely not for people who are lazy or who are not serious about improving their Japanese. On a positive note, it's EXCELLENT for people who are serious. In my nine months at KCP, I went from being able to say "hi I'm Colette and my hobby is movies and my favorite color is purple" to being able to have conversation with relative ease with native Japanese speakers. I went from being unable to speak Japanese to a native speaker without feeling embarrassed to being able to ask strangers for help, or restaurant workers for their recommendations. It's a great program for people who want to quickly improve their Japanese.
