Many students in class were very helpful in explaining concepts to me about the Japanese language that I didn't understand.
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
The U.S culture program gave wonderful insight into Japanese culture that I found very interesting, although it was only available to the U.S students. Additionally, I enjoy the school barbecue as it allowed each of the classes to test their Japanese proficiency with students that they don't normally practice with.
What were the most productive and interesting aspects of the program for you? The least interesting and productive?
The most interesting aspect of study was the direct method of teaching employed at KCP. I have never been taught a language using the direct method of teaching but I found that the complete immersion that it offered in Japanese Language boosted by learning by a large amount. The least productive aspect was the inability to use kanji in level 1 without spelling it out using hiragana above it, because it took much longer to write. On timed tests and quizzes, I opted not to write kanji because it would take too long, which caused me to learn them much slower.
What activities or materials did you find most helpful (e.g., pair work, drill practice, tests, small group sessions, textbooks, games)?
I found that the pair work was very effective, as it allowed students to work together in order to overcome obstacles that they would otherwise not be able to overcome on their own. Many students in class were very helpful in explaining concepts to me about the Japanese language that I didn't understand.
What did you find most valuable in the Culture Course?
The very first culture lesson on Japanese psychology was extremely valuable as it gave insight into Japanese daily life and decision making. Being that everyone in the course was living in japan, and many of them for the first time, this helped many people including myself, interact with Japanese people in a much more understanding way.
What did you find least valuable in the Culture Course?
Nothing about the culture course was less than valuable. Each activity or lesson was incredibly helpful in giving students better insight into japanese history and its peoples' way of life.
