I met some wonderful people at my dorm that I definitely grew strong bonds with due to being around one another so much. I didn't have any problems during my stay.
Which events or activities did you find the most satisfying and why?
I had a wonderful time on our group's trip to Yamanashi, and I had a blast participating in the clubs (specifically うた and えんげいふ)
What were the most productive and interesting aspects of the program for you? The least interesting and productive?
The first two weeks of the program, the group session, was definitely the most productive part from my experience. Within those two weeks we learned so much at such a fast pace. After those two weeks I expected the pace to stay that rapid. So once the regular classes started it was a lot slower and less interesting since most of the material was stuff I had already reviewed during the group session.
What activities or materials did you find most helpful (e.g., pair work, drill practice, tests, small group sessions, textbooks, games)?
Small group sessions and pair work were definitely the most helpful for me
Any suggestions for improving class activities or materials?
My only suggestion would be to increase the pace of the regular class since I found it to be a little too slow for me. That being said, I understand that I was in the beginner class and that if the class goes too fast it's a lot tougher for the classmates that are learning Japanese for the first time. I would also suggest using a slightly larger font when it comes to the tests using furigana. Since my knowledge of kanji is at a bare minimum, I struggled knowing what some words were supposed to be because I couldn't decipher what the hiragana above the kanji was due to it being too small.
Anything you especially liked in the living arrangements? Any problems you experienced?
I met some wonderful people at my dorm that I definitely grew strong bonds with due to being around one another so much. I didn't have any problems during my stay.
What dorm did you live in or host family did you live with?
Tanashi
Any comments or tips for prospective/new KCP students?
If you are coming for the summer, prepare for a whole lot of rain followed by even more heat and humidity. Stay hydrated as often as possible. As for learning Japanese, I would suggest spending as much time as possible out on the town so you can hear people interacting and perhaps pick up on certain ways people talk or nuances they have when communicating. If you are doing the summer short program, the first two weeks are going to be hard, but they are extremely beneficial for you. After that it gets a lot easier, but those first two weeks can be rough.
