The Language Program

The goal of AKP's language program is to assist students in improving their communicative competence in written and spoken modern Japanese. AKP sets aside the first week of classes to conduct a basic grammer review and an introduction to Japanese in the Kansai area. Written and oral placement tests are administered during the second week of classes, and students are then placed in one of five language sections. Sections are kept small to provide the best possible setting for individual attention. Language classes meet five days a week, at ninety minutes a day, during both semesters. The staff of full-time and part-time instructors is trained and experienced in teaching Japanese as a second language.

The language program is enriched by coordinating the students' classroom work with elective courses, visiting speakers, Doshisha student groups, and especially homestays, where the students apply their Japanese to everyday household situations and frequently have long discussions with homestay family members. In addition, the language staff offers language elective workshops centered around cooking, calligraphy, comics, anime and newspaper reading.

AKP students typically make significant progress in both spoken and written Japanese, especially in the second semester.

Elective Courses

In addition to Japanese language study, each student is required to take two elective courses taught in English each semester. Normally five or more such courses, taught by professors from American colleges and by local scholars, are offered each semester. Many of these courses emphasize first-hand contact with Japanese society through field trips, visiting speakers, field research, and other activities. A joint seminar, bringing AKP students and Doshisha students together in the classroom, is scheduled each year, often lead to lasting friendships between AKP and Doshisha students. Field trips and visiting speakers are integral parts of many courses.

The AKP Center has a small library collection of its own. AKP students may use the Doshisha University libraries as well, and access to other libraries in Kyoto is easily arranged through the AKP office.

See below for the 2008-2009 elective courses.

Click here to see a history of courses taught at AKP.

Credits

Each elective class is 4 credits and all students will be required to select two electives per semester. The intensive language class is 8 credits per semester. Therefore, students will take three courses and 16 academic credits each semester (8 language credits and 8 elective course credits). The grades for these courses are entered on a transcript issued by Amerst College (AKP's administrative agent) and forwarded to the student's home institution. All AKP member institutions automatically accept AKP credits toward graduation. Withdrawal from a class will be permitted only in extreme cases and for compelling reasons. Permission will be granted at the discretion of the Board of Directors and the AKP Representative at the student's home institution.