STUDYING JAPANESE AT KUMON | 日本語プログラム

Traditional language school is great if you are aiming to learn Japanese systematically, quickly, and efficiently pass the JLPT. However, it isn’t very practical for people who don’t have the time to dedicate to studying full-time at an institution, don’t have the money since it can cost as much as college tuition, or have no interest in passing the JLPT. 

I think going to a language school is great for getting a good foundation in JLPT N5 and JLPT N4. After that, I think it is best for you to find a language learning path that works for you. As for me, I am much more interested in taking my time and focusing more on speaking and conversing with locals rather than studying for an exam or using Japanese for work. Therefore, I looked into a much more flexible course and will supplement it with a language exchange partner to practice speaking.

Kumon is a individualized learning method that allows each student to study at the “just-right” level and students progress at their own pace. Instructors determine what level students should be studying at based on ability and fluency and through worksheets, students go from simple problems to complex problems in very small steps, increasing difficulty a little at a time. Some students may grasp particular topics and concepts very quickly and can move up to the next level once their learning is secure. However, students needing more time on a particular topics can study this at length until they succeed. 

I learned about Kumon when I was an English teacher and some students would go to a Kumon center a few times after school. I thought it was cool that they were mainly independent with their work, and I wondered if there was Kumon for learning Japanese.

Now that I am back to working, I struggled to find time to study Japanese efficiently. I don’t have time to make my own study plan AND study, so I was looking for a curriculum or program that is effective but also flexible.

That is when I learned about Kumon’s Japanese language correspondence Course. It allows you to have full control over your learning, but there are audio, worksheets, and one-to-one lessons too!

The cost is also very affordable at about 10,500 yen a month. You do have to pay for postage for the worksheets and materials though.

What I was most curious about is the Japanese language levels. The Kumon Japanese course has 15 levels, A-L. Level A starts with reading Hiragana, basic words, and greetings. Level L covers a wide variety of literary works written in Japanese and a wide range of vocabulary from the texts.

The JLPT equivalents are below:

After L, you can go on to take the Japanese language courses designed for native Japanese speakers! Kumon states that it would take about 2 years to go from A-L.

When you enroll in the course, you will be sent a placement test. You are supposed to time yourself and take no longer than 50 minutes. The test was not just multiple choice, but also fill-in-the-blank. Once completed, you’ll turn it in and they will set your level.

The results of my placement test put me at Level J, which makes sense for the JLPT N3 level, but I was kind of hoping to be able to start at H or I just because I feel like I sped through N3 in hopes of just passing the exam and have no confidence in the grammar. Nevertheless, I’ll do my best and maybe I can finish the correspondence course in 6-8 months, but no rush of course. I don’t care if it takes a year or longer since I want to have a strong grasp.

So, back to the package. I opened my mailbox to find a huge package of materials. It was actually overwhelming, and I waited until the weekend to open everything. I was introduced to my instructor via e-mail, and I was sent a student guidebook, a correspondence notebook, two charts with “I can” statements and a table of contents for each Japanese level, a CD, a stack of worksheets, and a level J textbook.

As mentioned before, the appeal of the course is its flexibility. Therefore, you can study as much as you can, whenever you can. However, the best result is to study consistently every day. You also have worksheets that you need to turn in about twice a month, so you should pace yourself and not cram to get them all sent in at the last minute. I plan to study each day and review in my spare time. So, I am now looking for a language exchange partner that can help me with the new vocabulary and also grammar too and get more confident with speaking!

I opted for the online reading lessons twice a month, so in addition to the worksheets, I am also meeting with an instructor 1-on-1 on Skype.

At first, I was very overwhelmed since they send you a huge chunk of worksheets all at once, and a bunch of papers and envelopes. Fortunately, the first session with my instructor was explaining how everything works, and I felt more confident after that.

I find the worksheets very manageable and that I was placed at the right level, but I do have to do a lot of studying outside of the worksheets, such as memorizing and learning how to write the kanji, studying any grammar points you don't understand, memorizing new vocab, and also there's no way to practice speaking.

I love my 1-on-1 reading lessons with my instructor. She's always so nice and encouraging, which helps build my confidence. She helps check for comprehension, and if you have trouble with reading/pronunciation, then she helps with that as well. It's also a good opportunity to practice speaking or asking any clarifying questions.

For sending the worksheets, I went to the post office and bought a stack of Smart Letter Packs, and I just stick on the address label my instructor sends each month and chuck the packet in the post box. So, sending the worksheets isn't much of a pain either!

If you like reading or more academic ways of studying, I think Kumon is good. I find the literature interesting and the comprehension questions challenging enough. 

So far, I am happy that I can go at my own pace but there's just enough structure so that I am making progress.

I'll check back in after six months and I'll let you know if I recommend it or see improvement in my Japanese!