Summer Exchange Programs - Japan

Age Range:

Birth Date Range:

Travel Dates:

Application Deadline: March 15, 2012

Japan Summer Language Study Program

This 6 week program is designed to further your Japanese language skills through formal study while offering you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the lifestyle and culture of Japan.

Program Details

You and your fellow AFSers will fly together between Los Angeles and Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. Upon your arrival, you will be met by volunteers and staff of AFS Japan and taken to the Arrival Orientation site located outside Tokyo. There you will take part in a 2-3 day orientation that will help prepare you for your intercultural experience. Following the orientation, you and the group will travel to your host community by train or by plane (depending on your host city) where you will be met by the local volunteers and your host families.

Approximately 80 hours of Japanese language classes (4 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks) will be offered exclusively to AFS students by a professional language school. Beginner Japanese speakers are welcome. Classes are offered exclusively to AFS students (from the United States as well as Italy, Spain, and Sweden). Class size varies by language level but will be approx. 5-12 students per class. All language study materials will be provided but we suggest that you bring an English-Japanese dictionary for personal use.

In addition to your language classes, cultural lessons and activities will be organized by the language school and by your local AFS volunteers. These may include ikebana (Japanese flower arrangement), shodo (Japanese calligraphy), sightseeing trips, and visits to nearby places of historic interest.

Placement Realities

The host communities will be determined based on the number of participants. You may be placed in Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, or Fukuoka.

Meals and Diet

Food is art in Japan, and your host family will most likely prepare some amazing meals. The Japanese diet consists largely of noodles and rice, vegetables and seafood. AFS Japan doesn’t accept strict vegetarians, so please be flexible in your dietary restrictions.

Eligibility

To participate in this program, you must:

• Be within the age range at the start of the program (age range located above)
• Have a passing GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
• Be in good mental, physical, and emotional health in accordance with the AFS Medical Evaluation Policies
• Have an open mind, willingness to be flexible, and the ability to adapt to new a culture, school, and environment
• Be in possession or have applied for a U.S. passport at the time of application.