It depends on your goals.  If you want to progress rapidly, you will need to devote a considerable amount of time studying, practicing, and generally exposing yourself to the language in as many ways as possible.  However, if you’re like most people, you are juggling various other commitments including work, family, school, etc. and you probably don’t have endless time to devote to Japanese.  Don’t worry, that’s okay!  Many people have made considerable progress without studying for 10 hours a day.  Ideally, we recommend finding a little bit of time every day (or even every other day) to practice — this will be much more effective than a multi-hour cram session every few weeks.  And this practice doesn’t necessarily mean you’re sitting at a desk staring at a book.  Reading road signs, playing audio flashcards while you walk the dog, watching youTube videos, and of course listening and speaking to locals are all great ways to practice!  Compared to others learning Japanese around the world, living here in Okinawa, we are fortunate to be surrounded with endless opportunities to practice Japanese, so have fun with it! 

According to the United States Foreign Service Institute, Japanese is considered one of the five most difficult languages for a native English speaker to learn, along with Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese & Mandarin), and Korean.  These languages require an average of 2200 hours of dedicated practice to achieve “professional working proficiency,” compared to a language like Spanish which averages about one quarter of this time.  So what does this mean?  Probably not a whole lot.  Language learning varies a lot based on the individual, previous language experience, dedication, interest, and countless other factors.  In addition, most Japanese learners don’t need to achieve “professional working proficiency.”  Your best bet is to talk to some of our current students and ask about their experiences and progress.  We think you’ll find that most students are absolutely amazed at how much they have learned in a short period of time!  It is incredibly rewarding when, after a few short months, you can walk out your front door and immediately apply what you’ve learned to your daily interactions with Japanese speakers.

No, you can join whichever class is most appropriate for your skill level.  You can even join a class mid-term; no need to wait until a new class begins.  To achieve the best fit, check out our course descriptions, and take our replacement test, and of course, talk to us during your trial lesson at Blue House Okinawa.  We will work with you to ensure you’re placed in the best class for your skill level, which may even include sitting in on a class or two to gauge your comfort level with the material.  We recommend selecting your skill level based on your speaking ability, as this is usually hardest to master.

Unfortunately, we are not able to refund or make-up individual classes that you may miss after registering.  Please review our school policies for further information.