hey, I'm really interested in doing this, but do you have to pay? And if so how much? Plus are you allowed to go in groups or by yourself and how old do you have to be, arigatou :)
For the summer program how does that work ? Do you stay with a host family aswell ? Did u go to trips or something? and do they teach you japanese like the afs people ? Im confused about it ..
@lizzlovesnickjonas Yes to all of those. You do stay with a host family, which is probably the most fun and most valuable part of the experience. There's a four-week intensive language program too. You'll be sorted into a class depending on your skill. The more language you know before you go, the better, but it's not at all necessary.
And you do get to go on trips. Any big trips will be done with your host family, like my trip to Kyoto. Otherwise your class will take some field trips.
was this a good program to do this? because i'm going to do this in 2012 maybe and i don't know if this is a good program or not...its a little expensive....and also how old were you when u went? one last question, did you speak japanese when u went? if i don't speak well and know very very little do you think i should still go for the summer?
@ashdog37 It is a good program! It was the most fun thing I've ever done. This particular program is designed for Japanese-speakers of any level, so you can go even if you know nothing of the language. You'll take four weeks of classes while you're there, so with immersion you can learn a lot! The semester and year programs don't have classes, so you need to figure out the language on your own. It's hard, but for the time and experiences you get, it might be more worth your money.
@ashdog37 Also, I was 17 when I went. (The age cap is 18 with AFS.)
If you want a more solid grasp of basic language skills before you go, I recommend books such as "Japanese in 10 Minutes a Day". You won't learn how to read/write kana (that's pretty easy on your own though), but it's great speaking practice. Phrasebooks and dictionaries are also useful.
@VampireSasuGurl I would have loved to go longer, but I couldn't because of school. The full year or even a semester would totally be worth it, though!
@VampireSasuGurl It's true... pretty crazy, maybe because the summer classes are expensive? Anyway, go for a long time if you can, because six weeks will leave you craving more (and probably missing your host family a lot!). Plus you could see Japan in fall/spring. Summer is beautiful, but fall and spring must be absolutely gorgeous.
The cost for this program was about $8,500. It's definitely one of the more expensive programs any US organization will offer because the dollar is weak to the yen, especially right now--other programs are usually cheaper, but I chose AFS because I trusted them (and a good choice it was).
@ikimikiss2 Sorry it took me a while to respond, YouTube isn't letting me reply to your other post.
I didn't do any fundraising; AFS gave me a small scholarship, and I also got some support from my grandfather, who left me money for this kind of thing when he died. If you do a search for "AFS Fundraising Wiki", though, they have great resources with ideas, tips, and blogs for fundraising.
hey, I'm really interested in doing this, but do you have to pay? And if so how much? Plus are you allowed to go in groups or by yourself and how old do you have to be, arigatou :)
katttttttttttttie 2 weeks ago
For the summer program how does that work ? Do you stay with a host family aswell ? Did u go to trips or something? and do they teach you japanese like the afs people ? Im confused about it ..
lizzlovesnickjonas 3 weeks ago
@lizzlovesnickjonas Yes to all of those. You do stay with a host family, which is probably the most fun and most valuable part of the experience. There's a four-week intensive language program too. You'll be sorted into a class depending on your skill. The more language you know before you go, the better, but it's not at all necessary.
And you do get to go on trips. Any big trips will be done with your host family, like my trip to Kyoto. Otherwise your class will take some field trips.
sarurunkamui 3 weeks ago
was this a good program to do this? because i'm going to do this in 2012 maybe and i don't know if this is a good program or not...its a little expensive....and also how old were you when u went? one last question, did you speak japanese when u went? if i don't speak well and know very very little do you think i should still go for the summer?
ashdog37 2 months ago
@ashdog37 It is a good program! It was the most fun thing I've ever done. This particular program is designed for Japanese-speakers of any level, so you can go even if you know nothing of the language. You'll take four weeks of classes while you're there, so with immersion you can learn a lot! The semester and year programs don't have classes, so you need to figure out the language on your own. It's hard, but for the time and experiences you get, it might be more worth your money.
sarurunkamui 2 months ago
@sarurunkamui Thank you for your answers!:) I'm glad i don't have to know japanese very well to go! I'm 15 and i can't wait to go to Japan! :D
ashdog37 2 months ago
@ashdog37 No problem! Tanoshinde ne. ;)
sarurunkamui 2 months ago
@ashdog37 Also, I was 17 when I went. (The age cap is 18 with AFS.)
If you want a more solid grasp of basic language skills before you go, I recommend books such as "Japanese in 10 Minutes a Day". You won't learn how to read/write kana (that's pretty easy on your own though), but it's great speaking practice. Phrasebooks and dictionaries are also useful.
sarurunkamui 2 months ago
Really? The website says that's like how much the year program is |DD
VampireSasuGurl 2 months ago
@VampireSasuGurl I would have loved to go longer, but I couldn't because of school. The full year or even a semester would totally be worth it, though!
sarurunkamui 2 months ago
@VampireSasuGurl It's true... pretty crazy, maybe because the summer classes are expensive? Anyway, go for a long time if you can, because six weeks will leave you craving more (and probably missing your host family a lot!). Plus you could see Japan in fall/spring. Summer is beautiful, but fall and spring must be absolutely gorgeous.
sarurunkamui 2 months ago
How much did it cost??
I wanna go this coming summer;)
shineellen 4 months ago
@shineellen
The cost for this program was about $8,500. It's definitely one of the more expensive programs any US organization will offer because the dollar is weak to the yen, especially right now--other programs are usually cheaper, but I chose AFS because I trusted them (and a good choice it was).
sarurunkamui 4 months ago
nice!, could you tell me your experience
ikimikiss2 6 months ago
@ikimikiss2 There are a lot of things to talk about. So much happened! Is there anything in particular you'd like to hear about?
sarurunkamui 6 months ago
@sarurunkamui did you have to fund raise money? and how long did it take, i will wanna go this summer but am worried about getting the money
ikimikiss2 5 months ago
@ikimikiss2 Sorry it took me a while to respond, YouTube isn't letting me reply to your other post.
I didn't do any fundraising; AFS gave me a small scholarship, and I also got some support from my grandfather, who left me money for this kind of thing when he died. If you do a search for "AFS Fundraising Wiki", though, they have great resources with ideas, tips, and blogs for fundraising.
sarurunkamui 4 months ago