Week long Japanese classes for 9 year olds in Japan?
August 8, 2024 7:25 AM Subscribe
My son loves Kirby, wants to learn some Japanese and see Nintendo World. Is it possible to do a one week trip to Japan to do a little trip like this? A couple hours of language learning in a fun way and some trips to cafes and then we can nip over to Nintendo world? He is 9.
We live in Europe so have random one week breaks in October and February that might work for this… or even in May…. Any ideas?
He is a little bit non neurotypical, a little hard to motivate and so I’m a little unsure about taking him over to Japan by myself if I didn’t have a bit of structure and since he wants to “learn Japanese” that might be a good daily activity we could do and then do some Kirby cafe stuff on the side. But he’s the kid of guy who finds walking too far a bit much, doesn’t have a lot of patience. But I’m the right structure would have a TON of fun. He loves Nintendo and Mario as well. But he has high standards.
We live in Europe so have random one week breaks in October and February that might work for this… or even in May…. Any ideas?
He is a little bit non neurotypical, a little hard to motivate and so I’m a little unsure about taking him over to Japan by myself if I didn’t have a bit of structure and since he wants to “learn Japanese” that might be a good daily activity we could do and then do some Kirby cafe stuff on the side. But he’s the kid of guy who finds walking too far a bit much, doesn’t have a lot of patience. But I’m the right structure would have a TON of fun. He loves Nintendo and Mario as well. But he has high standards.
If you have a very studious kid who is comfortable with feeling a bit and sometimes even very lost and willing to power through then Japanese language schools can be a good fit. If he's not then this might not be a good idea.
Japanese is an incredibly difficult language to learn. A week even a few hours a day isn't going to give much in terms of learning outside of some basic phrases. In addition, Japanese in television especially anime is very different than classroom instructed Japanese for beginners because Japanese classes tend to to stay with more formal polite language and teach plain form quite awhile later.
Are there Japanese language schools that will let you enroll for a week, probably. Is the culture of school learning going to be incredibly fast paced and intense? Also probably. I as someone who loves Japanese and has studied it for litteral years, Japanese language school without solid end goals is a good way to feel really miserable really fast.
In addition almost every class in Japanese is going to assume some basic knowledge of hiragana and katakana. Not that learning that is difficult but it is still incredibly overwhelming to look at materials and have no idea what is going on.
I'd really advise doing some Japanese classes where you are first to make sure you want to spend money on this activity instead of a bunch of other structured activities in Japan that he could be doing instead.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:03 AM on August 8
Japanese is an incredibly difficult language to learn. A week even a few hours a day isn't going to give much in terms of learning outside of some basic phrases. In addition, Japanese in television especially anime is very different than classroom instructed Japanese for beginners because Japanese classes tend to to stay with more formal polite language and teach plain form quite awhile later.
Are there Japanese language schools that will let you enroll for a week, probably. Is the culture of school learning going to be incredibly fast paced and intense? Also probably. I as someone who loves Japanese and has studied it for litteral years, Japanese language school without solid end goals is a good way to feel really miserable really fast.
In addition almost every class in Japanese is going to assume some basic knowledge of hiragana and katakana. Not that learning that is difficult but it is still incredibly overwhelming to look at materials and have no idea what is going on.
I'd really advise doing some Japanese classes where you are first to make sure you want to spend money on this activity instead of a bunch of other structured activities in Japan that he could be doing instead.
posted by AlexiaSky at 8:03 AM on August 8
Response by poster: Thank you for that answer :-) yes, I am wondering if there is a relaxed Japanese school that does just fun numbers, phrases, coloring pages- but in a fun way in short sessions. More exploration. My son has experience in full emersion, he did it from English into German…but the people need to be nice and fun.
posted by pairofshades at 8:16 AM on August 8
posted by pairofshades at 8:16 AM on August 8
Response by poster: Oh- and if you have any activities to recommend please do!
posted by pairofshades at 8:18 AM on August 8
posted by pairofshades at 8:18 AM on August 8
I am wondering if there is a relaxed Japanese school that does just fun numbers, phrases, coloring pages- but in a fun way in short sessions.
You might want to explore a ‚tutor/guide‘ who‘d be willing to tailor their approach. Perhaps an English language student, instead of formal language school, perhaps someone into animewho could relate to what you’re trying to achieve here.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:32 AM on August 8 [1 favorite]
You might want to explore a ‚tutor/guide‘ who‘d be willing to tailor their approach. Perhaps an English language student, instead of formal language school, perhaps someone into animewho could relate to what you’re trying to achieve here.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:32 AM on August 8 [1 favorite]
Not to abuse the edit window- no idea if that is feasible but it sounds much more likely to get you what you want than any formal classroom.
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:33 AM on August 8
posted by koahiatamadl at 8:33 AM on August 8
Japan’s main tourism sites are essentially totally accessible without Japanese language ability at all, and a trip of the kind you’d like to take is totally possible. Japan is also a very satisfying place to visit for a person who has “high standards” like your son, and the hassles of travelling in many other parts of the world are not absent, exactly, but far less noteworthy — the transport system is incredible, tourists are welcomed, many people speak English, and the hospitality everywhere you go is noticeable in the tiniest of aesthetic touches that a child like yours sounds like he’d appreciate.
But I’m not sure it makes sense to include any language-learning elements in this trip. Instead, I think you should absolutely consider going just to enjoy a vacation somewhere where he would feel free to safely explore perhaps more than he does at home, and where you could see him “learning” in an extracurricular way you might normally not see, especially if the majority of his non-native language education happens at school.
I say this primarily because I fear he may find himself thinking that if he needs to “study” or “learn” in a formal setting of some kind, even if it’s “fun”, in order to justify the trip, he would need to suppress any feelings of unhappiness or angst he feels while in that setting to please you or not make you angry. Language learning — as opposed to just visiting a place that speaks another language and enjoying picking up some phrases and noticing some features of the writing system — is a lot to manage when you really just want a break from school somewhere you think would be neat to visit, you know?
Also, from Europe, Japan is a long way to go for just a week if you’re nine and not really a big walker or urban explorer. Maybe this could be a summertime trip instead, one that is spread over a few weeks? That would give him more time to feel out and express to you just how much he wants to “learn Japanese” versus “learn about Japanese things and culture”, a distinction that would utterly change the trip, and also would let you (both?) do some library trips to actually plan the trip together using guidebooks and maps, take a Japanese cooking class near home, or research whatever part of Japan you might not have visited otherwise which has the Mario/Kirby/etc equivalent of things like this Pikachu train.
Would he be into a trip where, yes, he visited all the video-game sites he could possibly find, but also took in some more iconically Japanese experiences outside that realm? If he’s into samurai or ninjas or medieval castles, can you both visit Himeji Castle? If he’s desperate to make his own sushi, can you plan a food tour through a fish market? If he’s learning about world religions at school, what about visiting the giant Buddha statue at Kamakura, or the temples of Nikko?
Finally, maybe, once you’ve decided to go and told him, explore a site like Japan Guide with him — it’s pretty accessible and clearly written for a general audience, but deeply detailed on even smaller, regional sites where you might find his interests lie but which aren’t in guidebooks.
posted by mdonley at 11:51 AM on August 8 [3 favorites]
But I’m not sure it makes sense to include any language-learning elements in this trip. Instead, I think you should absolutely consider going just to enjoy a vacation somewhere where he would feel free to safely explore perhaps more than he does at home, and where you could see him “learning” in an extracurricular way you might normally not see, especially if the majority of his non-native language education happens at school.
I say this primarily because I fear he may find himself thinking that if he needs to “study” or “learn” in a formal setting of some kind, even if it’s “fun”, in order to justify the trip, he would need to suppress any feelings of unhappiness or angst he feels while in that setting to please you or not make you angry. Language learning — as opposed to just visiting a place that speaks another language and enjoying picking up some phrases and noticing some features of the writing system — is a lot to manage when you really just want a break from school somewhere you think would be neat to visit, you know?
Also, from Europe, Japan is a long way to go for just a week if you’re nine and not really a big walker or urban explorer. Maybe this could be a summertime trip instead, one that is spread over a few weeks? That would give him more time to feel out and express to you just how much he wants to “learn Japanese” versus “learn about Japanese things and culture”, a distinction that would utterly change the trip, and also would let you (both?) do some library trips to actually plan the trip together using guidebooks and maps, take a Japanese cooking class near home, or research whatever part of Japan you might not have visited otherwise which has the Mario/Kirby/etc equivalent of things like this Pikachu train.
Would he be into a trip where, yes, he visited all the video-game sites he could possibly find, but also took in some more iconically Japanese experiences outside that realm? If he’s into samurai or ninjas or medieval castles, can you both visit Himeji Castle? If he’s desperate to make his own sushi, can you plan a food tour through a fish market? If he’s learning about world religions at school, what about visiting the giant Buddha statue at Kamakura, or the temples of Nikko?
Finally, maybe, once you’ve decided to go and told him, explore a site like Japan Guide with him — it’s pretty accessible and clearly written for a general audience, but deeply detailed on even smaller, regional sites where you might find his interests lie but which aren’t in guidebooks.
posted by mdonley at 11:51 AM on August 8 [3 favorites]
Nintendo World is at USJ in Osaka so for a week-long trip that's where you'd be going.
You can absolutely get by in Osaka, including living and working there for years, without knowing any Japanese. And this is from experience 20 years ago before things like Google Translate were around. So if you or your son don't end up learning any of the language you'll still be able to enjoy your trip.
Maybe he can take lessons in your country in advance of the trip so that he can learn some of the basics and then when you're in Japan part of the day could be spent with a tutor/language exchange and then the rest of the day on fun stuff. I wonder if pen pals are still a thing because if he could be pen pals with a 9 year-old Japanese kid that might make the lead-up to the trip more exciting too.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:01 PM on August 8
You can absolutely get by in Osaka, including living and working there for years, without knowing any Japanese. And this is from experience 20 years ago before things like Google Translate were around. So if you or your son don't end up learning any of the language you'll still be able to enjoy your trip.
Maybe he can take lessons in your country in advance of the trip so that he can learn some of the basics and then when you're in Japan part of the day could be spent with a tutor/language exchange and then the rest of the day on fun stuff. I wonder if pen pals are still a thing because if he could be pen pals with a 9 year-old Japanese kid that might make the lead-up to the trip more exciting too.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:01 PM on August 8
I wonder if, while you're researching, he might enjoy just checking out some easy videos? I don't have any specific Youtube channels to recommend, but some simple searches like learn Japanese kids numbers might turn up a few good starting points, and once you find a good channel or two, there's likely to be more good stuff.
When I was starting to learn Japanese as an adult, I went to my library and checked out some children's books - some about learning Japanese, I think one was I'm Learning Japanese, and also some kindergarten-level books in Japanese, some translations of English books I knew (like the Frog and Toad books), others books that were new to me.
It was a way to start exploring without the heavy, intense project of trying to learn a ton of kanji and vocabulary and new grammar all at once.
posted by kristi at 5:20 PM on August 8
When I was starting to learn Japanese as an adult, I went to my library and checked out some children's books - some about learning Japanese, I think one was I'm Learning Japanese, and also some kindergarten-level books in Japanese, some translations of English books I knew (like the Frog and Toad books), others books that were new to me.
It was a way to start exploring without the heavy, intense project of trying to learn a ton of kanji and vocabulary and new grammar all at once.
posted by kristi at 5:20 PM on August 8
Kidzania might be a fun experience - it's aimed at kids in the 5-14 year old range, where they can pretend to do various jobs (airplane mechanic, fireman, chef) over a four-hour period. They have "English Wednesdays" or your son might prefer the total immersion experience, or perhaps both. The Kansai branch is located around 20 minutes by train from Osaka Station.
posted by Umami Dearest at 8:26 PM on August 8
posted by Umami Dearest at 8:26 PM on August 8
Just checking other comments about Kidzania, Wednesdays might be the best bet - most of the activities are in Japanese, but there's a bit of English used, and they have English-speaking staff, and most activities aren't all that language-dependent anyway.
posted by Umami Dearest at 8:33 PM on August 8
posted by Umami Dearest at 8:33 PM on August 8
My wife and I visited Japan a few years ago. Before we left we spent some time learning katakana which is the alphabet often used for translating loan words from other languages. What that means is that once you have learned what sound each character makes, you can often sound out the word and work out what the English word is.
We had great fun on the metro looking at the adverts, finding the katakana words then trying to sound them out to work out the hidden English words (eg Riamu Nison on movie posters, or konpyuta on computer ads).
I dunno if something similar would work for your kid, since it wouldn’t be structured, but maybe it could be a fun motivating activity for your trip to learn a little bit of Japanese without all the complexities of learning a whole new language?
posted by ecstaticcattle at 1:46 AM on August 9 [1 favorite]
We had great fun on the metro looking at the adverts, finding the katakana words then trying to sound them out to work out the hidden English words (eg Riamu Nison on movie posters, or konpyuta on computer ads).
I dunno if something similar would work for your kid, since it wouldn’t be structured, but maybe it could be a fun motivating activity for your trip to learn a little bit of Japanese without all the complexities of learning a whole new language?
posted by ecstaticcattle at 1:46 AM on August 9 [1 favorite]
A week isn't really a long time, and personally I would hate spending tens of hours sitting in a classroom when I could be seeing new things and exploring new areas.
If your son doesn't like to do a lot of walking, there are various bus tours, train rides, and boat trips to take. And if you have a destination in mind you can always take a taxi - it might be more expensive than the train, but will only be a tiny fraction of your plane and hotel fees, and a good way to conserve your energy.
posted by Umami Dearest at 4:25 AM on August 9
If your son doesn't like to do a lot of walking, there are various bus tours, train rides, and boat trips to take. And if you have a destination in mind you can always take a taxi - it might be more expensive than the train, but will only be a tiny fraction of your plane and hotel fees, and a good way to conserve your energy.
posted by Umami Dearest at 4:25 AM on August 9
I'm going to add that I would choose October over February to visit Japan (and probably May over either of them). Here's each month's typical weather conditions in Osaka, for instance. February is definitely chilly still.
Also, if you were to go to Tokyo instead of Osaka - the humidity there is very low in winter; prominent in my winter memories are dry, yellowed grass and lots of static shocks.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:10 AM on August 9
Also, if you were to go to Tokyo instead of Osaka - the humidity there is very low in winter; prominent in my winter memories are dry, yellowed grass and lots of static shocks.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 5:10 AM on August 9
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posted by pairofshades at 7:26 AM on August 8