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I am really looking for a college with a great Japanese program. I have three in mind, but I'd rather not reveal them. If anyone says the three I am thinking of, then it will only help me in knowing that I made good choices. It must be a major-it cannot be just classes/courses. And I am referring to American colleges. I would like to earn my major in America, and not Japan. I am also looking for colleges with good study abroad programs to Japan. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Please also explain why so I have some credibility behind your answer. If you are currently majoring in Japanese in some college, and can explain to me about their program, that would also really help. Thanks!

2006-07-17 09:17:39 · 3 answers · asked by Thardus 5 in Society & Culture Languages

Oh, and I guess I should also add that I have been studying Japanese for three years in high school (going on fourth) and that I just got back from Japan. I stayed for 13 days, and learned 14 new, practical-use words, along with retaining many others. I am from Ohio, so many of the colleges that may be recommended may be out-of-state. That doesn't bother me so much (at least until it comes time to afford tuition). Don't hinder references from other states besides Ohio. Thanks a lot! (Arigatou Gozaimashita)

2006-07-17 11:31:06 · update #1

3 answers

The University of Michigan is known to have the best Japanese Language program, perhaps even the oldest. The US Army set it up at the start of WWII when Japanese/English translators were virtually non-existent in the US(aside from those nisei and sansei Japanese, of course, who unfortunately were mistrusted and locked in camps).

I'm not doubting your sincerity or your intellect, but do understand that many people find Japanese a particularly difficult language to learn, and college language courses are notoriously difficult. U of M is a good school and a big one, so you'll have lots of options should you choose to change majors. This would be for only one year.

The University of Washington has quite a good Japanese program, though still lacking the prestige of U of M. I'm guessing you are not from Michigan or Washington State, but if you establish residency (e.g. get a phone and pay the bills, get a drivers lisence, apartment, etc.) you will qualify for the significantly less expensive in-state tuition.

These are the only two programs I know, but keep digging. Keep an eye out for public universities with exchange programs to Japan, as it may allow you to qualify for a Monbusho (Japan's Ministry of Education) scholarship, which, last time I checked, gave you free tuition and something like $1800/month to spend and enjoy. Not to mention a tremendous amount of support in finding housing, getting a phone, etc.

There is no substitue for living in Japan. An earnest student can become reasonably conversant (not fluent) in as little as a year. I'd guess that each week you spend in Japan will teach you more than a month or two of stateside education.

GAMBATTE KUDASAI!

2006-07-17 11:11:24 · answer #1 · answered by Happy 4 · 2 1

University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Hawaii

2006-07-21 00:30:11 · answer #2 · answered by White Samurai 1 · 1 0

UNIVERSITY OF JAPAN

2006-07-17 16:20:50 · answer #3 · answered by LARCO 4 · 0 1

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