Summer language program in Japan for rising high school senior?
Can any BPN parents of teens out there recommend a 2-3 week summer language program in Japan that is geared toward high school students? Our 16 year-old daughter has enjoyed studying Japanese through ATDP at UC Berkeley, but would also be interested in trying an immersion program abroad. We are aware of a program run by Green Heart Travel which is located in Fukuoka and would love to hear from anyone who has experience with this or another program.
Thanks so much,
Anne
Dec 4, 2017
Parent Replies
Hi Anne,
Bravo for your daughter wanting to abroad! I used to work in the industry and am familiar with Green Heart Travel although it has been a few years. The people then were very good. There are many programs out there.
I had some other thoughts that might be of interest for your daughter as well. If Fukuoka is of particular interest, Oakland happens to be a sister city of Fukuoka and there is a very active group here in Oakland. They may have some Fukuoka specific suggestions regarding programs and other possibilities. You didn't mention what city you live in but the odds are good that your city (if not Oakland) has a sister city in Japan. They may be a good resource for you as well. Lastly, your daughter may be interested in a program my wife and I run at UC Berkeley during the summer. We bring 100 Japanese high school students to campus for 3 weeks to study leadership. These students are all from the Tohoku region which is the area that was hit by the tsunami and earthquake in 2011. There is a mentor program where we invite American high school students to interact informally with our students through events like ice cream socials, dances, etc. It's a great place to practice Japanese since our students don't speak much English. The time commitment is very flexible and there is no cost to participate. I hope this is of some use! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or want to learn more about the mentor program.
Thanks,
David