When deciding to take a Japanese lesson in Singapore, it is important to know that your school will generally be fast, medium, or slow with its pacing. This leads to one of the most overlooked challenges students face when getting started: finding that their course’s pace falls in either extreme.
Still, everyone learns differently, and you might discover that this pacing changes as you progress through your course; it might start out fast as you are introduced to all the fundamentals and eventually slow down once you get accustomed to your studies. Alternatively, you may feel frustrated with the slow start up during the first few weeks before difficulty ramps up and you suddenly get swamped with homework and review.
So, if you feel your Japanese lessons are too easy or challenging, here are a few tips to help you overcome this temporary hurdle.
If Your Class Is Moving Too Fast
Many Japanese classes cater to those who wish to become fluent as quickly as possible. Hence, they are designed to instil a lot of knowledge into students in the shortest amount of time. If you have the same goals and thus enrol in a fast, intensive school, you are probably in the right place — just know that it won’t be easy.
When Just Getting Started
Many students find the first few weeks in these types of schools challenging on many levels, especially for beginners with little to no knowledge of the language. One of the first things you should do is to accept that it will take some time to get used to your class’s schedule and rhythm and, sometimes, how to best approach your teachers for help.
Next, learn to anticipate your lessons. This is key to feeling more in control during your classes. Even if you already have a lot on your plate, something as simple as building your Japanese vocabulary the day before or, better yet, reading future lessons ahead of time lets you be more confident that you can follow your teacher’s lessons.
Should you ever fall behind, don’t panic, as your language school can always lend a helping hand. More importantly, you are not learning for conventional academic purposes, so don’t be too hard on yourself. Finally, repetition is key to building a solid foundation when learning a new language, so go over your material again until it all makes sense.
When You Are Mid-Way Through
Suppose you feel like the difficulty is ramping up to the point that it gets harder to follow each new lesson, or you notice a significant pace difference between your first few weeks and now. If so, consider seeking support from the language school.
In many cases, students who feel that the pace is faster in the intermediate and advanced classes may not have quite digested the content from previous levels. This is natural as Japanese is inherently easy at first but gets progressively difficult as you work your way up. Whenever you get overwhelmed, it is recommended to set some time aside to review easier past lessons and, if needed, repeat the same classes. After all, learning Japanese is not a race but a marathon.
If Your Class Is Moving Too Slow
If you are highly motivated to learn, yet your course is not progressing as fast as you’d like, it may hamper enthusiasm and cause much frustration.
When Just Getting Started
Students who encounter this problem are mainly those who have studied Japanese before or simply have strong learning skills. If you are in this situation, our first advice is to verify whether you are in the right class level and do not hesitate to ask your school to re-evaluate your class placement.
Before that, however, consider giving the course a couple of weeks to see how things go. You could also take the opportunity to self-study for upcoming material, which you might find difficult to tackle without prior preparation. This way, you get the challenge you seek while waiting for your teacher to get to the good stuff. Keep in mind that while Japanese language schools are a great way to gain the foundational knowledge you need and even tackle the JLPT, reaching higher fluency ultimately relies on you continuing your studies long after you complete your Japanese language classes.
When You Are Mid-Way Through
A rarer situation that could happen is that your class’s speed drops a little after a few well-paced weeks. This may occur for several reasons, such as the school planning for a review term at a key level where their students typically stumble or the instructors simply turning down the pace to stretch the program. Regardless of the root cause, if you are already at an intermediate or advanced level, it is recommended to maintain the difficulty that you are accustomed to through self-study, such as preparing for the JLPT.
Conclusion
Several factors can determine whether your Japanese classes in Singapore are too fast or too slow for your liking. But as mentioned, its speed will likely not remain static as you progress through the course, and there are many ways you can adjust and accustom yourself to its current pace.
At Japanese Explorer, we provide a variety of Japanese courses that cater to different types of learning styles. Whether you want to learn fast or take things at your own pace, we can provide the exact Japanese course you need to reach your desired Japanese fluency. For more information about our AJALT-accredited Japanese courses or to get started with a trial class, don’t hesitate to contact us today!
