Tokyo Academy of Communications (TAC) Language Institute offers customized Japanese classes for companies, missionaries, embassies and individuals. Classes are based on the coaching method. English lessons and teaching method seminars are also provided.
Japanese Programs
Our concept
What do you see as the most important factor when you try to find a school that is just right for you? Time? Cost? Or cost-effectiveness? Takahashi started TAC Language Institute after teaching at the college-level for 6 years and has been teaching the Japanese language to business people, especially directors or CEOs of firms operating in Japan. With his innovative method, he is helping business people use their time and money effectively.
Professional teachers at institutional schools, however, are not so aware of the significance of cost-effectiveness. As the opportunity cost (potential loss for not working) increases for professionals, time-constrained courses have become in high demand. Institutional schools can cut the conventional period of 1.5 years in half. But no matter how fluently you speak Japanese it is of no use unless it helps you fulfill your business task, namely winning people's trust in the Japanese culture.
Being aware of this need in the market we have come to concentrate more on the skill of interacting with people in culturally appropriate ways, which a private firm can do without interference of the authority. Be aware that the technical side of language competence is never enough in Japan.
Now we see our mission as finding a way of taking advantage of the hidden potential in both clients and instructors, so they can figure out what skills they need to acquire. Therefore exchanging feedback between clients and instructors is important part of TAC Language Institute philosophy. Clients are encouraged to give feedback to us about whatever it is, so we can make the course more relevant to each one's segmented needs.
There are five courses at TAC Language Institute.
- Regular Japanese course for companies / missionaries / embassy workers
- Part-time course
- Company private lesson
- Self study program
- Immersion program for companies / individuals
Details of the five courses are as follows.
Regular Japanese course for companies / missionaries / embassy workers
Anyone who understands basic conversational English can apply for this course.
This course goes at a moderate pace, different from the immersion one, so it is good for those who are not under any mandate of a time-constrained program. Currently missionaries or people from embassies take this course. As the objective is different from that of business people, the emphasis is on each student's needs as expressed at the initial interview. This is the only program available for missionaries in Tokyo.
Lessons are offered in Ochanomizu, but can also be arranged at the Kamata office.
Please see below for details:
| Level | Term period | Price | Time |
|---|
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced |
Autumn: Aug 29 - Nov 25, 2005
Spring: Jan 16 - Apr 7, 2006
Summer: Apr 10 - Jul 6, 2006
(12 weeks / term) |
258,300 Yen
(tax included) |
10:00 - 13:00
Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri
(with 1 hour of one-on-one session / week) |
Winter intensive: Nov 28 - Dec 22, 2005
Summer intensive: Jul 10 - Aug 8, 2006
(4 weeks / term) |
86,100 Yen
(tax included) |
- Handouts, admission fee and tax are included in the tuition fee.
- The schedule may change. Please confirm with us.
- Application after the deadline is acceptable. Please contact us.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
Part-time course
This course is good if:
- you have a specific goal
- you have some friends to study with
- you need lessons to catch up with another course you want to join.
Specifics are decided upon interview.
Lesson can be arranged in the Ochanomizu or Kamata office.
If you prefer a flexible schedule, choose:
a) Flexible course
Time, place, and target can be arranged upon interview.
The tuition fee is as shown below.
| Part-time flexible course | Lesson fee / person, 1hr |
|---|
| Private lesson | 5,250 Yen (tax included) |
| Group lesson of 2 people | 2,625 Yen (tax included) |
| Group lesson of more than 3 people | 2,100 Yen (tax included) |
| Additional Private lesson above regular course | 4,200 Yen (tax included) |
- Handouts, tax and admission fee are included in the fee.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
If you can come only after work during the weekdays, we recommend:
b) Fixed course
The time is fixed from 19:00 - 21:00 on Tuesday and Thursday. (8hrs/month)
The fee is the same regardless of class size.
| Course name | Day and time | Lesson fee / person |
|---|
Part time
fixed course | Tue & Thu 19:00 - 21:00 | 75,600 Yen / 3 months (1,575 Yen / 1hr) (tax included) |
- Handouts, tax and admission fee are included in the fee.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
Private / group lesson at your place
Lesson at your place is good if:
- You want to economize the time for transportation
- You need coaching from a senior coach at your office
- You can form a group in your company
- You want to have an intensive program at your office
- You have only fixed time available for the lesson
Like other courses you can openly share with us your preference about the instructors, reference books, timing, the type of the Japanese language you want to cover and so on. We come up with some proposals after the interview.
| Place | Class size | Price / class, 1hr |
|---|
| At your office | 1-2 people | 6,300 Yen (tax included) |
| More than 3 | 7,350 Yen (tax included) |
- There is discount price for family members. Please contact us for more information.
- Handouts, tax, and admission fee are included.
- The transport fee of our staff will be a maximum of 500 Yen / lesson.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
Self study program
- This is a comprehensive self-study program supported by professionals with full instructions given in weekly 2hrs-group lesson.
- This is the extraction from Ground Work* of the Immersion Program**.
- This is supported by a NPO (TILTEC***) which enabled anyone ambitious to enjoy the professional program at a considerably lower rate.
- * equivalent to level-3 of JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test), Japanese syntax essential for daily conversation
- ** Immersion program is meant to make people from scratch to bilingual consultants in all 4 skills within 5 months. (See for more information)
- *** Non-Profit Organization: Tokyo International Language and Technology Center (Registered on 2003/9/25)
| Self study program |
|---|
| Term | 5 month-course from Feb, 2006.
* New term will start in Apr, Jun and Aug, 2006. |
|---|
| Time for group lesson | 2 hrs/week on the fixed day and time from one of these options:
- a. Tue 13:00 - 15:00
- b. Tue 15:00 - 17:00
- c. Thu 13:00 - 15:00
- d. Thu 15:00 - 17:00
- e. Sat 10:00 - 12:00
- f. Sat 12:00 - 14:00
|
|---|
| Class size | 10 people ± /class |
|---|
| Time for support | 12:00 and 17:00 weekdays |
|---|
| Lesson fee | 68,250 Yen (12,000 Yen/month x 5 months + registration fee 5,000 Yen + tax)
*Lesson fee is for both group lessons and worksheets |
|---|
| Place | TAC Language Institute Ochanomizu office
* Group lesson on Sat. is available also at Kamata office. |
|---|
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
Q & As
Q1: What is the program like?
A1: We will be using the same materials in the approach as we have done in 5-month Immersion program for Infosys Technology since 2003. (See Immersion program or NIKKEI BUSINESS October Issue.)
Once a week you come for 2-hour group lesson, and get oriented for the worksheets to cover for the week. Instructors are available to help you between 12:00 and 17:00 weekdays. In five months you are expected to reach level-3 of JLPT with all the syntaxes, structures essential for communication and the knowledge of 300 Kanjis. For self-study at home you might need to invest 1 hour ± daily, including Kanji.
Q2: How is the group lesson given?
A2: We have students-participating class based on the coaching approach as we did in the Immersion program. (See "Coaching" for details). You have a 2 hour-lesson on Tue, Thurs or Sat. But you can have the Quicker course available.
Q3: What is the Quicker course?
A3: In the Quick course you can take group lessons twice a week. This means you are to digest the material twice faster in 2.5 months instead of 5 months.
Q4: What can happen on completion of the course?
A4: You can participate in the last part of the Immersion program, 3 months of the 5 months. You can also participate in our extensive program as instructors back in your country. Please contact us for further information.
Q5: Can you tell me the story behind?
A5: Dr. Fusako Beuckmann, a prolific expert supervising programs at higher institutes, suggests after observing our course that this material as well as our coaching approach be made public as this facilitates people to learn much faster and more effectively.
Q6: Is the fee to settle all at a time?
A6: Settlement in installment into two times is acceptable.
Also 5,000 Yen for registration is free for both if two of you register at a time.
Please feel free to contact us.
Immersion program for companies / individuals
WHAT'S NEW!
- "1 Month Ground Work" is now available.
- You can finish the basics of the Japanese language within 1 month!
- You can get hold of the big picture of this language. Don't worry because lessons are fun as you are encouraged to participate and are conducted in basic English.
- For more details see "immersion programs for companies/ individuals".
| 20 days Ground Work |
|---|
| Term | February, June, November |
|---|
| Time | 9:30 - 17:30, Mon - Fri (total of 140 hrs) |
|---|
| Lesson fee | 210,000 Yen (tax included) |
|---|
| Place | TAC Language Institute Ochanomizu office
Contact us if you prefer the course to be conducted at your office |
|---|
- Admission fee and handouts except for the books we recommend are all included in the fee.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
Immersion program for companies / individuals
The unique point of this program is that people become bi-lingual with all 4 skills good enough for business interaction, including knowledge of 1500 kanji, within 5 months (700 hrs in total). This program roughly corresponds to 12 to 18 months of study at a normal Japanese school. Therefore, you can avoid significant opportunity cost by the shortened duration.
This is possible because:
- we conduct all sessions using Coaching allowing the learners to be participative and contributive
- we don't use fixed textbook
- we have flexible syllabus; adjusting syllabus to students, not students to syllabus
- you can get personal help through 1on1 counsultations hours
We have been conducting immersion courses since 2003. In fact, most of the participants are/ have been actively conducting business with communication skills that they acquired. They went beyond Level-1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in listening comprehension and learned 1500 kanji. The communication skills they gained enabled them to handle business situations and won trust in business, a much higher accomplishment than Level-1. In business interaction, they know how to mobilize powerful proverbs and thought-provoking pauses or smiles that make their business successful.
Accourding to your level or target, you can choose to take:
- full course (Month 1-5)
- 1st half of the course (Month 1 & 2 ) or
- 2nd half of the course (Month 3, 4 & 5)
The 1st half is for those who want to learn or consolidate all the basics of the Japanese language in very short time.
The 2nd half is for those who want to learn intermediate and advanced Japanese. Those who already have the basic grammar, equivalent to JLPT Level-3, can join from Month 3. You are, however, asked to take a quick diagnostic test for us to see if your profiency is good enough to join the course. If not, you will be advised to take some catch-up lessons in advance of the course.
The details of the immersion course are as shown in the table.
| Immersion program for companies / individuals |
|---|
| Terms | Month 1 & 2 | Month 3, 4 & 5 |
|---|
| Winter term | Nov, Dec | Jan, Feb, Mar |
|---|
| Spring term | Feb, Mar | Apr, May, Jun |
|---|
| Autumn term | Jun, Jul | Aug, Sep, Oct |
|---|
| Lesson fee | Half course | 315,000 Yen (tax included) | 472,500 Yen (tax included) |
|---|
| Full course | 700,000 Yen (tax included!) (1000 Yen/hr approx.) |
|---|
| Time | 9:30 - 17:30 Mon - Fri (total of 700 hrs for 5 month-course) |
|---|
| Place | TAC Language Institute Ochanomizu office
Contact us if you prefer the course to be conducted at your office |
|---|
| Class size | 5-12 people |
|---|
| Audience | Any college graduate or equivalent and can understand basic English
If not, please contact us at info@tacli.com. |
|---|
- Admission fee and handouts except for the books we recommend are all included in the fee.
- Lesson fee will change when there is a change in the tax rate.
The contents of the course from Month 1 to 5 are as follows:
- Month 1
- Month 1 is what we call the "Ground Work" where you learn all the basic grammar equivalent to JLPT Level-3 within 20 days only! This is very intensive and litterally you are immersed in Japanese. The lesson are conducted in basic English. You can get hold of the big picture of this language.
- Month 2
- Month 2 is the verbal practice month. The verbal-practice consists of debates, discussions, and 1-on-1 sessions. You are encouraged to verbalize what you have learned in the Ground Work and learn to actually use the language. Through this output process, you can consolidate your understanding and learn how to use the language strategically.
- Month 3, 4 & 5
- Month 3 to 5 is the intermediate and advanced course. Advanced expressions will be introduced. There will be reading, writing, listening practice, verbal sessions (debates, discussions, 1-on-1 sessions and presentations), outings and introduction of 1,500 kanjis. There will also be business Japanese and practice of professional presentations. This is the application period. You are not expected to be experts of the knowledge of Japanese grammar: but expected to be able to handle situations professionally with your communications skills. The emphasis is on cultural issues, so that you can learn not only the language but also how to interact with Japanese people in real life.
FAQ
- Q1 : Can you tell me more distinctive points?
- We arrange a 1 week home-stay program hosted by members of local governments, so students can be thoroughly exposed to Japanese culture and create rapport with people who can support their future business expansion.
- Besides business workshops conducted by professionals active in each area, students are invited to "business incubation workshops" directed by Dr. Yasuyuki Fujimura, one of our partners, who is currently one of the most successful inventors in Japan and an advisor to the Patent Ministry. In this workshop he shares ideas about how to start and develop businesses in the most practical and exciting way in Japan.
- Q2: Do you support students in finding jobs?
- We do not directly, because we are not an agent. However, you learn not just the language but managing business situations through TAC Language Institute's coaching program, so you are confident enough to go through any job interview by yourself.
- TAC Language Institute issues a certificate to verify each student's language competence and successful completion of the business incubation program upon completion of this course.
- TAC Language Institute endorses your qualification by writing a letter of recommendation upon request.
- "Professional hunters" are interested in bi-lingual people so you might come across information that you really need while attending our program.
- Q3: What can you do for our visa to be issued?
- As TAC Language Institute did not choose to be a registered school so that we could maintain the freedom of having a flexible program, we are not entitled to sponsor visas. We are, however, in the process of looking into this issue. Please contact us for further information.
- Q4: Can you help us solve the housing problem?
- We can introduce you to housing owners so you can find a place to stay at a reasonable price. Contact us for further information.
