Meredith Kuba, Tufts University, AKP 98-99, and participant in Professor Yasutomo's government class trip to Tokyo. The goal of the AKP language program is to assist students in improving their communicative competence in written and spoken modern Japanese. Each student is placed in an appropriate section after taking a placement test during the second week of classes, after a week of review. Sections are kept small to provide the best possible setting for individual attention.
Language classes meet five days a week, at least ninety minutes a day, during both semesters.
The language program is enriched by coordinating the students' classroom work with elective courses, visiting speakers, Doshisha student groups, and especially homestays, where the students apply their Japanese to everyday household situations and frequently have long discussions with homestay family members. AKP students typically make spectacular progress in both spoken and written Japanese, especially in the second semester. In addition to Japanese language study, each student is required to select two English-language courses each semester. At least five such courses, taught by professors from American colleges and by local scholars, are offered each semester. A typical academic year includes courses in Art History, Economics, History, Literature, Political Science, Religion , and other disciplines.