Summer Japanese Immersion Program

I did the summer Tokyo exchange with LanguBridge and it was an unforgettable experience. The staff there took great care of everyone and made each part of the process smooth, from airport pickup to getting settled and everything along the way. My host family was amazing and we got along great, and I had so much fun in the classes. All the Japanese teachers put a bunch of effort into the lessons and came along on the trips/activities and they honestly did so much more than they needed to. Originally, the language class I was in was too easy for me and the school ended up making a higher level class for me and another girl, and I’m honestly still grateful that they went out of their way to do that! When planning my exchange, I went through a ton of programs, researched a lot and was so nervous about almost every aspect of the exchange but I can confidently say my experience was 100% perfect and I’m really happy I chose to go to Japan with Langubridge. You really won’t regret it if you go with them!

My time in Japan was the greatest time of my life. The application process was easy to understand and I had no difficulties of any sort during the program. The classes and material that we learned were helpful and fun. All of the teachers were so kind and energetic, they made the vocabulary and grammar very easy to understand. The activities/games we played during class were also very fun. Going out to get lunch with friends was always one of my favorite times of the day. There is a wide range of places to choose from to get meals, snacks, and drinks and they’re all easily accessible from the building. My host family were the absolute greatest. They taught me many things about Japanese culture. We bonded really well over the three weeks I stayed with them. The only minor complaint I have is that the field trips that we attended only lasted an hour or two. I wish that we could have had more time to explore the places we visited or the area. Also, during many of the field trips we were required to fill out vocabulary/grammar sheets and treasure map like sheets. Though they were informative and made us practice our Japanese skills, they were quite distracting. Instead of focusing on the places themselves we had to constantly keep looking for the answers. Overall, I had a wonderful time and made many memories with family and friends. This program has made a really big impact on my me. I now want to travel back to Japan and possible study abroad there in the future.

Overall I'd say the experience was pretty great. Just being able to go to Japan for relatively cheap. The host family experience in particular, was excellent and better than I could have ever imagined. On the other hand, some of the group excursions/field trips were notably underwhelming. It always felt like we didn't spend enough time in/around the places we went by just 1-1.5 hours. We always left just as it got into the afternoon/early evening too, so it felt kind of pointless that we never stayed longer. Just to reiterate, the whole thing was really enjoyable and I don't regret it at all.

Since the beginning of high school, I wished to study abroad. I had to choose an affordable program for my mom to agree. Langubridge is probably one of the cheapest study abroad programs without scholarships. The program may seem sketchy due to little to no reviews, however it’s real. Before the trip, a Facebook group was created, so everyone going could learn about each other beforehand. An orientation was given on the day of arrival in Japan. The next day everybody got to meet their host families. My host family was really nice, though it was difficult for them to bring me out, since my host parents are busy due to work. The cultural activities were fun, but short. It’s better to be quick to do everything you might want to do. Everyone was super nice and there’s a chance to go wherever you want after lessons if you receive permission from your host parent/s. I still can’t believe I got the chance to study abroad and if you want a good, trustworthy, cheap study abroad program, I strongly recommend langubridge.

I had so much fun in Tokyo this last summer! My homestay family were amazing, and I recieved brilliant (and fun) Japanese language tuition! The program was very enjoyable, but there was a lot of studying to be done! Classes are at the perfect level for beginner and advanced students, and teachers are friendly and helpful. The staff that run the program are caring and kind, and let you talk to them whenever you want to! The immersion is amazing! You have so much to do and see, and at the weekendsyou can explore Tokyo (Or wider Japan) with your host family! My host family took me to a small village just outside of Nagano! We went to fireworks festivals and cultural festivals, and also made sushi and other meals (Western and Japanese) together! YOu can ask your host family to take you to specific events or outings and they try their best to accomodate you! Many host families are connected with LABO, an international community language learning insitiution. If you family is in a LABO group, you have the opportunity to meet lots of other Japanese people, and share your culture with people who really want to learn about it! Tokyo is an incredibly interesting city, and most of the time it is very cheap! You can buy full meals for around £5, if you go to a convenience store! There are lots of interesting snacks and foods! The program includes a few outings to places around Tokyo, for shopping and educational experiences! My favourite trip was the Asakusa trip, where we did a photo scavenger hunt, and then went out for lunch! You meet really lovely people on the trip, and end up forming really close bonds with other trip-goers! I still keep in contact with my host family! It was amazing, and I will never forget this experience! I would highly reccommend this program to anyone intrested in Japanese culture or Language!

During the winter of 2018, I looked up Japanese Language Programs for High School Students and found this Program. I wasn't sure whether to sign up for this Program or the many others you can find across the web but I am so glad I chose this one. What interested me most in this program was the Home Stay aspect, staying with a family and acquiring language knowledge through a more natural setting. Through this program I was able to meet friends I still talk to and a family I hope to never lose contact with. I noticed through the very few other reviews that hardly any negatives are mentioned in them, I thought this was odd so I'll try and talk about both the good and the bad. I went on LanguBridge's Japan E Summer program. The staff: The staff in the program are very supportive, there will likely be at least two English native speakers that will be there to help you every step of the way. Throughout the Program, there were some misunderstandings between me and the Teachers as they were not native speakers but the trip leaders helped me out each time to avoid any problems. I was very grateful to most of the staff, they helped the trip become less stressful and so much more enjoyable. Other students in the Program: I arrived at the airport the first day worried that meeting 20 strangers would be super awkward and that I would leave having made no friends but I was so wrong. I am extremely shy, talking to complete strangers was something completely out of my comfort zone but luckily the program leader connected everyone to a Facebook group chat so we could talk to each other beforehand. It made everything less stressful. I made some friends I hope to never lose. You have multiple opportunities to talk to people from the other class. Multiple times after class and even once during the weekend I hung out with my friends in Harajuku, Akihabara and Ueno Park. Hanging out with everyone were some of my fondest memories. Host Family: I loved my Host Family, They have become like a second family. If I had known how great they were I wouldn’t have had any doubts to go to Japan with this Program. They helped me so much over the three weeks. In my family, I had two younger brothers (13,15), an older sister (16), the Parents and grandmother, aunt and cousin also stayed over for a couple of nights. They brought me to a summer festival, I got to see my younger brother’s baseball games and we even got to eat out a couple of times. My favorite moments were playing card games with my host siblings, even though there was often a language barrier, they were encouraging, loving and everything I could have asked for in a family. We’re still in contact. Morning and Evening Transport: The transport is long unless you’re lucky but the shortest my year was 45 minutes, mine was close to over 2 hours and that was one-way. It is likely that after a week the excitement of traveling alone will have worn off. I found myself later having memorized the scenery which ultimately aided in not getting lost later. Though since the commute was so long I got lost It was part of the experience. It was in those moments that I felt I grew the most and became more independent. Some of the things you could do on the commute are: Brining a book, Studying the previous day’s lesson or just looking out the window. I would go on my phone and listen to music offline to avoid wasting my data. Many days I found myself unable to do anything because of rush hour. Rush hour was an experience, to say the least. Locals will push you to get in, there is hardly any space to move so I would recommend that you stand in front of the seats as it is always less crowded there. Classes: The classes were my least favorite part of the trip. Though I didn’t dislike them and they allowed me to meet amazing friends, I quickly fell into a routine and I found myself becoming distracted. I wish the program had had a higher level class as I was not a beginner. I was put in the intermediate class but the level was still quite low. Overall though the lessons were interesting and we often had field trips which added an element of change to the routine. We went to Akihabara, A local shrine and an animation museum. Tips: Some tips I have for future participants are: First, BRING SUNSCREEN!! I left it at the bottom of my suitcase and ended up with a really bad sunburn which didn’t leave until after the end of the trip. Second, don’t be scared to talk Japanese with your family and practice. They don’t expect you to be fluent or even know much more than a greeting. They chose to be hosts because they want to help you! Finally, don’t worry so much. It’s truly an amazing experience and whether or not everything ends up the way you wanted/expected, you’ll certainly leave having learned something. You’ll leave with unforgettable memories and new bonds which will make the whole trip worth it.