ISI Career and Language Academy, Takadanobaba

All the instruction was in Japanese, so I understood virtually none of it. In discussing the course with my classmates, a preponderance of them had previously taken this same class once or twice before. To me, this is sign of the failure of the curriculum or instruction and not the students’ abilities. I will continue to study Japanese language, but not through this school.

The location and the teachers are all very attentive to the needs of the students.

The teachers are so good and the school so interesting, I will going again in this school soon .

There will be not an astonishing amount of detail to spare, I was at school like three times. Had walls, a ceiling, restrooms, the teachers looked friendly and were smiling, yet I didn't understand a single word, so there's that. The housing was great.

My experience at ISI was very good. The teachers were kind and patient. They were happy to help if I had a problem in class. The school was modern and in a nice location. ISI also gave us free books which I still use for studying after coming back home. The housing was clean and the room was nice but a little bit small. While living there I met a lot of new people with whom I made really good memories. Overall, I would recommend ISI to anybody who wishes to experience Japan and learn Japanese language.

From the first day, I thought the class was the right level for me: I was placed in a class that challenged me without leaving me behind. The teachers made sure the content was interesting and that we students would not get lost during class. I particularly enjoyed the care they put into enunciating the words clearly and speaking at a speed that was accessible for me.
The facilities were good and in a nice and accessible area of Tokyo. The staff was overall friendly and always greeted me in the morning.
I didn't have a chance to attend after-school activities, nor I was living in housing provided by the school.
One thing that could be improved is providing clearer information on the ISI website. I was confused by the fact that I had both a gmail account from the school and a personal profile on the ISI website where I would receive important messages. I missed some messages because of that, and I almost missed my deadline to submit my end-of-class notice.

I really liked my teachers and my class. I felt like I learned a lot for only being there for a month and my teachers were all super nice and always willing to help. I also felt like the homework was helpful because I was able to remember the things we learned in class and also it didn’t feel like an overwhelming amount. I do wish the school campus was a little closer to the station. I was in the NB and the walk was always really hot with no shade. The school was also a little disorganized at times. Once I was counted absent on a day that I was present. Even though I had evidence I was there it took a while to get fixed. Overall I had a really positive experience.

Overall it has been a valuable learning experience. However, I wish the school focused more on language immersion and real life practice. Furthermore, I found that the pace we moved with was too fast for my preference.

A great school for short term courses. All the teachers were friendly and easy going.

The teachers are experimented and pedagogue. The lessons are very global in reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary....

I really loved this experience.

The school was great, in a good emplacement where you can eat, go shopping and visit easily.
The teacher were so nice, very kind and helpful at every moment. They explain to you clearly if you didn't understand, and because the whole classes is in japanese, you make progress without noticing it !
I was in a group class where I knew some of the lessons we had, but this help me to remember and to improve them. The new lessons were very easy to learn because the rhythm to understand them was slow. I really improve my skills due to the everyday test, on different categories, which is something really good !
The homework were not that difficult, and it was easy to apply what we learn at school.
For the activities, I did anything with the school, but I visited Tokyo the morning to be at school at the right time. Because the school is near famous and useful station, it was easy to travel here and there.
For the housing, the family was lovely, very kind and always tried to help me improving my japanese. They share with me a lot of the Japanese culture, and the Japanese way of life.
The only thing I didn't really like was that I didn't have any documents for the beginning of the class and the hour to go. Hopefully, my family help me by calling the school and going at it.

Sometimes the teachers were quick, other times their teaching style was not really mine...
So much homework and tests, and too many questionnaires. The activities were not that interesting. The holidays very short.
The class infrastructure is in need of some upgrading as many desks broke down super easily. Also the desks and chairs were so low for taller people it was really a bother to sit on them. Bit chaotic at the time, and sometimes the people in the class were not on the same level which resulted in some slowing down or too fast speed. The JLPT announcement was too chaotic and I missed out on the option to take the test through the school, so I took it on my own, only to hear that the school could apply for you afterwards. This was a very annoying moment because I knew nothing of the sort, not how to ask the school, or when.

I did like some teachers their way of teaching, it was really nice, and I learned a lot from them. Bless those few good teachers. Also it was nice that some people at the front desk spoke English.

yeah, that is about it.

I wish there were more levels. Sometimes it was too easy, when they teached us slowly the hiragana and katakana. Sole part of the class already knew the basics and the other part didn’t know anything at all. The majority of teachers didn’t know how to speak in English... that kinda wasted our time and they couldn’t explain well some terms for us.

I'm satisfied with teachers and their lessons. Time went so fast and classes were really interesting. The school is easy to find and arrive since it close from train station. You also can find many konbini, so you won't have any problem if you need something. Facilities are clean and in good condition.

I've been to this school for 2 months, and it has been such a nice experience. The teachers were so nice and patient, and my Japanese improved a lot! I could make some friends, and the school's system/rules are really great and fair. I recommand this school to anybody!

Everyone was absolutely amazing at ISI from the first email with Matthew, to the final goodbyes with my classmates and professors. I was the only American in my class and it really helped me immerse myself into the Japanese language without relying on any English. My classmates were all wonderful and I learned a lot from them too! Unfortunately, I was not financially able to stay for the full program like the other students, I only did a 3 week program. During my last week, we had a mini class trip to the Shinjuku Gardens to view the Cherry Blossoms. I will never forget that day. I became close to my classmates and my professor and I will always cherish that memory. After my 3 weeks was over, my classmates made me a farewell card and it really meant a lot to me. I really wish I could have stayed and finished the program with my new friends. :(

The 3 hours of daily classes were packed with a lot of information. It was very efficient, and (almost) daily small tests made it easy to stay motivated to study and stay on track of your improvement. In just 5 weeks I felt like my skills improved a lot. There were optional classes to choose from, but unless you choose the discussion classes, there will not be many opportunities to practice your speaking skills. The location of the school (Ikebukuro branch) was very close to the station with a lot of connecting lines. The teachers were very helpful if you had any questions. However, the school was not very prepared for my arrival and I had to wait a couple of weeks to get my textbooks.

The school was well located, the classes were well taught and the teachers were very good.

School was very nice and well located, they have two buildings near Takadanobaba station. Their dorm room was VERY far from the school, it takes almost an hour to reach the school (most are not located inside Tokyo), but it's a good place to meet people and practice Japanese. If you plan to buy a bicycle the school have a parking lot for bicycles. Also, there is a small library and a cafeteria at the school. Classes and books are all in Japanese, so if you don't know anything about Japanese you might struggle a bit in the beginning, but gets easier once you get used to it. Teachers were very nice and if you don't understand something they will definitely help you. Classes had around 10-15 students, most students came from China. The staff at the reception desk speaks English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese, sometimes they can be a little rude. If you plan to stay for a long time the school have a few holidays so you can travel around Japan if you want to.

The location was definitely superb; the staff was very professional. They were always eager to help students. The overall curriculum was more thorough than what I expected. It was very systemically structured and quite intense. All teachers were very prompt; never late for the session and always sincere to students.

Overall, it was very enjoyable memories for me. Since I was there only for 3 weeks, I was not able to join major activities. I stayed in my own apartment, so I have no information for housing. I enjoyed so much. I will definitely recommend this school to my peers.

I really liked the school because there are a lot of people from different nations. It's very easy to find new friends. In the classes we had a lot of fun learning Japanese. One reason was also the teachers who are really kind. I enjoyed my time there a lot and would totally recommend it to people who are interested in learning the Japanese language.

As I wrote before, it was a challenging and serious environment. The teaching was good and the school was located in a fun area of Tokyo. I believe the courses were interesting and the students felt like a group. I also believe my Japanese improved significantly. The host family was great and we got along from the first minute. They were kind and caring. I believe the only inconvenience was the location, as the house was quite distant from the center of Tokyo.

The school is all in all amazing. The teachers are really helpful. Even though, as a complete beginner when I first came, the teachers are strict about using English in class and force you to use Japanese, it actually only makes you work harder and learn faster which is a huge quality at ISI, I think.
And the atmosphere among the students is also wonderful. No one is mad at each other, we all respect each other and by coming from all over the world, we make connections that are priceless.
Of course there are people you like less and some teachers that don't correspond to your own structure, but that is not a problem when you have such a well-functioning school.

I was glad to study in ISI Language School! Thank you very much!

Though I stayed there only for 2 weeks, I enjoyed everything!

I really can say that with the help of professional teachers and their methods of teaching language, even 2 weeks was a big help for me. The opportunity to listen to their speech, to their explanations in Japanese, and opportunity to talk in the class, really gave me great results!

I lived in the Hikari House at Shin-Okubo, and the location was very convenient. Just 5 minutes to the station, and only 3 minutes by subway to the school at Takadanobaba! I also liked school itself!
Unfortunately, due to the short period of stay in Japan, I didn't have a chance to participate in school activities, but I heard about the trip that was planned for students, and I think it's so cool!

Thank you really!
Hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu!

I had a wonderful time. I didn't realise how fast four weeks passed. The teachers were very good, easy to talk and ask questions, they really help you out if you have any problem and they make the classes very interesting (I suppose that goes from the experience they have). The facilities are very good but with one small problem. The desks are quite short and tall people (like me) are a bit cramped.
About the after school activities now. It was the second best part of my trip to Japan with the ISI with quite a few highlights (climbing to Mount Fuji for sporty people, visiting Harajuku and maid cafes for otakus, kimono presentation for female audience, visits to museums etc).
Unfortunately I can't say much for the housing because the time I spent in it was mostly for sleeping.
If you’re wondering what was the best part of this trip, it was the people I met. Japanese, Swedish, Brasilian, French, Taiwanese, Chinese, American, Hungarian, Spanish, Mexican, Italian, Polish and I don’t remember from how many more other countries were there with the same interest in Japanese culture.
If you have some second thoughts about doing this trip cast them away. It's a unique experience you can not miss, especially if you like Japan.

Teachers very nice and very focused on their teaching curriculum. Learned a lot in the short time.

When I was planning my study trip, I was specifically interested in staying in Tokyo. The facilities and teaching were good, but the housing was not even in Tokyo. It therefore required 1.5 hours of travel during rush hour to get to the school, which was incredibly time consuming and a waste of money. If I had wanted to spend most of my time in a rural location, I would have not picked Tokyo. The program description was very misleading in that respect.

It is on a main subway line and close to the station which made it very convenient. But the program (even the beginner classes) is not set up for people who don't have a basic grasp of the language already, including reading and writing both katakana and hiragana. It is very fast and most of the teachers can't speak English, so can't explain the grammar, which is very different from English. They are constantly having tests on writing but not on comprehension. And are stressing students out more than teaching them to understand and speak Japanese. I was only in the program for 1 month and decided not to pay for more. I felt the teachers were well aware that I was frustrated and felt left behind and they just hoped I would eventually catch up. I wanted to speak the language and do not feel satisfied in learning many new words through the school. Although I am able to read hiragana and katakana, but cannot understand what I am reading so I feel useless. The teachers were very nice and for more advanced studies are very helpful and friendly to their students. I was also given poor information on their starting schedule so felt a bit duped by only having 1 1/2 days of class the first week. When a new session of classes start they have a test on Monday. For beginners it's useless. Tuesday is a get to know other students and teacher party for a couple of hours. Wednesday you have your first class. Thursday you have half a day then go to a park to take a school photo. Friday is a welcome party for long term students. The 2nd week is when classes really began. I shouldn't have paid for that first week it was a bit of a joke. I also had asked about the first day of what I thought would be classes, Monday, and what time it would be starting and was not given accurate information. I don't think language international is communicating with ISI very well. For most of the information provided seems to have been confused in translation. My LI source did try her best and gave me as much information as I think she could but was just not privy to accurate sources.

The location and facilities of the school were excellent. Teachers gives homework and sufficient amounts of work and follow them through. Some experienced teachers explained grammar in Japanese better than others. The home stay the school organised was highly enjoyable because the host organised lots of events where I had chances to be exposed to Japanese language at its culture. Most things I mentioned I liked. However, the downside was the distance between the school and home stay - being an hour and a half was a bit too expensive for the train fare. Housing was extremely hot, it was a real sauna experience. I also would like the class to have a bit more interesting lessons using multi mediums to teach etc. The routine class tends to make students a bit bored but due to a slightly fast speed most people stayed on task.

I arrived in August in Tokyo, first I experience the housing it was nice it was a guest house so you have your own room and you are sharing the kitchen and all the bathroom, shower facilities... Witch is quiet good cause you can if you want be alone but also meet people who can become friends that you will never forget, the guest house was a little bit far away from the school:30 min. The distance is not really a problem but the because of that you have to pay a lot for using the subway, but the subway in Tokyo cost a lot. The school, the school was really really good everyone were really nice, the teachers are perfect they will just speak in Japanese and they know how to deal with all the students, you have to studie of course :little test everyday but you won't have any pretion, in the school I will say that 70% are chinese or korean, and there is a lot of swedish (still don't know why), and the other student come from everywhere, just one recommendation, in Japan and in this school If you are a foreigner, a western student you have to know how to speak english otherwise it will be difficult for you to enjoy your time, and understand how to register to the school or paying your rent... To finish I just want to say that it was a wonderful experience and maybe I will go back there to improve my japanese skills one year!

The classes were ok at the school. I also liked the teachers there too, but they just didn't speak any English & I fell behind right away. How do I ask a question if the teacher can't answer back in English? I was scheduled for 8 weeks, but after just a week I did not attend other classes. I discussed it with the head of the school & also informed the Boston office. Other than that the family I stayed with for homestay was excellent! They helped make the trip much better. I just I wish I knew upfront that the teachers did not speak English. I could have taken the classes right here in Mass. where they do speak english. I asked for a refund, but nothing was offered. What else is there to say...

The GEOS Kudan Institute for Language and Culture is situated in a terrific location in the heart of Tokyo, with nearby train/metro stations that provides easy travel to all major Tokyo city districts such as Shinjuku and Ueno (provided that you are somewhat of a good map reader because Tokyo's train system is unprecedented). The school area of Kudanshita is a business district, littered with restaurants, noodle bars, and cafes, even kaiden sushi. If you're looking for lunch or dinner during your study, you rarely have to walk for more than five minutes. The Tokyo Dome is also only ten minutes walk away, a baseball stadium surrounded by many forms of entertainment including a small theme park, shopping malls, and food courts. The school itself is divided into three areas, two main buildings on the main road and one a few blocks further away. Most students are placed in the two main buildings. The school facilities are nothing astonishing. A reception, staff rooms, multiple classrooms, a computer area in one of the buildings for student use, and toilets. There is nothing special about it. No touch-screen boards and no advanced computers in the classrooms. But then again, they are not required. The facilities are fine as long as you do not raise your standards far too high. The teaching model is average. I wouldn’t say they are the best for beginners due to the staff’s preference to speak nothing but Japanese when you are in the building. There is a rule in the school that when you are on the premises, you are only allowed to talk in Japanese, however it is not heavily enforced. For beginners, the pace is quick but manageable. You may find that you will have to study heavily in your own time if you want to keep up. Some members of staff do use English in their lessons if need be, but some are more stubborn. If you find yourself stuck and lacking understanding, do not expect that your problem will always be solved efficiently with the teacher. At times, I found, as did other students, that asking fellow class members for help was simpler than asking the teacher! However, this said, the teaching system is still geared to make you talk more in Japanese so you will pick the language up quicker, and this is true. Studying at GEOS Kudan, you will find that your day to day Japanese will improve quicker than say a lessons of a same duration in your native high school. The atmosphere is very friendly and the staffs are kind. I heard of no such things as punishments handed out to students. Also, the school is an excellent way to make new friends from all over the world. There are people of all ages from all places, and you will find that everyone will get along more or less great! I personally made a few great friends whom I am still in contact with now. Yet meeting Japanese friends is still a bit difficult. If you chose intensive or the conversational courses, making Japanese friends is rather limited. If you chose the activities course, then you have a much higher chance. Accommodation wise, GEOS Kudan provided some excellent housing in many diverse locations around Tokyo. If you choose to stay with a host family, the quality and nature will vary. I was lucky enough to stay with a very friendly and accommodating family that was ready to accept me as a family member. Due to my legal age, I had no curfews placed on me and the family was all too happy to help me out with difficulties. However, with some host families, you will find that they are more strict with things such as coming back home before 9pm (which is a problem for those who are looking to soak up the Tokyo nightlife), even if you are over twenty. Complaints towards host families are rare though. The vast majority of students will find that even if they have a curfew in place, the experience will still be pleasant. If you are looking for a more personal and independent living however, you can apply for the school accommodations which are located all over Tokyo. They are similar to university halls and each person will have their own room. Quality is more or less consistent, with some cleaner or larger than others. All in all, the GEOS Kudan Institute for Language and Culture is a basic school, set in making their students more fluent or understanding in the Japanese language. If you are a total beginner, then it would not be the best, but for the price, it is highly acceptable. If you have some previous knowledge of Japanese, then the GEOS Kudan is a good and cheap choice. Experiences vary depending on your chosen course, with intensive being hard learning, conversational more relaxed and friendly, and activities for those who are wishing to see Japan as much as they want to learn Japan. I personally enjoyed my time with the school very much, using my free time to meet new people and to enjoy what the city of Tokyo had to offer in many ways.

The school is located in a convenient location, near a station on the main JR line of Tokyo. The facilities they provide are excellent also with everything required to give teaching.
The activities were prepared in advance and happened perfectly.
The teachers and the staff are always willing to help and trying their best to explain everything.
And this trying to explain is where it goes difficult.
A lot of students don't get appropriate answer on their question because the teachers really miss English language. For students who already know some Japanese this is OK, but for students who don't know any Japanese at all it can get confusing. Teaching is also going at a snails pace with.
Another small remark, we had 7 different teachers so far. I don't see why because sometimes a teacher explains what a different teacher told us before.
Also the lessons are poorly filled on some days in a way that there is only material to teach for 3 hours but we are sitting 4 hours in school.
So the teacher has to come up with ""something"" to fill the time, be it chatter or redoing something again.

With no students studying at home because of the so low level and slow pace it doesn't feel like we learned a lot.
But I guess this way nobody complains it was too difficult.

The Japanese course that I enrolled in was supposedly an short intensive course. However, it wasn't a tailor-made kind of course that I had in mind, rather the first month of a longer (one year) intensive language course.
Right from the beginning the teachers would teach and speak to us in Japanese. And everything was written in hiragana, with a minimum of romaji. The strange thing was that they would teach hiragana at the end of each day. Fortunately I, and most of the other students, had a basic grasp of hiragana already, otherwise you would be severely behind or disadvantaged.
Every day of the week you would get a different teacher. At first I found that very strange and unnecessary, because I did not understand how the next teacher would know where the last teacher left off. Then it became clear that the school uses a fixed syllabus. Each day teaching a set amount of material, not more not less. So after 2 weeks I got used to it. In hindsight it was perhaps a good thing to have different teachers, because some were good and some were less. And each teacher had a different approach to explaining things. One thing I still don't know whether it was good or bad is the lack of ability of English of the teachers. Only one of the 5 teachers we had spoke elementary English, therefore none could explain anything in proper English. For a beginner it is not only very difficult but also very frustrating not being able to understand what is being said or explained, especially when it comes to grammar. Moreover, you wouldn't know whether you had understood it correctly. However, being immersed in Japanese only did speed up the absorption of the language. Though at occasions precious time was spent on explaining things, which would have cost a fraction of the time if done in English.
The method of teaching by repetition is one that I was not used to. However, it turned out to be very effective in memorizing the material. It was literally drilled into you. Therefore the pace didn't feel very quick, but you did learn a lot of things in a relatively short time.
The school uses the ""Minna no Nihongo"" series. It's one of the more widely used textbooks for learning Japanese and prepares you for the JLPT exams. This series is not new and still uses some words and expressions that are a bit outdated. In general it is not bad and gets the knowledge across.
Beginner classes were in the afternoon from 1pm-5pm. Each class was 50 mins with a 10 min break in between. I found that duration just right. Most days would go by fairly quickly. During the breaks many students would go out on the balcony to smoke. There wasn't a separate smoking area, so often I would stay in the class room to avoid the smoke. This I found rather annoying.
Anyway, overall I had a great time and it was an unforgettable experience. I haven't attended school for more than a decade since I graduated, so it was a nice break from work.

I really liked to study in ISI school.The teachers are kind persons and they are are goodin teaching and making you interested in japan culture and language.The school is near Takadanobaba station so is easy to reach it.