The best aspects of this course included the approachable professors, and interactive class sessions, which gave students lots of opportunities to practice the language. The worst aspects of the course included the fast pace and the heavy workload. The course would be improved if some of the quizzes were replaced with more assignments and there was more review and clarification about quizzes before they were given. Prospective students should know that this is a great course, but very fast paced and will require a lot of time outside of class.

The best aspects of this course included the frequent conversation opportunities and the vast amount of information covered over the course of the semester. However, students often found the classes to go too quickly, and felt that some of the more difficult grammar aspects could have been reviewed in more depth. Students also found it extremely stressful to learn grammar one day and be quizzed on it the next. Suggestions for improvement included spending more time on areas where students had difficulty, decreasing the number of quizzes to make them more cumulative, and increasing the number of conversation opportunities. Prospective students should be prepared to learn and retain a lot of information in a short period of time. This course is recommended for anyone who wants a concentrated understanding of basic Japanese language and culture.

Students praised this intensive course that met every day and provided students with a good introduction to the Japanese language and culture. Perceived issues with the course were few though some students felt the instructors gave quizzes too often. Suggestions for improvement varied, including requests for more opportunities to speak and practice the Japanese language in class. Prospective students should know that the course was demanding, time consuming and required a good amount of memorization.