The popularity in learning Japanese has exploded over the last few years. According to ‘The Japan Times’, the number of students around the world learning Japanese rose by 9.1 percent in the last three years, and the number of institutions teaching Japanese outside of the country rose by 7.5 percent. 

There are many reasons why parents invest in online Japanese classes with an online Japanese tutor for their high school student, and these reasons range from academic to personal, and from cultural to career purposes. 

So why is Japanese so popular? Simply put, understanding the Japanese language will expand a child’s ability to learn martial arts, Japanese history, and help them have a sharper grasp on entertainment, fashion, and culture. And when you invest in online Japanese classes for your kids, you will help them improve their overall academic and athletic performance, because trying to learn the language in a traditional classroom is significantly more challenging. Taking a language class on campus also makes schedules difficult to follow, and adds more stress to students who are already trying to get the best grades amidst fierce competition. 

When Kids Take High-Quality Japanese Classes Online, they have more Respect for their Own Culture and Etiquette

When you sign your son or daughter up for online Japanese classes from a high-quality provider like LanguageBird, students will learn from a native speaker who enhances the experience by integrating culture, etiquette, and certain mannerisms into the lesson. For example, when learning to speak Japanese, students will soon learn that there are numerous ways to address people based on their age, gender, and social status. This is extremely important in Japan’s society; when people break this code of etiquette, they are severely frowned upon. There are also certain subjects that are taboo to mention in specific public groups, so taking online Japanese classes aren’t just limited to learning the language, but also to helping one learn what topics and contexts to use when speaking with specific genders, ages, and social positions. 

All of this helps American students better appreciate their own culture and even the communication process in general because learning Japanese asks one to slow down, be mindful, and make every word a genuine reflection of a moment while showing the utmost respect. American students who learn Japanese often later express gratitude for learning how to better converse with older generations, and they also value learning how to form opinions on topics that are genuine and thoughtful while getting out of the habit of thoughtless “auto-responding” (their cognitive skills become enhanced). 

Most Students who Take Online Japanese Classes are more Successful

Learning a language in a traditional classroom setting is not very effective for most students. The ratio of teachers to pupils is usually 1-to-30, and this leaves little to no time for one-on-one attention–something that’s critical to learning Japanese. In addition, students have different learning styles that work for them, and they all learn at different paces. So when you have one teacher for a group of 30+ students, kids are forced to learn at a pace and within an approach that is best suited for someone else. However, when you invest in online Japanese classes, they benefit from a custom approach that’s best suited for their needs, to make them successful.

In addition, students who take online Japanese classes can complete the course in a shorter time frame. There are even some students who enroll in accredited online Japanese classes during the summer before their senior year. This is a popular option because they get their credit requirements completed before senior year thus freeing up time for future focus on other areas in their curriculum. 

Parents Invest in an Online Japanese Tutor for a Head Start in College

We already talked about how taking online Japanese classes helps students prepare for the world by enhancing their knowledge of the arts, culture, and other matters. If your child has big dreams to study Japanese literature in college to be, for example, a Yukio Mishima scholar, or your daughter wants to study Japanese culture and art history with the goal to enter museum sciences, then a tutor can make all the difference but customizing the approach to help them achieve their goal. 

An online Japanese tutor also helps students truly master the language in a way traditional learning systems simply can’t due to class sizes and other restrictions. For example, the one-on-one approach is especially critical for learning Japanese because there are so many words that sound the same. Here is an example: in Japanese “ame” means rain, but “ame” can also mean candy. There is a subtle difference in annunciation that distinguishes one word from the other. In order to master words like “ame” (and “ame”), students really need that one-on-one attention lacking from physical classrooms that an online Japanese tutor can always provide. 

LanguageBird can assign an online Japanese tutor to augment classes, or to serve as a solo support system for mastering the language. The approach will be customized in a way to help your child achieve his goals. For example, let’s say a student is hoping to get admitted into a specific university because the chair for their Humanities Department wrote several books on Mishima. The student wants to study the author, Japanese culture, and eventually earn a PhD focusing on the writer who famously fought against, what he argued, was the cultural butchering of Japan due to forced western influences after WWII. So long as the online Japanese tutor is aware of these goals, he can curtail tutorial sessions to focus on the very topics and cultural awareness that comes forward in Mishima’s writing. This will not only enable a better learning experience, it will also put the student in the best position to write a college admission essay. This level of instruction will also help prepare students to make their intentions known to the department chair (or people on the admissions board) with a thoughtful letter that will help them stand out amidst a pile of application forms that all blur together. 

Check Accreditations with the Company Offering Online Japanese Classes

Many language programs claim to be accredited, but this doesn’t necessarily mean they are accredited for the right programs or bodies. This is why you should set an appointment with your child’s high school counselor to ensure the online Japanese classes will fulfill the accreditation requirements. Clearly, your child’s high school must honor the credits. The program should also be accredited to meet the requirements of your kid’s top college choices for entering with a foreign language. In addition, if your child is going to college on an athletic scholarship, then there is a fair chance the online Japanese classes must be NCAA accredited; something the counselor can confirm, or deny.