REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED. IF YOU WISH TO JOIN LATE, CALL 503-552-8813.
If you are an adult and work with Japanese colleagues or you’re planning a future business trip to Japan, our Japanese Language Classes for Business on Zoom helps prepare you.
We cover business situations in all classes, and also conversation after work and getting to know each other. After mastering these basics of business, language terms and simple sentence construction, at higher levels we move into more all-purpose Japanese topics and discussion.
Our Philosophy: We’re busy working professionals and come to class to study. We ask that you include time each week outside class to prepare, then we practice and expand in class. Then review again at home. Expect up to 2 hours preparation each week.
Class study at JASO is a benefit of membership, so you or your company must be a current JASO member to participate. All membership details at www.jaso.org.
Group Class Information
Small group classes run 8 weeks total, 75-minute classes (10 hrs contact time). Maximum 10 students. Minimum 4 needed for class to run. Classes held online on Zoom.
Week 1 starts from Tuesday January 20, Week 8 finishes mid-March, with the following week in case emergency make-up needed due to unavoidable teacher cancellation. Note: No classes on MLK Day or President's Day.
Technology
It is the student’s responsibility to use an up-to-date operating system, camera, headphones and microphone to ensure you can engage effectively in the classroom. Quality connectivity is also the student’s responsibility, not the instructor’s. The instructor will try to make a reasonable effort in case of a student’s connectivity trouble. However, the instructor will not pause, halt or interrupt class in a way that overly impacts other students.
Process
Sign-up online. Select your class. Pay the fee.
We make every effort to ensure you are placed correctly. Follow the course description SPECIFICALLY when signing up. We reserve the right to move you after first class. We also want you to talk to us if you think you need to move.
Find a quiet space for class, so as not to disrupt others. Preparing for class outside of the lesson is both good manners toward fellow classmates, and ensures you make the most of your investment in study.
Our Levels
Beginner level classes are for students who are new to Japanese, or have only a little self- or class-based study. If you think you've done a little study, but have not studied with us, do not choose Beginner 2 or 3. Choose Beginner 1. If you do NOT have a reasonable understanding of the ーて verb form, do NOT sign up for Improver or beyond.
Choose your level by signing up.
Our Classes
Beginner 1 - Monday 5:30-6:45pm (Jan 26, Feb 2, 9, 23, Mar 2, 9, 16, 23)
Students are introduced to concepts around working at a Japanese company including introductions, situational expressions and language, pronunciation, and the building blocks of starting to speak and create short sentences.
Students are expected to have very little knowledge of the language. Textbook provided.
Beginner 2 - Monday 7-8:15pm (Jan 26, Feb 2, 9, 23, Mar 2, 9, 16, 23)
Students should have completed Beginner 1. Textbook provided.
Beginner 3 - Tuesday 5:30-6:45pm (Jan 20, 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24, Mar 3, 10)
Students should have completed Beginner 2. Textbook provided.
Improver 1 - Tuesday 7-8:15pm (Jan 20, 27, Feb 3, 10, 17, 24, Mar 3, 10)
Feel like you’ve covered most of the basics of Japanese? Covered standard verb tenses and understand a few uses of the “-te” verb form? Putting sentences together, but slower than you’d like and with multiple errors? Join us as we start your journey to improve the things you know already, and introduce a lot you don’t. You must purchase textbook Business Japanese for ExPats Book 2 and have ready for Week 1 of class. Kindle version also available.
Intermediate - Wednesday 7:15-8:30pm (Jan 21, 28, Feb 4, 11, 18, 25, Mar 4, 11)
You’ve got simple sentences down. You understand several hundred kanji. You’re trying to string ideas together into longer sentences, be able to speak keigo better because you already understand it when you hear it, you maybe even be working towards your N4 or N3 JLPT test in December. You must purchase Marugoto Intermediate 1 B1 and have ready for Week 1 of class. E-Book versions also available. Further info HERE.
Refund Policy
Course will run with minimum 4 students signing up. If course does not run, 100% of fees refunded. Cancellation after January 15, no refund if your cancellation causes numbers to drop below 4 in total. 50% refund otherwise. Refund processed after classes start. We will communicate with you as sign-up windows close regarding number of sign-ups.
We understand business people sometimes have work commitments that cause them to miss class. Many students end up missing 1 or 2 classes because of work commitments. We price these classes affordably to take this into consideration. We do not give refunds because “work became busy”.
