Soko Gakuen Japanese Language School

As one of San Francisco’s many stereotypical college dropouts, I was pretty weary to go to a school again due to the bad taste in my mouth of the culture, and in addition they weren’t using the Genki textbook which was so very strange to me. But at $ 180 (now $ 200, but still less than uberpooling to and from for every class!), I just didn’t have a logical argument not to go, so I did.
I’m so very glad I did. While I never took a language course in University to compare to, I can say that the style and environment was pretty much the same as my community college language course (in another language), except without the BS. No curves, no grade quotas, and nobody there for any reason other than that they truly want to be there. It’s a great and healthy environment to learn in, and the class times are adjusted for working adults unlike the colleges nearby.
That said, there are also flaws. The quality between teachers varies a lot. When Obama comes to the city, if you’re not aware prior, you’re probably going to be late to class. Etc.

I’ve studied Japanese in high school, college and did a 1-​year study abroad in Japan. This was my first time here at Soko Gakuen and I wanted to brush up since it has been over a decade and a half since I used the language. I would rate myself probably somewhere between the intermediate and advanced level, although I am a bit rusty. I originally started in the Practical Communication course but found it to be too advanced — you’re reading newspaper articles and internet sites and discussing them in class. I went down to Intermediate 4 but found it too easy. I finally decided on Intermediate 6 level. This level was a review for me. I didn’t want to do the JLPT exam classes because I didn’t want to learn how to study for a test. I wanted some actual practice. I was hoping that they would do some advanced courses like their beginner and intermediate courses, but my sensei said that at this moment there is no intension to do a «level up» from Intermediate 6. The only options are the JLPT prep courses.
Just like others have written here, you have to be self motivated if you want to get the most out of these classes. Studying on your own time is a must, and classes are just for review and guidance. I would recommend studying at least an hour every day on the new material to grasp the grammar and kanji.
You essentially get what you pay for since the tuition here is the most inexpensive I’ve seen in the bay area. I’ve taken a Spanish class at UC Berkeley (with the nice UC Berkeley price of course) and they give a lot more handouts, examples, conversation opportunities and role playing than the curriculum at Soko Gakuen. Not to diss my sensei, he was a good teacher. I just think the curriculum standards are different between the 2 schools and comparatively, I think the curriculum at UC Berkeley gave more than Soko Gakuen.
I guess different students have different interpretations as far what they want to get out of the class. The student sitting next to me in class stated that she enjoyed more of reading and writing and grammar study. While I, on the other hand, was hoping for more conversation practice.
If Soko Gakuen offers advanced level courses, which is the continuation of their Intermediate series, or just intermediate/​advanced level conversational classes I think I would come back and re-​enroll.

First of all, don’t make the mistake I did and try to sign up for higher classes like practical conversation, which is only if you passed JLPT N3 or scored 80% on their in-​house test that is the equivalent of the JLPT N3 grammar section. The online course syllabus will not tell you that. I was looking for advanced kanji classes, beyond the limited 500 or so in the Basic Kanji textbook taught up to Reading 3.
If you don’t score high enough, the rude/​stubborn principal, Mr. Shimazu, will try to force you into really low level courses only based on the test, which only tests grammar at a high intermediate level. He will make you regret talking to him.
The teachers are all women and have taught JP courses at local colleges or primary school in Japan; they are very nice and attentive. Since the courses are taught once a week, as others have said, it is really up to you to keep pace. For those without much Japanese/​kanji knowledge, the weekly quizzes can be challenging, as the tested kanji are varied, including those from previous courses + new kanji in addition to those from the weekly lessons.
Personally, the once a week trek to SF from the East Bay for each three hour session is a bit too much, as language learning is really about constant practice/​repetition on daily basis. If you have the time/​flexibility, consider local community college, DVC has a decent JP program, covering two years (beginner to basic intermediate) and specialized kanji/​writing courses.

PROS
Teachers
I took a beginning class and a couple years later an advanced one. Both teachers were very friendly, experienced, and helpful. All teachers are native speakers of Japanese, and I believe they all have some kind of background/​training in teaching.
Cost
You get a lot of classroom time for the money you pay. Probably the cheapest language school I’ve heard of. This would probably be enough reason for me to go if I lived nearby.
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CONS
Director/​principal
Not sure what his official position is, but he seems to run the place. I needed to get some information about classes so I could register. It was almost impossible to get information through e-​mail, and he was really rude the whole time. Calling and going there in person weren’t much better. Terrible customer service skills. Luckily, you most likely won’t have to interact with him much.
Teaching style
Maybe it varies some by teacher, but the teaching style in the classes I took seemed pretty old-​fashioned and ineffective. It usually felt more like a lecture than a language classroom, with the teacher talking, and occasionally students volunteering to say something, one at a time. Almost no speaking in pairs or small groups (even in the supposedly conversation-​focused ‘Practical Communication’ class), and not nearly enough correction of mistakes. Maybe this style works OK for the beginning classes, where they’re just giving students a taste of Japanese, but at higher levels it would be nice if they incorporated more ways for students to speak, use the language actively, and get some feedback.

Great value, flexible scheduling, and good quality teaching. I’d definitely recommend this to others!

I took Beginning 1. They use a horrible old textbook that is out of print for a reason (I understand they do a special printing just for this school). The book focuses on learning rote phrases instead of teaching nouns and verbs and putting together your own sentences. Also, the book is almost all in romaji (except for the conversations which you can’t read because they’re half in kanji, which we don’t learn until *much* later.) So most of the students struggle with the final test being in hiragana, because there’s hardly any practice reading it. I really wish they just used the Genki textbook, which I found much more accessible.
I hear the higher level classes are much better — my BF took the JLPT prep class and it really prepared him well for JLPT 2. And the teachers I had (I also took a few weeks of Intermediate 1) were native speakers and very nice. But I couldn’t deal with the crazy curriculum and the once-​a-​week schedule (really not the best way to start learning a language).

I’ve been studying Japanese here for a little over a year, and am now in the Intermediate level 2 class. I’m not the best with learning Japanese and I’m still a far cry from fluent, but I feel like I’m making good progress thanks to Soko Gakuen. I’ve had different teachers for each class (Beginning 1, 2, 3 and Intermediate 1, and 2) and they have all been super nice and very helpful! I will definitely continue studying here until I have completed all the classes :)

Watashi wa Soko Gakuen no gakusei desu. Booyah!
I really can’t gush positively enough about this language center. For someone who works (more than) full time, the pace is just right and so is the evening scheduling. Oh, and the price? At about $ 5/​hour, it’s seriously unbeatable. Plus, it feels great to be a student again — my brain needed some extra-​curricular exercise.
The Beginning 1 class covers lessons 1 – 7 of the textbook Japanese for Busy People — things like introductions, time, numbers, talking about objects (mostly in the context of shopping), traveling, and more. The coolest part? You will learn to read and write the entire hiragana alphabet. You really will. Sensei Uda is a super fantastic teacher; I could not have asked for a better experience and will definitely continue learning there. Beginning 2, here I come…

I recently decided to take up the challenge of learning a new language. Since I’ve been planning a trip to Japan for quite some time, I chose Japanese. I stumbled upon Soko Gakuen online, and since the cost is super-​low (as mentioned by others, $ 160 for 11 sessions, 3 hours a week), I decided to immediately go for it.
I signed up for Beginning 1 class, which not only covers conversation, but also reading and writing. Classes are basically structured in the following manner: the first 10 – 15 minutes we usually have a quiz of the writing we learned the previous week, then the next two hours or so are dedicated to our textbook (mostly conversation and vocabulary), and the final 30 – 45 minutes we focus on Hiragana. It’s a good way to divide the time we have each week.
Of course, three hours per week can only get you so far. What’s shown in class can be classified as ‘survivalist’. You won’t become an expert by any means by just coming to this class. This might be enough for some, but if you really want to learn the language, you need to make sure to practice, practice, practice all week long. Not only practice what you learned that particular week, but also branch out and try to learn additional things about the language and culture, as well. There are tons of resources online where you can start exploring more.
Having never taken any formal language classes before (besides English, I lived in Puerto Rico for 19 years, where I was forced to pick up Spanish), I didn’t know what to expect. Thankfully, it’s been a very pleasant experience so far. Hoke Sensei has been wonderful — always very upbeat and energetic, and makes class fun. Since this is my first class, I don’t know any other teachers, but I plan on taking at least a year’s worth of lessons, so by that time I should be able to update this review with additional info.
Although not related to Soko Gakuen directly, parking seems to be a bit difficult around the area. If you need to drive to class, give yourself at least 15 – 20 minutes to make sure you’ll be able to find some parking around the area and walk to your class on time.
! («Ganbatte!» — Do your best!)

What an amazing experience Soko Gakuen is!
My co-​workers and I are taking Japanese language classes here, and for the price that you pay ($ 160) for 11 class sessions, you truly get your money’s worth ($ 15 per session or $ 5 per hour).
Class sessions are 3 hours long, and thet are very fun, interactive, and engaging. The class size is decent. Our class had 15 people to 1 sensei. The pace that they teach is very effective and works well.
Sensei Uda is a sweetheart. She is very funny and teaches exceptionally well. Bypass Rosetta Stone. Just enroll with Soko Gakuen and you’ll be set.
I will definitely be taking more classes here in the future.
Arigatoo gozaimasu!

Great language school, fantastic value — they *just* raised the tuition from $ 150 (33 hours) to $ 160 for the upcoming Winter Semester, but it’s still an unbelievable price for the amount of time/​quality of instruction you’ll receive.
The husband and I signed up for Beginning 1 (conversation + reading/​writing) in preparation for an upcoming Spring 2011 trip to Japan — we’re hoping to get by without having to join a tour. Classes are 3 hours once a week (we chose Saturday afternoons from 1−4pm), which was perfect for us since we commute to Mountain View for work and have limited time in the evenings.
Classes are very organized and regular attendance is crucial if you want to pass/​move on the the next level. I appreciated Hoke Sensei going over all the rules/​requirements during the first class. Expectations are set so there are no surprises. She is a wonderful, energetic and very friendly instructor, making classes fun, non-​intimidating and accessible. Oral participation is a large part of the class — working with a partner on dialogs/​grammar makes up about ²⁄₃ of your 3 hours; then during the last 45 minutes or so we worked on Hirigana — the first of the building blocks in learning to read/​write Japanese. Next semester we move on to Katakana, and eventually, hopefully, if we make it to additional levels, Kanji. There is homework every week, and occasional quizzes, but again, these are low-​key and don’t add up to a grade.
Perhaps 90% of your «grade» (or rather, the score that determines whether you’re able to move on to the next level) depends on your final exam — which you begin to prepare for during the last 2 – 3 classes before the date. Easy enough if you’ve been attending class, participating and doing the homework… truly not a huge burden for working folks.
I highly recommend this school — excited for the next session, even if classes for Beg 2 now start at 9am on Saturdays…
A note — parking can be difficult, but not impossible. If you have to drive, do leave at least a 15-​minute buffer to find parking.

How on earth this school can continue year after year to provide such valuable instruction without rate increases and remain solvent is astounding.
A number of things in my life wound up intersecting that brought me to the point of actively working to re-​enroll in college life many years past the typical university-​going prime time so I can learn Japanese. To help fill some of the empty space between now and the first day of a proper, accredited institution and help get a little head start, a friend who works in an industry and position related closely with my future goals highly recommended Soko Gakuen. After some exhaustive online research (including here on Unilocal), I decided to take the plunge.
And couldn’t be happier.
Yes, the facilities are straight out of my parent’s generation and the textbooks written when the ShirtTales, Whitesnake, and the USSR (seriously, it’s in the textbook) were still popular, but the instructors adjust for any changes in vocabulary, culture, etc. accordingly.
The staff is really where the school shines in my opinion. Having taken two semesters’ worth of classes so far (more planned), each teacher was unique, charming, and amazingly effective in their own ways, even though their curriculum seems pretty strictly managed on an administrative level. Special acknowledgement for Nishida-​sensei and Aoki-​sensei for getting me seriously addicted. I need to go back for more!
One thing about the classes that could be a plus or a minus depending on your perspective is the length/​frequency of classes. A single three hour session per week is pretty easy to manage into a schedule, but it’s hardly enough to effectively learn such a difficult language. Perhaps the homework is meant to encourage additional, proactive self-​learning, but the interactivity of the classroom is where the best learning occurs.
That said, you really will get out of the classes what you put into them. The teachers are very enthusiastic about helping, but they can’t do it all for you, especially in under three hours per week. As has been mentioned in other reviews, use Soko Gakuen as a component of a larger educational strategy, and you’ll get the most from it.
Bottom line: an amazing value for effective Japanese language classes. But don’t expect the techno-​toilet facilities from overseas or for the language to learn itself; take some initiative and it will be so much more rewarding!

As an experienced scholar of linguistics, I appreciated the raw and down-​to-​earth teaching style of the teacher I had at SOKO GAKUEN (Nishida Sensei), although I did not appreciate how she never addressed my questions about various Japanese slang that I had heard in Manga or Shiina Ringo songs. Overall it was a pleasant experience, cramming in flashcard vocab work on Friday night in order to take vocab and kanji tests on Saturday morning, studying with a wide variety of people ranging from bank employees to band members to high school sophomores.
I wish I could have dedicated more time to my studies here in order to impress Nishida Sensei but alas being a linguistics scholar is a busy job.

Probably the most interesting schooling experience I’ve had in some ways. It’s very strictly run by the principal, who bosses people into changing classes because one is too full, forbids any eating or drinking in the classrooms (other than bottled water) and has anti-​smoking messages and quirky signs like (in the breakroom, where one is allowed to eat and drink) «CUPS CONTAINING BEVERAGES AND FOOD LEFT UNATTENDED ON TABLES CREAT DISCOMFORTING PROBLEMS FOR OTHERS.» Classes are from 6 PM to 9 PM in the evenings with a 15 minute break from 7:30 PM — 7:45 PM… exactly. The discipline is amazing. And refreshing.
The teaching style is interesting. It’s a lot of repetition, practice in class, and homework. In fact, I’ve been mourning the time I’m losing in my novel-​reading by having to do so much practice… the standards are high — you *have* to get 80% in your final exam to get to the next level. However, it does make you practice and practice and really learn. Kicking and screaming, in my case, but still learning.
I can’t say how effective is right now as I’m only at Beginning 2 class (and could go on for years and years at this rate!), but I definitely have a deeper knowledge of not just the language, but the culture as well. The program does a really good job of explaining cultural differences — both traditional and modern — between Japan and the West.
I’m interested, though, by the fact that all the teachers are Japanese. I’m spending time with a friend of mine (caucasian) who lived in Tokyo for 7 years who can explain the gap (leap of faith, in my mind) between English to Japanese better than a native Japanese speaker can. Nothing wrong with an all Japanese school… I just thought it curious.
Most schools could take a leaf out of their book. Quirky, perhaps (in the «western» mind), but, like so many things Japanese, impressively well run.

In my spare time, I do some work in intl. trade. One of the countries I deal with regularly is Japan. I’ve been there a bunch of times, but I’ve never really decided to learn Japanese on any real level until recently.
I decided to check out Soko Gakuen because of their price, location, and schedule. The Unilocal reviews also helped, too.
From my other language classes (Spanish, some Italian, Arabic, Vietnamese, and Mandarin like a million years ago) I finally figured out that 90% of your experience will depend on your instructor.
My instructor for my first class at Soko Gakuen was Uda-​sensei who is totally cool. It seems as though she pays attention to each student and genuinely cares that each student walks out with an understanding of the material. She’s obviously been teaching Japanese for a while and her teaching style flows really naturally. She’s pretty funny, so it’s hard to fall asleep during class. Pretty sneaky too, so watch out!
Another instructor I’d like to point out is Nishida-​sensei, who is also an instructor at Soko Gakuen. Although different in style, Nishida-​sensei also seems to have a teaching program that really works. She’ll keep checking on you to make sure you know the material which for me is can be tiring, but I REALLY need it and I REALLY appreciate it.
Soko Gakuen’s classes are pretty small and offer more 1:1 interaction versus something like community college. In my Beginning 1 class, I think there were like 16 people at first, and by the last day there was 7 of us. Most students there are adults, and they’re there because they really want to learn Japanese for some reason, not just to get some grades or whatever. The atmosphere was pretty laid back.
The pace is a bit slower than a community college class by comparison (I’m also taking a class at CCSF) so this may or may not work out for you.
Soko Gakuen’s facility itself looks like 30 years old, the plastic-​backed and bottomed chairs are really old and uncomfortable (I’ve been in some motorcycle accidents) so bring a pillow or something. I was also late to my first class because I couldn’t find it in the alley way.
Parking is hit of miss. I rode my moto to class most times, the few times I decided to drive I think I spent like 20 minutes looking for parking one of those times? Arrive early if you plan on looking for parking.
–1 star because I wish I could have my choice of sensei for all of the classes.

Ahh. Soko Gakuen… I had classes there when I was in High School, for umm. almost 2 years.
I shared the same school as little Japanese kids. HEHHEEE. You see them running around on the 2^nd floor with their lil happy faces: D
Anyhow. I had great experience studying Japanese there. Great sensei! Sato Sensei, Nishida Sensei were among my FAVORITE!
Beginning classes were pretty slow but you repeat that $hit so much that the language really sticks to your head!
For so many years, they didn’t even raise the tuition. I returned once again after more than 5 years, and the quality of instructor is still great! Same enviornment… ohh that takes me back. makes me feel like a teenager again… heheh Haro! I’m gigi-​kun! :D

So now after taking Japanese at UCSD, I’m not as keen on Soko Gakuen. It is still a great deal but I can’t say I totally agree with the curriculum. For instance the way they teach the «te» form for verbs is really dumb. Basically they try to make you memorize each verb’s «te» form. There is no reason to do that. All you need to know is how to conjugate each root into «te» form. (sorry, probably makes no sense to anyone unfamiliar with Japanese).
Also, you basically just learn phrases and expressions, with no grammar. Sure, its good for basic stuff, but it kinda holds you back and makes it more difficult to express yourself when you want to say things beyond the phrases you’ve learned.
Lastly, I should note that 4 – 5 classes at Soko gakeun is about the equivalent to 3 quarters of Japanese in the UC system.

I attended this school for a while, until i found a much better alternative. At Soko Gakuen I had some teachers that clearly were unprepared and were not interested in teaching. The classes were too long, 3 hours is an impossible time to keep one’s attention span going. Especially if you are attending on weekdays after work, though the weekends were not much better either. The curriculum was designed for students who can use Soko Gakuen for class credit. The classes are a mere preparation for the final exam. If a class falls behind the teachers bypass spending extra time on explanations in favor of completing the list of «required» chapters to be tested. There is no time to practice or to go over the materials, just non-​stop cramming of new information.
I much more prefer the Japan Society of Northern California language courses. They emphasize on individual needs and development and offer reasonable, flexible hours. Also I think their textbooks are by far better than the outdated ones used by Soko Gakuen

I Am Japan (And So Can You!)
Bryan «Japanese» K.: «I should really learn to speak Japanese better than a Vietnamese guy…»
Perci «Vietnamese» N.: … LOL.
Perci «Vietnamese» N.: «You should really check out Soko Gakuen.»
Before I took classes at Soko Gakuen, the extent of my interest in all things Japanese started and ended with giant robot toys as a kid. Anything beyond that — sushi, samurai, Hello Kitty, samurai Hello Kitty sushi (I’m sure it exists…) — I couldn’t care less about. And then a few years back, I landed a job at a Japanese megacorporation and decided, when in Rome, do as the Tokyo-​ites… Time for full immersion. You can’t pick up a culture by learning from only a text book. You need to live it, breathe it, eat it. Turn Japanese! I really think so. (Queue for the old folks to laugh. XD)
I began with liquid immersion: big brown bottles of Sapporo and hot sake till my mouth could taste no more. Then and only then, like a sushi Hoover, I’d inhale as much raw fish as I could handle without puking. (I gotta funny story about sushi and all-​you-​can-​drink Papov vodka and Gallo… let’s just say amusing, but bad idea…) I’d listen to Japanese music, download Japanese TV dramas and variety shows. (I even started dating a Japanese girl — first time ever going Asian…) Oh, and for the actual formal language training, I found Soko Gakuen.
Soko Gakuen’s the oldest Japanese language school in the States, and over a hundred years old. The teachers are all native Japanese speakers who also teach at the nearby local schools (CCSF, SFSU, Berkeley, etc.). Their 3-​hour weekday night classes start at 6pm and their weekend classes at 9am and noon. The eleven week quarters really pack in the material, but if you miss a night, you can make it up in another class taught by another teacher that same week. If college were only this flexible…
I attended for about three and a half years, and the smallest class I had was three students, while the largest was about ten. You will get tons of personal attention… (Very amusing story here edited out to protect future teacher-​student relations, ahem.) I’ve formally studied more than a handful of different languages in half a dozen different schools. Soko Gakuen had the best language teachers and the most flexible learning system. Beyond the standard 1−2−3−4 grammar/​vocab track, they have classes focusing on conversation, kanji, and advanced literacy as well. When you start at the school, you can take a test to gauge your approximate level, so whether you’re a hardcore cosplaying animé otaku, a rusty Japanese fetishist, or a sansei banana, they’ll be able to get you into the right proficiency track.
Take the classes. Supplement in your personal life. Listen to the music (pro tip: memorizing songs for karaōke will help massively with vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar — even if you don’t know what you’re singing). Watch the TV shows. Eat the food. If you’re lucky, get a «pillow teacher»…
Soko Gakuen. It’s what’s happening, hot stuff.

My qualifications as a reviewer of language classes:
* one term of Berkeley Extension Beginning Japanese
* one term of Chinese Cultural Center Beginning Chinese (Mandarin)
* years upon years of Spanish through high school and college.
Soko Gakuen is an absolute local treasure. The instructors are generally remarkably good, highly attentive and interactive, and do a good job of making an arguably very difficult language fun to learn.
It’s true that it’s difficult to learn a language when you only have one, three hour session per week. But that’s why you have to commit to studying several nights per week, and I very highly recommend finding a language partner (Craigslist is an excellent resource here).
Soko Gakuen is certainly outdated, being based upon curriculum from the 1980’s, but you won’t find such a comprehensive and professional school for anywhere near the price. Sure, you’ll spend more time than you want learning how to say, «this is Mr. Tanaka from the ABC corporation,» but trust me, you’ll soon learn to say the all-​important, «two orders of salmon nigiri and a beer, please!»
Having explored other language options in the area, Soko Gakuen is such a tremendous bargain that I simply can’t pass up the opportunity to take more classes!
[edit] After having a discussion with someone who gave a poor rating to Soko Gakuen, I wanted to add that I have attended the ‘regular’ classes, not the conversation classes. Soko Gakuen offers traditional classes, where you learn to read and write hiragana (native, phonetic characters), katakana (phonetic characters for borrowed words, like spelling English words), and kanji (complex Chinese characters). They also offer conversation classes which, as far as I know, are all about oral production and listening.
[edit] One other thing I should mention is that it can be extremely tough to find your way into the school on your first day. The entrance is actually on the back side of the Buddhist church, on Austin street. Walk down Austin from Octavia and you’ll see a set of doors on your left.