Communica Institute

Founding Spirit

What does Communica mean?

The name "Communica Institute" comes from the Latin word "communicatio," the origin of the word of "communication". The meaning of "communicatio" is to "share", but this does not mean material things. Rather it means to share cultures, i.e., different values, ways of thinking, and behavior patterns.

Philosophy

What is our aim?

Our behavior and ways of thinking are greatly influenced by culture. Although there is nothing wrong with that, intercultural communication does not go well if we always see things from a limited perspective. Usually we are not conscious of our "culture", our own ways of thinking and values, like the air we breathe, but at Communica we aim at being aware of them and sharing them with each other. It is our mission to make a solid foundation on which cultures transcend and you can create new values while cherishing your own culture. Here you are not going to learn Japanese just as a language. We teach Japanese education as "intercultural education".

Educational / Learning guidelines

How do you learn here?

At Communica we have the following two guidelines:

Guideline 1

"Know thyself"

This is a dictum originally inscribed at the temple of Apollo in Greece. At Communica, it literally means to "know yourself". We often earnestly learn other languages and traditional cultures but we do not turn our sight upon the culture inside ourselves. If you do not know yourself well, you can not understand other people or the outside world. Why don't we explore together the mystery within?

Guideline 2

"Learn through experience"

This idea comes from Buddhism. It simply means "Just do it!" Just reading and thinking are not enough. Try doing something employing the whole of your body and your five senses to start, after which it will be more meaningful to then think it over. Taking an action leads to the next step.

Content of learning

What can you learn here?

We understand that knowing how to communicate your own "uniqueness" is an integral part of learning Japanese. Free yourself of the model conversations in textbooks, and learn how to say what you really want to say using Japanese from the very beginning. Here, you can do just that without losing your own "uniqueness".

In Japanese communication, both "correctness" (in grammar and pronunciation) and "oral fluency" are important. We can help you learn Japanese "appropriately" from both points of view.

In intermediate level classes and above with our Pre-college course, we shift our focus more to academic Japanese necessary to study and do research in Japanese colleges. It is not just for passing entrance exams, but to allow yourself to truly enjoy your college life as well.

We help you acquire the ability of autonomous learning so that you can lead a successful life at your colleges or university. In some classes, we offer "seminar" style lessons where students choose their own themes, make their own plans and go along with them. All of our staff will support you to act more autonomously in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.