Why CET Japan: Summer?
CET Japan summer students are motivated learners interested in a term packed with language progress. With your intensive curriculum, commitment to full-time language pledge, and housing with a local Japanese roommate, language isn’t just in the classroom in Osaka—it’s in everything you do.
Summer Academics
Summer
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 9
- 20 hours/week of Japanese learning
- 4 one-on-one hours for targeted language learning
- Complete an entire textbook of Japanese in a summer
- Full-time language pledge
- Host University: Osaka Gakuin University
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take one comprehensive Japanese language course for a total of 9 credits.
You are placed into one of these 9-credit courses:
1 Textbook = 1 Summer
You will fly through your textbook (and the textbooks we use are the same ones favored at US universities, so it’s easy to keep track of where you are). That pace, along with a small class size, a full-time language pledge, and plenty of out-of-class language practica, puts your language skills on a the fast track. You even have one-on-one hours to help turn your language weaknesses into strengths or explore your own interests. Get ready to learn you’ve skipped a level when you return home.
I Pledge to...
Speak Japanese 24/7. As intimidating as a full-time language pledge might sound, you won’t be without support. A front-loaded Japanese in Daily Life class segment teaches you the language you need to thrive in your new day-to-day. Class assignments take you off-campus to chat with locals and hear how Japanese is spoken colloquially. Conduct on-campus interviews to survey local opinions of US culture and present your findings at the community-wide poster presentation. It’s a lot of work, but former students swear there’s no better way to learn.
Japanese in Practice
Your summer in Osaka culminates in a final Language Project that puts your skills to the test. Interview locals on a topic of your choice—dig into restaurant culture, political issues, LGBTQ awareness, or even music trends in Japan. Not only are you challenged to use your Japanese, you also engage with locals and explore your own interests interculturally. And when your research is complete, present your findings to locals in the community or your classmates and staff.
"Immersion is such a dream! In the short time I've been here, I've picked up more natural sounding Japanese than I could have ever expected."
University of Minnesota | Fall 2018
Housing & Meals
COVID Modifications
Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.
- Japanese sharehouse or apartment
- Off-campus housing
- Live with CET peers & local Japanese students
- 4-10 people/house
- 1-2 people/room
- Simple communal kitchen or kitchenette, washer access, shared bathroom
- Internet access, A/C, bed linens, basic furnishing, kitchenware
Your Osaka home is different from apartments in the US—spaces are smaller and there may not be a common room—but it has everything you need. Your neighborhood is cozy and residential and boasts a 30-minute commute at most (impressively short by Japanese standards!). Residences have varying layouts, but you always have peers and Japanese roommates around to cook dinner with or run through your vocabulary with you before your next quiz.
Local Roommates
Want to learn the train route to the longest shopping arcade in Osaka? The kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt sushi) with the best bang for your buck? The prettiest bike paths near campus? Sharing a home with a local student from Osaka Gakuin University gives you instant insider’s access to the city, language, and culture…to say nothing of the instant support network. Your roommates take the same language pledge you do too, providing ultimate encouragement to speak Japanese all the time.
Eating in Osaka
For meals, take full advantage of living in the “The Nation’s Kitchen” by diving into the local food scene and enjoying the city’s many cheap eateries. For busier days, try out the campus cafeteria or explore the extensive ready-to-eat selections at your neighborhood konbini (convenience store). Feeling a home-cooked meal? Try your hand at a local dish with common Japanese ingredients, or cook something from back home for your roommate.
Life in Osaka
- Known locally as: 大阪 Ōsaka
- Population: 2.691 million
- Local Currency: Japanese Yen
- Famous for: Great food, Osaka Castle, less English prominence, major transport hub, mom-and-pop shops
The city center is just a 15-minute train ride away. Go to as many summer festivals as you can fit in your schedule. Shop for quirky souvenirs. Strike up a conversation with the owner of your favorite ramen shop. Find out what makes okonomiyaki an Osakan specialty. Hike to breathtaking Minoh Waterfall and soak your feet downstream.
Activities & Excursions
Around Osaka
Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that let you see the city, learn about Japanese culture, practice your language skills, or just unwind with your classmates and roommates. You might attend a takoyaki-making (fried dough ball with octopus) party, explore local temples, or have a movie night. And there’s more of Osaka to explore on your own—sing your heart out at karaoke, try out a public bath, or explore a game center in the Dotonbori area.
"I hope that if you are looking at this program and hesitating because of the language pledge, that you really think it through again... there really isn’t a better way to learn a language than to use it everyday."
University of Kansas | Summer 2018
On-site Staff
Malika Watson
Resident Director
Masatomo Yonezu
Assistant Resident Director
Program Fees
Summer 2021
|
$9,190
Summer 2021: $9,190
Of the total program fee, $6,690 goes to tuition and fees, and $2,500 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We arrange for you to live in a sharehouse with other CET students and local roommates. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan with GeoBlue that even includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
We guide you step-by-step through the visa process. You do the legwork, but we’ll make sure you have the documentation and information you need, when you need it.
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you in Osaka.
You’ll receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and OGU at the end of the term. You also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota for an additional fee if necessary.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $1,300 - $1,680
- Meals: $700
- Personal Expenses: $700
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students from any US college or university
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to students who have completed at least two semesters of college-level Japanese
The summer term at CET Japan typically has more applications than we are able to accommodate. All applications will be reviewed and acceptances issued after the March 1 deadline.
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous language instructors.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Though you take an in-depth placement exam on site, the language evaluation form in your online CET account helps staff get a better idea of your abilities before your arrival.
Application deadline:
March 1st
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Melanie MacKenzie
Student Services Coordinator
Advises on programs in Japan, Brazil, and all High School & Pre-College Programs
202.846.7662
[email protected]