JUAAB Japanese Language School

A. Brief History of JUAAB Japanese Language School

In the year 2001, JUAAB started Elementary Japanese Language classes at its rented space in Panthapath with the initiative of a Founder Member Prof. Dr. AKM Moazzem Hussain (who was trained in Japanese Language Teaching by the Japan Foundation in Tokyo in 1975) and the help of a young Japanese student of Dhaka University Mr. Hiroki Watanabe. Later on two Japanese Language Teachers, Mr. Kojima and Mrs. Eiko Hussain Kambe came forward to help us. However, after a few years, the Japanese classes were discontinued when the JUAAB Office was shifted to the Dhanmondi area in a residential building which was not a convenient place for school activities.

With a gap of about two years, the Japanese Language classes of JUAAB were re-started at the newly rented office space at Indira Road of the Farmgate Area. At that time, we received a lot of teaching materials from the Japan Foundation and also from the AOTS Alumni Japanese Language School in Dhaka (which had closed down its operation due to lack of enough number of students). We also got Mrs. Tamie Rahman, an excellent Japanese Language Teacher of the Dhaka University, to become the main teacher of our school. Within the next two years, our school became a Member of the Sakura Network of the Japan Foundation and we got a Grass-root Donation of about 600,000/- Taka from the Japan Foundation to improve our classroom facilities. We got more native teachers like Mr. Okabayashi, Mrs. Chieko Kabir, Mrs. Mizuta, Mrs. Kaneko, etc. and we started to offer Long Courses along with the Short Courses. Along with conducting the Japanese Language Courses, JUAAB started to conduct Japanese Language Speech Contest for the Bangladeshi people and the Bengali Language Speech Contest for the Japanese people living in Bangladesh. JUAAB also started to participate in the SAFJUAA (South Asian Federation of the Japanese Universities Alumni Associations) activities including the SAFJUAA Japanese Language Speech Contest and also hosted the SFJUAA Convention in Dhaka.

In the year 2010, we got a new young Japanese Language Teacher Mrs. Natsuko Sato Chakraborty to join us and she became our main teacher (and Principal of the School later on) after a little more than one year when Mrs. Tamie Rahman left us for a better opportunity. Around that time, Bangladesh was included by the Japan Foundation as a new centre for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and, through the recommendation of the Embassy of Japan. JUAAB was given the responsibility for conducting JLPT in this country. Initially JLPT was conducted in December only, but later on it started to be conducted in July and 2 / 6 December every year and JUAAB has been carrying out this responsibility successfully till today. While conducting the JLPT countrywide, JUAAB’s Japanese Language School started to teach N5 and gradually up to N4 and N3 levels of JLPT courses. The JLPT success rate of JUAAB’s school has been higher than those of other schools in Bangladesh and JUAAB is proud of this achievement which has been possible due to the dedicated efforts of its Japanese Language Teachers (Mrs. Natsuko Sato, Dr. Farhana Rahman and Mrs. Fazilatun Nesa). The management of the Japanese Language School of JUAAB has been looked after since 2001 by the Course Coordination Prof. Dr. AKM Moazzem Hussain along with the JUAAB’s Executive Committee (presently headed by its President Prof. Dr. M.A.M. Yahia Khandoker) and the School’s Principal Mrs. Natsuko Sato. Since last one year, the School is nicely located on the 2nd floor of a newly purchased excellent commercial space at Indira Road just in front of the under-construction Metro Rail Farmgate Station which is a very convenient place to commute from all over Dhaka.

B. Ongoing Regular Courses of JUAAB Japanese Language School

JUAAB Japanese Language School mostly offered N-5 level language course for 6 months and 3 months known as long and short course. Recently Japanese government has decided to hire employees from Bangladesh but the condition is that they have to have at least N-3 level language knowledge. So recently we are giving more emphasis on higher level language teaching so that Bangladeshi people could learn advance courses and could avail the opportunity to go to Japan for employment. Keeping in mind all this thing our language subcommittee has decided that our language school should teach the following level of language courses:

C. New On-line Japanese Language Course of JUAAB

Reason for Opening the course:

The regular Japanese Language course of JUAAB are now suspended due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and we do not know when those courses can be resumed. On the other hand, many Bangladeshi students must be eager to learn the Japanese Language. However, the lesson days and timings of JUAAB were perhaps not suitable for many of the desiring students and, therefore, they did not take admission in the regular courses. Therefore, if the lesson is given on-line, the above problem can be solved and the desiring students can learn the lessons at home and at any time suitable to them.

How the classes will be run

1. Zoom app will be used to run the classes
2. The video will be uploaded twice a week in the youtube.
3. At first, Group will be made by Messenger and a Link will be given to the Group. Any kind of question will be answered within the group.
4. Tests will be conducted on regular basis and will consist of a mid-term test and the final test. These two test will be taken at the JUAAB School.
5. The Textbook which can be purchased from the JUAAB School.
6. JUAAB will issue “Certificate” to those who have passed the Final test.
7. The class will start on 1st day of every month for those who have paid the course fee to JUAAB during the previous month.

Course Fees: Course fee non-refundable after admission.

N5 online course

1. Term: 4 months
2. Fee: Tk. 16,000
3. Text: MINNANO NIHONGO 1
4. Syllabus: Lesson1~25+ KANJI (N5)
5. Teacher: Natsuko Sato/ Dr. Farhana Rahman Babli/ Mrs. Fazilatun Nesa Shieuly

N4 online course

1. Term: 4 months
2. Fee: Tk. 18,000
3. Text: MINNANO NIHONGO 2
4. Syllabus: lesson26~50+KANJI (N4)
5. Teacher: Natsuko Sato

N3 online course

1. Term: 6~7months
2. Fee: Tk. 22,000
3. Text: CHUKYU E IKO &CHUKYU KARA MANABU NIHONGO
4. syllabus: All text
5. Teacher: Natsuko Sato

D. Class at the JUAAB Japanese Language School

Languages open doors to the new world. The Japanese Language is an important language in today’s world. At present, more and more people seem to be learning Japanese in order to know more about Japan which is the second biggest economic power in the world.

In Bangladesh, more and more students are now looking for Japanese Universities for their higher studies and research. The economic and trade ties between Bangladesh and Japan are also getting stronger day by day resulting into more interactions between the businessmen of these two countries. The exchange of cultural programs between our two countries is also increasing gradually.

In the light of the above developments, JUAAB has been offering Japanese Language Courses of various durations with the help of native teachers from Japan. At present, the courses are:

1. Special Conversation course of 1-3 months, duration for the “MEXT Scholarship Awardees” before their departure for Japan for April and October sessions.
2. Conversation Course of 3 months duration (one after another) for anybody interested to learn Japanese.
3. Comprehensive Japanese Language Course of six months duration (January - June) and (June - November) for those who would like to study deeper and to sit for JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) examinations in Bangladesh. This course will continue for further one year for the examinees of higher levels of JLPT.

In all of the above course, the students have the opportunity to know about the life and culture in Japan. The courses are also supported by a rich collection of Japanese text books and reference books, video films and other audio-visual teaching aids.

In April 2009, the Japan Foundation has recognized our JUAAB Japanese Language School and has given it the membership of “Sakura Network” for a period of five years. This has definitely enhanced the prestige of improve the quality of our courses.

JUAAB is an association formed in September 2000, by Bangladeshi nationals who have earned academic degrees from Japanese institutions. The association, aims to promote exchange of academic, scientific, technological and cultural activities between Bangladesh and Japan.

E. Other related information

Eligibility

Anybody having HSC or equivalent qualification is eligible for admission to any course of JUAAB Japanese Language School.

Class Size

The class size is always limited to 30 students (on first-come-first-serve basis) in order to get a high level of teacher-student interaction.

Class Hours

For all courses, the classes are held 3 days a week, normally in the late afternoon/evening/morning for two hours.

Payment details

Pay total amount at the time of admission at any Bank mentioned below:

       Bank Name: Dutch-Bangla Bank Limited

       Account Name: Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh
       Account No: 107-110-0033028 (Kawran Bazar Branch). Routing Number: 090262537

Required Paper: Photocopy of Passport/NID/Birth Certificate

Certification

On completion of each course, Certificates are awarded to the successful participants by JUAAB.

Venue

JUAAB Office

Dispatching Teachers to Company/Industry

Being requested by a company/industry, JUAAB has the system of dispatching Japanese Language Teacher(s) to conduct in-house courses for the employees on mutually agreed terms & conditions.

Conducting JLPT

Being authorized by the Japan Foundation (through the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh), JUAAB conducts JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) in the month July and December every year. Participants from all Japanese Language School in Bangladesh take part in this test.

Other Specialties

-Highly experienced native teachers from Japan and experienced Bangladeshi teachers are conducting the courses.

-Students have the access to library facilities, internet browsing.

-The students willing to go to Japan for higher studies can get counseling from the Embassy’s Education adviser sitting at the JUAAB Office.

-The students can also attend the “Education Seminars” organized from time to time jointly by JUAAB and the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh.

-The students can enjoy the most congenial air-conditioned environment.

E. Photographs of the JUAAB Japanese Language Teachers