The
Ritsumeikan Study in Kyoto Program is held each year at
Ritsumeikan University in
Kyoto,
Japan. Formerly known as the
One-Year Program (OYP), the Study in Kyoto Program is designed to allow students from abroad who are not necessarily fluent in the
Japanese language to both study in Japan, and improve their Japanese at the same time. Courses offered in the Study in Kyoto Program are taken at
Ritsumeikan University's Kinagusa campus in
Kyoto.
While the primary focus of the program is acquisition of
Japanese, there are several courses offered in SKP, taught in
English, that cover other areas of study. For example, there are courses taught on
Japanese politics and the
Japanese economy. Beyond that, each semester there is an alternating selection of Japanese cultural arts classes. The selection this semester (Fall 2004) is
Calligraphy,
Tea Ceremony and
Pottery. These cultural arts classes are taught in simplified Japanese. For students who would like to take slightly more advanced classes taught in English, there is a set of approximately 15 English-language classes offered from the main
Ritsumeikan course catalog to students in SKP covering a wide variety of subjects.
The
Japanese language offerings are split into five levels,
seiki (for students who are already fluent in Japanese), A, B, C1/C2, and D. The material covered in each of these levels varies, but for the most part follow a similar structure. In each level, there is a comprehensive language class, a speaking/listening class, and a reading class. This method of instruction employs a
team teaching method, so each student has four or five
Japanese language teachers.