In all adult classes, the emphasis is on conversation, vocabulary building and pronunciation, with enough grammar to provide a firm foundation. The goal is maximum language acquisition for meaningful, real-life communication in an enjoyable, relaxed and supportive learning environment.

Children's classes are an immersion in the living atmosphere of language via games, stories, song, whole body movement, food and crafts.!

FOR ADULTS
Beginning Japanese
Continuing Japanese
Advanced Japanese

Travelers Language Café - language intensive for travelers.
Designed to facilitate your travels by introducing you to conversational systems on various themes that you encounter while traveling: booking a hotel, shopping, getting directions, using the phone, making friends, and many more. Instead of memorizing phrases, learn basic “patterns of conversation” that you can apply to a variety of circumstances. Practical travel tips and cultural orientation are highlighted.

FOR CHILDREN
Language Immersion Summer Day-Camps
Nihon-go Camp for ages 7 – 14 yrs**
A week-long day camp immerses children in Japanese language and culture in a beautiful outdoor setting on South Whidbey Island. The week of summer fun helps kids develop language skills at the magical age when their minds are most open to it. They learn quickly and easily through experience, and retain what they learn for life. The highlight of Japanese Camp is interacting & sharing with our Japanese students who come here to learn English. Hands-on activities include a taste of Japanese cooking, artistic creations, calligraphy, music, and glimpses into martial arts, the Japanese arts of kimono dressing and the Tea ceremony. Exploring beaches, marine animals, and having fun in the sun form the backdrop to this celebration of Japanese language and culture.
**Older students can apply for counselor in training positions.

Preschooler Camp for children ages 2 – 6
This week-long program for parents (or grandparents) and their preschool age children is especially exciting. There are a lot of play and creative interactions between the adult and child as they learn the language together. Through the gentle, age appropriate activities, participants build a repertoire of Spanish songs, verses and fun games that become a part of their family tradition. A puppet show, a visit from local native speakers who bring their craft or music to share and many other surprises are part of the program.

Family Programs are intended for multigenerational attendance; preschool age children with an adult family member, and other siblings, can attend together. These are available as ongoing programs, weekend mini-camps and summer immersion camps.

Language Clubs for elementary through middle school-aged children are usually staged after school or on Saturday mornings.

Young Adult: Middle-school and high-school students enrolled in this program can receive a high school foreign language credit. These are usually year-long programs that meet a minimum of twice a week for 1.5 hrs. Our teen students can also participate as counselors and junior-counselors in the summer camps program.

In-School Language Programs: NWLA will design and staff curriculum-based in-school world language programs, as well as before - and  after-school language programs, for children in kindergarten through 8th grade. Programs begin in the Fall or Winter quarters and can feature weekly or twice-a-week meetings. Interested parents and schools are invited to contact the program director at NWLA for further information and rates. We need at least two to three months' notice to set up a program.