International Association of Language Centres

GenkiJACS is fully accredited by the International Association of Language Centres (IALC). Founded in 1983, the International Association of Language Centres is an award-winning association of independent language schools that teach the language of their country. Their quality is guaranteed through minimum standards, regular inspection, a code of ethics and a philosophy of continuous improvement.

IALC language schools are for people who want to learn the language where it is spoken at a school providing a high level of individual attention. We offer language courses plus accommodation, cultural activities and expert advice and are represented by professional study travel agencies in most countries.

IALC is an association, run by members with the support of a professional secretariat in Canterbury, UK.

The IALC Quality Scheme and Code of Ethics ensure that all IALC schools provide high quality language services. IALC-accredited language schools provide effective language courses and cultural immersion for all ages, needs and interests. Accreditation is a guarantee of quality, as IALC inspects schools regularly.

GenkiJACS is one of only two Japanese schools accredited by IALC.

Why Did GenkiJACS Join IALC?

Genki Japanese Language School is not accredited by the Japanese Ministry of Home Affairs, which accredits Japanese language schools for long-term study only. Schools are accredited for "pre-college" study, meaning Japanese study to pass the entrance exam for a Japanese university. Course start dates are restricted to only four times a year, which conflicts with our flexible schedule. At GenkiJACS we provide only communicational courses, to teach students how to get by in Japanese daily life, so our aims are completely different from those of the Japanese accreditation. For this reason, we have never applied for Ministry of Home Affairs accreditation.

However, we believe that accreditation itself is an essential tool to give students peace of mind when booking their study. There are many unaccredited schools, both in Japan and in other countries, and quality varies widely from school to school. It is hard to tell what a school is really like just by looking at the website or other promotional materials. Accreditation lets the student know that the school meets a set of national or international standards.

We are in the process of lobbying the Japanese government in support of creation of an accreditation system for non-college Japanese study, as exists in many other countries. If such a system is established, we will be the first to join! Until then, IALC membership is the world's best known standard for language schools.

IALC accreditation is a way for you, the student, to be sure that:

• the school meets international standards for language study, as verified by an independent examiner;
• the school is established, major within its market, and stable;
• the school is interested in continuously improving its services, one of IALC's central principles.

Requirements for IALC Schools

IALC schools must:

• Be legally constituted
• Be privately owned and independent of a large chain or network
• Teach the official language of the country as a main activity
• Have operated for at least three years
• Operate all year round
• Have five or more classrooms
• Teach a complete range of language levels
• Abide by the IALC Code of Ethics
• Comply with the IALC Minimum Accommodation Standards
• Pass the IALC entry inspection

GenkiJACS is proud to meet or exceed all of these requirements!

IALC also provides continuous quality assurance, in the form of quality audits every four years, an annual self-assessment, a quality plan, and additional audits as required.

Other IALC Schools

For a list of all the other IALC member schools, please click here.