About Our Classes

I teach private and group lessons live via Zoom, and also teach for various home charter schools. I strive for classes that are fun, exciting, and affordable. All classes at this time are virtual. Local classes may be offered in person, if the current Covid-19 health crisis improves. Payment is usually via Paypal, although checks are also accepted. Please contact me for pricing. We are insured for both in-person and virtual classes. I have fingerprint clearance from both the DOJ and FBI.

I believe a successful online class includes the following:

1. Students are engaged with cameras on, and are not distracted by the phone, TV, etc…
2. Students are using devices that can support the bandwidth needed to support Zoom-a phone or chromebook is not ideal, and a desktop or laptop is recommended.

However I am flexible and cognizant of students being camera shy, and not having the ideal environment for online learning. If you have any sort of disability please me know, and I will be more than happy to accommodate your needs. My goal is to transform the “remote” environment into a positive, safe, engaging space where students can freely ask questions, and have an enjoyable learning experience.

People can be taught anything as long as their senses are engaged in content that is interesting and alive-not boring, dead material where the senses are tuned out after a few minutes. We must use various means to reach students, as they possess multiple intelligences…

I teach grammar, conversation, the Japanese writing system, reading, listening, and pronunciation with a focus on pitch accent. I strive to create a learner-centered online environment where learning is optimized-e.g., in a group lesson if a student asks a question, then other students are called upon to answer rather than the instructor; the student is asked to translate a Japanese text into English rather than the teacher. As comprehension increases, the student’s role is transformed into a “teacher” at some points during the lesson, while the teacher’s role is transformed into a facilitator… with increasing comprehension, the student slowly evolves more and more into a “teacher” role, in proportion to the teacher evolving into the role of a facilitator. The rigid and conventional student teacher relationship is thus transformed into a relationship that is flexible, fluid, and dynamic.

Textbooks:

I use GENKI I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese and Marugoto for adults, and Japanese from Zero! 1: Proven Techniques to Learn Japanese for Students and Professionals in my classes for children. All of these textbooks have an online component which greatly facilitates the learning process.