I really value the flexibility to choose what and how I want to learn.
I attended a Japanese class one night a week (in Australia) for four years. Although it was a good way to start, it did not meet my needs after a while. We were racing through the grammar with no time to consolidate what we were learning. Sometimes the content of the textbook was irrelevant to me, because of my age (in my 60s) and interests. Taking private lessons at Nihongo-pro with Nakano-sensei allows me to revise the grammar I’ve already been exposed to and use it in ways that are meaningful to me.
I am mainly focused on writing at the moment. I write about my life and thoughts so the content is always relevant to what I am likely to want to talk about with my Japanese friends. I really value the flexibility to choose what and how I want to learn – not what a textbook offers – that is available at Nihongo-pro. At the same time I am exposed to new items through the writing practice book that Nakano-sensei recommended. Many of these items turn out to be quite simple common expressions which my previous textbook did not include. So I feel I have the best of everything now.
I appreciate the ease of reserving class times (as well as cancelling when necessary). And I value the use of the whiteboard during class. It’s very clear and easy to see where the errors in my writing and to clarify any confusions I have. The electronic access to teacher resources that Sensei has allows her to explain grammar points or put up definitions of new words. This makes the lesson run smoothly and efficiently. Being sent all the files afterwards means I can check the corrections to my errors, practice any new words, and make my writing into a reader for my own later use.
In the 6 months I have been having lessons with Nakano-sensei, my Japanese writing skills have definitely improved. I’m looking forward to continuing!
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