Testimonial - Japanese Lessons

Nami's student says.....

"A few months ago, I started Japanese lessons with Nami-san over Skype. Before that, I had been learning Japanese for a while on my own, mostly through immersion and a little bit of studying on the side. I'm not at a very high level, but when I started lessons I already knew a fair amount of vocabulary and basic grammar and was already able to understand some of what I was hearing or reading when watching Japanese TV or movies, or listening to music, or reading manga so I wasn't a beginner to start with.

What I couldn't do, however, was speak.

Not because the words weren't there but because every time I'd try, I would just freeze up. Partially because of shyness, but the biggest problem was simply a terrible fear of making mistakes in Japanese.

Not only has my Japanese understanding level improved a lot since I started lessons with Nami-san, it's also much easier to express myself now! I am still a somewhat shy person, but I am so happy to say that I don't freeze up in the same way anymore. Naturally, I still make lots of mistakes - and I've learned to be OK with that! It's a natural part of the learning process, and I have to thank Nami-san for helping me to realize that, and also for bringing me out of my shell by patiently encouraging me to express myself in Japanese! I really enjoy the lessons a lot! Thank you Nami-san!"

Jay in Ontario

Online Lessons - Message from Louisiana, USA

Skype Lessons

クリス  トレイハンさん

 

 Christopher Trahan

The impetus of learning the Japanese language was influenced by my desire for professional versatility within the business world. 

Ms. Ohara has been instructing me in Japanese for close to one year.  The quality of Ms. Ohara’s instruction is excellent.  Adept at understanding my unique needs as a learner of a foreign language, Ms. Ohara provides a curriculum tailored to what she recognizes to be my deficiencies and strengths in order for me to advance in my linguistic ability. The instruction by way of the internet is optimal for my busy schedule.  The format surpasses any form of self-study considering the fact that that the student must use both his/her abilities to speak and to listen.  Speaking and listening are essential to the learning process and builds confidence in the speaker.   

I have used self-study and a classroom setting in learning Japanese prior to consulting with Ms. Ohara.  Ms. Ohara’s instruction has far surpassed my prior experiences learning a foreign language and I strongly recommend consulting with Ms. Ohara at any stage in your desire for Japanese proficiency.  The amount of knowledge you will gain for professional purposes and/or life enriching purposes is substantial as I have found.  

Ms. Ohara is wonderful to work with and she makes learning Japanese an absolute pleasure while you reach for your goals.

Online Lessons: Message from Alabama, USA

Google Hangout Lessons 

ジェイミー　イゼルさん

I studied the Japanese language with the most popular language programs for nearly one year before deciding I needed something more. 

After only two months of lessons with Nami, I have gained a greater real-world vocabulary than any of the textbooks and programs ever supplied. I have also gained a deeper understanding of Japanese culture through her use of videos and media recommendations. 

Nami teaches in a way that is challenging, rewarding, and fun.  I would recommend her to anyone that is serious about learning Japanese. 

Message from Asssitant Language Teacher (JET Programme)

クリスティーナ　プリティーさん　

Christina Pretty

When I lived in St. John’s, I was a student of Nami’s. Now, I am an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan with the JET Programme! I am placed in Yurihonjo City in Akita Prefecture (in the Tohoku region of Japan). My city is beautiful! We are on the coast of the Sea of Japan and we are surrounded by mountains and rice fields. It is a very scenic place to live and I love it here! Yurihonjo, like St. John’s, is a quiet city. Not many people speak English here, so I've had lots of opportunities to work on my Japanese.

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Akita Prefecture
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   Yurihonjō

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My job keeps me very busy, but I enjoy working with my fellow teachers. Everyone is so nice and so helpful! I eat school lunch with them every day. In Japan, the school lunch is delicious! I was surprised; in Canada, school lunches are not always that good.

The students at my school are very kind. Teaching them is so much fun! I love greeting the students in the hallway, and they always reply back “hello!” with such enthusiasm! I was amazed that they clean the school every day by themselves. I help them sometimes, too – it’s a fun way to spend time together.

Japanese festivals are amazing to see in-person. I have been to two so far – a Bon Odori festival in Ugo, Akita, and a fireworks festival in Omagari, Akita. The fireworks festival is famous in Japan and for a good reason – it is over three hours of beautiful fireworks displays! Some of the displays are even choreographed to music. I love trying the food at festivals – I had takoyaki (fried octopus) in Omagari and it was delicious!

Of course, moving to a new country has led to some challenges, too. Going to the supermarket was difficult at first – it would take me 1.5 hours to grocery shop because it took me a long time to read/look up kanji. However, I am getting much more comfortable with it and now I look forward to trying new products every time I go to the supermarket and the convenience store.

Even though I've only been in Japan for a month, I am really enjoying my time here. I hope that, if you get the chance to visit, you will enjoy it here, too!

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Testimonial from a Student

When I found out that I was accepted into the JET Programme, I knew that I wanted to improve my Japanese before I moved to Japan. My lessons with Nami were so helpful and so much fun! Not only did I learn about the language, but I really enjoyed how Nami incorporated teaching parts of the Japanese culture in my lessons, too. Nami tailored my lessons for me, making it a very comfortable and enjoyable way to learn Japanese!

Christina Pretty 
Assistant Language Teacher (ALT)
Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme

Celebrating Five Years of Learning

エベリーナ　スウィントンさん

Evelina Swinton

I have been learning Japanese for a little over 5 years, but it`s so hard to believe because it feels like my learning has only just begun. I really enjoy learning about the interesting language and culture of the Japanese. It intrigues me, and the more I learn, the further I want to dig deeper into it and know everything I can. Nami is a wonderful teacher, and she has taught me many things of which I hold near and dear to me. I hope to learn much more from her and have many more of these little things to cherish. I may not be able to learn everything about Japan, but I can promise to continue learning everything I can and do my very best to honour my sensei and keep all of her teachings close to my heart. Thank you, Nami!

Celebrating Five Years of Learning

ジョーダン　スタック　さん  

Jordan Stack

I've been studying Japanese for five years, but all the time I've invested has given me a much stronger grasp of reading, writing, speaking and understanding of the Japanese language as a whole than when I first began. More than that, I'm thankful to have a dedicated teacher to help me through all of it, and to teach me more than just the language; I've learned a great deal about Japanese history, etiquette, and culture in the process. I look forward to learning even more in the next five years from now.

Amazing Student - Damien Hicks

Damien-san is one of my hardest working students. He has a regular homework schedule that he follows with such dedication that I am continuously impressed by his efforts. Not to mention that he is also always on time for his lessons. He is a musician, which may explain his skill at hearing and replicating the nuances of the Japanese accent. His Japanese level has rapidly improved because of his huge effort and good ear.

Hi, I have been studying Japanese for about 6 months now and enjoying it thoroughly. Even though I've only started a short time ago, my Japanese language skills have improved vastly. I try to study at least one hour a day if I can, though I sometimes end up studying much longer because I enjoy learning the language so much. I one day hope to go to Japan, and with Nami-sensei's excellent teaching, when that day comes, I'm sure I will be more than prepared.

Damien Hicks

Message from Abu Dhabi, UAE

Online Lessons

You can always have a class...

"I have been studying Japanese language for 5 years now, however the step from the books to reality can be hard.

I started taking Skype/Google Talk lessons with Nami-sensei because I had my trip planned to Japan and it was going to be the first time for me to use real life Japanese. Nami-san was very patient, helpful and kind to teach me different situations I could find with the taxi drivers, waiters, asking directions on the street, talking to people in the clubs, etc. The result: My trip to Japan in April 2011 was amazing. Thanks to Nam-san (okagesama de).

The main advantage of the Skype/Google Talk lessons is that no matter where you are or your time zone (I live currently in United Arab Emirates) you can always have a class with just a click, just login and you are in the classroom using the same book your teacher has."

Juan Garza, Mexican, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Juan-san in Japan 

 フアンさんとっても楽しそう・・・

NL Musician, Daniel Payne & Online Lessons

Online Lessons

Nami Tsunami would like to introduce one of my Skype students, Daniel Payne who is a popular musician in Newfoundland, Canada. Daniel loves not only music, but also Japanese culture and food. He has Japanese friends in Okayama. After visiting them in Japan, he wanted to communicate with them using Japanese.

Daniel started learning Japanese with Nami in 2008. He wanted to continue Japanese lessons after moving back to Corner Brook; however, he could not find a Japanese instructor there, so he started taking Nami’s Skype lessons.

He has practiced Japanese very well with a good sense of pitch. He has learned not only conversation, but also Japanese songs. Currently, he practices a song, Hisame（ひさめ　氷雨） which means a chilly rain. This song is a person’s sorrow because she was heartbroken.

 

Daniel Payne’s Comment about Skype lessons

I love my weekly Skype Lesson with Nami-san! Here in Corner Brook I don’t have access to a Japanese teacher so being able to do Skype lessons over the Internet is a great way to keep improving my Japanese. Plus when I travel, I never have to miss a lesson!

Daniel Payne’s Bio

Daniel Obediah Payne is from the town of Cow Head on the Northern Peninsula.

For over a decade now, he has worked as a professional musician, performing the traditional music of Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as collecting songs and dance tunes from older traditional players around the province. Starting in his teens with guitar and voice, Daniel has gone on to become proficient in a wide variety of instruments, including fiddle, accordion, mandolin, flute, whistle, and bodhran. He has also enjoyed a successful career as an actor in theatre and film, his most notable role being a starring performance as Ned Andrews in the mini-series Random Passage. (danielpayne.ca/)