Experience Summary
While I was living in Japan, I taught Japanese to non-Japanese speakers in both one-on-one situations and in groups. After arriving in the United States, I have continued to offer one-on-one and group lessons. I can especially relate to those that want to learn Japanese, since I struggled similarly as I learned English. The lessons that I taught ranged from 30 minutes to an hour, according to the preference of my students.
Teaching Style
I focus on the four skills of a language when teaching - reading, writing, listening, and speaking. In addition to tapping into each of these areas when teaching, I also like to include cultural studies, since I am a firm believer that one can only become a master of a language if they have mastered that language's culture, as well.
- Reading and Writing: I start teaching by focusing on romaji, which is Japanese spelled out using letters from the Roman alphabet. After you have mastered Japanese pronunciation, I will begin to exposure you to katakana and hiragana, which are the phonetic symbols used to spell out Japanese words. Finally, after having a firm grasp on katakana and hiragana, I will teach you kanji, which are these Chinese characters that are integral parts of writing and reading Japanese.
- Listening and Speaking: Since I am a native speaker, the Japanese that you hear from my lips will be identical to the Japanese that you want to speak. While I am familiar with several Japanese regional dialects, I like to focus on the standard Japanese that all native Japanese can understand. If we focus on a regional dialect, there is no guarantee that people from different regions will be able to understand you. However, focusing on standard Japanese will surely help you be understood by others! I also like to teach my students Japanese songs, since I believe that they help focus the ear on proper pronunciation and intonation.
My Hobbies
Design (my career), Exercising, Pilates, Yoga, Swimming, Cooking (Japanese Food)
Other Comments
You can also reach me - https://www.facebook.com/japanese.hiro/
| Type |
Level |
Year |
Title |
Issued By |
| Degree |
Associates |
2015 |
Computer Information Systems |
State University of New York Roc... |
| Degree |
Bachelors |
2001 |
Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Crea... |
Tokyo Mode Gakuen College of Fas... |
| Other |
Inducted Member |
2014 |
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society |
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society |
| Other |
Inducted Member |
2014 |
Alpha Beta Gamma International |
Alpha Beta Gamma International B... |
| Other |
Inducted Member |
2015 |
The National Society of Collegia... |
The National Society of Collegia... |