Tom

I had already tried a few teachers on italki and honestly had great experiences with many of them. However, Tom really stood out, and I think he is an exceptionally good teacher. I always had trouble “just getting the words out.” Of course, I still do, but I feel like I've finally reached the point where I can have actual conversations in Japanese. Tom manages to create an atmosphere where I don’t feel nervous at all. He speaks at a level that makes him easy to understand. At every moment, Tom is very attentive, incredibly friendly, and overall just a pleasure to talk to. One thing that makes the lessons valuable is the shared Google document where Tom writes down new words, corrections of errors I've made, as well as some useful phrases. This is very helpful for reviewing the lessons and preparing for the next one. If you are scrolling through these reviews trying to determine if Tom is the right fit for you, I am absolutely confident he is.

I've had quite a few lessons with Tom and honestly I still can't believe I was lucky enough to find him as a teacher. Our conversations are always so fun, I feel like I'm talking to a friend. He mixes formal and informal language and speaks in a way that is neither too easy nor too difficult. That way I still get a challenge without being discouraged. Also, Tom is always so nice and available when it comes to questions/ lesson changes/ scheduling/ etc. 絶対におすすめです!

Tom is a great teacher, he is super patient, willing to help, he has a super nice personality and on top of that he speaks very good English, so if push comes to shove you can rely on English to clarify things. I would highly recommend Tom.

Tom-sensei is enthusiastic and a joy to talk to. He keeps track of your conversation through a document, and you can re-read the questions that he asks so that you can understand if you didn't catch something the first time.

Tom is an excellent teacher. He is very supportive, patient, and is very personable! We talked for almost 2 hours and it went by very quick. He always has topics to discuss to keep the conversation going and is always encouraging me to speak more. I highly recommend him if you want to improve your speaking skills.

Great teacher. Very helpful and encouraging.