Shoko Ishida

Ishida-sensei has been pivotal in the improvement of my Japanese. If you’re looking for someone who will listen to you, push you, care about your progress, and make you feel at home ease in every lesson. This is the person.

I had my first lesson with Shoko in September 2022. And guess what? I'm still here. That should say it all, shouldn't it? Shoko is by far the best Japanese teacher I've ever had. Especially for me, who is a very anxious person, doesn't like approaching strangers and hates talking on the phone (not good conditions for online lessons, by the way), lessons with Shoko are always the highlight of my week. She challenges without overwhelming, gives tips and hints without anticipating the answer. Her warm and courteous manner makes you feel like you're at a good friend's house right from the start instead of in a " awkward" teacher-student online situation. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, if you want to have fun learning Japanese, you should definitely give Shoko a try!

Shoko is an excellent teacher, the classroom is very well prepared and organized! She is amazing!

I have now taken over 100 lessons with Shoko 先生 since I started learning Japanese. I've stayed with 先生 all this while because she makes the classes very enjoyable and talking to her is not stressful at all. Her warm and bright personality creates a welcoming atmosphere and I always feel encouraged to try to speak in Japanese while she gently corrects my many mistakes. Her materials are also always well-prepared and clear. In my preparation for JLPT, she has explained the MNN syllabus so well. Her explanations are even clearer than MNN's grammar notes and YouTube videos, and her exercises are well-tailored to deepen understanding of grammar points. She also meticulously planned what else to cover beyond MNN - this really touched me as I felt like she is invested in my learning journey and has a genuine desire for me to learn Japanese well. Thanks to 先生, I feel like I've finally broken through the "beginner barrier" this year, and can now express myself with a lot more ease ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

Shoko-sensei creates a very cute and welcoming environment, perfect for absolute beginners like me. Even though I started with zero knowledge of Japanese, I learned so much in just one class. I really like the pace she uses—she gives me time to take notes, and her explanations are detailed and easy to follow. What I especially loved is that every sentence was written in Japanese, romaji, and English, with visuals to support it. She even taught me pronunciation rules, which I adore learning. This made the class clear, fun, and very motivating. I highly recommend Shoko-sensei to anyone starting Japanese—she makes everything feel possible!

Sensei Ishida is patient and kind during her lessons. Her feedback is valuable to my learning and I am looking forward to increasing my vocabulary! Arigato!