Sho

I have been studying with Sho-sensei for a little over a year now and have just completed all of みんなの日本語. With Sho-sensei's help and patience, I was able to take a pass the JLPT N4 in December of 2022. Sho-sensei is very patient and thorough with his teachings. After class, he provides the complete slideshows and forwards both vocabulary flashcards and quizzes for me to take and use after class as homework. His teaching style is very structured, which I appreciate as it ensures that I fully understand each concept during our lessons. I enjoy our little chats before and after class - its really highlighted where I started vs. what I'm now capable of doing with my Japanese thanks to Sho-sensei. I look forward to many more lessons in the future! Sho先生、いつもありがとうございます！これからも一緒にレッスンを楽しみにしています！

I’m finally finished with the first 25 chapters of Mina no Nihongo. Sometimes I’m very hard on myself, as I still have trouble finding certain words or saying the right thing during my interactions with the people I work with (in Japan). But when I look back on where I was when I started, it’s crazy how far I’ve come. I’m so much more confident doing things in my every day life. I have lived in Japan for three years, but have only really started studying for the past five months or so. It’s incredible what a difference these lessons have made. My co-workers will speak to me in Japanese completely, whereas before they would insist on speaking English. I can speak clearly with my barber, waiter, friends etc. Even on days where I’m struggling to find the right words, I can look back on where I was, hardly even able to talk about the weather, and find joy in my journey of improvement. It’s crazy how much I didn’t know that I didn’t know. Thank you very much Sho sensei. Ganbarimasu!

I have been learning with Sho-sensei for 6 months now, meeting 3 to 4 times a week on average. I just achieved the milestone of completing the Minna no Nihongo beginners course. This is been an incredible experience. Sho-sensei is patient, kind, warm, and a delight to work with. I could not speak or understand any Japanese at all at the beginning, and now I can have basic conversations and understand almost 100% of the beginner Japanese audio content I’ve engaged with. It’s amazing how much progress I’ve made with Sho-sensei in such a short time. I love the immersive approach of his teaching materials and lessons. It would be tempting to resort to English to try to understand things, but the immersion focus really sped up my progress. Sho-sensei is excellent at moving at a students pace and carefully using vocabulary and grammar that the student can handle. I will continue with him for intermediate studies and would highly recommend him to anyone looking to advance their Japanese

I’m grateful to have Sho-sensei as my teacher in Japanese. Despite all the hardships learning a new language, it’s been worthwhile. Sho-sensei explains the grammar very well, and the lessons are fun and motivating. I’m looking forward to the next lesson!

It’s rewarding to see how much I’ve learned with Sho-sensei. The lessons are fun, and Sho-sensei is patient and kind. I avoid asking questions in English, and I try to ask in Japanese, but my mind goes blank. Still, Sho-sensei always understand what I’m trying to ask, and explains it very well. I also realized that I need to study more kanji, because my memory is not helping with it. I’m looking forward to the next lesson!

Best teacher ever!!!!