Sumito

Another fantastic lesson! Sumito Sensei’s patience really stood out. At times, I found myself a bit confused and unsure of what to do, but Sumito, being incredibly patient, allowed me the time to work through it. He provided subtle hints that guided me in the right direction. Towards the end of the lesson, things clicked, and I could apply what I learned in our conversation.

Sumito-sensei offers a unique and interactive approach to help you improve your Japanese language skills. Here's an overview of our session format: 1. Personal Anecdote: I begin by sharing an interesting recent experience from my life. Sumito-sensei attentively listens and responds, allowing me to take the lead in the conversation. Sumito-sensei takes notes on what I’m saying. 2. Feedback: We review how my Japanese sounded. Sumito-sensei provides feedback on my grammar and vocabulary usage, pointing out areas for improvement. 3. Applying Suggestions: I incorporate Sumito-sensei's suggestions and recommendations into my speech. We continue refining the anecdote. 4. Lesson Notes: After the session, Sumito-sensei sends me the notes he took during the lesson, for me to review. This iterative approach makes learning Japanese both effective and enjoyable. With Sumito-sensei's expert guidance and personalized lessons, I am steadily improving my Japanese skills!

Sumito-sensei does a phenomenal job locating general areas in my language usage that need improvement, and also pinpointing specifics I need to focus on to be able to competently use Japanese in my everyday life. As a teacher myself, I understand that I'm a difficult student because I have no formal Japanese language schooling so my knowledge base/ability level is extremely inconsistent. I've taken a fair amount of classes on Italki (at this time, more than 100), and I can honestly say that while every teacher has been helpful in their own way, Sumito-sensei's lessons have given me the most tangible/usable progress in the shortest amount of time. Learning Japanese on your own is overwhelming for a number of reasons, one of them being that it's difficult to find honest feedback on your Japanese that's not basic text-book Japanese based. Sumito-Sensei's feedback is honest, practical, and very helpful. I highly recommend Sumito-sensei's lessons if you want to be able to speak naturally.

Had another great lesson with Sumito Sensei. Today, we focused on a few talking points from a story he presented. We discussed my thoughts and shared a similar story from my own experience. Additionally, we dedicated some time to pronunciation practice, which I really enjoyed.

This was only a trial, but I am convinced that Sumito sensei has a firm understanding of what is needed for learning and retention. Our brief time was very focused. I am looking forward to future lessons!

Sumito sensei always finds innovative ways to encourage me to engage in conversation. In our last lesson he introduced something new. Lately, I've noticed a significant increase in my speaking during our lessons. Thanks to Sumito Sensei's efforts in choosing topics that are easier to discuss, I'm finding it easier to speak.