A Language Learning Story // His Journey and a Transformative Stay in Japan

Hello I'm Akari, I'm a online Japanese teacher and tour guide in Kyoto.
I've been teaching Japanese since 2013, and thanks to this job I met amazing people along the way.
Today I interviewed Akira, who took my lesson around 2020, then came to Japan and spend three month from autumn 2024 to winter 2025. 
He's learning Japanese journey is not only language learning, but it's related to his dad's family history and his future wife.

Akari's online Japanese lesson:
https://www.italki.com/teacher/916033

Akari's information:
linktr.ee/akari.japanese

Akari Talks Japan

A Language Learning Story with Akira // His Journey and a Transformative Stay in Japan

duì niú tán qín

意思是比喻对不讲道理的人讲道理，白费口舌，力气

这个成语常用于讥讽人讲话时不看对象，含有贬义。‌

Chinese idioms (中国成语)

对牛弹琴

Expresiones Españolas Desenmascaradas', el podcast donde exploramos las frases hechas y los modismos más coloridos y fascinantes de España. Únete a nosotros mientras desentrañamos el significado y el uso de expresiones que te harán sonar como un verdadero local. Desde 'dormir la mona' hasta 'llevarse el gato al agua', aprenderás a usar estas frases con confianza y estilo.

Taming the Spanish Verb: The  Macondo Man

Expresiones Españolas Desenmascaradas

*This episode is about "Hamedan" a city in western Iran. It is located in the Central District of Hamadan County in Hamadan province. 

**Book Podcast lesson to discuss the topic and access the texts

Persian Podcasts / پادکست فارسی 

شهر همدان

"The software team at my client's company was struggling to complete their new product on time. As the project manager, my client knew he needed to improve communication across functions. He started weekly check-ins where engineering, design, product and marketing all presented updates and issues. This exposed dependencies between teams. For example, when engineering outlined a complex new feature, product argued it didn't align with goals and design flagged UI challenges. Rather than pushing back, each team offered suggestions to solve the other's problems.

This collaborative approach helped teams understand different perspectives. When later design presented mockups, engineering asked thoughtful questions about underlying assumptions. They found ways to simplify the feature while still meeting user needs. Similarly, when marketing had concerns about the launch date, product and engineering worked together to identify what could be cut or delayed without compromising the vision.

By the next check-in, dependencies were untangled and teams made better decisions together. Managers saw improved morale as people felt heard and helped each other. The transparent discussions gave confidence that the product was on track when minor issues did arise. In the end, my client's company launched their new software ahead of schedule with rave reviews. Regular cross-functional check-ins had fostered collaboration that eliminated silos and ensured project success."

The Global Professional Podcast

A Cross Functional Collaboration Story - Episode 45

In this episode, I talk how allowing beginning learners to focus of the communication of meaning, even if done with simple or less than perfect language, is ALWAYS better than trying to "get it right in the beginning". 

The Grammarian Podcast

A beginners guide to acquiring a foreign language - Part 2: Learning to Communicate Meaning

生活里有什么？
很多人的生活里只有电脑、工作和钱。你呢？我觉得，我们可以做很多事情。天气好的时候，看有意思的书。下雨的时候，看喜欢的电影。睡觉前，给爸爸妈妈打电话。不忙的时候，和朋友一起喝茶。累的时候，坐飞机去旅行。不高兴的时候，去商店买东西。不想学习的时候，和同学去饭馆吃饭。
有人说，我太忙。没关系，你也能吃水果、看电视，认识新朋友。
生活里有很多事情。

Shēnghuó lǐ yǒu shénme ？ 
Hěnduō rén de shēnghuó lǐ zhí yǒu diànnǎo 、 gōngzuò hé qián 。 Nǐ ne ？ Wǒ juéde ， wǒmen kěyǐ zuò hěnduō shìqíng 。 Tiānqì hǎo de shíhou ， kàn yǒuyìsi de shū 。 Xiàyǔ de shíhou ， kàn xǐhuan de diànyǐng 。 Shuìjiào qián ， gěi Bàba、Māma dǎdànHuà 。 Bùmáng de shíhou ， hé péngyou yìqǐ hē chá 。 Lèi de shíhou ， zuòfēijī qù lǚxíng 。 Bù gāoxìng de shíhou ， qù shāngdiàn mǎi dōngxi 。 Bù xiǎng xuéxí de shíhou ， hé tóngxué qù fànguǎn chī fàn 。 
Yǒu rén shuō ， wǒ tài máng 。 Méiguānxi ， nǐ yě néng chī shuǐguǒ 、 kàndiànshì ， rènshi xīn péngyou 。 
Shēnghuó lǐ yǒu hěnduō shìqíng 。 



Learn Chinese through stories - HSK1  （more podcast：https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_Q-vfEdpBJCRJviEEY0KQ）

What's in your life？

Every year in June, there are 2 days that are dead silent in Chinese cities when the most important exam in Chinese teenagers’ life is taking place - the college entrance exam.
In this Chillchat episode, Karen and Baiwei compared education and examination systems in Mainland China and the U.S..

Chillchat (Learn Chinese and Chill)

The Most Important Exam in China?! Education and Examination Systems

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fsrgycPuxizdRgs__i0WGCS4gBxnE1oz/view?usp=drivesdk