のぞみ　NOZOMI

I would definitely recommend Nozomi's classes. She does a mix of presenting, practice, and conversation. She also always gives homework, which is great since it helps to practice and study between lessons. She's also very patient, while still pushing you to try harder - she's been very helpful at figuring out where I should pick up in my studies again after a long break and lessons are at an appropriate level - this was one of my biggest worries as a learner who studied for several years and then stopped, since formal classes are usually too difficult or too easy. If you're looking for a serious one-on-one teacher, she does a great job!

If you want classical Japanese language education, Nozomi is perhaps for you. But my goal is language accusation, not learning. Nozomi presented the idea that no one can understand Japanese unless spoken perfectly. Such ideas presently are not helpful for language accusation according to established theories, including even early work by prof. Stephen Krasner. Additionally, Nozomi either didn't know Tae Kim or didn't recognize Tae Kim as a textbook, and also didn't ask questions about it when mentioned. While certainly an unconventional book in classrooms, it is perhaps the most frequently recommended book by foreigners who achieved fluency in Japanese.

Excellent teacher

I really like Nozomi-sensei's lessons. While they can sometimes be difficult, she does a good job of setting expectations around what you'll need to learn and do, in order to get where you want to be. Her lessons will push you to do better. I appreciate the structured lesson plan, and along with grammar and vocabulary she also teaches commonly used words outside of the textbook, and Japanese culture.

nozomi is always helpful

I learned not only useful Japanese, but also about some issues and interesting events going on in the country. Nozomi types out important words from our conversation, which is SO HELPFUL for reviewing! Highly recommend!