Aya

Aya is so fantastic!! I took her Travel Japanese classes, too close to my travel date because I was picky, and I picked her, and it was so worth it! She showed example conversations that I'd need, and I was soo confident, until she went 'let's practice', and oooof, speaking out loud is difficult, but she's patient, smiley, you don't feel dumb even though all the words are in front of you - comfortable and challenging! You'll be so happy you chose her, do it!!!

Aya-san caters to your language level. She makes sure you know the lesson well before moving on. I can understand her well. Overall, a great Japanese teacher.

It’s always fun taking lessons with Aya-sensei because she speaks like a friend. I’m currently moving out of Japan, so our lessons, mainly based on Japanese newspaper articles, feel especially relevant. Studying current affairs makes my Japanese learning come alive and feel much more relatable.

Aya-sensei was so kind to shift the course material to a topic of my choice and now we're practicing situations that will be soon very helpful. She creates a good and fun environment and gives the necessary context as to why, when and how certain things are expressed in japanese. I'm looking forward to more lessons!

I realized one big reason why Aya-sensei’s lessons are so fun: the topics we discuss from Japanese news are always modern and relevant. For example, it’s refreshing to learn uniquely Japanese words like 「孤独死」 and 「推し活. These are expressions I would never come across in a textbook or a traditional classroom setting. Taking classes with Aya-sensei really helps me sound more natural and native when I chat with my Japanese friends. あや先生のレッスンが楽しいのは、やっぱり話題がいつも今っぽくて面白いからだと思います。例えば「孤独死」とか「推し活」みたいな言葉、普通の教科書ではまず出てこないし、すごく新鮮です。あや先生と一緒に勉強すると、日本人の友達と雑談するときにも自然に話せるようになってきてる気がします✨

Aya is helpful, fun, friendly and in tune with where you're at in understanding a concept. She is organized and has an effective plan to help you improve!