Shoko Ishida

Ishida-sensei has been pivotal in the improvement of my Japanese. If you’re looking for someone who will listen to you, push you, care about your progress, and make you feel at home ease in every lesson. This is the person.

I had my first lesson with Shoko in September 2022. And guess what? I'm still here. That should say it all, shouldn't it? Shoko is by far the best Japanese teacher I've ever had. Especially for me, who is a very anxious person, doesn't like approaching strangers and hates talking on the phone (not good conditions for online lessons, by the way), lessons with Shoko are always the highlight of my week. She challenges without overwhelming, gives tips and hints without anticipating the answer. Her warm and courteous manner makes you feel like you're at a good friend's house right from the start instead of in a " awkward" teacher-student online situation. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced student, if you want to have fun learning Japanese, you should definitely give Shoko a try!

Shoko sensei is incredibly patient and engaging when helping me reach my goals in Japanese. I’ve been having a hard time crossing over the bridge between N4 and N3 especially with little time to study with three kids, but studying with her has been very helpful. She is always so prepared and moves at a great pace. I took in-person classes here in Japan, but the biggest struggle had been the pace of the class. With Shoko, I can come to class knowing that I’ll be heard and more confident in my progress.

I have now taken over 100 lessons with Shoko 先生 since I started learning Japanese. I've stayed with 先生 all this while because she makes the classes very enjoyable and talking to her is not stressful at all. Her warm and bright personality creates a welcoming atmosphere and I always feel encouraged to try to speak in Japanese while she gently corrects my many mistakes. Her materials are also always well-prepared and clear. In my preparation for JLPT, she has explained the MNN syllabus so well. Her explanations are even clearer than MNN's grammar notes and YouTube videos, and her exercises are well-tailored to deepen understanding of grammar points. She also meticulously planned what else to cover beyond MNN - this really touched me as I felt like she is invested in my learning journey and has a genuine desire for me to learn Japanese well. Thanks to 先生, I feel like I've finally broken through the "beginner barrier" this year, and can now express myself with a lot more ease ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

Shoko-san is such a wonderful, patient teacher who always encourages you to try your best and, before you know it, you will have made so much progress in Japanese! She is also really attentive and makes sure to remember the student's interest and tailor the examples to their liking, which I think is so wonderful! Really looking forward to more lessons with her!

Shoko-san is such an incredible teacher, every lesson with her is a joy and so helpful in my Japanese learning journey! Really looking forward to more lessons with her!