I had some technical issues before the class, but Sumito Sensei was incredibly understanding and kindly added the lost time back once everything was up and running. Today's lesson was excellent. I shared a story about recent events, and Sumito Sensei listened attentively, taking notes without interrupting, which really helped maintain the flow of the conversation. At the end of the session, he asked me to reflect on my own performance before going over his notes. I really appreciate how Sumito Sensei allows me to speak freely and provides corrections afterwards. This approach boosts my confidence and encourages me to engage more in conversations.

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 a great first session with Sumito, I'm very much looking forward to learning with them in the future!

Yet another incredible session! Sumito sensei challenges me, pushing me to explore and articulate situations in detail, a skill crucial for enriching conversations. He guided me in crafting sentences that flow more naturally. It was super fun and challenging today! ありがとう！

I really like that Sumito was very practical in his lesson plan even though he informed me that preparation for the JLPT N4 isn't something that he does. However, I find that being able to speak and write about my day will give me essential structure in the grammar and listening sections for that exam. This was my first session, but I don't believe it will be my last!

Sumito is very patient, and helps guide you to figure out your mistakes on your own.