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

Sample answers to this question: 
1. Short and Simple

My parents gave me my name. It comes from Persian and means “sweet.”

2. Personal Story

My grandmother chose my name because she wanted me to have a name that reminded her of her favorite flower. It’s from Latin, and it means “rose.”

3. Cultural Background

My parents named me after a famous poet from our country. My name is Arabic in origin and means “hope.”

4. Sentimental Reason

My mother gave me my name because it was the same as her best friend’s. The name is from Greek and means “light.”

5. Family Tradition

My father chose my name because it has been used for many generations in our family. It comes from Hebrew and means “peace.”

6. Modern Twist

My name was chosen by my parents after a character in a book they loved. It’s originally an English name and means “protector.”


Shirin English Podcast

Who gave you your name?

다음을 듣고 내용과 일치하는 것을 고르십시오.

1.
1) 여자는 세계 미술사 수강 신청을 하지 못 했다.
2) 여자는 세계 미술사 학과 학생이다.
3) 남자는 여자와 세계 미술사 수업을 들었다.
4) 남자는 세계 미술사 수업에 만족했다.

2.
1) 남자는 드라마의 내용을 알고 있었다.
2) 남자는 오랜만에 한국 드라마를 봤다.
3) 여자는 주인공이 귀신의 이야기를 들어주는 드라마를 봤다.
4)여자는 드라마를 내용을 이해하지 못 한다.

3.
1) 운동을 제대로 배워서 하고 싶다. 
2) 유튜브 운동 정보는 도움이 된다.
3) 건강을 위해 꾸준히 운동을 해야 한다.
4) 따라 하기 운동 영상을 선택해야 한다.

4.
1) 갈등이 생기면 빨리 해결해야 한다.
2) 친구가 원하는 것을 먼저 하는 게 좋다.
3) 자신의 생각을 분명하게 말하면 좋겠다.
4) 상대방의 입장을 이해하려면 대화가 필요하다.

5.
1) 전단지는 디자인 이상적이어서 좋다
2) 이 전단지는 디자인에 신경을 써야 한다.
3) 이 전단지는 정보를 더 많이 필요하지 않다.
4) 이 전단지는 내용이 알기 쉽다.












1. 4)  /  2. 3)  /  3. 1)  /  4. 3)  /  5. 1)



한국어 토픽 듣기 

한국어 토픽 듣기 2

Listening to the tape, answer the following question

CHINESE STORIES

Simple Chinese hearing

In this podcast I explain my own tongue twister activity for B+ and above students. It always goes down a treat and makes everyone laugh for the rest of the class!

Lisa's Podcast

Give a tongue twister a twirl!

Mention: Past experiences + Proven successes / Mention: Strengths + Abilities + give specific examples / Say: Who you are, what you do + any extra information that people might need to know / Don’t focus on tasks! Focus on results! / Highlight matters that relate to time, money, or people / Remember: Adjust your message according to your audience / Don’t talk about: Religion, politics, hobbies, or any other really personal information 

All Ways Business

Tell me about yourself

Let's practice short I words.
Listen and chant:
Can you see a pin in the bin?

Phonics Short Vowels

Short I words chant

In this episode, we’ll talk about a common pronunciation challenge in Chinese — the tone changes of “一” (yī) and “不” (bù).
Although they have fixed tones in the dictionary, their tones often change in real speech depending on the words and situations they appear in.
If you’ve ever wondered which tone to use for “一” or “不” in different situations, this episode will make it much clearer and easier to remember.

Learn Chinese and Have Fun!

Which Tone Should “一” and “不” Have in Different Situations?

The anti-establishment artist Banksy and fashion clothing brand Guess lock horns.

Transcript of audio here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13yXSZZ4xYi0SSlaryDJVz15PCVhic4ae/view?usp=sharing

Schedule a class with me here: https://teach.italki.com/teacher/12103910