Happy 100th lesson! I've never regretted a single lesson with Shoko-sensei. I've learned so much. I'm not farther along due to my own lack of studying, but I love our weekly/biweekly sessions and I always leave feeling confident in what I just learned. Her explanations are incredible and adaptable. Here's to 100 more - and by then maybe I will write in all Japanese!!!

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!

I always have fun learning with Ishida sensei. She does such a lovely job of weaving conversation and useful lesson material into her classes. And to Ishida sensei: Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your patience and kindness. 🌳

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 ´-

To build my comprehension more we've been building sentences using the sentence patterns I've learned. I find this is a more solidifying way for me to remember vocabulary and sentence patterns all at once! I still struggle, but then I make my own sentences and I find I've been using more and wider vocabulary than I had been in the past, so it's clearly working! So close to lesson 100!!!

Shoko-san is a truly dedicated and knowledgeable teacher who is very patient and creative when explaining difficult grammar. Really looking forward to more lessons with her!