Jes
Listening intension and Haiku project
Jenna
Conversational Course
I have studied with Tamaki Sensei for a few years at an intermediate/advanced level. Tamaki Sensei is always prepared for my lessons, and her teaching style is engaging, thorough and disciplined. I studied under Tamaki Sensei for the JLPT N2 exam, and I truly believe I would not have passed without her. She is always able to explain complex Japanese to me in a way I can understand, and she inspires me to do my best at all times. I am always excited to learn in her classroom, no matter what the topic is.
DevenConversational Course
I’ve been studying Japanese under Tamaki-sensei for a few years now, and it’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience. We started with learning how to read and write in Hiragana and Katakana, and then moved onto grammar basics and Kanji. Right now we’re focusing on conversational Japanese, with an emphasis on a process called “shadowing,” in which you attempt to follow along with someone speaking Japanese in order to pick up the natural flow and intonation of spoken Japanese. Tamaki-sensei does a great job of pushing me to focus on my weaknesses, and I’m always excited to come to class.
Geoff
Long term academic course
Right now I am aiming for the N2 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, by getting the N2 level it allows me to work in Japan in the future. I am improving my Japanese speaking, writing, and reading skills with Ms. Tamaki. Before starting the Japanese class, I already had a little background on how to speak Japanese, but by attending to Ms. Tamaki’s class it improves my skills way more than learning by myself. Ms. Tamaki strictly fixes my mistake and patiently teaches me the correct way to speak, write, and read Japanese. Ms. Tamaki didn’t just teach me how to speak, write, and read Japanese, she also teaches me different kinds of rules in Japan, how does the Japanese think, and also Japanese attitude toward others or things.
Carrie
Conversational course
I started with pronunciations and communication improvement course. I also studied how to read Hiragana and Katakana. This new skill allowed me to advance my understanding of the pronunciation of words that I had been struggling with. Now I enjoy new words and sounds with much more enthusiasm. I can have some really simple, but very interesting conversations with Tamaki. My confidence is growing with our 2 online Nihongo Only Conversation classes. Our weekly in person class is spent reading and improving my vocabulary. Down time well spent with the best teacher this student is blessed with!
Sam
Academic and conversational course
Before taking lessons with Tamaki Sensei I’d never taken a single language class in my life. One year later, I can hold basic conversations, read simple books, and even understand parts of Japanese shows. The speaking lessons have been especially helpful. I make tons of mistakes, but Tamaki encourages me to speak anyway and helps turn my mistakes into improvement.
When she teaches me something new or gives me advice, I always make sure to incorporate it in my conversations next lesson. I look forward to Japanese classes every week!