Testimonial from online student from US

“I have wanted to learn Japanese for a long time. It was on and off for over 5 years before this past year, when I decided to start studying seriously. I had told everyone that I was learning, which was a pretty big mistake. My motivation plummeted, and I had no interest in actually studying. I spent my time watching dramas and listening to music because I knew I had to keep up the input, but I couldn’t find the energy to actually study.

That’s when I saw Sensei posting on Reddit. I had seen his posts before, but this time he was asking for students to attend his class online. I knew this was the opportunity I needed. Even without being motivated, having someone to hold me accountable would really push me to keep going like I wanted to. I joined the class without hesitation.

When I finally got the chance to attend, Sensei’s class was nothing like I had expected. With this being week 5, all of the topics were topics I had already learned. But, somehow, Sensei really taught me something during every class. Whether it was correct pronunciation and pitch, extra vocabulary, or culture, I learned something new during every class. This was a sign that I truly needed to be in this class.”

“Just teaching us is not enough for Sensei. All of the lecture videos I had watched before don’t amount to what Sensei does for this class. He asks us to participate, and I never feel singled out or embarrassed. He does his best to make us sound authentic from our pronunciation to our accent, and doesn’t hesitate to keep us practicing a word until he thinks we have it down. We just did a presentation for the class on aspects of Japanese culture, which is not something I expected to do in an online class. As a university student, the quality of this class rivals the quality of classes I’m taking to earn my degree.

While the information you gain is a good judge of the standards of a class, this class goes beyond just learning about Japanese culture and language. We’ve built a community of learners who are inspired every day by each other to keep pursuing their dreams. People all over the globe with all different backgrounds come together to learn more about Japan, and I think that’s beautiful. I’m so very thankful to Sensei for all he has done for us, and especially for me.”