Oku Sensei really pushes you to success. She holds you accountable for your own success. Personally I strive more with discipline and Oku Sensei brings a balance of gentleness, and gives the push needed for students to succeed.
Heather Carringotn
- irst, could you tell us about yourself? (Your name, age, occupation, etc.,)
- My name is Heather Carringotn. I am 36 years old and currently work as a night auditor. After years of working in different fields I decided to go back to college and complete my degree.
- How long have you been taking classes at Oku Sensei's Japanese?
- I have been a student of Oku Sensei's Japanese for 6 months. I have just completed the Summer Intensive Course to get me ready for my next semester.
- What was your situation before you started Oku Sensei's Japanese?
- Prior to becoming a student at Oku Sensei's Japanese, I was struggling in my Japanese major. I not only wanted to improve but to advance in my studies outside of the classroom. I am very happy to have found Oku Sensei and her class.
- What results were you expecting before signing up? And what results did you actually achieve?
- I was hoping to fill in gaps from my first Japanese course. Thanks to Oku Sensei, I was able to not only fill those gaps but learn more about the Japanese culture and finer nuances of the Japanese language.
- Why do you think you were able to achieve the results mentioned in Q4?
- Oku Sensei really pushes you to success. She holds you accountable for your own success. Personally I strive more with discipline and Oku Sensei brings a balance of gentleness, and gives the push needed for students to succeed.
- What was the most memorable aspect of learning at Oku Sensei's Japanese?
- The way Oku Sensei is able to break down and explain lesson material for each student is outstanding. During our sessions I was able to retain my lessons better. The student tips that Oku Sensei provides have truly helped me. Oku Sensei breaks down lessons in a way that helps each student to retain the information needed.
- Have you studied Japanese anywhere else? What differences did you notice compared to other Japanese language schools?
- I had tried a remote tutor prior; however, they were not patient nor did they try to help me with understanding the gaps that I was so desperately trying to fill.
- Did you find the price to be expensive? (Did you feel that what you gained was worth more than what you paid?)
- The price is extremely fair! I am very grateful. Especially as a college student the prices at Oku Sensei's Japanese are very affordable.
- Who would you recommend Oku Sensei's Japanese to? On the other hand, if there is someone you wouldn't recommend it to, what kind of person would that be?
- I would recommend it to anyone that wants to learn Japanese. Whether it's a college student or someone planning to vacation in Japan and wanting to speak the language while they are abroad would benefit greatly.
- What content attracted you to sign up for Oku Sensei's Japanese? Did you have any hesitations when signing up?
- The fact that it is a structured learning environment is what attracted me to Oku Sensei's Japanese. I need structure and it certainly helped while I was in the Summer Intensive Course.
- If you hadn't signed up for Oku Senesei's Japanese, what do you think your situation would be now? Also, when do you think is the best time to sign up?
- If I had not signed up with Oku Sensei I would have been a bigger ball of nerves than when I first started. I was struggling a lot, but now I feel confident going back to class next semester.
- As someone who has studied Japanese at Oku Sensei's Japanese, could you give a message to those who will start learning in the future.
- Even after your sessions with Oku Sensei (or any language class), it is each student's responsibility to keep the language alive. This is could be via joining community language groups in your area, listening to daily listening exercises (and reciting what's being said along with the exercises), listening to music, etc. Anything to keep what you have learned active. That was something I had struggled with in the past but have been making strides to improve. Even my college sensei informed me that learning Japanese will take time (and that is ok). Take your time, if you have any questions or feel that something still isn't sinking in speak with Oku Sensei. She will help you in any way she can. You will improve, just keep up with the classes and your studies and eventually it will all come together.
