Customer Testimonials

First, could you tell us about yourself? (Your name, age, occupation, etc., as much as you are comfortable sharing)

My name is Kile, I am 31 years old, and I work in software development.

How long have you been taking classes at Oku Sensei’s Japanese?

About 9 months now, but Oku Sensei was also my teacher in the past.

What was your situation before you started Oku Sensei's Japanese?

I was pretty good at reading Japanese, I practiced this a lot on my own. However, my listening comprehension and speaking skills were not great. I would mostly spend my time reading news articles and books without engaging with audio content.

What results were you expecting before signing up? And what results did you actually achieve?

I was hoping that structured lessons could help me bridge the gap in my abilities. As I take more classes, this is definitely happening. She even pushed me to take the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N3 Level exam. Passing this proved to me just how much I grew at both listening and grammar over the past year.

Why do you think you were able to achieve the results mentioned in Q4?

Oku Sensei structured her lessons around the needs of her students, and time and time again was willing to work with us on any difficulties we had. I think her feedback, combined with her regular lessons, greatly helped me grow.

What was the most memorable aspect of learning at Oku Sensei's Japanese?

The most memorable part for me was how often Oku Sensei would poll her students on how the class was going, and customize future lessons based on the feelings expressed. It really made the classes feel personal, and like she was doing what she could to help make it worthwhile.

Have you studied Japanese anywhere else? What differences did you notice compared to other Japanese language schools?

I did study Japanese in college and received a minor in it. Aside from that, it was primarily self study. Oku sensei’s classes are smaller comparatively, which lets the class feel more reactive to the level and needs of the students in it.

Did you find the price to be expensive? (Did you feel that what you gained was worth more than what you paid?)

The price seems fair compared to other options. And for me the price is very much worth it.

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 Oku Sensei’s Japanese to anyone wanting to improve at the language, regardless of level. Especially anyone wanting to study for the JLPT certification exams.

What content attracted you to sign up for Oku Sensei's Japanese? Did you have any hesitations when signing up?

I was Oku Sensei’s student in the past, so when I learned that she was offering her own online classes, I did not hesitate to sign up.

If you hadn’t signed up for Oku Sensei's Japanese, what do you think your situation would be now? Also, when do you think is the best time to sign up?

I would likely still be independently studying, but would not have made the same level of progress in listening comprehension as I did after joining Oku Sensei’s class. She also pushed me to take the JLPT N3 exam, which I passed, and would not have done without her encouragement.

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?

I think you made a great choice, Japanese is very fun to study, especially as you get better at the language and become able to interact with more types of media! And Oku Sensei is an excellent teacher, who I cannot recommend enough!