Customer Testimonials

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

My name is Shelbë. I'm 29 years old and a marketing strategist at a digital marketing agency.

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

I'm in my 4th semester of classes with Oku Sensei, so this is the end of my second year.

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

I had always been interested in learning Japanese but was struggling to find a good way to learn it on my own.

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

I wasn't really sure what to expect before signing up but our friend that referred us told us that many of her friends had learned a lot so I was excited, and feel like I'm well on my way to being able to communicate well when we go to Japan!

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

It REALLY helps to have a smaller class size. It gives you a lot more time to get in-class practice and ask questions so you can make sure you really understand the lessons.

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

Getting to stop class and ask questions when I'm not sure about something or when I'm curious about the way something works. Oku Sensei is so patient and nice, it's been so great learning from her!

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

I studied a little bit of kanji on Wani Kani and memorized hiragana and katakana from some flashcards and tried a bit of Duolingo but didn't have much success. Oku Sensei's Japanese is much more comprehensive than any of the others.

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

The class price is affordable and accessible. Given the smaller class size compared to your average college class, I think it's a very fair price.

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 people who might feel like they don't have time to learn a language like Japanese. The class structure is easily manageable and as long as you spare a bit of time to study on your off days you should do just fine. I would not recommend it to someone who's looking to learn extremely fast, such as someone who will be going on a trip NEXT MONTH (though I don't know what would help you in that case!), but if you're planning for well in the future or just want to enjoy learning a language, this will be a perfect fit.

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

Nothing in particular, knowing that our friend was excited and had heard good things from current students made me most interested. I was a little hesitant about the time commitment at first but it has been really manageable.

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 not know any more Japanese than I did before I started! I think the best time is as soon as possible if you're considering it!

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're really going to enjoy the classes! I'm always so excited on the days we have class because I know once I'm done working my 9-5 I get to log into the Zoom meeting and have class before I wind down the day. And if it's been a while since you last went to school, don't be worried, it's a really enjoyable style of learning that you can adapt to if you like taking notes or studying on the computer, or whatever your preference.