"Hello,

I am a native Japanese speaker who moved from Japan to the United States 20 years ago. For the past 17 years, I have been teaching and tutoring Japanese to both children and adults. Currently, I teach Japanese at a university and a language school.

When working with young children, I speak to them in Japanese as much as possible, using gestures and repeating key words and expressions to support comprehension. With older children and adults, I use English when needed—especially to explain grammar or clarify difficult concepts—but I still aim to communicate primarily in Japanese.

As a tutor, I’ve worked with a wide range of students, each with their own goals. My approach is simple: I do my best to help every student achieve their personal objectives. Their satisfaction is my satisfaction.

I’m also committed to growing as a language educator. In 2019, I earned certification as an AAPPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages) rater and an OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) tester.

In addition to Japanese, I am qualified to teach Russian. Before moving to the U.S., I taught Russian at universities in Japan for three years. Because I learned Russian as a foreign language myself, I’m especially effective at teaching beginners—I can explain grammatical rules in a clear, systematic way. I earned my Ph.D. in Russian language studies from Kyoto University Graduate School in 2005.

Yuko" less...