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Develop the Habit of Thinking in Japanese!

Specialties

  • Direct method (learn Japanese in Japanese)
  • Beginner Japanese
  • Conversation

Levels

  • Beginner/Lowe Intermediate
  • Intermediate

Languages

  • Japanese (native)
  • Spanish (intermediate)

Materials

  • Langoal N5
  • Langoal N4
  • Langoal N3 
  • THE NISHINIPPON SHIMBUN CO., LTD.
  • NEWS WEB EASY

Style

  • I strive to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere where students who are interested in learning Japanese can speak freely, have fun, and build confidence in using the language.
  • I offer grammar and conversation lessons for learners from beginner to upper-intermediate levels. You can choose the learning style that works best for you:
    • Immersive learning: Learn Japanese primarily in Japanese, as if you were living in Japan and using the language in your everyday life.
    • Learning with language support: Learn Japanese with the help of simple English or Spanish when needed.
  • My lessons are about more than just learning Japanese as a set of rules and vocabulary. I want you to enjoy learning while experiencing how you can actually use Japanese in real-life situations!
  • Whether you want to take your Japanese to the next level or simply keep practicing so you don’t lose what you’ve learned, I’m here to help you along the way.
  • Remember, nobody gets everything right from the start, so there’s no need to feel nervous or put pressure on yourself. Let’s enjoy learning Japanese together!

License

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Japanese Language
  • Junior & Senior High School Teaching License (Japanese)
  • Completed 420-hour Japanese Teacher Training Course
  • Foundation in Travel and Tourism Diploma (IATA)

Experience

  • 4 years of teaching Japanese as a volunteer

  • 3 years of living in Guatemala and learning Spanish

  • Provided customer support at a call center

  • Worked in apparel sales and customer service

About Me

I currently live in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, a city featured in The New York Times’ “52 Places to Go in 2023.” It’s a beautiful city that isn’t too urban, with mountains, rivers, and lakes. You can enjoy nature throughout all four seasons, and the food is delicious, too! 😋

I also used to live in Guatemala, Central America, for three years, so I can speak a little Spanish. I love everything about Latin America, from its climate and fruit to its food and atmosphere!

I love traveling and browsing books about travel so much that I can completely lose track of time. That’s why I also enjoy watching shows about airports and airplanes around the world. When it comes to outdoor activities, I love taking it easy in a beautiful lake in a canoe. On the other hand, I also enjoy making little crafts out of wool felt at home. I like getting creative with whatever ingredients I have in the fridge and turning them into delicious meals, too.

There are so many other things I enjoy! 😂 That’s why I can have fun conversations about all kinds of topics!

What My Student Say

I really enjoy my classes with Chiyoko Sensei, who is always incredibly encouraging and enthusiastic! While I have studied independently previously, having someone to teach me, practice with me, and critique my homework has helped me retain more Japanese and feel more confident using it. The biggest difference has been in speaking, Chiyoko Sensei's patience and ability to decipher my broken sentences have helped me have simple conversations, where previously I could barely speak at all. I would highly recommend taking classes with Chiyoko Sensei; they are so fun and helpful!
Sherene
Chiyoko sensei is an incredible teacher! She has helped me build my confidence in speaking Japanese so much. I am usually very nervous about speaking but she offers lots of encouragement and a friendly environment where practicing speaking is easy. You can really tell she has experience learning a language through immersion and she uses this experience to make her lessons very helpful!
Hannah
I really enjoy my classes with Chiyoko-sensei. I’ve always wanted to become more fluent in conversational Japanese, but with a full-time job it was hard to stay consistent. The 25-minute lessons give me the perfect amount of structure and accountability to study and practice without feeling stressed. Chiyoko sensei is very patient, encouraging, and flexible with lesson plans. It’s clear that each lesson is thoughtfully tailored to what I want to improve. I’ve already recommended her to several friends who are interested in learning Japanese. I'm visiting Japan soon and feeling more confident 🙂
Su
Flexible, fun and interesting. Chiyoko is a great teacher who makes you feel confident.
Jen
Her classes are very fun and helpful! Chiyoko san is a great and supportive teacher.
Tina
Chiyoko-sensei was so attentive and patient during our first five lessons. She tailored the lessons based on my level and goals in learning the language.
JoJo
Chiyoko Sensei is very kind! I am able to learn a lot from our lessons. I feel encouraged and more confident in my speaking skills!
Zoie
I really enjoy lessons with Chiyoko Sensei. Her japanese is very clear and understandable, so we need to use english very rarelly during the lesson. She is very kind, patient and supportive, she encourage me to speak and help me to speak correctly, more fluently and sound more native. She makes a friendly atmosphere during the lessons. Overview she creates after the lesson is also great and usefull. Even we had few lessons so far, I feel the progress and looking forward to next lessons.
Alice
My teacher is very encouraging and patient. This makes me want to work harder to revise even after my lessons. Her pace is just nice for me & I like her lesson structure.
Tomato
Tomato
Chiyoko-san is a friendly and helpful teacher. While our main point of class has been grammar, I also can learn lots of new vocabulary and kanji and get lots of speaking practice since Chiyoko-san always encourages me to read, make my own sentences, or ask questions. I particularly like the small roleplay sections and her occasional kanji fun facts. 🙂
Michelle

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