Sumito

I had some technical issues before the class, but Sumito Sensei was incredibly understanding and kindly added the lost time back once everything was up and running. Today's lesson was excellent. I shared a story about recent events, and Sumito Sensei listened attentively, taking notes without interrupting, which really helped maintain the flow of the conversation. At the end of the session, he asked me to reflect on my own performance before going over his notes. I really appreciate how Sumito Sensei allows me to speak freely and provides corrections afterwards. This approach boosts my confidence and encourages me to engage more in conversations.

Sumito-sensei does a phenomenal job locating general areas in my language usage that need improvement, and also pinpointing specifics I need to focus on to be able to competently use Japanese in my everyday life. As a teacher myself, I understand that I'm a difficult student because I have no formal Japanese language schooling so my knowledge base/ability level is extremely inconsistent. I've taken a fair amount of classes on Italki (at this time, more than 100), and I can honestly say that while every teacher has been helpful in their own way, Sumito-sensei's lessons have given me the most tangible/usable progress in the shortest amount of time. Learning Japanese on your own is overwhelming for a number of reasons, one of them being that it's difficult to find honest feedback on your Japanese that's not basic text-book Japanese based. Sumito-Sensei's feedback is honest, practical, and very helpful. I highly recommend Sumito-sensei's lessons if you want to be able to speak naturally.

Great first lesson, very informative and helpful! Really appreciate the customized guides and encouragement. Will book more lessons, thank you!

Yet another incredible session! Sumito sensei challenges me, pushing me to explore and articulate situations in detail, a skill crucial for enriching conversations. He guided me in crafting sentences that flow more naturally. It was super fun and challenging today! ありがとう！

Sumito has a kind, patient demeanor that immediately put me more at ease (I am very socially anxious) and was very fun in how he explained his lesson plan. While I do speak a little too fast (even for my family who has known me my whole life!), he was patient with me while I worked to slow down and speak more clearly. He explains things in a clear, concise manner while not sounding condescending and was very knowledgeable in teaching an early learner like myself. I would highly recommend at least doing a trial with him to see if you click!

Great time with Sumito Sensei. He is a very excellent teacher that is able to be flexible with the various levels of ability.