Online Japanese Lessons: Courses Available on Request

Course Directory

The perfect starter course for anyone planning to travel to Japan. Cover all the bases to help you make the most of your adventure, from key survival phrases to essential cultural and practical tips.

9 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

This course is aimed at total beginners in Japanese. Our aims for this course are:

I can understand and use basic survival Japanese, e.g. to introduce yourself, order food and drink, go shopping and ask for directions
I can recognise common Japanese signs, symbols and gestures
I feel more confident improvising in unfamiliar situations
I am better prepared for the practical and cultural challenges of travelling in Japan

Course Content

This course will cover useful language for anyone visiting Japan, including:

How to order food
How to ask for directions
Greetings and simple requests
Handy everyday vocab
Survival Japanese

On top of this, we will cover plenty of practical and cultural info, such as:

Navigating public transport in Japan
Tips for shopping and dining out
Japanese gestures and etiquette
Staying safe: natural disasters, health and more
Preparing for your trip: what to pack and other tips

Survival Booklet

All of the above will be summed up in a print-friendly PDF Survival Booklet that you can take with on your trip to Japan!

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Japanese for Beginners 1

Part 1 of my Japanese for Beginners course series.

10 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

This course is aimed at total beginners in Japanese. Our aims for this course are:

I can introduce myself and ask basic questions about other people
I can use and understand common greetings
I can make a food/drink order
I can buy things at a shop using Japanese
I can read hiragana from あ (a) to も (mo)

Course Content

Meeting people: greetings and self intros
Shopping and eating out: making orders and understanding prices
Numbers: counting 1 to 99,999 and ordering multiple items (e.g. food) with the counter つ (tsu)
Basic hiragana (reading and writing*): あ (a) to も (mo)
Typing in Japanese: handy hints and fun shortcuts

*This course will use rōmaji (Japanese written with alphabet, e.g. konnichiwa), but we will also learn to read and write some hiragana. Learning to write by hand is totally optional. However, I will recommend that you learn to type instead.

Free Sample Lesson

Click here to view a free sample lesson on YouTube.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Japanese for Beginners 2

Part 2 of my Japanese for Beginners course series.

10 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I can describe key info about myself and others
I can talk about my daily activities using verbs and particles
I can invite someone to do something with me
I feel more confident making mistakes
I can read hiragana and 10 kanji

Course Content

Genki L1: New Friends (quick review of points not covered in previous course)
Genki L2: Shopping (quick review of points not covered in previous course)
Genki L3: Making a Date (talking about daily activities using verbs; extending invitations using ませんか；particles and time phrases)
Genki L4 (beginning of chapter): The First Date (asking about and describing posession using あります／います；talking about things that happened in the past using でした／ました／ませんでした
Cultural topics: Japanese houses; Japanese national holidays
Hiragana*: ら (ra) to ん (n); small tsu; dakuten; combination sounds; long vowels
Kanji: intro to kanji; 10 characters

*This course will use a mixture of rōmaji and hiragana, swapping out rōmaji in favour of hiragana as we learn new characters.

Please Note

In Japanese for Beginners 2, we will mostly follow a textbook (Genki I by the Japan Times), although with supplementary materials and activities to keep things varied! Purchasing the textbook is not compulsory.
You will be expected to know hiragana from あ (a) to よ (yo), as this was covered in Japanese for Beginners 1.
From Lesson 3 onwards, the Genki textbook stops using rōmaji. This means you must be willing to learn hiragana to take part in this course.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Japanese for Beginners 3

Part 3 of my Japanese for Beginners course series.

10 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I can describe past experiences (e.g. what I did at the weekend)
I can say where things are (e.g. in my room or my town)
I feel more confident using particles
I can recognise てください requests
I can read katakana

Course Content

Genki L4: The First Date - describing past events (past tense of nouns and verbs); asking and describing ownership and where things are using あります／います； describing the duration of an activity using じかん；time expressions for days, months, weeks, years；using と to mean "and"; particle も and how to use たくさん
Genki L5: A Trip to Okinawa - adjectives (non-past and past tense as well as noun modification); counter まい; saying "let's" with ～ましょう
Genki L6 (very beginning of chapter): A Day in Robert's Life - making requests using ～てください
Cultural topics: Japanese festivals, Golden Week, rainy season
Katakana*

*This course will use a mixture of rōmaji and hiragana, swapping out rōmaji in favour of hiragana as we learn new characters.

Please Note

You will be expected to know hiragana, as this was covered in Japanese for Beginners 1 and 2.
While Japanese for Beginners 2 covered 10 kanji, this is not considered essential knowledge for this course.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Prep for JLPT N5

A crash course in essential skills, exam technique and knowledge required for N5 of the JLPT.

9 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

In this course, we will use the Nihongo Sōmatome N5 textbook as well as my experience both as a learner and teacher of JLPT exam technique to help you:

Get familiar with the exam
Learn to recognise different types of questions
Learn key techniques for tackling the JLPT
Identify your strengths and weaknesses
Build confidence for the exam

Course Content

While this course will use the Nihongo Sōmatome N5 textbook, which in theory is designed to be completed over 6wks.

This course is 9wks long, giving us the time to also look into topics such as:

Study methods and other handy resources
Exam technique and tips for maximising your score
Common language mistakes and how to avoid them

Rough Course Schedule

Wk1: introduction and orientation - intro to the structure of the N2 listening section, study tips, helpful resources and more
Wk2: textbook Wk1
Wk3: textbook Wk2
Wk4: textbook Wk3
Wk5: textbook Wk4
Wk6: textbook Wk5
Wk7: textbook Wk6
Wk8: review session* #1
Wk9: review session* #2

*The contents of these two sessions will be determined based on the progress, needs and requests of the group. For example, in the most recent run of this course, Wk8 and Wk9 were spent on extra listening activities, discussion of self study prep for the exam and a final summary of exam tips.

In general, we will aim to complete three to four days of reading exercises from the textbook in class each week. The remaining days (as well as the Day 7 実戦問題) will be set as homework, with personalised feedback available to all students.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

N5 Skills Booster Course

A skills-focused course perfect for anyone looking to polish their skills in the run-up to sitting N5 of the JLPT.

8 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I feel able I've been able to tackle areas of weakness
I have a more solid understanding of N5 grammar
I feel less intimidated by long reading passages
I have completed a lot more listening practice
Feel more confident for the exam day

Course Content

Wk1: grammar - focus on adjective conjugations
Wk2: grammar - focus on verbs, particles and time phrases (～前、～後、～てから)
Wk3: reading*
Wk4: reading
Wk5: reading and listening*
Wk6: listening
Wk7: listening
Wk8: review session

*Reading and listening content for this course will be sourced from Genki I and II (L11-L13), TRY! N5 and other online resources. There is no requirement to purchase a textbook.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Pre-Intermediate Japanese Conversation

A grammar-focused course designed specially for Japanese learners making the jump from elementary to pre-intermediate level.

9 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I can understand the language covered in Genki II L13-15, esp:
- L13: potential verbs、～そう
- L14: ほしい、かもしれません、あげる／もらう／くれる
- L15: volitional form + と思っています
I feel more informed about Japanese culture
I feel more confident in my speaking skills

Course Content

This course will cover L13-15 of Genki II. The themes of these three lessons are:

L13: アルバイト探し Looking for a Part-Time Job
L14: バレンタインデー Valentine's Day
L15: 長野旅行 A Trip to Nagano

Language points covered include:

Potential verbs, ～し, ～てみる, ～そう (seeming), ほしい, かもしれません, あげる／くれる／もらう, volitional form + と思っている

Click here and scroll down for a more detailed idea of the language points covered in each lessons.

In addition to practising these language points together, we will be delving into some of the cultural and practical topics covered by Genki, including:

年号と干支 Names of Years and Zodiac Animals
銀行で At the Bank
プレゼント・贈り物 Gift Giving
日本の宿 Japanese Accommodation

The depth to which we can go into each of these topics may vary depending on group progress, but where there is less time for this in class, extra resources can be provided as part of homework.

Please Note

This course will focus on speaking and listening. As such, we will not be working through the Reading and Writing (読み書き) sections of L13-L15 of Genki II. Depending on group progress and requests, however, these may potentially be included as homework.

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Pre-Intermediate Japanese: Learning by Topic

A topic-based course focused on giving pre-intermediate learners the chance to practise and expand on their existing language skills.

9 Lessons
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I can describe changes that take place between the seasons
I can talk about a Japanese festival I'd like to go to and what I'd like to do there
I can share various info about the place where I live OR a place that I like
I can ask someone for information about a place I'm interested in visiting (e.g. how to get there, what there is to do, recommendations for eating out)
I feel more confident communicating in Japanese

Course Content

This course will cover all four key language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Writing will mostly be set as homework rather than taking place during classtime.

The topics we will explore each week are as follows.

Wk1: 四季 (the four seasons)
Wk2: 夏バテ (summer heat fatigue)
Wk3-4: 夏祭り (summer festivals)
Wk5: 私の住んでいるところ (the place where I live)
Wk6: 私の好きなところ (a place I like)
Wk7-8: 私の住んでいるところOR私の好きなところを紹介しよう (introducing the place where you live OR a place you like; exchanging info and opinions with your classmates)
Wk9: review week

Language points practised in this course will include:

Joining adjectives (e.g. にぎやかで便利です)
Describing change with ～なる (e.g. さむくなる）
Qualifying nouns (e.g. 私の好きなところ；私の町にあるレストラン；夏まつりに行く人々)
Linking multiple reasons with ～し～し
Describing various activities with ～たり～たりする
Joining phrases with ～けど／～が

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Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Intro to N2 Grammar

Aiming to pass N2 of the JLPT? Join me on this course covering one of the most challenging aspects of preparing for the exam: grammar.

17 Lessons (split into two courses: see Course Structure below)
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I have a better understanding of N2 grammar
I am equipped with some new exam techniques
I feel more comfortable tackling N2 grammar questions
I have greater awareness of my strengths and weaknesses
I feel more confident for the exam day itself

Course Structure

The course is split into two parts of 8 lessons each (plus one extra session - see next paragraph). You do not have to do these in order - you can do Part Two and then Part One or vice versa! You are also welcome to complete just one part of the course - there is no requirement to do the full thing.

Whichever part of the course you begin first will include an additional introductory session explaining the structure of the exam as well as other helpful info regarding timing, marking, practical tips etc.

Part One

Part One of the course covers Weeks 1 to 4 of the N2 Sōmatome Grammar Textbook. This means that each week we will cover three days of grammar (1～3日目 or 4～6日目) from the textbook. As Day 7（7日目）consists of 実戦問題, these will be set as part of the course homework, with personalised feedback available to all students.

While each day of the textbook includes practice questions, these too will be set as homework rather than being completed in class. Instead, we will use class time to:

Expand on the grammar explanations given by the textbook
Look at other helpful examples, e.g. 例文, songs, short videos
Try other practice questions together
Make our own sentences using the new grammar points

Part Two

Part Two of the course covers Weeks 5 to 8 of the N2 Sōmatome Grammar Textbook.

Find Out More

Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

Intro to N2 Reading

Hone your Japanese reading comprehension skills and exam technique in preparation for N2 of the JLPT.

Full price (Open Group): £184
Price: see the Ippo Ippo Shop for available study options

Course Aims

I am able to recognise different types of exam questions
I am equipped with some new exam techniques
I feel more comfortable tackling N2 reading questions
I have greater awareness of my strengths and weaknesses
I feel more confident for the exam day itself

Course Content

This course will cover the N2 Sōmatome Reading Textbook, which in theory is designed to be completed over six weeks.

To allow for extra teaching input, practice exercises and feedback, this course will be spread over eight weeks:

Wk1: introduction and orientation - intro to the structure of the N2 reading section, study tips, helpful resources and more
Wk2: textbook Wk1
Wk3: textbook Wk2
Wk4: textbook Wk3
Wk5: textbook Wk4
Wk6: textbook Wk5
Wk7: textbook Wk6
Wk8: review session - final practice exercises, Q&A, feedback and more

Note: the above is an approximate schedule that may be subject to change.

Find Out More

Get in touch to request a full course schedule.

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