The following are testimonials from former Ippo Ippo Japanese students.
Note: Ippo Ippo is no longer a teaching service.
Ellie
Well prepared, friendly, dedicated, knowledgeable...all the best you can get from an educator squeezed in one person! Highly recommended.
Ryan
I’ve been studying with Elly for nearly a year now and lessons are always something I look forward to. It’s great being able to keep my Japanese skills from dulling and I’m always learning new things. I feel like my views are always taken into account with our goals. Lessons are so relaxed and easygoing and, most of all, just a lot of fun!
Alex E
In just two years of studying with Elly, I made more progress in Japanese language and culture than I did in the preceding four years combined. Their personalised instruction and engaging teaching style helped me to boost my comprehension, my ability to express myself, and my enjoyment of the language and culture. I highly recommend Elly to anyone who is serious about learning Japanese.
Izzy
I'm working with Elly to try and pass N2 of the JLPT in the next year. Despite the exam being cancelled twice because of the Covid-19 pandemic, they have been very motivating and extremely helpful in terms of me maintaining a study plan and schedule. Elly is always prepared and organised in their lessons and I know I can email them in between with anything I'm struggling with and receive a prompt and useful response.
I have studied Japanese for a long time with various teachers as well as alone and this is the most driven I've felt in years thanks to Elly's encouragement. I can't recommend them enough if you're studying for the JLPT or even if you're just starting out with Japanese.
エリーさん、いつも応援してくれて、本当にありがとうございます。
Allasan
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Elly as a Japanese tutor to anyone looking to learn the language. Classes are friendly, fun and at your own pace and Elly is flexible if I need more time on a specific topic.
Eleanor
Elly is a great teacher who’s been very willing to adapt to my changing circumstances. I started lessons as a way to pass the time while I was furloughed in lockdown and they’ve kept going in the evenings now I’m back at work. Elly has been able to work with my existing knowledge to help me move on.
Josh
I started lessons with Elly in order to gain more confidence speaking Japanese, as I was worried that my spoken ability was falling behind my classmates at university. Each week, Elly creates lessons tailored specifically for myself, with my own learning goals in mind.
Elly is an extremely understanding and patient teacher, and they create a learning environment where I am not afraid to make mistakes. Since starting these lessons, I have noticed that my confidence in speaking has rapidly grown, and I am now working towards achieving the JLPT N2 award.
Alex D
I've been working my Japanese with Elly for a couple of months and I highly recommend anyone looking to improve their Japanese level to send Ippo Ippo Japanese a message. Elly is a great teacher and I could see my progress week after week: very good communication, a personalised program made for what I need, a fun and efficient way to learn the language. Thank you!
Bent
Having taken weekly lessons for over half a year, I am very happy with the progress I’ve been able to make. Elly-sensei is very encouraging and was kind enough to tailor our lessons to my individual starting level, which was a bit all over the place. We are able to agree flexible learning goals, so each lesson has something new and relevant in store. This results in a great learning journey covering established textbook material while enhancing it by introducing adjacent subjects relevant to my objectives and interests.
I’m very much looking forward to continuing to study with Ippo Ippo!
Sophie
Elly's lessons are always enjoyable and really help with my confidence in speaking Japanese. They're carefully and clearly planned out in advance, but still flexible so that you can choose what parts of the language you want to focus on improving. At first I was a bit nervous about having private lessons over Zoom, but Elly is really friendly and I quickly became more confident with that too. I recommend studying with Elly for anyone working towards any goal with Japanese!
Emily
Really enjoyable language lessons! Elly is a great teacher and plans interesting classes with plenty of conversation and grammar, and with good materials. I learnt some Japanese when I was living in Japan, but never learnt properly, so studying with Elly has been really beneficial.
Alex E
Elly has really helped me develop my Japanese. I've used a mixture of Study Support and Private Tutoring and both have been instrumental in keeping me on course and steadily developing my abilities. Studying Japanese is more fun, manageable and interesting with Ippo Ippo!
Jan
I decided to learn Japanese when my son went to live in Japan and a few years later married a beautiful Japanese lady.
However, I found the class I tried was too fast paced and stressful for me. My son then recommended Elly and I signed up for their Intro to Japanese course. I really enjoyed this short course as it was relaxed, fun and concentrated on the basics and practical language.
After this finished, I wanted to practise what I had learned and possibly take it a stage further with home learning.
Study Support sessions with Elly have proved to be my solution. I can work on a subject on my own then broaden my understanding with discussions and practical conversation. Sometimes the whole session maybe just revolves around a question I ask. Elly makes notes throughout our time and sends them to me so I don’t forget what we have covered.
This in effect means that I set the pace at which I am working and sessions are tailored to my specific requirements rather than a set curriculum. It has also led to a huge improvement in my pronunciation as I am now getting the chance to use it in a one to one situation.
I can thoroughly recommend Study Support sessions with Elly to anyone who wants to develop their Japanese or just needs to build some extra confidence, no matter if they are beginners or at a more advanced stage.
Manuela
I really enjoyed studying N2 grammar with Elly-san. They shared very interesting and fun material. Their way of teaching with original Japanese material is excellent. They also answered all my many questions on Japanese etymology. Thanks Elly-san!
Lily
The N2 grammar course is very well structured, organised and fun too. It somehow made the daunting task of remembering all the N2 grammar feel much easier! Elly is thoughtul, attentive and goes the extra mile to make sure you understand everything. It was very motivating to have Elly's support and I felt like I made a lot more progress, with deeper understanding, than I would have been able to alone. If you're thinking of taking N2, or even just want to recap, I would definitely recommend this course.
Ryan
Elly has done great work putting together this comprehensive course with a lot of different examples and ways of practising the grammar. They introduce and break down the grammar and the differences in a way the book alone doesn’t quite go into. They always create a relaxed and friendly environment to learn and I always look forward to each lesson as I always come away feeling that bit more knowledgable!
Holly
Today I finished a Prep for JLPT N5 course. It was just what I wanted and I enjoyed it. Thanks Elly!
Gina
With the small class size, I always felt like we had time to answer everyone's questions. Elly is a kind and approachable teacher and they make sure to tailor each lesson based on our needs and requests.
Annie
Studying with Elly has been an absolute joy! I was particularly impressed with how effectively they used online tools to create an immersive learning environment. Having homework every week helped solidify my learning and Elly was always helpful and patient with any questions we had. As a queer person, I also value how thoughtful Elly was about creating a safe and comfortable learning space for their students. I would highly recommend this course to anyone wanting to prepare for sitting the N5 🙂
Cathy
Elly is a brilliant teacher: kind, encouraging, with classes crammed full of interesting learning opportunities.
Jasmin
Studying with Elly has been so much fun! Elly is a great teacher - approachable, encouraging, understanding, and they made classes a non-intimidating place to learn (and to make mistakes!). I feel like I've learnt a lot, and I'm feeling more confident with my Japanese as a result. I would highly recommend learning Japanese with Elly!
Jack
Elly is a friendly, welcoming teacher of Japanese. Their classes are well thought out and run at a good pace to make sure you understand everything that is being taught. Even if you don’t know any Japanese at all I would happily recommend Ippo Ippo Japanese as the first place to start your learning!
Jack
The Japanese for Beginners classes have really helped me understand concepts that I didn’t quite get from reading Genki alone. Then being able to practise this with fellow classmates has helped more than anything else!
Dave
I have really enjoyed and learnt a great deal during my work with Elly and the other group participants. Elly presented materials and resources to aid our learning. It was fun. I am beginning to feel more confident in my reading of hiragana, katakana and some kanji. My Japanese vocabulary has increased a great deal and my Japanese sentence structures are developing. Listening to and understanding Japanese has improved as has my own use of Japanese language. I would recommend working with Elly.
Paula
I found the course to be fun and easy to follow. Elly is a fantastic teacher.
Jack
Elly's Travel Japanese class has been fantastic. It has helped me understand and learn useful phrases to get around. The culture tips are also invaluable so I can make sure I stay polite when I visit!
Jan
My favourite thing about the course was working with like minded people from both the UK and other countries and discussing their opinions and expectations.
Peter
Elly is a great teacher, and the course was well-targeted for the audience. I would recommend Ippo Ippo to anyone.
Lesley
I highly recommend Elly’s class if you’re interested in learning Japanese or in traveling to Japan. In their Travel Japanese class, everything you need to know before traveling to Japan is explained clearly. I never had a dull moment in class for the past 8 weeks, because of their fun and friendly teaching approach.
Elly provides a relaxed space to learn and ask questions. I enjoyed learning the do’s & don’ts, and the survival tips immensely. Elly is not only down-to-earth and considerate, but also knowledgeable. For someone like me who had traveled to Japan a few times, and still be able to learn many new things in the course – what else can I ask for? I’m excited and looking forward to using everything I had learned in this course, with confidence, for my next trip to Japan.
Jan
A fun way to learn Japanese in a relaxed atmosphere. The Japanese taught is not too bogged down by grammar, but practical ‘survival Japanese’ language you would use on a visit there. I thoroughly recommend this course.
Prema
Elly's classes provide a relaxed, friendly way to study Japanese from someone who understands the journey of learning it as a second language. They use many real-life examples that further cement the learning. I recommend studying with Elly.
Hollie & Luke
Our favourite things about the course were the ownership given to us and freedom to choose what interests us most/what we were most keen to learn. Also, clear handouts and materials used and a lovely relaxed and friendly tone and atmosphere. Lots of great insider knowledge about life in Japan too.
Mona
My favourite thing about the course was the professional but fun atmosphere and the great effort the teacher took to teach us.
Jeannine
I enjoyed every minute of this interactive webinar! Very practical everyday do's & don'ts were clearly explained with the right pace and humor. A list of resources was provided and a follow-up email came minutes after the Zoom ended. I bet Elly’s language/culture classes are just as great! I don't want to miss a thing now. It gives you the taste to visit Japan earlier than planned! An hour of useful info very well worth it. Just perfect!
Silvina
The event was well packed with those basics you would dream to know, and more. Very friendly space, interactive and accessible for a total beginner. Teachers are very nice and theoretical and practically knowledgeable. I loved it! You end the event willing to learn more!
Anonymous
If you’re thinking about learning Japanese I highly recommend these taster sessions! I felt nervous before the session, but I was completely put at ease by how friendly, encouraging and informative Fran and Elly were. I’ve come away from the session wanting to learn more and I can’t wait to start my Japanese language journey 
Holly
The Tadoku Taster was an enjoyable introduction to a new tool for improving my Japanese. It's hard to find Japanese reading material at beginner's level so this was a pleasant surprise. Elly and Hitomi san are positive and encouraging.
Jack
The Tadoku Taster was a great way to learn about Tadoku. It made me realise that I could start using the limited Japanese knowledge I have already by reading short stories. I can't wait to go through more books!
Sara
I really enjoyed the Tadoku Taster! The class was really fun and interactive, I felt really comfortable even as a beginner. After the Taster I now have a good idea of what Tadoku is as a tool to learn Japanese and Elly and Hitomi shared a lot of interesting Tadoku materials to read too!