In class the first thing we look at is the Japanese reading and writing. We look at hiragana (one of the Japanese phonetic alphabets) first and go through each line of hiragana using picture mnemonics to aid with remembering the shape and writing practise writing on the screen. Whilst we are looking at this aspect of the reading and writing, we also look at introducing ourselves in Japanese. 

As we go through the lesson, I cover reading, writing and speaking. I will initially use English in the lessons but over time introduce instructions such as 'please write' in Japanese so that your child gets a chance to tune their ear to what it sounds like. 

The class structure starts with a catch up chat for a few minutes. This is to put students at ease and to translate anything they want to say into Japanese. It is also a good chance for us to talk about how they got on with their studying in the week. 

After the catch up, we recap what we learnt the previous week with a quiz. All my lessons are created by me and consist of interactive slides.  We then look at the different hiragana one by one, drill the sound, practise writing it on the screen and look at words that we can make with the characters we have learn't along with the subject of the day which maybe learning numbers or how to introduce yourself to others. We have a concept checking quiz to ensure the student has understood what we have covered and if time we go over their personalised learning link which covers all that they have learnt in all of the lessons in game format. I have several game options such as Snakes and Ladders, Tic tac Toe, Memory Game and Quiz format games also. 
   Before the lesson ends, homework is discussed and I ask the student if they have any questions. Homework is then sent over that evening and their learning links are updated with anything that has been learnt in the lesson along with anything else they have wanted to know how to say/write. 

My teaching style is fun and engaging. I am very passionate about actively involving the student in their learning. Students are encouraged to get involved int the lesson, write on the slides and I make sure that they have a lot of the talking time in the lesson and aren't just spoken at. I often ask students what they think of things or if they can guess what something means before we approach it. Lessons are personalised to the student and their learning style. For example, I have students with ADD/ADHD. For these students we have pockets of learning then a game, then another pocket of learning to ensure that they are engaged as much as possible.

 At the initial lesson we will talk about why the student wants to learn Japanese, what they know about Japan and if they watch any anime or read manga etc. I can then draw on the things that motivate them to encourage them in the lessons and make it relatable to them and their interests. All students are different and learn at their own paces.

 My classes are not cookie cutter lessons, they are tailored to the student because I firmly believe that children learn best when they are listened to and respected. My ultimate goal is for your child to feel happy, supported and confident to make mistakes so that they can reach their full potential in learning Japanese.

Example Classes are as follows: - 

Week 1 - Introduction to Japanese - We will be looking at different language types of Japanese as well as cultural hierarchy, what do you know about Japanese society and what are the three main 'aphabets' in Japanese. 

Week 2 - Recap from last week. We will focus on how to read Japanese manga, how writing is used in different texts and how it changes depending on the texts that it is in. 

Week 3 - Recap and looking at the differences between Katakana, hiragana and Kanji. How are they different? What are they used for?

Week 4 - Diving into hiragana, we will look at each character, learn the sound, the stroke order and how to write. We will then make up words that we have learn't with this first line and look at introducing ourselves.