Review

I was very keen to learn to read the Hiragana and Katakana as we were living in Japan for several months and it was frustrating not to be able to read signs and labels etc. Izumi's lessons were very helpful and by the end of 2 months I was able to read many things. She emphasised practical, real life situations and some of our lessons took place in real life settings, such as the supermarket.

Because Izumi has excellent English, she was able to answer many questions I had about spoken language. For example, I was able to describe situations and ask what sort  of language would be appropriate for that setting. Izumi was very patient and encouraged my attempts at spoken Japanese but she also had high expectations and made me feel that I should work hard.

I would highly recommend Izumi as a teacher as she is well prepared, encouraging, and creative in her approach to teaching. I only wish that I could be as good a student as she is a teacher!

 

Heather, Australian - Beginner class

Izumi san was my Japanese teacher for 3 months earlier this year and after visiting Japan regularly since 2002, i have finally made some progress. she is a very dedicated instructor and put in a great deal of effort to make the lessons instructive, practical and fun. she is very thorough and seeks reinforcement in follow up lessons which in my case is essential. the use of flash cards was also very helpful. i can strongly and unequivocally recommend her to anyone and at any level. and i will be seeking her services when i return to Japan next year.

 

Geoff, Australian - Beginner class

We took Japanese lessons with Izumi for Jan & Feb 2013 and were able to complete a Survival Japanese course.  Izumi is an excellent and patient teacher and our classes were always fun.  Izumi pushes you just enough to make sure we aren't lazy and relaxed enough to create a great learning environment.  We'll take more lesson next winter.  At least now we can actually be understood in numerous situations where before we were totally lost.  Thank you Izumi for all your help.
 
Dan & Anne Yoja - Beginner class
Izumi sensei was my Japanese teacher for around five months. Having lived in Japan for several years my needs in learning Japanese were fairly unique. I needed help improving my spoken Japanese primarily and was not interested in learning all the kanji needed for the Japanese level test. Izumi sensei managed my needs easily and provided a fun and interesting text book to help structure my lessons. Over the period of my lessons, my vocabulary improved dramatically and my sentence structure also improved which greatly improved my communication ability. Unfortunately I had to take a break from Japanese lessons because of work commitments, but I intend to continue with Izumi sensei in the future. I recommend her highly.
 
Dom, NZ - intermediate class

In short, Izumi is a great teacher. Depending on your skill level Izumi will completely cater your lesson so that you learn in a logical fashion. As well as this, Izumi makes the lessons very fun and uses props when ever possible to help make lessons more interactive, further increasing the learning process. I fully recommend Izumi as a Japanese teacher, as you're guaranteed to learn something new during each lesson and she is very careful to ensure that you progress at a constant rate.

 

Graeme, British - Beginner class

I have studied a few languages with different methods. I was a little concerned to start learning Japanese since it was something so different to any language I knew before. But learning Japanese with Sensei Izumi was a great experience, where I quickly created a strong Japanese language base. I learned what I needed in order to better communicate in Japan. I always felt that every minute in the class was well spent and as the weeks of class past I could tell I was improving and could use what I had learned in the real Japanese world. Being complemented on the street on the ability to speak a little Japanese is one thing but being able to buy a train ticket 100% in Japanese is a great feeling and I can only thank the Japanese lessons of Sensei Izumi. No question classes with Sensei Izumi are well worth it for anyone wanting to improve their Japanese.       

 

Christopher Wesley, Costa Rica - Beginner class

Izumi quickly worked out my Japanese ability and was able to select and utilize appropriate materials as a means of preparing me for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). Izumi's lessons were fun, motivating and great value for money. Outside of lesson time, Izumi would respond quickly to my Japanese related queries and prepare many much needed review exercises, quizzes and tests. With her great knowledge of the JLPT I would highly recommend Izumi as someone who can fully prepare you for the exam.

 

Ali, British - JLPT N1 class

I took lessons with Izumi as i had been trying to learn Japanese through books and was getting no where very quickly.  After just a few weeks i was able to read basic Japanese and make small conservations.  After a few months i can now make myself understood in most situations, and even talk to my girlfriends parents!
 
Izumi is very dedicated to her students, understanding to their needs and abilities, yet firm at the same time.  I would highly recommend Izumi to anybody.
Laurie, British - Beginner class
I wanted to study for the Japanese Proficiency test, as I needed it for my employment back home, but knew very little about it until I contacted Izumi. She was extremely well organised and dedicated to my progress. She went out of her way to ensure I had the correct resources and text. Izumi had high expectations and gave my plenty of study and homework to do in my spear time. Her lessons were very specific to my goals yet flexible enough to allow for conversation on unrelated topics if I choose. She provided excellent feedback and encouragement and always strived to answer my many questions. She has a good sense of humour which made made our meetings most enjoyable and learning fun. If I make it back to Niseko I will definitely contact Izumi for more lessons and I highly recommend her anyone regardless of your goals or your level. 
Thanks Izumi!

Megan, NZ - JLPT N5 class