Japanese Teaching

I worked part-time as a Japanese instructor when I was in Japan. I taught many learners from many countries — the USA, Australia, Philippines, China, etc. Even today, I teach some Japanese learners in both online and offline.

Courses

I offer online/offline courses and even both.

Online Course: Write whatever you like in Japanese, for example, a blog article, and submit it to me by e-mail. I will reply it with corrections and descriptions for each errors. If you want, you can have speaking practice with me on Skype.
Offline/Hybrid Course: These are very similar to the online course. I will give you writing assignments every time since they are very important for your Japanese studying.
(For Schools): Please contact with me by e-mail: Nate@culip.net

Cost & Tuition

For half an hour tutoring: $8 US of cash, sandwiches & a coffee, half an hour of teaching me English (if you have 'A' grade(s) for English,) helping my computer problems (regarding Linux/Unix,) etc. I'd like to talk about the deal by e-mail. And don't worry, I'm not interested in earning A LOT OF $$$ (or ¥¥¥!)

Also, you must have a Japanese-English dictionary or/and a Japanese-Japanese dictionary for foreign learners (that depends on your Japanese writing skill,) and study materials. They cost around $30 - $60.

Helpful Links

The links below help your studying Japanese. They all are free!

Japanese-English dictionaries

アルク英辞郎(えいじろう) (ALC Eijiro): URL: http://www.alc.co.jp; For Firefox or Opera users: http://eow.alc.co.jp/%s/UTF-8/ then set a shortcut keyword like a.; Level: All; ALC Eijiro is the world's largest database of Japanese and English translations. You can search with not only a single word, but also multiple words (i.e. sentences.)
Wikipedia English version: URL: http://en.wikipedia.org; For Firefox or Opera users: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%s then set a shortcut keyword like w.; Level: All; Search with English word(s), then jump into its Japanese version. It will tell you how to say that word(s) in Japanese.
ウィキペディア (Wikipedia Japanese version): URL: http://ja.wikipedia.org; For Firefox or Opera users: http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%s then set a shortcut keyword like jw or wj.; Level: All; Search with Japanese word(s), then jump into its English version. Also, it will help you understanding how to describe a thing in Japanese clearly.

Corpus

Google: URL: http://www.google.com; For Firefox or Opera users: http://www.google.com/search?q=%s then set a shortcut keyword like g.; Level: All; Did you know Google search helps you correct your sentences? Try search with "美しさ" and "美しみ" (note the quotes,) and compare the number of hits.

Japanese-Japanese dictionary

goo 辞書(じしょ) (Japanese-Japanese dictionary): URL: http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp; For Firefox or Opera users: http://ext.dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/jn/%s/m0u/ then set a shortcut keyword like goo.; Level: Intermediate - Advanced; Using a Japanese-Japanese dictionary allows you to think something in Japanese, instead of English. Then your Japanese speaking/writing ability will improve effectively.

Learners FAQ

For Beginners

I am a beginner. How can I start studying Japanese?: In my experience with studying English as a second language, you must study the basics.; I understand you may study how to say "which maid café do you recommend" in Japanese, rather than "this is a desk." I've seen tons of learners spending lots of effort for studying strange idioms and complaining that they cannot improve their Japanese speaking & writing abilities for the lack of the basics.

For Intermediate & Advanced Learners

どのようにして日本語(にほんご)を学(まな)ぶべきでしょうか。 (How should I learn Japanese?): 本当(ほんとう)によい本(ほん)を使(つか)いましょう。そしてよい先生(せんせい)に教(おそ)わりましょう。; Use excellent, reliable study materials. Study under good instructors.
よい教材(きょうざい)とは何(なん)ですか。 (What is an excellent study material?): 日本(にほん)の日本語(にほんご)学者(がくしゃ)らによって書(か)かれていることが一番(いちばん)大切(たいせつ)です。英語(えいご)学習(がくしゅう)にも同(おな)じことが言(い)えます。『イージー・イングリッシュ by タロウ山田(やまだ)』という本(ほん)で勉強(べんきょう)したいと思(おも)いますか？（そんなことないですよね。）; The most important thing is whether the material is written by Japanese scholars in Japan. That's the same thing when you study English. Do you want to study with a book like Eazy English by Taro Yamada? (Say NO!); ちなみに「日本語(にほんご)能力(のうりょく)試験(しけん)」などと書(か)かれた本(ほん)ならとても信用(しんよう)できます。そのような本(ほん)は間違(まちが)いなくちゃんとした日本語(にほんご)学者(がくしゃ)によって書(か)かれているからです。その上(うえ)外国人(がいこくじん)学習者(がくしゅうしゃ)にもわかりやすい説明(せつめい)が書(か)かれています。その中(なか)でも人気(にんき)のあるものを選(えら)ぶようにしましょう。; For example, you can trust study materials with any title contains '日本語能力試験 (Japanese language proficiency test)' because such books must be written by real Japanese scholar(s). Moreover, those books are written for foreigners, and so have many clear explanations for them. Choose the most popular one among them.
外国人(がいこくじん)向(む)けのやさしい国語(こくご)辞典(じてん)を探(さが)しています。 (Is there any great Japanese-Japanese dictionary for foreigners?): 『外国人(がいこくじん)のための楽(たの)しい日本語(にほんご)辞典(じてん)（三省堂(さんせいどう)）』がおすすめです。残念(ざんねん)ながらこのような外国人(がいこくじん)向(む)けの国語(こくご)辞典(じてん)はあまり種類(しゅるい)がありません。; I recommend "外国人のための楽しい日本語辞典（三省堂）" (The fun Japanese dictionary for foreigners by Sanseido Press). Unfortunately, there are very few varieties of Japanese-Japanese dictionaries for foreigners.
日本の本(ほん)や物(もの)はどのようにして買(か)えますか。 (How can I get Japanese stuff?): 例(たと)えばAmazon.co.jp(アマゾン・ドット・シーオー・ドット・ジェーピー)で購入(こうにゅう)できます。Amazon.co.jpには英語(えいご)のページもあり，本やCD，DVD，VHSテープの海外(かいがい)配送(はいそう)も受(う)け付(つ)けています。; You may purchase any Japanese item from online stores such as Amazon.co.jp. Amazon.co.jp has English pages and offers international shipping for books, CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes: Go to Amazon.co.jp, then click "in English".; しかしAmazon.co.jpの国際(こくさい)エクスプレス便(びん)はとても高価(こうか)です。例えば北米(ほくべい)の場合(ばあい)，一回(いっかい)の配送(はいそう)に本やVHSテープには2,700円(えん)，CD/DVDには1,700円かかり，それに加えて１品(ひとしな)につき300円かかります。; Still their International Express Shipping is expensive. To North America, for instance, they charge ¥2,700 per shipment for books & videos, or ¥1,700 per shipment for CD/DVDs, plus ¥300 for each item.
よい日本語(にほんご)講師(こうし)とはどのような人(ひと)ですか。 Who is an excellent Japanese instructor?): 日本語(にほんご)ネイティブで，なおかつ教養(きょうよう)のある方(かた)から教(おそ)わりましょう。教養(きょうよう)があるかないかは，その人(ひと)が書いた文章(ぶんしょう)を他(ほか)の日本人(にほんじん)に見(み)せればすぐに判定(はんてい)できるものです。; Study under a well-educated, Japanese native speaker. To determine somebody's Japanese speaking / writing ability, show her/his writing to other Japanese.; 言(い)い換(か)えれば，あまり教養のない人から日本語を教わると，ろくな目(め)に合(あ)いません。でたらめを教わったりします。私も日本にいたころは，よくそうした外国人生徒を見ては正したものです。; In other words, avoid studying under an uneducated Japanese. They may teach you a wrong thing. When I was in Japan, I had seen such foreign learners, and correct the errors taught by uneducated Japanese.; ちなみにある程度(ていど)日本語(にほんご)が分(わ)かる場合(ばあい)，外国人(がいこくじん)講師(こうし)はあまり期待(きたい)できません。外国人にもかかわらず日本語を教養のある日本人と対等(たいとう)に話(はな)せる方は極(きわ)めて珍(めずら)しいからです。; In addition, if you are advanced level, don't study under a non-Japanese instructor. Very few foreigners write/speak Japanese as well as educated Japanese do.
日本語講師からは何を学ぶべきですか。 (What should I learn from a Japanese instructor?): ブログの記事(きじ)など，自分(じぶん)の興味(きょうみ)のあるものを書き，それを添削(てんさく)指導(しどう)してもらいましょう。これならメールでも簡単(かんたん)に指導を受けられます。; Write something you are interested in, such as a blog article, and then show it to your instructor so as to fix errors on the text. Moreover, you can do this by just exchanging e-mails.
ちゃんとした本や講師から学ぶだけでは，くだけた表現(ひょうげん)が身につかないと思います。(I will unable to study informal expressions as long as I learn from excellent books or instructors!): それでよいのです。あなた自身(じしん)が外国人(がいこくじん)であることを絶対(ぜったい)に忘(わす)れないでください。日本人から世話(せわ)を受けている，そして日本語を外国語として話している立場なのです。外(よそ)から来(く)る人は丁寧(ていねい)に接(せっ)し，外から来(き)たひとには丁寧に世話(せわ)をするのが日本の「おもてなし」の心得(こころえ)です。それを無視(むし)して馴(な)れ馴(な)れしく接(せっ)すると，日本人に嫌(きら)われ兼(か)ねません。; Don't worry! Do not forget that you are a foreigner. You need hospitality given by Japanese, besides you use their language. An alien must behave politely to people there, and they must be hospitable towards her/him . . . that is one of very important Japanese custom, called omotenashi. If you violate this custom and behave too friendly, then Japanese people may get unhappy or even angry.

Questions or Comments?

If you have any interest, question, or comment, feel free to contact with me by e-mail: Nate@culip.net.