Both native and non-native speakers of Japanese teach the structure of the language so that students learn far more than mere words or phrases. Through role playing and rote practice during class and at home, students learn to manipulate parts of speech, acquire vocabulary and ritualistic expressions. Our method was inspired by a highly regarded university-level textbook based Japanese: The Spoken Language, by Eleanor Harz-Jorden and Mari Noda.

Classes are taught in Japanese because our focus is on the spoken language. However, we use some English to explain new concepts and vocabulary. We introduce the three Japanese alphabets: hiragana, katakana and kanji and diligent students can graduate to reading and writing in Japanese.

Concerning students with a foundation in Japanese, we believe that one’s level of knowledge is more important than her or his age in determining class placement. Therefore, through interviews as well as evaluations of reading and writing proficiency, we will determine the correct class for each student.