I fully and warmly recommend Chika Sensei’s Japanese language courses. They are thorough, interesting and motivating, and cleverly weave many elements of grammar, vocabulary and conversation into each lesson. It is clear that Chika Sensei is an experienced teacher, she seems to know what we need as learners and how to keep us fully engaged. I started with Chika Sensei’s N4 course (I passed N5 last year, before I discovered Chika Sensei) and, while I am waiting for my N4 result, I have continued with the N3 course.

Combining learning a complex language like Japanese with a full-time job and busy home life is not so easy. I have hardly any opportunities for exposure to the language other than what’s on the internet and Netflix, so a rigorous schedule of regular learning is critical. Chika Sensei’s carefully structured courses enable me to learn when I can and test my understanding through homework and regular quizzes. On some days, I can get through two or three lessons, on other days, it can be late evening before I free up some time to review my learning or start a new lesson.

I find that, while the lessons are short and focused, and themselves do not take too long to complete, my recall is better when I supplement this with my own practice to truly embed the learning. For each grammar point, new verb or vocabulary, for example, I find or create more sentence examples. While 10 minutes a day on average may work for some people, I believe solid progress needs an investment of more time. The good thing is that these courses help you focus your learning so that you progress systematically, building on what you are taught.

By far the most engaging thing about Chika Sensei’s system is the daily feedback. No matter what day of the week I submit my homework, or whether I submit several homework items at once or just one, Chika Sensei always responds the next day with insightful comments. I learn much from Chika Sensei’s responses as well as from the course itself. More than this, Chika Sensei’s kind, prompt and often witty feedback always make me feel as though I am a VIP and she truly cares about my progress. It’s incredible that such an online and theoretically impersonal system can feel so personalized and compelling. Chika Sensei has created the perfect balance between enabling self-paced learning and inspiring continual progress.

Thank you, Chika Sensei.