Ian
Flexible Japanese Tutor at YOUR disposal
I am a recent graduate from San Francisco State University with a BA in Japanese. I have also spent a year in Japan studying abroad. This gives me both textbook and real world spoken Japanese experience. I am open to anyone who wants to learn Japanese and I am willing to go to any lengths to meet the needs of my clients....
grammar
English
ESL/ESOL
Japanese
anatomy
American history
I've been a major history buff all my life and I've had to study US history as part of my undergraduate work.
European history
geography
world history
Das S. from Oakland, CA
Ian is an awesome tutor, and I'm constantly amazed how much he crams into our lessons and how detailed and clear his explanations are for every aspect of Japanese -- pronunciation, vocabulary, grammatical structure, culture. Thanks Ian!
Brenda R. from Livermore, CA
Ian is a very pleasant person who responds quickly to inquiries via email or phone, arrives to appointments on time or slightly early and is very flexible in scheduling. He gets started right away, providing background on when to use the different levels of formality within the language, and sets expectations and goals at the end of each session so the student knows precisely what homework is due and what will be covered for the next session. He is polite yet firm when the student has not practiced/learned to the expected level. Ian uses not only his personal knowledge of the language but incorporates flashcards, a language book and workbook that have CD supplements. We look forward having him come each week.
Varun S. from San Ramon, CA
Ian is knowledgeable in the language and skilled in teaching. He explains the concepts in an easy to understand manner, and provides information and fun facts on how certain aspects of the language came to be. His way of teaching is very effective, he manages to pack a lot of information during the session, and at the same time makes sure the concepts were thoroughly understood. Ian gives a good amount of homework. It's not too much, but it is enough to have the concepts learned in the lesson ingrained. If there's any doubt with the homework, Ian is open to answering questions through text and even phone calls, which was really helpful. As a person, Ian is friendly and patient. He makes the lessons fun, and relaxed. Overall, one of the best tutors I've ever had, and I recommend him to anyone who wants to start or boost their learning in Japanese.
Jumar B. from Milpitas, CA
Ian knows his stuff and makes learning fun and engaging! He was well prepared and was able to answer all of my questions.