Ever dreamed of really speaking Japanese?
Why I Focus on 1-on-1 Japanese Conversation Lessons
Hello everyone!
I’m MIA, the owner of the Japanese learning platform “Japanese for Me”. I teach Japanese to learners from all over the world, and today I want to share why I focus so much on 1-on-1 conversation lessons.
——
Why test scores are not enough
When I was learning English, I studied grammar, tenses, prepositions like in, on, at, and took tests like TOEIC, which is similar to JLPT for Japanese learners.
TOEIC measures reading and listening skills, but it does not test speaking (same as JLPT). That means you can have a high score but still struggle in real-life conversation.
I studied hard, improved my TOEIC score, and even qualified to study abroad in the U.S. I thought I was ready… until my first day in America. At the airport immigration counter, I could not understand anything. The officer spoke fast with a natural accent, and I froze.
Later, at CVS (a big American drugstore), I experienced this again. The cashier asked:
“Do you need a bag?”
It’s a super simple basic English, just “do you + verb,” but I could not answer. I could not understand quickly enough, and even if I did, I didn’t know how to respond naturally.
That was the moment I realized: all my textbook study and test preparation didn’t prepare me for real conversation.
——
Input is not enough—practice speaking!
Many language learners spend a lot of time listening or reading—podcasts, textbooks, or group classes and school. That is important, but it is not enough. Real people don’t speak like in podcasts or listening tests.
In group classes, you often wait your turn, listen to explanations, or hear other students. But in a 1-on-1 lesson, all the time is yours to speak. Even a 30-minute one-on-one lesson can be much more effective than a 3-hour group class for your speaking.
——
Why teacher matching matters
Another important factor is finding a teacher who matches you. If your teacher shares your interests or personality, the conversation becomes natural and fun. When you have the right teacher, you learn faster, enjoy the lesson more, and it’s a total win.
——
About our platform
On Japanese for Me, all teachers are carefully trained. They know:
How to keep a conversation going
How to make lessons enjoyable
How to customize lessons for each student
You can find a teacher in two ways:
Search directly on the platform and choose a teacher yourself.
If you are not sure which teacher is best for you, contact us through the inquiry form, and we will recommend a teacher who fits your needs perfectly.
——
Real conversation is very different from textbook examples
1-on-1 lessons maximize your speaking time
Teacher-student matching is key
You can explore teachers yourself, or we can help you find the perfect match
With regular 1-on-1 conversation lessons, you will gain confidence and be able to speak naturally.
Why Our Platform “Japanese for Me” is Special
There are a few important points about the Japanese for Me platform that I want to share. These points are all designed for the learners, but I also created this platform from the perspective of a Japanese teacher, so it’s very friendly for teachers too.
First, you may know there are many other one-on-one language learning platforms. But usually, those platforms take a large commission from teachers’ lesson fees. Often, 20% or more goes to the platform.
Also, support is limited. Other platforms are based overseas, which makes it a bit difficult for Japanese teachers to get help when problems arise. Combined with high fees, this makes teaching very challenging on those platforms.
When I started teaching Japanese, I thought about using other platforms, but the fees were just too high. No matter how hard I worked, a big part of my earnings would go to the platform.
That’s why in Japanese for Me, we keep platform fees as low as possible.
We also provide a teacher community, where teachers can share resources, discuss difficult questions from students, and support each other. This helps teachers feel confident and backed up while teaching.
Another important point: Japanese for Me is Japan-based. We are not an overseas company. That means all the money stays in Japan, supporting teachers and the Japanese language community here.
So, by using this platform, you are not only learning Japanese—you are also supporting Japanese teachers and the Japanese language community.
This platform is built from both the teacher’s perspective and my perspective as a language platform owner. If you want to support Japan, Japanese teachers and their work, this is the perfect place to do it.
