A year in Nagoya, Japan, daily practice of Japanese, educational resources and a passion for Japanese language and culture.
I offer Japanese courses from beginner level up to B1 level, in Lyon or remotely, for students and adults wishing to learn the language, prepare for a trip, deepen their knowledge of Japan or simply learn Japanese out of passion.
I studied Japanese as part of my studies at the ENS in Lyon and had the opportunity to spend a year in Nagoya, Japan, as part of my Master 2. While there, I took 1.5 hours of Japanese lessons per day, while also practicing the language daily with Japanese people.
I still regularly practice Japanese in Lyon, particularly in language cafés, and I keep in touch with my Japanese friends. Japanese is therefore a language I continue to use and work on every day.
Learn Japanese in a progressive and personalized way
I offer Japanese lessons from beginner to B1 level, following a short placement test, adapting to each student's goals: language learning, conversation, preparation for a trip or university exchange. I work on both written and spoken Japanese—grammar, vocabulary, kanji, comprehension, and expression—and have access to textbooks, exercises, and course materials, including those from my year of study in Nagoya.
Having lived in Japan for a year, where I took 1.5 hours of Japanese lessons every day and practiced extensively with native speakers, I can also offer a very practical approach to the language and everyday situations. I continue to practice Japanese regularly in Lyon.
I also offer sessions on Japanese culture, history, and society, enriched by my studies at the ENS (École Normale Supérieure), my Master's degree in Japanese history, and my experience living there. Having traveled extensively throughout the country, I can also advise future travelers on regions, seasons, events, festivals, and itineraries, including those off the beaten tourist track.
I can support students from their first steps up to a B1 level, after a short placement test to check the level and determine the student's objectives.
Specifically, I can work on:
• hiragana and katakana;
• kanji;
• grammar;
• vocabulary;
• conjugation;
• written and oral comprehension;
• written and oral expression;
• the conversation;
• pronunciation;
• everyday life situations;
• preparing for a trip or stay in Japan.
I can also adapt the sessions to each person's objectives: general progress in Japanese, preparation for a trip, preparation for a university exchange, conversation, review of the basics or deepening of particular concepts.
I have access to textbooks, teaching resources, exercises, and course materials used during my year in Nagoya, as well as resources I have created myself. Therefore, I can offer structured lessons and provide supplementary work between classes.
Particular attention is paid to oral communication.
My year in Japan allowed me to practice Japanese in many everyday situations, and not just in a school setting.
I have had many conversations with Japanese people and continue to practice the language regularly. Therefore, I can offer conversation exercises and help students gradually move beyond Japanese learned solely from textbooks.
The goal is to understand not only how to construct a sentence, but also how to use language in concrete situations.
Discover Japanese culture in all its nuances
I can also offer sessions dedicated to Japanese culture, history and society, in addition to language learning.
My academic background allows me to approach Japan from both an academic and practical perspective. In particular, I studied Japan as part of my degree at the ENS de Lyon and completed my Master's thesis in History focusing on Japan. I also have access to university courses and resources that I can draw upon depending on the student's interests.
Most importantly, I lived in Japan for a year and had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country, both in large cities and in regions and places less frequented by tourists.
I can therefore talk about many aspects of Japanese life and culture from my personal experience: daily habits, regional differences, festivals and events, gastronomy, heritage, student life, transport, social practices, etc.
Tips for traveling to Japan
For people who wish to learn Japanese before a trip, I can also integrate a very practical dimension into the lessons.
Having traveled for a year through different regions of Japan, I can offer advice on:
• regions to discover according to your interests;
• the best times to travel depending on the destination;
• Japanese events and festivals;
• regional routes outside of the classic tourist circuits;
• the lesser-known places that I was able to discover there;
• the differences between large cities and more rural areas;
• everyday life situations that it may be useful to prepare for.
I can also build sessions with the student around a specific trip, for example by working on the necessary vocabulary, the situations they will face and some cultural elements specific to the regions they wish to visit.
An approach tailored to each student
As with my other courses, I adapt to the level and objectives of each individual.
A session might include, for example:
• a review of the concepts seen previously;
• learning new grammar or vocabulary points;
• written exercises;
• listening comprehension;
• a conversation in Japanese adapted to the student's level;
• reading and writing exercises;
• a cultural or historical point;
• exercises to be done between sessions.
I aim to offer structured but lively courses, with a significant emphasis on practice and student progress.
For who ?
I can accompany:
• beginners wishing to discover Japanese;
• pupils and students who already have some basic knowledge;
• people wishing to reach a B1 level;
• future travelers to Japan;
• students preparing for a university stay or exchange;
• people wishing to learn Japanese out of interest in the Japanese language and culture.
Before starting regular follow-up, I can offer a short placement test to check the student's level and determine objectives together.
Courses in Lyon or online
I offer in-person classes in Lyon or online and have the necessary equipment to work effectively remotely.
I can also adapt the format of the sessions according to the needs: regular weekly classes, intensive preparation before a trip or an exam, or one-off sessions devoted to a particular theme.
Please feel free to tell me about your current level, your goals and your relationship with Japanese: together we can determine the course format that will suit you best.
