Offered:

Both in-person classes in Hamilton, New Zealand or live-instruction via Zoom.

  • Individual Tutorial sessions are offered on a one-on-one basis and subject to instructor availability. You can begin your lessons at anytime of the year. Please contact us if you are interested (using the Contact menu bar item on our home page.)

  • This course is offered as either an in-person course at the EarthDiverse Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand or live-streamed via Zoom if you live elsewhere.

Description:

As this is an individual tutorial, our Japanese 1-on-1 sessions are tailored to your level and we can focus on whatever you are most interested in.

  • • If you are a beginner, or already speak or read some Japanese, we can focus solely on your needs at any level. Whether you need some extra help, wish to learn to read and write in Japanese, or if you already know some Japanese we can help you get to the next level. We also can help native Japanese speakers who who do not know the written scripts.

  • • For new learners, we focus on learning the Japanese scripts and basic reading and writing capabilities. This tutorial can also introduce basic introductory grammar & vocabulary and gets students speaking with some basic conversational ability.

  • • You let us know what you need and we'll provide individually tailored sessions to your level. Once you are up-to-speed you can consider joining one of our ongoing Japanese courses or continue with individual 1-on-1 tutorial sessions.

  • • Simply contact us about your interest and Yurika will get in touch with you to set up a Zoom call to discuss your needs and to choose an appropriate time for your lessons.

Course curriculum:

Week by week new material will be posted throughout the duration of the course. Video recordings of each weekly session will be posted here after 1-2 days after each class.

    1. EarthDiverse Course Information

    2. EarthDiverse Zoom instructions

    1. Japanese writing practice sheet

    2. Genki-Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese - Chpt 1 pp 1-57 PDF

    3. Genki-Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese - Chpt 2 pp 58-83 PDF

    4. Genki - Numbers part 1, p48 PDF

    5. Genki - Numbers part 2, pp68-69 PDF

    1. 20250527 T2.4 Japanese 601 Video

Additional course info:

  • Videos and PDF content of class presentations or whiteboard notes are uploaded weekly within 1-2 days of each live session.
  • Tailored to your schedule
  • mutually agreed upon day and time depending on instructor availability

Meet our Instructor:

Japanese Instructor Yurika Arai, M Phil English and M Professional Studies

Yurika comes from Japan and has been living in Hamilton for over 30 years. She taught Japanese at the University of Waikato for 15 years and currently works as an early childhood education teacher and a freelance translator.

Japanese Instructor Matt Ferri

Born to a Kiwi father and a Samoan mother, Matt Ferri is something of a cookies-and-cream milkshake. It explains why his childhood was divided between two rather distinctly-sized islands, and, more importantly, why cookies and cream is his favourite flavour. At some stage he grew up, got a degree, and moved to a third island, Japan, where he spent five years teaching English and studying Japanese. His BA in English has a ‘First Class Honours’ suffix, which may have helped him get there; and his Diploma in Creative Writing has also proven invaluable – as filler content for his CV. Back in Hamilton now, Matt tutors NCEA English and proofreads university reports. And now and then he ponders, as he reflects on those three islands, how the phrase ‘home is where the heart is’ applies if your heart feels split.

Location:

Depending on your location, this class can consist of either in-person sessions at at a mutually agreeable location in Hamilton, New Zealand or live-streamed via Zoom.

Distance Learning:

This 1-on-1 tutorial course has distance-learning options for those unable to attend live classes in Hamilton, New Zealand. Students have three options for attending our courses once they have registered:

  • Attend in-person classes in our Hamilton classrooms at the regularly scheduled day and time.

  • Attend our live on-line classroom sessions via Zoom at the regular scheduled day and time.

  • Watch the live-recorded class sessions at your leisure, at a time, day and place more suited to your schedule.

Distance-Learning options:

Live Zoom sessions and video recordings

  • • In addition to our in-person classes in Hamilton, our courses offer distance learning options for those unable to attend classes in-person. Live-streamed Hamilton classes are available via free Zoom software for those living outside the Waikato. Live-streaming allows you to participate fully in your own learning, ask questions of the instructor and participate fully in the same way as if you were in the physical classroom.

  • • Those unable to attend the scheduled date and time of the actual class sessions, or those who need to miss a class or two due to previous engagements or unexpected illness, can watch any or all of the live-recorded video sessions on their computers, laptops, tablets or mobile devices and study at their own pace and in their own time.

  • • Detailed instructions on how to access our distance learning components will be sent after completing your registration. There are no additional fees for this service. However, distance learners will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a good quality web-camera (tablet devices and mobile phones can also access our live-streamed classes), a built-in microphone (most modern laptops have built-in microphones) or a headset with a microphone. You will also need to download and install the free Zoom software on your computer or device. Those accessing the video recordings will be able to do so with a simple web browser on any device.

Pricing options:

All prices in New Zealand dollars and includes GST.

Notes:

Those who cannot make the class meeting day and time via live Zoom sessions may consider accessing this course through the weekly recorded video sessions. Class videos are usually posted within 1-2 days of each live class session and are available for your own personal learning on a day and time of your choosing.

  • • This course has no assignments, quizzes, tests or exams (unless you'd like these!).

    • You will not need to purchase any additional course materials.

    • All classes encourage questions and group discussion.

    • PDFs of class presentations and video recordings of each session are posted 1-2 days after each session for the duration of the course. You are most welcome to come, sit back, relax, take part in and enjoy the discussions!

    • If you’re attending in-person, course fees include tea/coffee/snack at each session. Help yourself!

    • Missed classes can be rescheduled upon advanced consultation with your instructor.

    • Please email or text your teachers if you are unable to attend any specific class session.

    • Guests of registered participants are welcome to attend a single session without registering.

Materials:

All materials are included in the course fees. These are developed by our instructors and distributed as PDF files on the course webpage

  • • Course materials are provided to all registered students as digital materials made available to you on the course webpage for download (accessible after registration). There is no need to purchase any additional textbooks for this course, although you may choose to do so to supplement your learning.

    • You will only require a pen or pencil, a notebook for taking your own class notes, and a loose-leaf binder.

    • Any notes that our instructor writes on a digital whiteboard are posted to the class webpage on your dashboard as a PDF file so that you can print these out at home and add them to your own notebook.

Prerequisites:

A keen desire to begin or continue your Japanese learning in an individual tutorial setting.

  • • There are no prerequisites for this course.

  • • We accept students aged 10 years and above.