When you decide to learn a foreign language, based on your level of interest and the objective behind learning it, you must decide the kind of training you need. If you are keen on learning Japanese to make a career out of it or because you want to move to Japan to study or work, you need thorough training.
You can join a language school or university in your city that offers Japanese language courses for all kinds of learners; beginners, intermediate and advanced. In your class, you will have to study with other students whose learning objectives and ability to pick up what's being taught may vary from yours. Or, you can consider taking private lessons from a qualified Japanese language teacher.
Taking one-to-one classes has several advantages. But the best thing is that this kind of setup will allow you to learn at your own pace and will be totally oriented to help you achieve your learning goals. The teacher's entire focus will be to ensure that you acquire your desired level of reading, writing, and speaking skills in Japanese. Taking private lessons won't be very cheap, but will definitely be effective. The cost of these classes depends upon many factors that we will explore going forward.
Knowing What to Choose
If you are confused about whether or not to take private lessons from a Japanese teacher, the first question that you need to ask yourself is what your end objective is behind learning the language. For instance, if you wish to visit Japan as a tourist and you feel that learning the language will make it easier for you to move around in a foreign land, then it's not necessary to take private lessons. You can use mobile apps to learn the language or look up online content to pick up commonly used words and phrases.
But if you want to acquire long-term reading, writing, and speaking skills, then you need professional guidance. Taking lessons from a private tutor is a great help in one of the following circumstances:
- You want to build a strong foundation so that you can pursue a career as a Japanese language translator or interpreter
- You have a business where you need to work with Japanese clients and knowing the language makes your work easier
- You want to immigrate to Japan to work or study and need to pass your JLPT exams to secure your chances
If it's one of the above reasons you want to learn Japanese for, you need in-depth preparation. When it comes to learning the language, while speaking it is relatively easier, it's not so simple to learn the three major Japanese writing systems of Kanji, Kana (Katakana and Hiragana). These are all essential components in the construction of Japanese sentences and phrases. You need to learn each of these components correctly.
So, based on the requirement and level of interest, you have to decide whether or not you need private classes. When you avail this kind of service, it's more likely that you will be able to progress in your learning much faster. Once you have made your decision, you can weigh the advantages and expenses associated with it.
Cost of a Japanese Private Class
If you are wondering what a Japanese class rate would be like, then here are some facts to give you an idea. Most private teachers charge on an hourly basis. The rates are also dependent on several factors. These are:
Experience of the Teacher
No matter what the sector is, a professional’s work experience is factored in while determining his pay. For a Japanese language teacher as well, the number of years spent teaching Japanese or working in the industry as a translator or interpreter will definitely count. The more the experience, the more he or she will charge you for the hours you want every week.
Level of the Student
Just like the teacher’s experience counts while determining his or her hourly service charges, the level of the student also has an important role to play. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced level student will suggest the number of hours and the amount of effort that has to be put in. With a new student, learning the language for the first time, the load is usually less. Classes are mostly about teaching basic hiragana, katakana, kanji, building vocabulary, and a little grammar. As a student gradually advances to the higher levels, the complexity increases and so does the teacher’s effort involved.
Goal of the Student
The objective of the student behind learning the language is also an important factor. If your ultimate objective is to pass the JLPT exams, the private tutor, in addition to teaching you the study materials, also has to prepare you for the exam. The entire process becomes time-bound and extra effort is needed. The writing, speaking, listening, and reading abilities have to match the level expected of a student sitting in a JLPT exam.
Geographic Location
Whether you want to learn remotely, through online classes with a native bilingual Japanese teacher or you want an Indian private tutor with proper certifications to teach you at home will have major bearings on the Japanese teacher price. While Indian teachers teaching giving in-home private lessons can charge you somewhere between Rs. 1500 to Rs. 2000 per hour for their classes, those offering online sessions can charge you something in the range of Rs. 500 to Rs. 1200. Native Japanese teachers offering online classes can charge in the range of Rs. 2000 to Rs. 3000 for an hour every week.
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Number of Students
In-home private tutors often teach in small groups of 3 or 4. So if you have a couple of friends who would also like to learn Japanese with you and also share similar learning goals, then you all can study together. In that case, the tutor might reduce the hourly charges for a single person.
Benefits of Japanese Private Tutor
To begin your search for a Japanese private class near me or a private tutor offering classes for the Japanese language, you can visit portals like Superprof. These portals have teacher profiles as well as student ratings and reviews to help you choose the right tutor. The courses that they teach are structured by them, based on the needs of the student. Some of the tutors who offer courses in the online mode even offer their first lesson for free. This helps you to experience their service before you decide to take further lessons from them. Here are some of the benefits of taking private classes:
Organized Learning
A private tutor will help you to study in an organized way. There are multiple things to look at: vocabulary, grammar, hiragana, katana, kanji, reading, writing, listening, pronunciation, and oral fluency among others. The best thing about having a tutor to help you out is that, under their guidance, what seems like a lot of coursework can be broken down into smaller bits and approached in a structured way. This will make it easy for you to learn Japanese.
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Multi-Tasking
You might be actually pursuing learning Japanese along with a full-time program in a college or university. So along with studying for that course, you will have to practice Japanese. That is indeed going to be tough. But with a language tutor at home to teach you every week, you can tackle both much better.
Complete Experience
If you end up taking private lessons online, from a native bilingual Japanese teacher who also speaks English and is based out of Tokyo, along with learning the language, you can also know a lot about the Japanese culture. This will end up making the learning experience very authentic for you. Knowing about the culture, the customs of the people, and about the place itself will build your interest in learning. So you can learn all about Japan, sitting at home.
Making Time Count
You can spend years or weeks trying to learn Japanese on your own through online study materials or recommended textbooks. But with a private tutor, education will be time-bound and goal-oriented. You will learn to read, write and converse much faster under the guidance of a tutor. The tutor will point out your strengths and weaknesses and also tell you the areas that will require more practice. As a result, you will progress faster.
Learning foreign languages can be very rewarding. But tackling a language like Japanese on your own can be difficult. If you don't wish to join a language school or university, a tutor at home can help you study, stay motivated and complete your learning. Before selecting a tutor, gather necessary details like his or her years of experience, certifications, hourly cost, etc. Once you find someone who matches your criteria, without wasting time, start your Japanese language learning journey.
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