Hey Happy Christmas Everyone!

It's that time of year again - time for celebration and a bit of reflection (I prefer the celebration part rather than the reflection side!). Firstly, I would like to thank all my students for your enthusiasm and your love of learning English. As many of you know, I have recently moved to Japan, which means I have a completely different schedule than before. My apologies to those of you who I am no longer able to teach due to time constraints.

Secondly, reflection. Language learning is changing and evolving all the time with countless websites and apps all telling us that if we do this, then we will ‘sound native,’ become fluent, etc., etc. How often do we watch YouTube and think, "OK, got that now," just to forget it in a few days' time? I am not preaching here, but through my own experience of learning Japanese, I have fallen into this trap! (I LOVE YOU, YOUTUBE)!

However, back in 2021, I shared my goals regarding learning Kanji and rewarding myself with a sticker each time I managed to complete a level. Back then, I had just 6 stickers and 54 more levels to go; the picture shows what my laptop is like today. While my Japanese speaking is not great, I can handle basic conversations. Reading is my strongest language skill currently, but next year I will focus on my comprehension and listening. To attain a basic level of Kanji reading proficiency, every day I have studied Kanji using only 1 app; this is now routine for me.

So, whatever motivates you to do regarding your language learning for 2024, do it and stick to it. Also, take good, enjoyable lessons along the way! Hopefully, see you soon. If you cannot see time available on my schedule, please contact me, and I’ll see what I can arrange.