How To Speak Japanese For Beginners

Your Speaker

Mineko Arai fully understands the different learning methods between Japanese and other languages through 20 years’ experience as a Japanese language teacher, and is regarded as one of the foremost experts on Japanese language acquisition. 

Mineko is the creator of the Arai Method, which helps Japanese learners speak naturally and gain confidence as quickly as possible. She is also the Managing Director of Arai Academy of Japanese Studies.

Lesley - English & Italian Teacher

★★★★★

I had studied Japanese on and off for many years by myself which felt more like dabbling than actual studying. Then I started studying with a Japanese school in my area which was quite good but a little bit unstructured, and despite having reached an intermediate level, I still couldn’t really speak the language because I simply lacked the strong foundation required.

I couldn’t communicate well with my violin teacher who only speaks Japanese, nor could I talk to people freely or make meaningful connections while visiting Japan. I’m usually a very chatty and open person so this felt like a brick wall separating me from Japanese speakers.

This course is different because it provides a solid foundation, step by step, allowing the student to actually use the language from the beginning, even with limited vocabulary. I love the way there are so many other elements mixed into each lesson, such as Hiragana, place names, personal objects, food and Japanese festivals, as well as cultural information, without these actually being the focus of the lesson. Instead, the main focus is on the essential grammatical structures needed to really speak and everything else is acquired naturally. At the end of each lesson, the student has learned a lot more than just the grammar point! I also love the interactive style of each lesson which makes it feel like we’re really interacting in the same room.

I realised the course was working brilliantly when I found myself not only understanding what was being said to me in Japanese but I was also able to respond with ease. This was the first time in years that I was able to do this.

I have not only the ability to understand and speak Japanese properly but also the confidence to speak! Sometimes confidence is the biggest hurdle and this course helps students overcome that! I especially love the community vibe and the monthly online meetings which motivate students to keep learning. I’ve learned more Japanese in a month with Arai Academy than I did in twenty years of self-study!