日本語
Learn Japanese
with Hills Learning Online

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INFO and REGISTERSTUDENT VOICESJAPANESE LEVELSLESSON TYPES

Japanese Classes

-Our usual schedule is 1.5 hours per week for 8 weeks (12 hours total)
-Interested in more than one semester? Please look at our class bundles
-Get a discount on your next semester if you refer a friend / family member
-Check course details for more information on the textbook

Japanese Student Voices

I very much enjoy taking class with my sensei. She is always helpful and patient while we are doing our work. I like that my classmates are committed to speaking in our target language most of the time and I enjoy being challenged by their skill level. The online classes are so convenient for me, especially with a busy work schedule.

LOUISA S

I have taken this class for about three years now and I have learned so much within those years. I feel confident in my Japanese and that I am steadily improving. It is a truly wonderful class with amazing classmates and a phenomenal teacher. The online courses are fun and informational.

LAYLA B

I personally love this course. The sensei is great, I have great classmates and the atmosphere is awesome. The curriculum itself is great, I think it is all thought out thoroughly as it is presented in a good manner. The website is great as a resource just in case you lost access to your email you can still review notes. Once again, my experience at Hills Learning is a 10/10, I can't wait for my next semester to start!

MELVIN A

I feel like I really do learn a lot by hearing only Japanese spoken in class. Repetition, visuals, and context really help me put things together for myself. I'm very pleased that the class covers all components of language - reading, writing, listening and speaking. These are skills that are difficult to obtain when learning on my own. So my overall experience has been really great!

KAITLYN C

I am very satisfied with what I have learned so far, I very much enjoy this class! My instructor is an excellent teacher who is great at pacing our learning and giving us great context. I like that we communicate almost solely in Japanese.

BILL O

I am very happy at Hills Learning. The teachers are great. They are very accommodating and supportive of students' needs. I feel motivated and inspired to study Japanese thanks to the teaching staff at Hills Learning. The curriculum is well-designed and it prepares to interact in everyday situations, e.g. at the restaurant, store, flea market. I enjoy Conversation Corner as well and look forward to the next one.

PIOTR D

My sensei is great at explaining grammar and providing helpful tips to remember them. The homework does a wonderful job of reinforcing what is discussed in class; I am able to recall a lot more from the classes than I did with solo learning. Tying in snippets of culture and history is also appreciated in adding context to some of the lessons.

KENYA F

I do really enjoy my sensei's classes. She is an exceptional teacher. Always patient and willing to explain as much as needed. Our classes are entirely in Japanese and she only speaks English when it’s obvious that we need more explanation but almost always manages to convey things through pictures and cute skits. I’m so excited to continue to learn with her. I think the pace is great for someone who is very busy and only has so much time to review like myself. All my classmates are nice and the environment is very amicable.

AMELIA A

It’s been really great!! My sensei encourages us to speak & form sentences. I like how she brings our lives into the conversation & not always about characters in a textbook. (she asks us what’s in our room, neighborhood, who we live with etc.) The classes exceed my expectations, I expected a lecture-style class, but the classes are conversational… which I prefer.

EVELYN M

I like that every week, we read a real-life article, we learn new vocabulary, we begin the class by talking what's new in our lives, so we have the vocabulary to talk about it in Japanese, and we have conversation/speaking practice in a small class-size immersion environment. I've heard good things about Hills Learning's Japanese classes, so my expectations have been met.

SHAY C

Japanese Class Levels

There are multiple levels for beginner through advanced Japanese students. We have developed our own curriculum based off of standards and best teaching practices.

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Japanese Classes

for every level

  • Beginner
  • Pre-Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Upper Intermediate
  • Advanced

Beginner Japanese students learn the basics of Japanese such as greetings, classroom phrases and conversational skills. They also learn how to shop, order food and discuss in detail their schedules and activities. They can form basic sentences and also be able to read and write Hiragana, Katakana and some Kanji.

Adv Beginner Japanese students go more in depth with everyday life skills in Japanese. They start out by discussing one's home and giving commands, then traveling and giving directions, and finally they can discuss their experiences and hobbies. Students start to learn how to do more advanced discourse. 


1-6
 ACTFL Standards

   NOVICE HIGH

 JLPT Equivalent

   N5

Pre-Intermediate students start out with phrases and vocabulary to discuss their travels in depth. Included in this is discussing experiences abroad, but also descriptors on recommendations and making appointments. Pre-Intermediate 2 enables students in depth to go shopping and go to restaurants, moving beyond basic vocabulary that was covered in Beginner 2. Pre-Intermediate 3 teaches students how to address needs in the doctor's office, and describing in general your body and feelings. Pre-Intermediate 4 introduces students to the formal language in Japanese, all its conjugations and uses in the business context. Level 5 is movies, and Level 6 is technology and change, where students can discuss their lives and how technology and change affects them. 

1-6
 ACTFL Standards

   INTERMEDIATE LOW

 JLPT Equivalent

   N4

Intermediate students will work to expand their speaking, reading, listening and writing skills. Intermediate students can communicate about themselves fluently, have mastered all basic grammar and vocabulary from the beginner and pre-intermediate levels. Intermediate students learn how to navigate situations outside themselves, where they need to communicate and get around in all difficult situations. In the higher intermediate levels, students will challenge themselves to communicate outside of everyday situations. 


1-16
 ACTFL Standards

   INTERMEDIATE MID to HIGH

 JLPT Equivalent

   N3

Upper Intermediate students are trying to prepare to work and function like an advanced student. Students start to move beyond just speaking in concrete terms and instead get used to speaking in abstract terms about language. Topics such as community, current events, history, and other subjects are brought up and discussed. Students also start focusing much more on real world resources and materials, dramas, tv shows, music, and other materials created for Japanese native speakers.  


1-16
 ACTFL Standards

   INTERMEDIATE HIGH to ADVANCED LOW

 JLPT Equivalent

   N2

Advanced students are feeling accustomed to discussing difficult subjects in language. From current events to economics, students will be discussing abstractly on a variety of levels. It is assumed that all students can both discuss themselves thoroughly and also navigate all intermediate needs in language. Advanced students start out by really trying to get used to speaking abstractly, and then they move forward into discussing specialty areas using language. Most students at times will sound like native speakers and should be able to be understood by speakers of the language not accustomed to speaking to non-native speakers.  


MULTIPLE
 ACTFL Standards

   ADVANCED MID to SUPERIOR

 JLPT Equivalent

   N1

Japanese Lesson Types

GROUP

Maximum 7 students with over 40 levels of Japanese curriculum. Please don't forget to see our class schedules on this page.

Group Classes

PRIVATE

Lessons at your own pace and schedule. There is also flexibility in curriculum. We have multiple instructors available.

Private Lessons

ONLINE

The ability to take lessons anywhere without a commute. Lessons are taught through zoom and recorded. We also have an online assignment system.

Online Classes

BUSINESS

Group or private lessons at your office or at our center near Grand Central. We can teach multiple employees and coordinate with HR Departments.

Business Lessons

FOR CREDIT

Lessons that transfer to your high school, college or university with their permission. We are a fully accredited institution and can issue transcripts.

For Credit Lessons

KIDS

We can teach all ages but usually we have most classes for elementary, pre-teen and teen aged students. Private lessons are possible along with group.

Kids Lessons

Private Lessons

 

Private Lessons Inquiry

Would you like to get the best out of your experiences traveling to Japan? How about you’re looking to develop in depth knowledge and functionality in Japanese, and group classes in the past haven’t worked for you? Do you have a specific need in Japanese to develop your language skills quickly?

Hills Learning’s curriculum for Japanese comprises both language and cultural instruction. For each class, we follow our SWIRL methodology, developing at least three of the five language skills per class. Our main goal for Japanese private lessons is to develop conversational skills, but we also specialize in test prep (JLPT and others), cultural etiquette, business, or just general language acquisition.

Within this basic framework, Hills Learning’s staff develops curriculum and assessments based on student needs and goals. Private lessons are a unique opportunity for students to learn Japanese at their own pace.

Private Lessons for all Ages

Are you interested in having your young teen or kid learn about the Japanese language and culture? How about your teen watches hours of anime or reads manga, and would like to learn the Japanese language? Maybe your family has ties to Japan, or your child would just like very much to travel there?

Hills Learning offers a unique opportunity for kids and young teens to learn Japanese in private lessons. We can not only teach them the basics of the alphabets, reading, writing, and conversation, but it’s also possible that the classes your child is taking with us can be transferred to their respective high school or college for credit. Please see for credit for further information.

For more general information on our Japanese classes for kids, please CONTACT US