Learning Japanese Online: Questions to Ask When Choosing an Online Japanese School

If you have decided to learn Japanese online, you have many options. Free sites for learning Japanese are, well, free, and offer a wide range of learning materials.

Free and low-cost sites are a double-edged sword: For many learners, these sites offer an effective, inexpensive way to start learning Japanese, but, without live interaction with a Japanese teacher, other students may have a hard time staying motivated.

Learning Japanese online from a teacher is another popular option. Online Japanese schools let you study from any place you have an Internet connection, and connect you to a world of Japanese teachers. Most schools offer private Japanese lessons (usually 40 to 50 minutes) for about $30 each; group lessons cost about $10 each.

Beyond the lesson basics, each online Japanese school may offer additional services, such as chat rooms, to their students. When choosing an online Japanese school, consider these important questions:

Do I plan to take private lessons? You and your teacher meet in an online classroom, and have a private Japanese lesson as if you were in person. Most schools customize private lessons to the student’s learning goals, so make it clear what you want to focus on and what you hope to achieve through private lessons. If you have a Japanese textbook in mind, make sure the teacher will build lessons using your preferred textbook.

Will you take group Japanese lessons? Group lessons cost less than private lessons, of course, and you get a chance to mingle with other students. If you are a gregarious sort, group lessons could be a good fit.

However, your progress in learning Japanese may be slower than with private lessons, as you compete with other students at different skill levels. Depending on the classroom software, connection and audio troubles can interfere as the number of students increases. It is important, therefore, to understand the school’s classroom environment and whether that environment will work for you:

* How does the school ensure that students in a group lesson are at the same level?

* What happens if one student takes up more than his fair share of lesson time?

* Can I get a refund if another student causes sound or connection problems during a group lesson? Most online Japanese schools have a policy of no refunds, but check if they make an exception when the problem was caused by another student’s connection.

* Do my classmates change with every group lesson, or is the class on a fixed schedule?

* Am I allowed to email the teacher after a group class? You might want to ask follow-up questions you didn’t have a chance to ask during class. Email is an obvious way to follow up with your teacher, but some online Japanese schools don’t allow direct communication between students and teachers. Also consider the shared classrooms of some schools–the teacher may need to leave the room quickly when the group lesson ends.

When will my lesson tickets expire? Most students forget to consider this question until it’s too late. Expiration dates and policies vary among online Japanese schools. Expiration terms vary from one month to one year. In case you have lesson tickets that have expired or are nearly expired, some schools require you to buy more lesson tickets to use the expired tickets, while other schools offer lower-cost extensions in the original tickets’ expiration date.

Is a trial lesson available? Most schools offer a free trial lesson, where you can “test drive” the school’s lesson environment before you buy. Not all online Japanese schools advertise free trial lessons, so be sure to ask for details.

Is my teacher experienced and trained? Teaching Japanese effectively takes more than just speaking Japanese natively. Ask whether your teacher has certification in teaching Japanese and whether the teacher is trained in using the school’s curriculum and software.

How much of your tuition goes to your teacher? Most online Japanese schools keep about half of tuition, meaning your teacher earns about $12 to $15 for a private lesson. A reputable school should be willing to give you a concrete idea of their teacher compensation plan–don’t be shy to press your right to know how efficiently your tuition dollars are being used.

With answers to the questions above, you can be confident in your choice of online Japanese school. It’s a critical first step to success in learning Japanese online.

Author Terry Phillips travels frequently to Japan and has been active in online Japanese lessons since 2006. If you are interested in learning Japanese, try an online Japanese lesson at Nihongo-Pro. For a limited time, a free trial Japanese lesson is available.