How To Choose The Best Japanese Course For You

Have you ever worried about whether you’re taking the right Japanese course? Or whether you’re using the right textbook or app? 

How do you know which Japanese course is best for you?

If you’re a complete beginner, this article will help you choose a Japanese course that will suit your goals and your learning style, and guarantee you the best chances of success.

If you’re already learning Japanese but are unsatisfied with your progress, this article will help you understand why you’re stuck and the type of course that might help you finally make a breakthrough.

Or, if you feel like what you’re studying is helping you to reach your goals, that’s fantastic! This article will help you understand why the course you chose is working so well, and guide you to even greater success in the future.

Most Japanese beginners choose courses without thinking about what works best for them. I get it - it’s exciting to start learning Japanese as soon as possible!

The thing is, if you spend a bit of time choosing the right course for your needs, you can actually learn a lot faster.

Sadly, the opposite is also true: if you just jump into a course without thinking, it can hold you back.

Many Japanese learners have come to me in desperation after feeling like they wasted their time, money and effort on courses and materials that didn’t help their learning at all. I’ve even had some learners come to me who said they’d wasted about 20 years studying Japanese without being able to use it.

If you’re in a similar situation, don’t worry!

This article will help you avoid wasting any more time, money and effort on things that won’t work for you. You’ll be able to choose the best Japanese course for your goals and learning style, and you’ll finally be able to make progress!

There are 3 types of language courses:

• Group lessons
• 1-on-1 lessons
• Self-study courses

Each has different features and benefits. I’ll show you which one would work best for your goals, and how to choose the best course for you in each category.

Here are 5 things to think about when choosing a course:

1. Which target skills you want to improve
2. What your learning style is
3. Making sure the course content is relevant
4. Time, availability and budget
5. What learning support is offered

Once you understand these core concepts, you can unlock steady progress and growth. You’ll be in charge of your own Japanese learning journey, and it’ll become much smoother, easier and more intentional.

1. Which target skills you want to improve

The core skills of any language are reading, writing, listening and speaking. You need to decide which skill (or skills) to focus on from the very beginning.

If your goal is to be able to speak Japanese, choosing a course focused on reading and writing will only hold you back. If you want to learn kanji at an advanced level, choosing a conversational Japanese course won’t directly help you reach your goal.

It’s vital to make sure you’re getting the right input that will help you reach your goals. I talk more about selecting the right input for you in my article Japanese Study: 5 Steps For Effective Input.

If you set your intention and select appropriate input from the very beginning, you’ll avoid falling into the trap of starting a course that will eat your time, effort and money and give you virtually nothing in return.

Decide which skills you want to improve and make sure your current course focuses on those skills.

At this point, the type of course (group, 1-on-1, self-study) doesn’t matter as much as the target skills.

2. What your learning style is

What’s the way of learning that suits you best?

Let’s say you’ve already chosen the skills you want to focus on (see section 1). The next step is to consider how you learn best.

Let’s look over the types of language courses available

a. Group lessons

Some people might do really well in group environments, where lots of ideas are thrown around. Different perspectives are shared and you can change conversation partners often.

But others would struggle in the same environment with peer pressure, limited 1-on-1 time with a teacher, and a one-size-fits-all timeline. You might not get the detailed feedback you need, and your own questions might go unanswered if you run out of time.

b. 1-on-1 lessons

If you prefer listening to a native teacher’s Japanese, have a lot of chances to speak, and have direct, custom feedback, then 1-on-1 lessons are probably your best option. It’s important to find a teacher you’re comfortable with, since you’ll be speaking to them a lot. Otherwise, you might lose motivation.

1-on-1 Japanese lessons are also the most expensive option, and they might not be the best option for learners on a budget. While there might be some flexibility, you’ll also have to fit in with your teacher’s schedule.

c. self-study courses

Self-study courses are perfect for people who prefer to study in their own time. You can enjoy learning at your own pace, and you aren’t limited to a classroom setting - you can study anywhere, anytime!

There are many self-study materials available for learning Japanese. However, you need to make sure that the courses you’re considering focus on your target skills.

For example, if you want to focus on speaking skills, make sure the self-study course:

• Gives crystal clear grammar explanations
• Lets you practice speaking a lot
• Has model answers to let you check your answers and pronunciation
• Has model conversations between native Japanese speakers that teaches you to speak naturally

The best courses self-study courses also offer flexible private mini lessons to help you check your progress.

If you’re already studying Japanese, make sure your course or materials support your preferred learning style. The more suitable the course, the more confident you’ll become and the faster you’ll progress!

3. Making sure the course content is relevant

Does the material you’re learning support your Japanese language goals? Are you making progress? Are you frustrated or intimidated by the coursework?

There are two points to consider when you’re looking at course contents:

a. Course level and grammar points

The course level shouldn’t be too easy but it shouldn’t be too difficult, either. You should be able to understand and use new expressions with confidence.

Group lessons should help you along your Japanese journey by progressing through the curriculum with baby steps, leaving no one behind.

If you take 1-on-1 lessons, your teacher should understand your current level and guide you to the next by providing what you need to learn and supporting you to reach the next step.

Self-study courses should provide you with options to be able to skip the easier parts and move on to the parts that are appropriate for your level. If you’ve been learning Japanese for a while but are looking for something new, it’s better to avoid courses that force you to start from scratch and work your way through the basics again before reaching your current level - it’ll kill your motivation and waste your time.

b. Lesson topics

It’s important to learn phrases, vocabulary and conversation topics that are actually relevant to your life and situation.

For example, if you’re preparing for a solo trip to Japan, learning vocabulary about your family members won’t be very useful.

Studying relevant lesson topics can be quite difficult to navigate with group lessons. It’s really just a matter of luck whether a lesson topic will be relevant to your life or not, and you’ll have to find creative ways to make each situation suit your goals.

It’s also sometimes an issue with private teachers in 1-on-1 lessons - if they just stick to a textbook, you’ll struggle to immediately apply what you’re learning to your life. Your teacher should be flexible. If your goal is to go sightseeing or to talk to Japanese clients, the lesson topics should suit that goal.

Self-study courses should also empower you to express yourself in relevant, real-life situations. Be careful, though: many textbooks and apps lock you into using stock phrases and unnatural-sounding expressions that you’ll never end up using.

For example, I recently saw a sentence in a textbook that said, “there is a pen on the table.” The grammar point itself might be useful, but I don’t think I’ve ever said that exact sentence in my life in either Japanese or English.

If a course won’t let you express yourself in a way that’s meaningful to you, the grammar you learn will be pointless.

If you need information, I wrote a related article on How To Choose The Best Materials For Learning To Speak Japanese. 

4. Time, availability and budget

Now it’s time to talk about the more practical side of which type of course best fits into your life and schedule.

Let’s consider each point in detail.

a. Time and availability

Group lessons are usually held on a fixed but regular timetable. This is very good if you have the time, or if you struggle to make time by yourself.

The downside is that if you miss a lesson, it’s up to you to cover the material on your own to catch up, while the rest of the class progresses. Of course, it’s great if your teacher can contact you to help get you back up to speed, but this is beyond the scope of group lessons, and you can’t rely on it.

In my experience as a university lecturer, I taught very large groups of students. I saw many of them miss classes due to illness or life circumstances. They often struggled to catch up, and those who couldn’t ended up dropping out, even when I did my best to help them. 

This is actually the reason I stopped teaching at universities and started Arai Academy - I saw that group lessons were too strict for many people, and wanted to be able to offer my students a greater level of support to help them actually achieve their language goals.

Teachers who offer 1-on-1 lessons can usually adjust their schedules to find an appropriate time for you. 

The main problem is when you need to cancel. Same day cancellations are usually charged for a full lesson. Private teachers usually rely on students for their income, so when someone cancels right before a lesson it deprives the teacher of an hour’s wage, since there’s no time to book someone else for that slot.

Good teachers are also in high demand, and they’re often booked weeks or months in advance, which can make changing times or make it challenging to find time for a catch-up lesson.

Self-study courses are normally accessible wherever and whenever you like, and this is perfect for people who have busy lives! You don’t need to worry about missing or cancelling lessons. 

However, the downside is that it’s up to you to make the time and motivate yourself. To help you get over this hurdle, the course should provide content that’s useful and interesting, so you’ll want to access it whenever you have free time.

Online lessons and self-study courses also save travel time, which is great for busy people.

My own private students shifted to online lessons, because with the time they save on travel they can now revise more and progress even faster!

This also allows you to keep up your lessons while you travel. One of my UK-based students is a business leader who had to travel to his company’s head office in Tokyo. He was able to take lessons with me from his hotel room! Another was able to take lessons online during a holiday to Egypt.

Make sure the lesson availability suits your lifestyle and schedule.

b. Budget

Learning a language properly is going to cost at least some money. Unfortunately, free courses and materials will only take you so far and, at a certain point, you’ll need to invest in professional training if you want to reach a decent level of fluency.

I’ve seen many learners who signed up for free course after free course, only to stay stuck at the same level for years.

Whatever your budget, your best bet is to choose a course that you can continue with for as long as possible. 

Yes, it needs to focus on your target skills, support your learning style, teach material that’s relevant to you, and fit your lifestyle. But you also need to be able to invest the time and effort into learning Japanese to get meaningful results.

If a course is so expensive that you can only afford to learn for a few weeks, it’s not going to lead to long-term success in learning Japanese.

The student who has been with me the longest is someone who’s been learning from me for 14 years. He was a complete beginner when he started, but now he speaks Japanese like a native - and without ever having visited Japan at all!

My average students stay with me for 6 to 7 years. This is because, for them, my private lessons tick all the right boxes mentioned in this article.

It might not take you 14 years (or even 6 or 7) to reach your goals or to become a fluent Japanese speaker, but you need to find a course within your budget that will help you reach your long-term goals.

5. Learning support

If you’re already studying Japanese, how motivated are you to continue with your current course? Do you feel like you actually want to study, or is it becoming a chore?

Finding a course with the right level of learning support is very important, because it can mean the difference between dropping out or achieving your Japanese goals.

For example, if you take group lessons, the teacher might send you an email reminder of what you need to prepare for the next lesson. Self-study courses might have a gamified system to keep you motivated and interested.

However, if you don’t enjoy the course and the system isn’t working for you, you’ll be much more likely to drop out.

When you feel like you’re strongly and warmly supported, it’ll be easier to keep going even when life gets busy.

Human connections are very important.

Group and 1-on-1 teachers should be able to identify your needs and provide the appropriate guidance and support. This can be from anything to the pacing of the course, to topics and materials. In this way, you can feel cared for and that support will help you nurture a deep interest in the subject you’re learning.

Self-study courses should also provide a similar level of support for students. This can take the form of an online community with access to a native teacher and other dedicated learners. This way, you can get advice on how to overcome any obstacles you’re facing and to get inspired by other learners’ stories, progress and experiences.

If you feel supported in your Japanese learning journey, you’ll be motivated to stay on course and study more. You won’t want to stop learning!

These are my tips for how to choose the best Japanese course for you. I hope you found them useful, and that they’ll help you choose an appropriate course and accelerate your Japanese progress.

If you’re interested in speaking Japanese naturally and confidently, I invite you to try my Master Speaking Japanese online course. It’s designed to help you speak smoothly and confidently in as little as 4 weeks! There’s an online community of dedicated learners and you’ll get monthly live events with direct access to me to get all your questions answered. You’ll also get an access to an optional 1-on-1 mini lesson. A monthly subscription is about the cost of a sandwich a week, which is a fraction of the cost of a single private lesson.

Mineko Arai

Hello! I'm Mineko Arai. I’ve been teaching Japanese for about 20 years. I was a lecturer at top UK universities like the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, the University of Sheffield, and King's College London. 

I was also employed by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to prepare diplomats for postings to the British embassy in Tokyo.

I'm now the director of the Arai Academy of Japanese Studies. The academy has provided corporate training to the British Museum, as well as executives and business leaders at companies like Deloitte, Sony, Dentsu and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank.

I was also voted #1 online tutor at Vidalingua.

I have an MA in applied Japanese linguistics from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and an MBA in Education Management from King's College.

Most textbooks and courses lock you in to stock examples and phrases, which are unusable, and sound stiff and unnatural. However, the Master Speaking Japanese course empowers you to say exactly what you want naturally and fluently from the very beginning! Get started for free!