ITO Japanese School London

For me, wanting to learn Japanese was important but not just wanting to learning, but finding a school which would support me and teach me in a good way. ITO was it they automatically take you away from the English comfort zone making you speak only in Japanese. This is good because you automatically start thinking Japanese and pick up the language at a faster pace. The teachers are the best as you feel you have made more of a friend. I would recommend the school to anyone anytime.

Dami 09/04/09

I have been studying in ITO Japanese School since November, and my Japanese are getting along very well. I was a total beginner when I first started to study here, but now I can start to communicate with others using basic Japanese. Teachers here are really friendly and helpful. They spoke Japanese all the time and this improves my Japanese really quickly.

Vivian 09/04/09

I think ITO is an excellent place to learn Japanese. I teach Mandarin myself, and I think the environment is very important when learning a language. The teachers here only use Japanese in class, which lets the students think and communicate only in Japanese. Apart from that, the teachers here are very friendly and warm-hearted, which makes my learning experience very pleasant.

Miki 07/04/09

I have been studying at ITO Japanese School for almost a year now and I believe it is a great school to learn Japanese. First of all it is a fun place to be so I always look forward to the next class. Stepping inside the school is like “being” in Japan as everything around is Japanese and the teachers tend to communicate with students in Japanese only (English is spoken at the end of the lesson if necessary). I am very impressed with the method adopted and the learning tools offered; in fact it often happens to me that after acquiring notions over some lessons “suddenly” it all comes together and everything starts to make beautiful sense.
I really see now that there is always a method behind this program and I trust it 100%. The speed you can learn, providing you do your homework (hoops!), is unbelievable.
The teachers have a good balance between understanding your own “learning time” (it seems to me they have inexhaustible patience) and at the same time being “strict” to make sure you achieve the goals you were looking for.
The also have social classes at the weekend to teach “Shodo”, the ancient art of Japanese calligraphy that is really fun.
I always suggest the school to all the people I meet who have an interest in studying Japanese.

Cristiano. 27/04/09

ITO Japanese School has a great system of teaching with enthusiastic and dedicated teachers. From the moment I started the course I was thrown into an immersive environment and within a matter of weeks was reading writing and speaking Japanese on a basic level. Nine months on and I am now writing a diary and gradually moving onto the more advanced areas of the language.
I would highly recommend ITO to anyone who wants to learn Japanese. The atmosphere is friendly and the classes are fun but also intense. A mixture that myself and my co students have found to be very effective.

Will. 16/04/09

My Japanese class is very enjoyable. The group size is small which allows all students to ask questions and communicate with each other. All lessons focus on conversation – speaking and listening – about everyday life. As the class is 90 minutes long, there is also time for studying the textbook. The chapters within the textbook are based on role plays and contain practical and useful grammar lessons. The teacher is very enthusiastic which makes learning fun.

Victoria. 17/04/09

If you want to learn proper Japanese naturally as possible I believe ITO is an ideal choice. The staff are really friendly and do not hesitate to correct you when needed. I always have a lot of fun when I come here and learn a bunch of new things. Another thing ITO has which I’m really grateful is patience. ^ ^;;

Hussain. 06/04/09

My name is Jason and I have been at ITO for a year. I like the fact that we only speak Japanese in the lessons and we learn to read, write and listen to everyday Japanese. I have learnt very fast at the school and it really helped me when I went to Japan last year. The lessons also help me learn about Japanese culture, which is useful as I practice Iaido. Learning the language has helped me have a deeper understanding of Iaido’s country of origin.

06/04/09

I have been coming to ITO for lessons for almost two years now and am still enjoying the lessons. I enjoy the way that the lessons change each week and remain interesting. My teachers help keep me motivated and have been a constant help even when I find something difficult. I would recommend the lessons to all!

Russell. 07/04/09

A friend suggested that I should learn Japanese because of my fondness for anime and Asian cinema. Intrigued and a little intimidated at the prospect, I decided to give ITO a try.
4 years later, I am still attending and thanks to ITO’s passionate Sensei’s and teaching methods, I had the confidence to go to Tokyo on my own and visit the infamous Akihabara.

Colin. 07/04/09

This school is by far the best I have been to. I have studied here for 3 years now and I have loved every minute of it I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn Japanese, be it beginners or people who have studied previously.

Danny. 06/04/09

I have been studying at ITO since three years ago and I have enjoyed every lesson. The teachers are very friendly and skilled, and my Japanese has really improved. Now I’m planning to leave for Japan very soon, where I’ll brush my Japanese up.

Alex. 09/04/09

I have studied Japanese for the last 5 years. Because I am not living permanently in the UK I have studied in other schools around the world, but because this is my favourite school among them, every time I come back to the UK I book as many lessons as I can. Besides the well known that teachers in this school are very well trained and very helpful, it is located just steps away from the tube station and the big stores.

Oscar. 06/04/09

Hello, my name is Chris. I have been studying here for 2 years and really enjoy it. The staff are friendly and help you learn (all in Japanese which is tough at first!). It’s like a little bit of Japan in London ☺

07/04/09

Hello! My name is Steve. I lived in Japan for a year and a half teaching English and picked up a little Japanese. However since returning two years ago I had started to forget, I therefore decided to enrol in ITO school to help myself improve before my forthcoming trip to Japan. I am now studying for the Japanese proficiency test level 2 and look forwards to my lessons twice a week!

07/04/09

I have studied here for 2 mouths and I think I will continue studying. The lessons are quite interesting and I am loving it. I know more about Japan and Japanese from the school. It’s quite easier to learn a language by just using it. Here, the friendly and nice teachers communicate with us in Japanese, I will recommend you ITO Japanese School if you’d like to learn Japanese.

Rui. 14/05/09

Friendly, professional and above all a very unique and effective method of teaching. As you are taught in Japanese, and can only respond in Japanese, you effectively become immersed in the language every lesson. This not only simulates real Japanese life but will improve your all round language ability lesson by lesson.

Joel. 25/04/09

I have been coming to ITO for a number of years now, after having learnt Japanese to a very simple level at high school for a year, which simply whetted my appetite for this beautiful language. I feel I have been very fortunate to have stumbled across this diamond in the rough of a school, by way of a recommendation from a friend.
The lessons are always in Japanese, which at first makes for daunting but extremely funny lessons. Looking at the rest of the class’ sketches of elephants can be hilarious. However it was this constant speaking, listening, reading and writing of Japanese that made it possible for me to function naturally, and even flourish upon my first visit to Japan. I even began dreaming in Japanese!
Be it at a lower or a higher level, the teaching I have received here has always contextualized the subject matter. This has given me a deeper understanding of the language and the more importantly the culture. This has been achievable because all the teachers are Japanese and only speak Japanese with you, and above all because they are all so friendly.
Overall the knowledge you acquire at ITO is special, as I feel you will not be able to learn Japanese in such a ‘Japanese manner’ anywhere else. Except for school in Japan of course!
それでは、ITOで待っています。。。

Zulfi. 25/04/2009

I started as an absolute beginner and have been learning Japanese here for the past 6 months on a one to one basis, and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
The first thing you’ll notice is that everything here is taught in Japanese, and you’ll be encouraged (if not gently forced) by the friendly teachers to read, write and speak the language from day 1. Don’t worry, though. The teachers here are all highly proficient at pitching their conversation at the right level for your language ability. They also have an uncanny ability to make sense of your broken Japanese, and then to teach you the right way of saying what you’ve just said. It can be unnerving at first, but the more you speak, the more you’ll learn. And with enough practice (and gentle correction from the teacher), you’ll even begin to wonder how you could ever have said “By home am bus I going” instead of "I am going home by bus".
I think the greatest benefit from studying in ITO Japanese is gaining the confidence to hold real practical conversations in Japanese using what you’ve learned.
Based on my experience, if you have limited time and/or have ambitious goals to learn the language, I highly recommend the one to one lessons. These might sound expensive, but with a little bit of hard work on your part, you won’t believe the amount of material you’ll be able to cover. And personally speaking, I think the real fun starts halfway through Course A when you start learning (and using) verbs.

Zack.

I’ve always felt passionate about Japan and its culture and I tried to learn Japanese by myself but of course it’s not that easy. So I started taking classes at ITO Japanese school last March and I could not recommend a better language school. The teachers (all Japanese) are very enthusiastic and they actually care about you and let you learn at your own pace. Plus, the lessons are taught in Japanese only (great to learn faster), using textbooks designed by ITO !

Coralie. 23/05/09

I first started studying Japanese last summer when I was in Hong Kong and I really enjoy learning it! I am so much better with the language now, both in speaking and in writing. This certainly has to do with the amazing teaching I have in ITO. At first I was not used to learning the complicated grammar structures in Japanese at all, I struggled in phrasing my questions right as well as understanding what the teacher was actually saying. But through time, my speaking skills have improved tremendously and I’m now fairly confident in speaking with my Japanese friends in Japanese. I will definitely recommend ITO to both beginners and advanced learners!

Vivian. 28/05/09

The best thing about learning Japanese with ITO is the flexibility of contents and teaching style and approachability of the teachers.
I started as an absolute beginner with a passion to know more about the country and language. The teachers handheld me through the process at the start and became more of an encouraging and supportive role later on. I am able to explore the language while still maintaining creativity and interest. After just one year, now it is such a good feeling to be able to interact and converse with Japanese speakers outside the classroom with confidence.
I would absolutely recommend ITO as a place to learn this language and the country.

Alice. 06/06/09

I’ve been studying at this school for five years with my Japanese improving all the time. Lessons have been interesting and enjoyable leaving me wanting to come back for more. I particularly like the use of Japanese only in lessons, which together with the small class sizes leads to plenty of practice at speaking Japanese. I’m hoping to pass JLPT level 2 this December.

Eric. 2/06/09

Come to ITO and learn Japanese. Its not easy but very rewarding. There are also classes about Japanese culture, for example calligraphy. Sometimes there are also parties.

2/06/09