What Makes us Different

At Kaneko Japanese Academy we are not content to simply provide standard, run-of-the-mill language tutoring like every other college. We strive to make a far greater impact on the growth and development of all the students that entrust themselves to our care.

Over the almost 17 years that Gloria Kaneko has built her Japanese tutoring skills and knowledge in Australia, she has progressively developed a system of teaching that far surpasses any other. In addition, she has also devised a number of ways in which to provide invaluable, further guidance and support to her students for their academic advancement.

Here are some of the major features of the typical learning experience at Kaneko Japanese Academy that make us very different from the rest:

• All Japanese lessons are taught using our unique Complete Immersion Teaching System for the most thorough and comprehensive language learning experience available. No other college has a system like this. To learn more about this teaching system, click here.
• For school students, lessons tailored to the school curriculum are complemented with guidance on the "real-world" use of the Japanese language, through students' interaction with native Japanese-speaking assistant tutors. In other words, students are taught Japanese language for school as well as for real life.
• All our assistant tutors are currently living in Japan (they are visiting Australia on working holidays) or have recently been living in Japan, and are therefore able to pass on to our students first-hand knowledge of the current use of colloquial and formal Japanese in Japan, including current popular phrases, expressions, and so on. This exposure helps to raise students' appreciation and interest in the language, making their learning experience more engaging and enjoyable.
• From our experience, the more a student enjoys a topic of study, the more they will excel in it's mastery with less effort.
• Students are exposed to Japanese culture and lifestyle during lessons through their interaction with native Japanese-speaking assistant tutors, with the help of online multimedia. Again, this greatly reinforces students' interest in the language itself for a more effective learning experience.
• Students receive extensive and thorough coaching and guidance on how to excel in their school and state exams. This extends beyond the obvious preparation by working through past exam papers, and also includes:
• The analysis of students' marked past school exam papers. This allows us to figure out the marking characteristics and preferences of each student's school, including what teachers are specifically awarding marks to and deducting marks for, and thereby developing a strategy for our students for what to do and not to do in school exams, to maximise their marks.
• Coaching of students not only on what to do in exams to maximise their marks, but also on what not to do, to avoid mistakes that typically cause them to inadvertently lose marks. Our students NEVER lose marks needlessly in exams.
• Strategies for "damage control" in exams, to use when students find themselves running out of time or forgetting material.
• Mental preparation techniques for approaching exams and performing well in exams.
• Other, small hints and tips for extracting every last possible mark from exams.
• When a student advises us of an upcoming exam date, we put together a specific exam preparation timetable for that student to optimise their preparation, including an action plan with milestones to follow day-by-day and week-by-week until their exam time. We also closely monitor the progress of their preparation. This pro-active guidance allows our students to be as well-prepared as possible for each of their exams.
• Students who have a reasonable prior level of Japanese proficiency can be placed into a high school course at an appropriate level with our assistance.
• It is not uncommon for a student who has learned Japanese through means other than in a school classroom (for example, though an interest in watching Japanese anime) to be refused entry into a high school study course at a level appropriate to their ability, simply because they are starting formal study of Japanese for the first time. In cases such as this, the school will generally insist that the student enrol in the Beginners level at Year 11 regardless of their Japanese language ability.
• We are able to assess students such as these, including their strengths and weaknesses, and advise their school as to what level would be appropriate for them to begin their high school study. In this case we would also give an assurance to the school that the student would be able to perform well at that level with our guidance and tuition.
• We have successfully facilitated the placement of several students into high school courses at more advanced levels in this way.
• Students are given consultations regarding subject and study choices for their HSC year, so that they have the best and smoothest possible entry into their chosen tertiary studies.
• With Gloria's background in psychology and her positive, motivational nature, she can provide any necessary support and guidance to students needing help with self-esteem, self-motivation, developing a positive mindset, building mental strength, goal-setting, career decisions, and so on.

About Kaneko Japanese Academy