Speak Japanese, and enter into a different world…
Learn to speak and understand Japanese in a friendly, relaxed online group class. These courses run from September to November 2024, and are comprehensive courses in spoken and written Japanese.
Interactive, online lessons designed to get you speaking Japanese as much as possible. A typical class includes a variety of different communicative activities including group and pair work. Join us to speak Japanese, and enter into a different world!
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
I also offer one-to-one lessons for students at all levels, including higher-level students.
After the Autumn 2024 term, Step Up Japanese will take a 12-month break (I’m having a baby), and be back in January 2026.
Step 1
A Japanese group course for beginners.
Beginner students learn to introduce yourself, ask and answer some simple questions, and ask for help when you need it. We focus on useful, practical language for making yourself understood in Japanese.
This 10-week term runs from September to November and is based on Irodori Starter (from Lesson 1), an online textbook for beginner students which is FREE to download.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
☆ Exchange greetings, say thank you and goodbye
☆ Ask someone to say something again if you don’t understand
☆ Ask and answer about what languages you speak
☆ Pronounce all the sounds of Japanese
☆ Read some hiragana (the first basic Japanese script)
Step 1 is ideal for you if...
★ You’re a beginner! This course is designed for absolute beginners. Rusty beginners or those who wish to start from scratch are also welcome.
★ You want to learn basic Japanese in a fun, friendly environment.
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
STEP 2
A Japanese group course for “upper beginners”. Step 2 students learn more useful vocabulary and sentence structures to express yourself about more topics.
This 10-week term runs from September to November and is based on Irodori Starter (from Lesson 9), an online textbook for beginner students which is FREE to download.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
☆ Ask and answer questions about your daily routine, and your schedule
☆ Ask someone to lend you something
☆ Look at a list of items, for example in a restaurant or hotel, and confirm if you have all the items
☆ Read katakana (the second basic Japanese script) more confidently
☆ Read some simple kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese)
Step 2 is ideal for you if...
★ You have some experience (around 40 hours+) of studying Japanese at the beginner level
★ You can read hiragana and katakana - you don’t have to be able to read them perfectly, but there are no romaji (English letters) used to write Japanese on this course
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
STEP 3
On Step 3, you build on what you’ve learned so far, learning more complex expressions and broadening your vocabulary.
This 10-week term runs from September to November and is based on Irodori Starter (from Lesson 13), an online textbook which is FREE to download.
By the end of this group course, you’ll be able to:
☆ Ask whether a train or bus is going to where you want to go and understand the answer
☆ Listen to announcements on a train, and ask someone if you don’t really understand
☆ Ask where things are (e.g. toilet, ATM etc) and understand the answer
☆ Read about 25 kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese) relating to the topics studied
Step 3 is ideal for you if...
★ You have experience (around 60 hours+) of studying Japanese at the beginner / upper beginner level★ You're comfortable with upper beginner material, and ready to take the next step!
★ You can read hiragana and katakana. Previous kanji knowledge (about 50-100) will be helpful but is not essential.
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
STEP 5
An “upper elementary” group course. On Step 5, you’ll develop your core skills in Japanese further by discussing a range of topics.
This 10-week term runs from September to November and is based on Irodori Elementary 1 (Lesson 16 onwards), an online textbook which is FREE to download.
By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:
☆ Exchange greetings when you visit someone’s house.
☆ Talk about your belongings, for example, where you bought it or who gave it to you.
☆ Listen to and understand advice when when someone is feeling unwell.
☆ Look at posters about illnesses and more or less understand the contents, such as symptoms, prevention methods, etc.
☆ Read about 25 more kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese) relating to the topics studied
Step 5 is ideal for you if...
★ You have experience (around 120 hours+) of studying Japanese at the elementary level
★ You can read hiragana and katakana. Previous kanji knowledge (about 150) will be helpful but is not essential.
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
Intermediate 2
On Intermediate 2, you’ll take your Japanese skills further with intermediate grammar and vocabulary.
This 10-week term runs from September to November and is based on the textbook ‘Genki 2’ (3rd edition, from Lesson 19), which must be purchased separately.
By the end of this group course, you’ll be able to:
☆ Use honorific verbs (keigo) to show respect
☆ Express gratitude and talk about things you are glad you did
☆ Talk politely with the boss
☆ Read about 25 more kanji (Chinese characters used in Japanese) relating to the topics studied
Intermediate 2 is ideal for you if…
★ You have completed an elementary textbook such as ‘Genki 1’, or are at equivalent level.
OR your Japanese is at around JLPT N5-N4 level (i.e. you have passed N5 or are at around that level). If you haven’t used ‘Genki’ before, that’s ok. Note that ‘Genki 2’ starts from Lesson 13. Students in this class are about halfway through the book.
★ You can read hiragana, katakana, and around 200 kanji.
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
More Info:
Information about Conversation Courses
Term dates Autumn 2024
Each class meets at the same time each week (for example, Step 1 will meet every Wednesday at 1pm). This 10-week term runs from September to November. Please note - no half term break.
Autumn term 2024: Tuesday 3rd September to Thursday 7th November.
Each lesson is 55 minutes.
Returning students
In September, most returning students should join the next level up (i.e. if you’re finishing Step 1 in the Summer Term, join Step 2 in Autumn).
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
Online courses
We use Zoom, the video calling programme. To join the class, you’ll need a device you can join a video call on. I’ll share my screen and show slides during the class, so I recommend using a device with a larger screen such as a computer or tablet, not a smartphone.
In class you’ll learn to speak and understand Japanese, through fun and creative communicative activities. Lessons are interactive and designed to get you speaking Japanese as much as possible. Depending on the class size, students do group and pair work in breakout rooms (smaller virtual rooms in Zoom).
Lessons on Conversation Courses are recorded, and I’ll share the recordings with you, so you can review the lessons. Time in breakout rooms is not recorded.
I ask students to mute yourselves when not speaking, to help cut down on background noise. To aid communication, I’d prefer you to have your camera on if possible, especially during group and pair work.
Class times are in UK time. If you are joining internationally, please note that due to daylight savings, the UK time zone changes partway through this course. The UK time zone will be BST (GMT+1) up until 27th October 2024. After that, the UK time zone will be GMT for the remainder of the course. The dates that the clocks change may be different from in your country.
Step Up Japanese is a fully online school. If you are based in Sussex, UK, I sometimes run informal social events in Brighton for my students, so I hope to see you there too!
Textbooks
Most Conversation Courses use digital textbooks, which are free to download. Some courses use a textbook which much be purchased separately. Please check the description for your course.
Course fees Autumn 2024
10 weeks (Autumn term) £185
EARLY BIRD: Book before 8th July (5pm BST) for 10% off. £185 £166.50
Enrolment deadline
Please enrol by Tuesday 27th August 5pm (BST). Enrolment is possible after this date, but it will help me to plan if you can sign up by 27th August :)
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free 30-minute zoom consultation (click to see availability) or email me (anytime up until the course starts).
Class size
All courses run with a minimum of 4 students and a maximum of 12. In Spring 2024, the average class size was 5 students.
Cancellation policy
Course fees are fully refundable until 14 days before the start of your booked course. If you cancel your booking less than 14 days before the start of the course, fees are refundable minus a £10 admin fee. Once the course has begun, fees are non-refundable.
Who can join?
My courses are for adults. I don’t teach under-18s (no exceptions, sorry).
Self-study
To get the most out of your language course, I recommend finding ways to practise Japanese outside of class. This could be reviewing what we studied in class, reading books or news, listening to online practice, watching Japanese films or shows, talking in Japanese with a friend or study partner - whatever you enjoy!
I give weekly homework via email after each lesson - usually 1 or 2 exercises such as preparing for the next lesson, online quizzes or games, listening or writing practice. Some homework is for everybody to do, and some is optional extra!
Some personal news :)
I’m having a baby in December 2024, and in 2025 I’ll be on maternity leave. After the Autumn 2024 term, Step Up Japanese will take a 12-month break, and be back in January 2026.
For advice choosing the right level, please book a free zoom consultation or email me.
Teacher
Classes at Step Up Japanese are taught by me, Fran Wrigley. Konnichiwa!
I started Step Up Japanese in a little yellow classroom in Brighton in 2015, and in 2020 I moved all my teaching online.
I love the Japanese language, and sharing that with students is a privilege I don't take for granted. Learning a foreign language is hugely rewarding - and, if you get it right, it should be really fun.
I hope to see you soon at Step Up Japanese!