"I'm too old for this."
After nearly ten years of teaching Japanese at a British university — to doctors, engineers, and retired teachers learning in the evenings — Dr Asuka heard this apology again and again.
But from the front of the classroom, that is not what she saw. In this episode, she shares the three biggest lessons her adult students taught her: why adults don't learn worse, just differently; what adult learners are really looking for (it isn't a test score); and the real reason so many adults quietly give up on Japanese — a reason that has nothing to do with age or memory.
Free seminar for adult Japanese learners: https://shop.funjapaneselearning.com/2609smj-pod/
Why busy adults struggle to speak Japanese — and the 3-step cycle that helps you start using it.
Japanese is more than words and grammar. It is a way of seeing and relating to the world.
You can watch the video version of this episode [here]
Learn travel-themed Japanese (with audio and e-flash cards) for your next Japan trip!
Japanese Language Learning Guide for Travelers
Are you interested in learning Kanji?
Japanese Kanji for Beginners
For Hiragana and Katakana learning
Complete Japanese Hiragana
Complete Japanese Katakana
🎓Who is Asuka sensei?
Asuka sensei, Dr Asuka Tsuchiya, is an award-winning psychologist, a qualified Japanese educator, an Amazon UK, US, and Japan #1 best-selling author, and a mother with two adorable kids.
She studied linguistics and education at the University of Tokyo, earning a Master's degree, and later obtained a PhD in psychology from Nara Women's University. While in Japan, she worked as a psychotherapist, supporting individuals in their personal growth and well-being.
After she moved to the UK, she dedicated herself to Japanese education by pursuing Japan's official qualification for professional Japanese teachers and taught Japanese to adult learners in the Lifelong Learning Department at the University of Southampton for nearly 10 years.
Now she runs an online Japanese school specifically for busy adults who want to feel the depth and richness of Japanese culture through language learning.
