Language lessons across the USA and Canada
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With 22,000 Japanese residents, Washington DC is among the ten top metropolitan areas in the United States with the highest number of immigrants from Japan. As a result, there’s a big Japanese community in the city whose influence can be seen in the local art scene, cultural activities, and the many markets, sushi bars, and ramen shops across Washington DC. What’s more, it’s not unusual to find local residents speaking the language, as according to the 2020 census it’s the thirteenth most commonly used language in the city after English. If learning this language is on your bucket list, you’ll find that Washington DC is one of the best cities to study it, as it offers local residents many chances to immerse themselves in the language, meet friendly native speakers and enjoy the many facets of this wonderful culture.
Whether you are looking to get a better job or want to expand your business, starting a Japanese course is one of the smartest things you can do, as speaking this fascinating language will open up many opportunities for you in the city. Companies in top economic sectors like Hospitality and Tourism, Technology, and Higher Education are constantly looking for applicants who can communicate fluently in Japanese, so if you become a fluent speaker, you’ll get access to well-paid positions like Japanese-speaking Quality Control Assistant, Tax Senior, and Head Sushi Sous Chef. On the other hand, if you are a businessperson, being able to talk to foreign-born residents that come from Japan in their own language will help you build better professional relationships in the city that can bring exciting new openings to increase your sales, find more clients or even access international markets.
Furthermore, if you become a fluent speaker, you’ll be able to enjoy many advantages abroad, as you’ll be able to explore the many beautiful locations where Japanese is spoken in a more confident way and connect with the locals. Additionally, this will give you a deeper understanding of the way things are done in Japan, and find a newfound respect for their traditions, customs, and rituals.
One of the most famous Japanese events in the country is the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which commemorates the 1912 gift of three thousand cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo to the city of Washington DC and celebrates the relationship between the Japanese and American people. The festival spans four weeks during March and April at different venues across the city and includes different activities like lectures, dance exhibits, and even a beautiful parade you simply can’t miss. At the end of the festival, there’s the Sakura Matsuri Street Fair, a great chance to enjoy Japanese food, dancing, pottery, craft lessons, and many other cultural activities that are perfect for the whole family. Although all the events that are part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival are free, you need to reserve ahead of time, especially if you want to be present for the peak bloom in April. Additionally, if you are interested in exploring Japanese art, the Freer Gallery of Art, located at 1050 Independence Ave, features not just paintings but also regular screenings of Japanese films and live performances of musicians and dancers from Japan that will blow your mind!
Are you looking for a friendly after-work Japanese language exchange event? Then you should attend the meetings held by DC Japanese Language Kaiwa, where you’ll find Japanese native speakers and learners of all levels. The name of this group comes from the Japanese verb Keiwa which means conversation, so as you can imagine, these meetings offer the perfect place to chat with other Japanese speakers. The events take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays on Zoom and at local cafes once a month. If you’re interested in the face-to-face language meetups, you should check out the events at the World Languages Cafe, located at 6600 Cradlerock Way, where you can enjoy talking about Japanese culture, food, and other interesting topics in Japanese. If you want, you can bring Japanese books or any study materials you might have to share with other learners. The event is completely free but you do need to register on their virtual group before going so that the organizers save a spot for you at their table.
A great place to find language resources that can help you in your journey to becoming a fluent Japanese speaker is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, located at 901 G Street. This library has a great collection of books to learn Japanese like Japanese Demystified by Eriko Sato, which has an unintimidating approach to speaking, reading, and writing in Japanese that takes the mystery out of the learning process and makes it much easier. Another great book you should check out is Japanese for Dummies by Hiroko Chiba, which will get you ready to have a basic conversation in Japanese in no time. However, if you’re truly committed to learning the language, the best way to do so is with the help of a qualified native teacher. Luckily, at Listen & Learn, we have amazing Japanese tutors to help you learn Japanese script, grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in an entertaining way. All you need to do is send us a quick inquiry and we’ll have one of our teachers create a completely personalized course based on whatever you’re interested in that will help you achieve all your language goals. So what are you waiting for? Make the first step to becoming a Japanese speaker now and you won’t regret it!
This set of Japanese tutorials are less specific and more targeted at those who want to get a range of different things from learning Japanese. Even though all novice students will cover survival Japanese: enough Japanese to make a visit to the country or make good contacts with the locals, but what do you do from there? It depends on your needs. Those who have benefitted from these lessons have been those moving or investing overseas, spouses of overseas nationals, people who love to travel all over the world, those interested in Japanese culture, and those who just want to pass a specific examination in Japanese. Inquire now about our Japanese Courses or Take A Free Japanese Level Test
These lessons in Japanese are meant for those that feel that learning Japanese would make a change in their work. For starters, it is expedient to learn how to say hello/goodbye, as well as basic business protocol; once the basics have been mastered, reading and writing come to the fore. Students who have greatly benefitted have been involved in import/export, international negotiations and acquisitions, jobseekers in multinational companies where another language is required, and those working in the international academia and government circuits. Even on our most fundamental beginner's lesson, students can anticipate ending the lesson with basic telephone Japanese and e-mail Japanese skills for communicating, as well as survival Japanese if a short visit to the country is needed. Inquire now about our Japanese Courses or Take A Free Japanese Level Test
Lessons in Japanese are also accessible for 2 or more studying in tandem (Two-to-One Japanese Lesson or Small Group In-Company Japanese Lesson). All those involved must have around the same experience of the language, similar needs of areas of proficiency, and must be able to work at the same time and place. Bookings must be made for all students at the same time. Listen & Learn do not advise classes of more than 6-8 people, although In-Company Taster Japanese sessions can be run with as many as 12 people. Inquire now about our Japanese Courses or Take A Free Japanese Level Test
Our native speaker qualified Japanese language teachers can train you and your colleagues at your office or home at a time to suit you. Classes can be any day of the week (even weekends) in the morning, afternoon or evening. In certain circumstances, if your home or office is not suitable, you can take your classes at the trainer's office. Lesson books are provided. Inquire now about our Japanese Courses or Take A Free Japanese Level Test
2 or more people can benefit studying Japanese together as these Japanese lessons are also offered to groups (Two-to-One Japanese Lesson or Small Group In-Company Japanese Lesson). Every student must have the same degree of knowledge of the language, the same business or language needs and the ability to study at the same time and place as everybody else. The booking has to be made for all students at the same time. Listen & Learn do not advocate group sessions of more than 6-8 people, though Taster Japanese Lessons can be experienced by up to 12 people. Inquire now about our Japanese Courses or Take A Free Japanese Level Test
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