Custom-made
lessons for you.

Adjusting to the needs of each individual,
from everyday Japanese to JLPT preparation.
Ma Place private lessons.

Have fun learning
in a small class.

Through conversations with your teacher and peers,
develop your communication ability in Japanese.
Ma Place group lessons.

For beginners too.

A careful interview
in a relaxed atmosphere.
Ma Place trial lesson.

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About

Would you like to study Japanese language and culture in an at-home environment?

Ma Place means “My place” in French. I believe that learning another language is like having another place where you belong. My Japanese lessons will be a “place” where you can sigh with relief and be filled with energy. Welcome to “Ma Place”. I will be glad if you can add it as one of your places.

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Teacher profile/
Shizuko

With 20 years of experience in secretarial and office work at private companies such as manufacturers and trading companies, and also at educational institutions such as universities, I can support you with, not only everyday Japanese, but also Japanese for work and academic Japanese.

Bachelor of Arts in Japanese literature at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto.

Qualifications:

◆ Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test Passed

◆ TOEIC 905 points

◆ Test in Practical French Proficiency Level1 Passed

◆ DALF C1 Passed

◆ HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) Level1 Passed

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Ma Place - Three characteristics

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    Lessons that carefully take your profile into account


    After interviewing each individual, a curriculum will be made, tailored to the area you live in, your occupation, native language, and goals. The lessons offered to you will be unique.
    Please note that I apply the direct method, so only Japanese is used during my lessons.

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    Support by a qualified teacher in Japanese language education


    Using my education, as well as my knowledge and experience in linguistics, I support each person depending on their language level. In addition, by deepening your understanding of Japanese culture and way of life, the lessons will stir up even more interest in the Japanese language.

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    In-person and online lessons available


    Even while out, you can have a convenient in-person lesson at a cafe, or you can have online lessons at home or outside. I try to take advantage of each lesson, so you can get the same learning effect in either format.

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courses

The three courses offered by Ma Place

  • trial lesson image

    Trial lesson

    What is your goal in learning Japanese? Is it for a living? For your job? For your family? Or is it just a hobby? According to your level and purpose, suitable learning contents will be proposed and then you will only have to decide if you will take my lesson.

    Face-to-face lesson available
    Online lesson available
    • ◆ One trial lesson: 2,000 yen
    Study time: 60 minutes
    Number of students: 1 person
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    Private lessonS

    Both people who want to study at a steady pace and people who want to speak a lot will be satisfied with these lessons. JLPT preparation help is also available upon request.

    Face-to-face lessons available
    Online lessons available
    • ◆ One-time ticket: 4,500 yen
    • ◆ 5 times package: 20,000 yen
      (4,000 yen / 1 time)
    • ◆ 10 times package: 35,000 yen
      (3,500 yen / 1 time)
    Study time: 60 minutes
    Number of students: 1 person
    Grouped purchase advantageous
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    Group lessons

    Small group lessons for people who want to enjoy learning Japanese with your friends or partner. These lessons are up to 3 people (the lesson will be held from 2 people). The price is great value compared to private lessons.Thank you to contact me for further information.  

    Face-to-face lessons available
    Online lessons available
    • ◆ One group lesson: 2,500 yen (per person)
    Study time: 60 minutes
    Number of students: Up to 3 persons

※About the face-to-face lesson, the transportation costs will be charged separately. Don't hesitate to contact me for more information.

※For private lessons, the tickets have an expiry date. 5-lesson package: 2 months from the date of purchase. 10-lesson package: 4 months from the date of purchase.

※Cancellations: Please contact me at least 24 hours prior to the lesson. The full lesson fee will be charged for cancellations after this time.

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Locations possible for in-person lessons

Within Osaka City: Cafes in Umeda (Osaka), Honmachi, Namba, Tennoji etc.

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Review

2024-02-27

K.H. 様

I've been studying business Japanese with Shizuko-san and highly recommend her for three reasons: adaptability, targeted approach, and commitment.

On adaptability, in our first meeting, she took the time to carefully understand the goals I wanted to achieve. While she could also support exam preparation and daily conversations, she tailored our lessons to focus on my needs for presentations and negotiations in business settings.

With her targeted approach, Shizuko-san designed various approaches and recommended materials to help me achieve my objectives. After 15 lessons, I now feel confident and have a repertoire of phrases for most situations.

Lastly, her commitment is evident in every lesson. She consistently prepares detailed lesson plans and anticipates my questions, making our lessons structured and highly effective.

For a committed teacher who can help you achieve your Japanese learning goals, look no further than Shizuko-san.

2023-12-08

Siegbert 様

Vor einem Jahr kam ich von Deutschland nach Japan, dem Heimatland meiner Frau. Meine japanischen Sprachkenntnisse bewegten sich zu Beginn auf dem N4 Level. Mein Ziel war es, mein Hörverständnis und meine Kommunikationsfähigkeit zu verbessern, um in Japan ohne Probleme leben zu können. Shizuko-san hat ihren Unterricht, den wir über Zoom abhalten, genau auf meine Bedürfnisse abgestimmt. Ihre Korrekturvorschläge werden während des Unterrichts von ihr in die Chatbox eingetragen. Den Inhalt der Chatbox einer jeden Unterrichtsstunde erhalte ich im Nachgang per email. Das ist für mich sehr hilfreich und fördert eine effiziente Nacharbeit. Ich habe Spaß am Unterricht mit Shizuko-san, durch den sich meine Sprachkenntnisse zu meiner großen Zufriedenheit kontinuierlich verbessern. Als sehr angenehm empfinde ich die positive und freundliche Art von Shizuko-san. So ist Japanischlernen ein Vergnügen, daher ist es nun zu meinem Hobby geworden.

A year ago, I moved from Germany to Japan, my wife's home country. My Japanese language skills were at N4 level at the beginning. My goal was to improve my listening comprehension and communication skills so that I could live in Japan without any problems. Shizuko-san has customised her lessons, which we hold via Zoom, exactly to my needs. She enters her corrections in the chatbox during the lesson. I receive the contents of the chatbox for each lesson by email afterwards. This is very helpful for me and promotes efficient follow-up work. I enjoy my lessons with Shizuko-san and my language skills are continuously improving to my great satisfaction. I find Shizuko-san's positive and friendly manner very pleasant. Learning Japanese is a pleasure, so it has now become my hobby.

1年前、私はドイツから妻の母国である日本に来ました。来日した時、私の日本語能力は、N4レベルでした。日本での生活を問題なく送れるようになるため、聴解力とコミュニケーション能力の向上が必要でした。そのため、しづ子さんはZoomで行うレッスンを、私の希望に合わせてカスタマイズしてくれました。また、しづ子さんはレッスン中に私の間違った箇所をチャットボックスに入力し、レッスン終了後、チャットボックスの内容をメールで送ってくれます。これは私にとってとても有益で、効率的なフォローアップになっています。しづ子さんとのレッスンは楽しく、私の語学力は確実に向上しているので、とても満足しています。また、しづ子さんの前向きでフレンドリーな態度も好感が持てます。日本語を学ぶのが楽しくなり、今では日本語の勉強が私の趣味となっています。

2023-02-09

Ludovic 様

Je prends des leçons avec Shizuko San depuis environ 6 mois maintenant, à raison d'une heure par semaine, et c'est devenu l'un des meilleurs moments de ma semaine ! Shizuko San est une professeur dévouée et attentive aux besoins de ses élèves, mais également curieuse et très cultivée. Ainsi, chaque leçon est intéressante tant grâce au travail de préparation de Shizuko San (sur la base d'un manuel de conversation dans mon cas), que grâce aux conversations qui émergent de chaque sujet, sur des thématiques variées mais toujours passionnantes ! Merci Shizuko San !

I have been taking weekly lessons with Shizuko San for about 6 months now and it has become one of the best moments of my week! Shizuko San is a dedicated teacher who is attentive to the needs of her students, but also curious and very knowledgeable. Each lesson is interesting thanks to Shizuko San's preparation work (based on a conversation manual in my case), as well as for the small talk moments that can emerge from each topic, on various but always exciting themes! Thank you Shizuko San!

志津子さんのレッスンを週に1時間、半年ほど受け続けています。私の一週間の中で最高の瞬間の一つになっています!志津子さんは熱心な先生で、生徒のニーズに気を配りながら、好奇心旺盛でとても博識な方です。毎回のレッスンは、志津子さんの準備作業と、それぞれのトピックから生まれる、様々な、しかしいつも刺激的なテーマでの会話によって、興味深いものとなっています!志津子さん、これからも宜しくお願いします!

2022-08-23

G.C. 様

在日本語能力上的考前三個月,第一次跟Shizuko老師上課 由於我已經有很長一段時間沒有考JLPT了,其實心裡非常的緊張 但在跟老師上過第一次視聽課之後,就決定跟著老師一起為N1做準備 老師也依據我的需求特地為我開了一個新的課程 不虧是有日本語教師證照的老師,在剛開始時就先用了模擬試題針對我的能力做了評估, 在我最不擅長的讀解部分,使用了文法書,模擬試驗,甚至分享了考題作答順序,甚至於一針見血的答題技巧來幫助我 在Shizuko老師的協助下,我除了成功考過了N1之外,在讀解的部分也答對了近九成的問題 真的都要謝謝Shizuko老師 誠心推薦Shizuko老師給想要好好學習日語的人

私はJLPTの3ヶ月前に、初めてSHIZUKO先生の授業を受けました。 結構長い時間に(多分5年以上に)JLPTを受けてないから、最初はすごく緊張しました。 でも、先生のデモ授業を受けて、先生と一緒にJLPTに向けて準備していこうと思いました。 先生も私のために、授業を作ってくれました。 さすが日本語教師資格をお持ちの方ですから、初めの時に、模擬試験を使って、私の一番不得意の分野を特定してくれました。 私が一番苦手の読解部分、文法書や、模擬試験、答える順番や答えの見極めるトリックなどを色々教えてくれました。 おかげさまで、私は無事にN1を合格した上に、一番下手な読解も90%ぐらい正解でした。 本気に日本語を勉強したい人に、SHIZUKO先生をお薦めいたします。

2022-02-06

Jonathan Bouquet 様

I got in touch with Ma Place after my fourth attempt at JLPT N1. I had big issues with reading comprehension, but was still motivated by what remained a goal and a challenge. Shizuko is very agreeable and kind, and we could quickly set the focus on my issue: long texts reading comprehension. Over about 2 months (10 lessons) I finally got to improve my understanding of the structure of argumentative texts, the types of questions asked and written Japanese overall. I sat for the JLPT N1 after my last lesson and passed it. Thank you so much!

Je me suis rapproché de Ma Place après ma 4e tentative au JLPT N1. J’avais de gros problèmes de lecture, mais j’étais encore motivé par ce qui restait à la fois un objectif et un défi. Shizuko est très agréable et très aimable, et nous avons pu rapidement nous concentrer sur mon problème : la compréhension des textes longs. Sur environ 2 mois (10 leçons) j’ai finalement réussi à améliorer ma compréhension de la structure des textes argumentatifs, des types de questions posées, et globalement celle du japonais écrit. J’ai finalement obtenu mon JLPT N1 à la session qui a suivi ma dernière leçon. Merci beaucoup !

日本語能力試験1級の受験4回目に落ち、マ・プラスにお願いすることにしました。読解に対する問題がありましたが、目的やチャレンジが残っていたため、やる気はまだありました。志津子さんは優しくて話しやすくて、すぐに一緒に長文読解の問題の解決作戦に集中できました。2か月かけて(レッスン10回)ついに自分は長文の構造の理解、問われる質問の種類の理解、全体的な日本語文章の理解能力が上昇しました。最終レッスンの後、N1を再度受けて、受かりました。とてもおせわになりました。ありがとうございます。

2021-03-11

T.L. 様

Shizuko is an excellent teacher if you are looking to learn or improve your Japanese regardless of your skills. She is very accommodating and can tailor your lessons to what you need to focus on and get better at. When I started lessons with her, I was trying to supplement what I had learnt from Japanese school but later on, our lessons were focused on preparing me for the JLPT. I have had face to face lessons with her as well as via Skype and both have been equally effective. On top of that, she has, on multiple occasions, gone out of her way to find answers to my difficult questions. I appreciate her enthusiasm to the language as it motivates me to want to keep learning Japanese. Shizuko is also kind, genuine and amazingly easy to get along. She makes her lessons enjoyable, and I always look forward to our lessons every week.

志津子先生は優しくて、親しみやすい先生です。レッスンも面白いので、毎週レッスンを楽しみにしています。日本語を上手になりたかったら、ぜひ志津子先生のレッスンを受けてください。

2024-02-27

K.H. 様

I've been studying business Japanese with Shizuko-san and highly recommend her for three reasons: adaptability, targeted approach, and commitment.

On adaptability, in our first meeting, she took the time to carefully understand the goals I wanted to achieve. While she could also support exam preparation and daily conversations, she tailored our lessons to focus on my needs for presentations and negotiations in business settings.

With her targeted approach, Shizuko-san designed various approaches and recommended materials to help me achieve my objectives. After 15 lessons, I now feel confident and have a repertoire of phrases for most situations.

Lastly, her commitment is evident in every lesson. She consistently prepares detailed lesson plans and anticipates my questions, making our lessons structured and highly effective.

For a committed teacher who can help you achieve your Japanese learning goals, look no further than Shizuko-san.

2023-12-08

Siegbert 様

Vor einem Jahr kam ich von Deutschland nach Japan, dem Heimatland meiner Frau. Meine japanischen Sprachkenntnisse bewegten sich zu Beginn auf dem N4 Level. Mein Ziel war es, mein Hörverständnis und meine Kommunikationsfähigkeit zu verbessern, um in Japan ohne Probleme leben zu können. Shizuko-san hat ihren Unterricht, den wir über Zoom abhalten, genau auf meine Bedürfnisse abgestimmt. Ihre Korrekturvorschläge werden während des Unterrichts von ihr in die Chatbox eingetragen. Den Inhalt der Chatbox einer jeden Unterrichtsstunde erhalte ich im Nachgang per email. Das ist für mich sehr hilfreich und fördert eine effiziente Nacharbeit. Ich habe Spaß am Unterricht mit Shizuko-san, durch den sich meine Sprachkenntnisse zu meiner großen Zufriedenheit kontinuierlich verbessern. Als sehr angenehm empfinde ich die positive und freundliche Art von Shizuko-san. So ist Japanischlernen ein Vergnügen, daher ist es nun zu meinem Hobby geworden.

A year ago, I moved from Germany to Japan, my wife's home country. My Japanese language skills were at N4 level at the beginning. My goal was to improve my listening comprehension and communication skills so that I could live in Japan without any problems. Shizuko-san has customised her lessons, which we hold via Zoom, exactly to my needs. She enters her corrections in the chatbox during the lesson. I receive the contents of the chatbox for each lesson by email afterwards. This is very helpful for me and promotes efficient follow-up work. I enjoy my lessons with Shizuko-san and my language skills are continuously improving to my great satisfaction. I find Shizuko-san's positive and friendly manner very pleasant. Learning Japanese is a pleasure, so it has now become my hobby.

1年前、私はドイツから妻の母国である日本に来ました。来日した時、私の日本語能力は、N4レベルでした。日本での生活を問題なく送れるようになるため、聴解力とコミュニケーション能力の向上が必要でした。そのため、しづ子さんはZoomで行うレッスンを、私の希望に合わせてカスタマイズしてくれました。また、しづ子さんはレッスン中に私の間違った箇所をチャットボックスに入力し、レッスン終了後、チャットボックスの内容をメールで送ってくれます。これは私にとってとても有益で、効率的なフォローアップになっています。しづ子さんとのレッスンは楽しく、私の語学力は確実に向上しているので、とても満足しています。また、しづ子さんの前向きでフレンドリーな態度も好感が持てます。日本語を学ぶのが楽しくなり、今では日本語の勉強が私の趣味となっています。

2023-02-09

Ludovic 様

Je prends des leçons avec Shizuko San depuis environ 6 mois maintenant, à raison d'une heure par semaine, et c'est devenu l'un des meilleurs moments de ma semaine ! Shizuko San est une professeur dévouée et attentive aux besoins de ses élèves, mais également curieuse et très cultivée. Ainsi, chaque leçon est intéressante tant grâce au travail de préparation de Shizuko San (sur la base d'un manuel de conversation dans mon cas), que grâce aux conversations qui émergent de chaque sujet, sur des thématiques variées mais toujours passionnantes ! Merci Shizuko San !

I have been taking weekly lessons with Shizuko San for about 6 months now and it has become one of the best moments of my week! Shizuko San is a dedicated teacher who is attentive to the needs of her students, but also curious and very knowledgeable. Each lesson is interesting thanks to Shizuko San's preparation work (based on a conversation manual in my case), as well as for the small talk moments that can emerge from each topic, on various but always exciting themes! Thank you Shizuko San!

志津子さんのレッスンを週に1時間、半年ほど受け続けています。私の一週間の中で最高の瞬間の一つになっています!志津子さんは熱心な先生で、生徒のニーズに気を配りながら、好奇心旺盛でとても博識な方です。毎回のレッスンは、志津子さんの準備作業と、それぞれのトピックから生まれる、様々な、しかしいつも刺激的なテーマでの会話によって、興味深いものとなっています!志津子さん、これからも宜しくお願いします!

2022-08-23

G.C. 様

在日本語能力上的考前三個月,第一次跟Shizuko老師上課 由於我已經有很長一段時間沒有考JLPT了,其實心裡非常的緊張 但在跟老師上過第一次視聽課之後,就決定跟著老師一起為N1做準備 老師也依據我的需求特地為我開了一個新的課程 不虧是有日本語教師證照的老師,在剛開始時就先用了模擬試題針對我的能力做了評估, 在我最不擅長的讀解部分,使用了文法書,模擬試驗,甚至分享了考題作答順序,甚至於一針見血的答題技巧來幫助我 在Shizuko老師的協助下,我除了成功考過了N1之外,在讀解的部分也答對了近九成的問題 真的都要謝謝Shizuko老師 誠心推薦Shizuko老師給想要好好學習日語的人

私はJLPTの3ヶ月前に、初めてSHIZUKO先生の授業を受けました。 結構長い時間に(多分5年以上に)JLPTを受けてないから、最初はすごく緊張しました。 でも、先生のデモ授業を受けて、先生と一緒にJLPTに向けて準備していこうと思いました。 先生も私のために、授業を作ってくれました。 さすが日本語教師資格をお持ちの方ですから、初めの時に、模擬試験を使って、私の一番不得意の分野を特定してくれました。 私が一番苦手の読解部分、文法書や、模擬試験、答える順番や答えの見極めるトリックなどを色々教えてくれました。 おかげさまで、私は無事にN1を合格した上に、一番下手な読解も90%ぐらい正解でした。 本気に日本語を勉強したい人に、SHIZUKO先生をお薦めいたします。

2022-02-06

Jonathan Bouquet 様

I got in touch with Ma Place after my fourth attempt at JLPT N1. I had big issues with reading comprehension, but was still motivated by what remained a goal and a challenge. Shizuko is very agreeable and kind, and we could quickly set the focus on my issue: long texts reading comprehension. Over about 2 months (10 lessons) I finally got to improve my understanding of the structure of argumentative texts, the types of questions asked and written Japanese overall. I sat for the JLPT N1 after my last lesson and passed it. Thank you so much!

Je me suis rapproché de Ma Place après ma 4e tentative au JLPT N1. J’avais de gros problèmes de lecture, mais j’étais encore motivé par ce qui restait à la fois un objectif et un défi. Shizuko est très agréable et très aimable, et nous avons pu rapidement nous concentrer sur mon problème : la compréhension des textes longs. Sur environ 2 mois (10 leçons) j’ai finalement réussi à améliorer ma compréhension de la structure des textes argumentatifs, des types de questions posées, et globalement celle du japonais écrit. J’ai finalement obtenu mon JLPT N1 à la session qui a suivi ma dernière leçon. Merci beaucoup !

日本語能力試験1級の受験4回目に落ち、マ・プラスにお願いすることにしました。読解に対する問題がありましたが、目的やチャレンジが残っていたため、やる気はまだありました。志津子さんは優しくて話しやすくて、すぐに一緒に長文読解の問題の解決作戦に集中できました。2か月かけて(レッスン10回)ついに自分は長文の構造の理解、問われる質問の種類の理解、全体的な日本語文章の理解能力が上昇しました。最終レッスンの後、N1を再度受けて、受かりました。とてもおせわになりました。ありがとうございます。

reservation icon

Reservation

Online reservation

Easy reservation by PC and Smartphone

※Payment method:
I accept the prepayment by credit card only. This payment is non-refundable.


※Cancellations:
Please contact me at least 24 hours prior to the lesson. The full lesson fee will be charged for cancellations after this time.


※Lesson time:
The lesson time is negotiable. Don't hesitate to contact me.

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blog

Journal
2024-09-16
学習ツールとしての試験
Exams as a learning tool
Les examens en tant qu'outil
Journal
2024-09-08
個人レッスン+α
Private Lessons and More
Cours privés « plus »
Journal
2024-09-02
外国語学習のもどかしさ
Frustration of learning a foreign language
La frustration d'apprendre une langue étrangère