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Information About Jess:

Personal Description:

I am a specialist GCSE and A-Level Japanese tutor. Over the past six years, I have written full textbooks for both exams, alongside an original beginners' grammar textbook. My students consistently perform excellently in their exams, benefitting from an extremely targeted approach, covering each of the GCSE and A-Level grammar points, topics and tasks in depth.

I am fluent in Japanese and Spanish and offer a unique teaching style, based on 14 years' experience teaching in the UK, Japan and Spain; Japanese study at the highest level (Cambridge University - Double First Class BA / Doshisha University Kyoto - JLPT N1), Communication and Teacher training at Royal Academy of Music (MA Distinction / LRAM Licentiate to Teach) and 20 years' experience working with children and young people in childcare and academic settings.

I currently live in Barcelona and offer online sessions, making use of my own interactive teaching platform.

Teaching Experience:

I have been working as a private tutor for 14 years in the UK, Japan and Spain. Since 2020, I have focused exclusively on Japanese, and in particular the GCSE and A-Level exams. This has allowed me to develop an exceptionally strong exam programme, guiding my students through each step of their chosen exam, regardless of their starting level of Japanese.

I hold a BA (double first-class) from the University of Cambridge (Japanese, 2014) and graduated with the highest results in my year, alongside a national prize for best Japanese dissertation. During my degree, I passed the highest level of the JLPT Japanese Proficiency test (N1 - business level) whilst studying at Doshisha University, Kyoto. After graduating, I went on to volunteer in rural Japan for a year, before entering the Royal Academy of Music, London, to study Performance and Teaching (LRAM, MA, RAMDip - distinction). I began teaching privately in Japan in 2013, and have taught internationally ever since.

Whilst I now focus exclusively on Japanese language and University applications in East Asian studies, over the past decade, I have taught a wide variety of subjects: Japanese, Oxbridge / University Entry, Musical Theatre and Drama, Presentation Skills and Public Speaking, EFL, 4-plus, 7-plus and literacy lessons. I have worked with children as young as two in formal tutoring settings (4-plus examinations / EFL / literacy) both in-person and online, and have extensive experience working part-time in childcare centres, caring for children from just a few months old.

Tutoring Approach:

I offer the only textbooks available specifically following the GCSE and A-Level Pearson Edexcel specifications. Textbooks cover each grammar point of the chosen exam in detail, alongside extensive materials exploring each of the different themes and topics (GCSE) as well as in-depth materials guiding students through the Research Essay and Set Works (A-Level).

I offer support regardless of your current level of Japanese. Classes can be adapted both for students who have never studied Japanese before, as well as for those who already already have some level of Japanese: learners taking Japanese classes at school who feel they need extra guidance, or heritage speakers of Japanese who need to formalise their language skills before taking a GCSE or A-Level exam.

GCSE
My GCSE course consists of three parts. Depending on your level (beginner - native speaker) the course can take 6 months - 4 years. Firstly, students cover each grammar point of the Pearson Edexcel Specification. This is often the longest part of the course, and is suitable for all students, even those not wishing to take a final exam.

We then move onto applying the vocabulary and grammar learned to the GCSE Specification, using my online textbook and interactive learning platform.
The textbook has 5 theme modules. Each contains:
- A full vocabulary list, colour-coded into Foundation and Higher Tiers, alongside further optional vocabulary.
- A full kanji guide, split into kanji to learn to read, and those to learn to write.
⁠- Comprehensive guides to building thorough answers to each specific sub-topic (e.g. Family, Directions, School Rules, Charities, Jobs, Environmental Issues and so on).
- A breakdown of Speaking Exam prompts for each topic (e.g. pros and cons of social media, online shopping, taking a gap year and so on).
- Extensive annotated example paragraphs in the style of writing paper answers, focusing on the theme's sub-topics.

Finally, we focus on exam techniques and exam preparation. I support students to feel confident in each of their papers, spending extra time and developing additional materials and guides for each individual student, to help them conquer any weaker areas of study.

A-LEVEL
I support both students moving from GCSE to A-Level study, as well as heritage speakers of Japanese aiming for a qualification to formalise their skills. Depending on your level, A-Level study can take 6 months - 3 years.

The A-Level course contains:
- Lessons on each A-Level specification grammar point (+ revision of any forgotten GCSE points)
- Vocabulary and kanji lists for the four A-Level themes and their sub- topics.
- Comprehension materials further exploring the theme and sub-topics.
- Full analyses of selected Set Works (Spirited Away; Kitchen; Mado-giwa no Totto-chan).
- Guides to preparing, researching and writing the Research Essay.
- Guides to planning, structuring and writing the Set Works Essays.
- Multiple example essays for the selected Set Works and for each Research theme.


NON-EXAM TRACKS
Alongside the targeted exam textbooks, I write original materials for all my learners from beginners onwards, offering a smooth transition for students from newcomer level through to their next steps, whether that be a formal exam (GCSE, A-Level or JLPT) or not. All lesson content is adapted to suit the needs of each individual student.

For those who do not wish to focus on a UK schools' exam, I support students looking towards N5-N3 JLPT exams, using a variety of original materials and multi-lingual textbooks.

Finally, of course, many of my learners are taking Japanese classes casually for personal or professional development, without aiming for formal exams. I adapt all lessons to the needs and wishes of my students, and can support learners with any goal, at any stage of their journey with Japanese.

Qualifications:

• Double-first BA Japanese - University of Cambridge
• N1 JLPT Japanese
• LRAM Licentiate to Teach - Royal Academy of Music
• MA Performance - Royal Academy of Music

Further Information:

Availability:	Weekends / Weekdays (all times)
Types of Tutoring:	Online
References Supplied?	Yes
Current DBS/CRB Check?	Yes
Additional Languages Spoken:	Spanish, English