We value the desire to learn from each other,
Through learning Japanese,
Make your life in Japan more enjoyable,
I aim to make it more fulfilling.
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Japanese
Learning Support Group TetoTe
About Us
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We are active for foreigners living in Japan.
We will study Japanese together, which is necessary for daily life.
In groups of 2-3 people, once a week for 1 hour,
We provide online Japanese language learning support.
Participants come from Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Myanmar and other countries.
We offer flexible activities to suit your Japanese level and learning aspirations.
Our group is registered with the volunteer recruitment website activo.
Participant comments
I was accepted into this volunteer group in February 2023 and have been working there for over a year .
Just as I expected... No, it was even more fun than I expected, and it has become a precious experience for me. Although it was supposed to be to support my Japanese language studies, it has actually expanded my world tremendously!
Even though I don't have a qualification as a Japanese language teacher, I am always looking for ways to help.
My classes are conversation-based, so we talk about a variety of topics, such as what happened in our daily lives, how we felt, and the differences between our students' countries and Japan, while sharing commonly used expressions and slightly interesting phrases (such as onomatopoeia). In addition to conversation, I also use slides to introduce new words from different angles, incorporating things like photo descriptions, crosswords, and kanji quizzes.
The students are from Vietnam, China, and Myanmar, but thanks to their charming personalities, I have developed an interest in and attachment to all of their countries! This has been a wonderful and rewarding activity for me as well!
I hope to continue to take on board the requests of my learners, keep my own antennae up, and share Japan and the Japanese language from various angles.
N さん
I have been working as a volunteer here for about two years.
Once a week, I would meet with the learners and talk about a variety of topics, sometimes complaining about work, or talking about everyday worries not limited to learning Japanese. Through these conversations, I was constantly made aware of cultural differences and the fascinating and difficult aspects of the Japanese language, and it was a very meaningful experience.
I have been teaching Japanese in various formats for several years, and through these activities, I have come to realize how important it is to understand the learners' backgrounds, the environments they live in Japan, the people they are surrounded by, and the situations in which they need to use Japanese in order to "teach Japanese" as a "classroom." Learning grammar structures from a textbook and using Japanese in real life often do not match due to the nature of Japanese, which requires interaction based on relationships and situations. There are many Japanese words that are only used when actually speaking with someone. There are countless words and phrases that are rarely introduced in textbooks or grammar books, and words and phrases that cannot be explained even with a translation function. While this level cannot be easily measured through written tests, it is the most important element in communicating and building relationships with others.
In fact, what the learners found most difficult and what they wanted to know was, "When and how should I express these real Japanese phrases?" It was great to be able to talk frankly with the learners and hear about their real questions and worries.
The biggest benefit was that I got to meet some really hardworking and ambitious learners, which gave me a lot of motivation and courage to grow as a person, and made me want to try more things and do my best.
The activities here are not limited to learning Japanese, but I think they are a great opportunity for anyone who wants to connect with, talk to, and make friends with people from overseas living in Japan.
T さん
I have been studying with this group for about two and a half years. I feel that it has been very helpful for my life and work in Japan. When I first joined the class, I was very bad at listening and speaking, and I couldn't even introduce myself well. However, thanks to the guidance of the volunteers, I was able to find work in Japan. Now, I have become quite accustomed to life and work in Japan, but I feel that my Japanese language skills are still lacking. In the future, I would like to be able to speak in a more Japanese-like manner. I look forward to your continued support.
S さん
D さん
I have been studying Japanese with this group for a year and a half now since December 2022. Here I have met very kind volunteers and classmates who have had the same experiences as me.
In class, we think about the difficulties you've encountered while learning Japanese and the topics you want to talk about, and then we discuss those topics. When you come across a word you don't understand or use incorrectly, a volunteer will introduce the word and teach you other ways to use it. They will also carefully explain grammar that is difficult for foreigners.
What really touched me was that when the volunteers found out I was pregnant, they told me about the procedures I needed to follow after pregnancy and provided me with relevant websites in Chinese. They also taught me a lot of the terminology used for pregnancy tests. They cared for me like a friend, and were a great support to me as I had just arrived in Japan. I am truly grateful.
After class, the volunteers summarize and share the words and sentences that were discussed in class, which is very helpful for review. Over the past year and a half, I have learned honorific language for work, expressions for everyday life, and even the differences between Kanto and Kansai Japanese. It's really interesting, and I'm very grateful for this learning opportunity.
We started supporting Japanese language students in December 2022, and have now completed a year and a half. Where I am, I am a very kind hearted person, and I am a similar student. In the classroom, we have a difficult time learning Japanese language. If you don't want to know about this, please use the following instructions. When foreigners come to Japan, we learn how to speak the language, and other people's comfort level is solved.
When I become pregnant, the person who wishes to give me the instructions I need after I become pregnant, the explanation is the same as the Chinese mailbox, and the language for the pregnancy is taught. Other images of my friend, my heart, and the fact that I came from Japan, and this is a huge support. My deepest gratitude to all the others.
After the lesson, the old teachers' association will be organized and the reading section will be used to read the Japanese haiku. I've been here for a year and a half now, and I've been working on this language for a while now, and I've used it in everyday life, so I understand that it's different from the Japanese language in the East and the West. It's really interesting, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity to learn.
W さん
Before I knew it, more than a year had passed since I started volunteering to support Japanese language learning. What prompted me to start this work was when a woman of Myanmar nationality visited the vocational school where I work, hoping to study to become a care worker.
Japanese is said to be a "high-context culture," meaning that it is made up of many unspoken elements, not just the words themselves, but also the context, the atmosphere, the relationship with the other person, etc. I wanted to be as close as possible to her as she learned about caregiving in Japanese - and just as I was starting to study to become a Japanese teacher, I learned about Teto Te's activities, and that was my first step in volunteering.
At first, I started out as a teacher, but gradually I began to realize that I was the one learning. Every time I realized the depth of the Japanese language, the difficulty of communicating it, and the different cultures from Japan, I realized that we were "learning together."
I also enjoy the daily interactions with the children of my students. The glimpses of their growth that I can glimpse in casual conversations make the joy of my activities even greater.
Now, this volunteer work has become a part of my life and a precious time. I am always encouraged by the fact that relationships of learning and supporting each other naturally emerge, transcending nationality.
