Ai Kanda’s Guide to Selecting the Perfect English Conversation Teacher

What criteria should I use to choose?

This year, I set a goal to be able to speak English! and after four months, I’m seriously working towards it by attending an English conversation school once or twice a week. Due to work and household chores, I haven’t been able to properly prepare or review, so I haven’t felt significant growth yet. Still, the style of this school, where I get to talk one-on-one with teachers from overseas, makes it feel like I’m in a fun vacation abroad mood where I have to communicate in English somehow! The experience of spending time and money for myself, apart from work and chores, feels refreshing and has been a great way to unwind.

When I first started, a Japanese counselor advised me, “Each teacher has their own style. Try taking lessons with various teachers until you find one that suits you.” So, I was left wondering what criteria to use to choose a teacher. I didn’t know, so I decided to choose my first teacher based on their place of origin.

There are dozens of teachers, from the US, Australia, the UK, Singapore, the Philippines, Japan, and more. Since I want to learn American English, I narrowed it down to teachers from the United States. Then, I looked at the states: Texas, Florida, Montana, Hawaii—again, quite varied. Ideally, I wanted a teacher from New York, which I love, but there wasn’t one, so I booked a teacher from neighboring New Jersey.

The first one. New Jersey Teacher. This teacher, who had just graduated from university, had a lively conversation pace, and like me, loved Taylor Swift. When I said in broken English, “If I could be born again, I want to be born in New York. I love the city that never sleeps, New York!” She smiled and said, “Great!” and corrected my sentences to proper English. Above all, she was studying Japanese, so even when I struggled and spoke in Japanese, she quickly understood me.

The second one is Science Businessman Teacher. As someone from the science department, I thought I might get along with a teacher from the same field, so I booked a science guy who had worked at a major financial institution. He wore his suit perfectly, with a presence that made me think, “If I were approached, I’d go with it.” However, his Japanese was disappointingly weak. Most of his students seemed to have a certain level of English, so he was a bit confused with me, a beginner. I couldn’t express myself in English, and we were stuck, switching to Japanese. Half of the class time was spent translating things on the internet. This wasn’t going to work. It was too advanced for me.

Just because a teacher has good reviews doesn’t mean they will be the right fit for you

Third Teacher. The Experienced Teacher Who Left the Company the Next Month

This time, I thought I’d try choosing a teacher with a reassuring, comfortable atmosphere, so I booked a chubby middle-aged man. He liked Japanese culture and was quite knowledgeable in Japanese. He spoke clear and easy-to-understand English with no peculiar handwriting and good pen pressure. He laughed at my story and said, “You have a very rich imagination!” The vibe was nice. However, I found out he was leaving the company the next month. I decided to take advantage of the time I had left with him and booked a second lesson. But during the second lesson, most of the time was spent on talking about his personal hobby, photography, and his Instagram account where he posted his pictures, making me the listener. Eventually, he asked me to follow his Instagram right then and there, so I did. He left the company the next month, and while I feel bad, I still haven’t unfollowed him.

Fourth Teacher. The Overloaded Teacher

Not wanting to make another mistake, I asked my counselor for a recommendation and booked a popular teacher. She was cheerful and approachable. She quickly moved through the lessons, providing plenty of examples, and by the end of the lesson, I had four loose-leaf papers full of notes. I imagine the teacher’s popularity lies in the amount of information she provides, but it was just too much. I quickly lost my motivation to review, and I realized this approach wouldn’t work for me. I decided to stop taking lessons with her.

Even though the same textbook was used, the teaching styles were completely different. I came to understand that teachers also have to work hard to stay popular. Right now, I’m learning with the New Jersey Teacher from my first lesson, and it’s going well.

However, now I’m wondering whether I should try out more teachers or stick with the New Jersey Teacher and use my lesson fees more steadily. This new challenge has led me to a new dilemma.

Aika Kanda was born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from Gakushuin University with a degree in mathematics, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003, and left in 2012 to become a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows, and currently appears regularly as the main MC of the daytime TV program “Poka Poka” (Fuji Television Network).

Her first book, “ Where are you going on the road ca lled Royal Road? is now on sale by popular demand!

 

From “FRIDAY” April 25/May 2, 2025 issue