Artour

I am a professional Japanese language educator and a social scientist. I have 25 years of experience teaching all levels of Japanese for GCSE`s, IB, A Levels, JLPT, university courses, and adult learners. I mentor graduate and postgraduate students in Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities to help them successfully complete their university coursework be it essay, dissertations, individual research projects, reaction papers, literature reviews, core chapters, research proposals, etc. I also prepare students for exams to ensure the highest possible results.

I have worked as an academic and pastoral mentor at my university for over 5 years and 8 years as a private Social Sciences tutor. During that time, I have successfully helped students with hundreds of written assignments for all faculties across Social Sciences, History, Arts, and Humanities at the UK universities, including but not limited to:

Anthropology and subdisciplines
Sociology and subdisciplines
Japanese language
Political Science
Economics
History
Cultural Studies
International Relations
Law and Legal Studies
Religious Studies
Media and Communication Studies
Migration Studies
Gender Studies
Area Studies
Art History.

I usually pick up from where the lecturer/supervisor failed the student and help them finish successfully their coursework such as:

essays,
dissertations,
book and article reviews and précis,
reaction papers,
research proposals,
core chapters,
literature reviews,
individual research projects, etc.

I also coach for Academic Study Skills such as

academic writing,
working out research questions and research methodology,
finding research sources for your assignments and and referencing them correctly,
theoretical approaches,
planning and structuring written assignments,
referencing, paraphrasing, and avoiding plagiarism
best reading and note-taking practices,
developing critical thinking,
structuring academic argument,
exam techniques,
workload and time management,
and mental and emotional health maintenance.

With particular reference to Japanese language learning, I help with planning and structuring one`s learning process, kanji and vocabulary memorisation techniques, making sense of Japanese grammar and usage, developing writing and conversational skills. I can explain the minutest nuances of Japanese grammar in plain English and ensure that you know how to use it correctly. Specifically for teaching kanji, I use my own method adapted from the Japanese national school curriculum for the needs of non-native speakers. It is built around continuously mindmapping kanji and their combinations to help students develop kanji usage, boost vocabulary, and understand how the Japanese language describes reality.

Utilising my international corporate and academic experience, I provide life-coaching advice on career and academic development. I have been through five different education systems myself and I am very attuned to the difficulties international students may have with dealing with the UK higher education. I provide tailor-made assistance for each individual students suiting their educational and cultural background.

Education:

I studied at the Osaka University of Foreign Studies on the Japanese Ministry of Education scholarship and have a university degree in teaching Japanese, Level 1 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), and the JETRO Business Japanese certificate. I finished my MA and am completing my PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, where I attended 24 courses in Social Sciences, History, Arts, Humanities, and Languages of East and Southeast Asia.

Professional Memberships:

I also work at the JLPT exam in London. I am a member of the SOAS Japan Research Centre, the British Association of Japanese Teachers, the European Association of Social Anthropologists, the International Association for Asian Studies, the British Association for Japanese Studies, the British Association of MEXT Scholars, and the Japan Society of the UK.

Availability: Weekday afternoons and evenings. Online and offline.

Willing to travel: 10 miles

Experience: Japanese Language Instruction:

I have taught Japanese for 25 years. I have successfully prepared numerous students for their GCSE`s, A-levels, IB, JLPT, and university examinations. I help with Japanese school or university coursework or provide full-on individual preparation for Edexcel Japanese exam as an external student. I also teach adults for business and hobby purposes.

Cross-Cultural Training:

In addition to my academic pursuits, I have worked for a number of Japanese multinationals and SMEs around the world. Using that experience as a Certified Cross-Cultural Trainer I provide executive coaching and give interactive workshops on doing business with Japanese companies: the do`s and don`ts, how to gain and maintain trust, keigo (honorific speech), Japanese business etiquette and correspondence, etc. Building on my academic training as a social scientist of Japan and my 30 years of involvement with the country, I also give interactive media-enhanced talks on various aspects of Japanese culture, art, and society.

Translation and Interpreting:

I have been involved in specialist translation and interpreting projects from and into Japanese, having worked with the likes of Toyota Motors, the NHK, Ricoh, and Cendant Moblity.

Polyglot Credentials:

Being a huge language buff and thanks to the international life I have lived, I have a written and conversational command of Chinese, Thai, Laotian, Russian, Croatian, Dutch, Afrikaans, French, Spanish, and a few other languages. I make a habit out of picking up the fundamentals of the language when I go on my extended trips to various countries. "After the sixth language it`s a cinch."