If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
About
INTRODUCTION
I have studied Japanese language and culture since I was eleven years old, and have studied abroad in Japan multiple times. I am a compassionate educator who will work with you to understand your motivations, and layout a path to your goals in Japanese proficiency. I take great pride in seeing my client’s growth.
METHODS
For adults focused on self-study of Japanese, I will connect you with original and trusted third-party resources to augment your individual study. Individual study outside of our sessions will focus on building vocabulary, kanji and developing writing ability through assignments, games, and more.
I facilitate my content through the SRS (Spaced Repetition System) method, favored by some of the greatest language teaching programs. This system follows an algorithm that has proven to embed information in long-term memory. Perfect for learning a language!
For students who are supplementing their existing studies through my tutoring program, I create customized content based on your existing curriculum, again instituting the SRS method to help you excel in your primary class.
POLICIES
You will receive an invitation from me the Sunday prior to our session for the event. Depending on the software we will use to virtually meet, there may be a link embedded in the description.
At the top of the session, I will join the room punctually so we can get started.
I will stay in the room for 15 minutes. If you do not join and do not give me any notice, I will exit the room and will attempt to connect with you via email.
If I do not receive an email prior to the call, or within one hour of when our session would start, I will consider this to be a "no-show" and will make the standard fee request.
PAYMENTS
My standard rate is $35/hour. Most of my sessions are set for one hour.
My fee for a no-show is $10 and will be requested via PayPal.
Overview
Hired 3 times
Serves San Francisco, CA
Background checked
1 employee
8 years in business
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Credit card, PayPal, Square cash app, and Venmo.
Services offered
Work location
I work remotely (phone or internet)
Projects and media
Projects and media
Reviews
Customers rated this pro highly for responsiveness, professionalism, and work quality.
Exceptional 5.0
9 reviews
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Read reviews that mention:
Laura S.
Apr 23, 2020
I appreciated that Sam emailed me before our tutoring session to gauge my current skill level, as well as my interest in learning Japanese. Based on that he was able to put together a custom lesson. And during the lesson, he was flexible -- skipping through materials I clearly already had a grasp on and spending more time on the lessons where I needed more help. I really liked that my lesson was a combination of writing, listening and speaking and it was highly interactive. I can't wait for my next session!
Nicholas A.
Jul 7, 2020
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Hired on Thumbtack
Sam always kept my learning tendencies in mind when making lesson plans and continued to teach me even after sessions with quizlets and other sources.
Details: 18 - 25 years old • No experience • Conversational proficiency • Beginner • Beginner • Basic reading/writing skills • 60 minutes • I travel to the japanese tutor
Japanese Lessons
Rebecca L.
May 8, 2020
Sam was so encouraging and helpful - and really knows his stuff! He was able to customize my lessons to meet my goals and needs. He's a great teacher, and made it fun to start learning basic structures, concepts and vocabulary in Japanese. Highly recommend!
Fenner F.
Apr 24, 2020
Sam was wonderful to dive right in with. He wasted no time getting right to basics and was genuinely interested in connecting our lessons to my established interests with the language. He provided a dense and well paced lesson with clear next steps and work to practice. I'm so excited for our next session!
Tirumari J.
Aug 6, 2019
Sam was incredibly positive and energetic right at the get-go which helped me jump in headfirst. He made a point of checking in with me periodically to verify my familiarity with a concept and I could tell he was tailoring his tutoring to my experience in real-time. He was very patient throughout and offered both constructive notes as well as enthusiastic encouragement.
He made sure to outline exactly what his goals for the lesson were at the beginning, and at the end went over his outline to confirm what I learned that day and so I was able to keep track of my own progress during the process. He also gave me homework that helped me reinforce my own skills.
Sam is a personable, fun, and funny tutor that I would happily recommend to anyone who wants to learn!
Credentials
Background Check
Sam Bertken
FAQs
What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
I don't believe there should be a prohibitive barrier for those who wish to learn a new skill.
My base pricing is at $35/hour, but I am open to discussing what kind of pricing works best for you.
Should you wish to augment our sessions with a particular resource (i.e. textbooks, workbooks, etc.) that I do not have in my possession, or cannot share easily, we can discuss how the student might access those resources.
What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
When I first connect with a student interested in learning or continuing their studies in Japanese, it's important for me to get a sense of their experience level, personal sense of competency in learning new languages, what learning styles work best for them and what interests and motivates them to learn the Japanese language. Of course, we also specify what the students goal is with this tutoring service.
From there, I craft curriculums for hour-long sessions that specifically move the student at a confident pace towards their desired goal. This looks different for each and every student--I look forward to figuring out what works best for you!
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have studied Japanese in classroom and immersion settings since the 6th grade. I have traveled to Japan three times, carrying a focus on deepening my comprehension of the language.
I hold an intermediate certification from the Japan Center for Michigan Universities, a minor in Japanese studies from Kalamazoo College and have an intermediate certification from the JLPT.
