“A fantastic course for anyone eager to learn the basics of the Japanese language. As a complex and intriguing language, it is somewhat dawning when starting out and difficult to know where to start. Fran manages to settle your mind and ease you into this course perfectly. Her knowledge is expansive and her personality makes the course enjoyable and worth every penny. Thank you again.“ - Liam, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2022

“Fran gives an easy-to-follow but content-packed course, with topics that are more useful than you think. I'm now able to form and write sentences, have simple conversations, and understand some things that native speakers say. I couldn't do that a year ago, so that's a big win. どうもありがとうございました、フラン先生！“ - Adrian, STEP 1, 2022

“On my earlier Japanese courses there was no focus on thinking creatively and speaking conversationally in Japanese. Consequently, at the beginning of my first year with Step Up Japanese the prospect of speaking in Japanese was a challenge. Over the weeks, there have been regular opportunities to have fun speaking with small groups of friendly fellow students, and I’ve discovered that my confidence has grown along with my ability. It’s extraordinary to see how far I’ve come, and the firm foundation that is being built for my language skills. I love that, because I am growing in my ability to speak Japanese, my written Japanese is less text-book bound and a lot more spontaneous. I like the safe space you’ve created, Fran, where we’re encouraged to try, and where mistakes are an opportunity for learning 😊” - Cathy, STEP 3, 2022

“Fran’s an excellent teacher! I really enjoyed the context and colour she brought to everything we learned. My ability to understand and speak Japanese improved hugely over the year.“ - Alex, STEP 3, 2022

“Fran is a patient teacher who has a skill in charting out a path to teaching Japanese. Anyone who is willing to put in the energy and is comfortable making mistakes will see results. Step 2 was a great push forward and has encouraged me to continue studying.“ - Joe, STEP 2, 2022

“I’ve been now studying Japanese for two years with Fran and I definitely feel more confident in reading, talking and understanding. I actually managed to talk with native speakers and make myself understood which boosted my mood and confidence. The classes always have a nice atmosphere and gives everyone an opportunity to talk, ask questions and learn, getting rid of any doubt. The lessons are concise and easy to understand and follow. I couldn’t have find a better course to pick up my Japanese and improve it!” - Eleanora, STEP 2, 2022

“If you want to improve your Japanese skills (or start from scratch!) and meet other people with similar interests in Japanese language and culture then Step Up Japanese is the school for you! Fran is a great teacher and her classes are always fun and engaging. She also runs extra classes such as creative writing, onomatopoeia classes and specific skill classes such as writing, reading and listening. There’s always a new and fun class going on!” - Becca, Intermediate 2, 2022

“I really enjoyed learning Japanese with Fran! I had tried learning through language apps before, but I struggled to find a learning structure, only picking up a few words. Because of this, I decided to go for the absolute beginner course. In a few weeks, I've gone from knowing a few basic words to being able to put together proper sentences and i can already ask and answer basic questions in a number of different situations! I found that learning in a group environment was extra helpful as it gave me situations to practise what I had learned with others. I really look foward to learning more with Fran in the future!” - Elliot, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2022

“Was really interesting to learn more about Japanese Onomatopoeia! Lots of fun activities. It also really helped me practise my hiragana and katakana! 😊“ - Gabi, Japanese Onomatopoeia, 2022

“Japanese is a difficult language, but Fran made all the course very accessible and easy to reach for beginners like me.” - Silvina, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2022

“Japanese Onomatopoeia is a fun and unusual topic and I thoroughly enjoyed Fran's course!" - Maria, Japanese Onomatopoeia, 2022

“Fran's encouraging approach and ready explanations give her students the time and tools to quickly improve. These clear, structured but fun lessons are a perfect introduction to Japanese conversation and the six weeks went by far too quickly.” - Jean, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2022

“I thoroughly enjoyed the onomatopoeia course, it was more in depth than I expected and will influence my learning of regular Japanese too now.” - Megan, Japanese Onomatopoeia, 2022

“This was my second short course with Fran and I loved it! She's a great facilitator and teacher, and it was an amazing opportunity to focus in on my Japanese writing. I highly recommend it.“ - Lucy, Creative Writing in Japanese, 2022

“If you're looking for a place to learn Japanese in a calm and supportive environment, I would 100% recommend that you try one of Fran's classes. Even though Fran isn't a native speaker, she has very a deep understanding of how the language works and delivers high quality lessons and teaches in a way that makes learning an extremely complicated language like Japanese fun and engaging.” - Jaye, Creative Writing in Japanese, 2022

“Really enjoyed the shadowing course - I felt like it helped me with my speech gave me resources and ideas to continue improving. There was plenty of practice time and some good sources for those who had books and those who didn't so everyone was equally able to get the most of what they could.” - Sara, Shadowing: Japanese Pronunciation Practice, 2021

“This was a really great course for challenging my Japanese writing skills and really got me thinking out the box each week. I would definitely recommend this course to someone who enjoys a challenge and wants to expand their knowledge in Japanese. I learned so much from this course!” - Becca, Creative Writing in Japanese, 2021

“My confidence to speak, read and write Japanese has skyrocketed since joining the Step Up Japanese Family! Fran is super chill and extremely knowledgeable which makes for a no pressure, fun and rewarding learning atmosphere.” - Mae, Creative Writing in Japanese, 2021

“Step Up Japanese was the perfect course to spark back my interest in learning Japanese and help me work towards my goals. Fran is a great teacher and I really enjoyed the lessons! Will definitely be back soon. The level chosen for me was really useful.“ - Eidann, STEP 3, 2021

“Fran is a great teacher, with passion and enthusiasm for this beautiful language!“ - Ben, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2021

“I looked forward to each class every week to see what we'd cover next. I'm excited to learn a new language, and I'm very happy with the coverage during the sampler course. Signed up immediately when the next 30-week course became available.” - Joe, Japanese Taster Course for Absolute Beginners, 2021

“I've signed up to the Tadoku course several times - the in person ones were great but the online ones have stepped it up with all the extra sources we can now use. The use of blogs, YouTube and Tadoku websites have all been really good at keeping the course varied from week to week so people are able to pick and choose what they wish to do on that day. Great reading practice and a great class to test out your kanji reading skills as you advance.“ - Sara, Tadoku: Let’s Read, 2021

“A fantastic course & very good at helping to understand the nuances of the Japanese language. Fran (the teacher) really takes the time to explain things & sort out any problems that might arise.“ Richard, STEP 1, 2021

“I learned more in 20 weeks with Fran than I did in nearly a year of daily self-studying. I'm so very grateful for the chance to be an international student with Step Up Japanese now that the classes are all taught online. The courses are incredibly affordable compared to my university's offerings and the pace is so much better than a college course anyway!” Gina, STEP 1, 2021

“I thoroughly recommend this course, with Fran our teacher, who is very helpful and makes the classes fun and interesting. We have plenty of practise in listening to and speaking Japanese.” Liz, STEP 3, 2021

“I had taken the class, in-person, previously and the wide variety of material was really helpful. The online format now expands the potential even more - as much more interactive material is presented. The use of breakout rooms means that it is easier to work in smaller groups (without focusing on what other groups are doing) - and it is a great opportunity for classmates to support each other by asking each other questions and clarifying questions for others in the group. At the same time, after the breakout rooms, key points can be highlighted, so there is still sharing of questions/clarifications.” Frank, Intermediate 2, 2021

“This short course was a great start on my Kanji journey. All of the material is well organised and Fran’s teaching is excellent and the lessons are both fun and interesting.” Scarlett, Japanese Kanji for Beginners, 2021

“Fran is an inspirational teacher who gets the pitch just right. The lessons are always really well planned and good fun! I can't believe how much progress I have made. Fran makes this beautiful language very accessible” Bridgette Saunders, Horticulturalist (and Japan Trip Organiser!) at The Garden House, 2021

“I initially enrolled for just a term to ‘give it a go’. However, I stayed for the year and have now just enrolled again for year 2. I didn’t just learn Japanese but I was immersed in the language and the culture. Fran is both motivating and encouraging and always makes an effort to make learning fun and easy to understand. The structure of the classes, the work and textbooks are very well thought out. In a short period of time I have even managed to start thinking Japanese!” Scarlett, STEP 1, 2020

“I've always been a keen language learner, but despite traveling to Japan a few years ago I couldn't get my Japanese learning going. Fran's classes helped me do exactly that, and have also given me momentum moving forward to carry on my studies through the summer!” Thomas, STEP 1, 2020

“Fran's classes are really fun, social and relaxed. Fran was really helpful when I joined about giving me the information I needed to make sure I'd be ready for the classes (I joined in the final term of Step 1 after years of self-study that didn't get very far). I can really see the progress I've made in the year or so since I started in my understanding, ability and confidence. Fran is really good at tailoring the teaching to the level of the class and her knowledge of the language makes learning really interesting and inspires you to want to learn more on your own time.” Sara, STEP 2, 2020

“Despite the sudden changes and shift to online classes due to Covid-19, Fran has continued to make classes fun and engaging. We even had an online social 'meet up' with other students which was a lot of fun! I look forward to class each week and can't wait for classes to start again in October!” Becca, STEP 4, 2020

“Great online classes with the chances to have paired work in 'break rooms' within the session. Brilliant fun and great for learning.” Sheen, STEP 5, 2020

“The perfect course for those travelling to Japan for the first time and want to learn the key basic language skills and cultural aspects - most excellent.” Tony, 2019

“I really enjoyed the Travel Japanese course and Fran is a fun and engaging teacher. The level is just right as an introduction to Japanese and I'm looking forward to moving on to the next course.” Ollie, 2019

“I really enjoyed the course, initially I thought it would be quite short only 6 weeks, but I learned a lot more then I expected over that time.” Travel Japanese for Beginners student, 2019

“Step Up Japanese offers a fully-rounded experience for language learning and a better understanding of this fascinating culture.” Lori, 2018

“It's friendly, relaxed and very enjoyable.” STEP 4 student, 2018

“What I liked the most was the good vibes of each lesson. When I decided to start learning Japanese, I hoped for the course to be fun and engaging, more than just theory and lots of boring studying cause I didn’t want it to feel like an obligation. Since lesson 1, I knew I had picked the right course and enjoyed each one of our lessons.” STEP 2 student, 2018

“I'm fairly amazed to see the sentences I can write in hiragana and what I can comprehend” STEP 1 student, 2018

“I found it an interesting course, with plenty of opportunity to practise speaking Japanese, and to learn much about Japanese culture. It is taught in a fun way, using games and videos, to accompany the worksheets and textbook.” STEP 2 student, 2018

“I loved the course and would definitely sign up for more if I didn’t feel that I was not able to put in that extra necessary time to keep on top of progress - but Fran provides one-on-one reinforcement / catch up sessions if you feel you are falling behind. Thanks again Fran and will be in touch at some point no doubt ;)” Barni, 2018

“I liked the discussions about Japan, finding out new words that wouldn't necessarily have been in the book, practical things like typing, using your phone and last year the calligraphy was great.” STEP 2 student, 2018

“I really think I’ve progressed loads since the beginning, mostly during the last few months as I had more time to devote to Japanese.” STEP 1 student, 2018

“I was slightly afraid to speak Japanese as I didn’t think at all I’d be able to and was therefore quite reluctant at the beginning since I’m always worried about making mistakes. Yet, I felt comfortable during Free Talk as I didn’t perceive pressure or judgement, even when making errors.” STEP 1 student, 2018

“Fran's lessons are always informative and great fun. Every single lesson is different in its own way and Fran has a variety of different activities, games and practices that are put to great use throughout the course. I think the difficulty level is perfect. Fran stretches you just enough to enable you to improve at a good rate, but not too much, so the process of learning the language never really becomes frustrating. As for Fran herself, she is very approachable, supportive, encouraging, patient and informative. Her knowledge of the Japanese language is amazing. I would highly recommend Step Up Japanese.” Finn, 2018

“The atmosphere was friendly, and Fran is a very kind and delightful, upbeat person.” STEP 2 student, 2018

“The course covers really useful topics such as different verb conjugations and endings. Thanks to the course I can now say different things in different verb endings that I wasn’t able to do before. The speaking part of the course is really helpful, and the “free talk” parts of lessons are a really good way of practicing Japanese conversation.“ STEP 4 student, 2018

“It's fun, especially as the subject is hard. I like the cultural parts too, explaining what I wasn't familiar with.” STEP 1 student, 2018

“It was done in a fun way and we learnt a lot about the culture.” STEP 2 student, 2018

“Every single session was different and fun. I thought we moved at the perfect pace, not going through topics too fast, but not too slow either. The homework was just the right difficulty as well. STEP 2 student, 2018

“Fran's classes are, at their core, fun and friendly, making the process of learning enjoyable and digestible. As a teacher, Fran is supportive and the work she provides is motivating, always tempered just right: never impossibly challenging, but always tempting you to step out of your comfort zone to try something new. After each lesson, I find myself keen to learn more and always looking forward to the next class.” David, 2017

“Fran's Japanese classes are fun and accessible - highly recommended.” Cath, 2017

“Great lessons, with a variety of tasks and activities which motivated me [to] speak in Japanese. Fran's lessons were thoroughly prepared and thought through with a just-right amount of homework which kept me busy revising what I learned at home. Fran is a great teacher, very approachable and really knowing her subject.” Mariusz, 2017