STUDIO.S
Japanese Class
IBDP JAPANESE A
Online Classroom
Self-Taught Language A Literature SL
Online tuition
Lecturer Introduction
SAYAKA THORNTON
After working as a public elementary school teacher in Japan, I have studied with children in a variety of places, including as a part-time instructor at a supplementary school, a Japanese language class for children run by an NPO, and private lessons at my home.
Since 2002, I have also been teaching the IB (International Baccalaureate) Self-Taught Language A Literature SL course.
Licenses held: Elementary school teacher type 1, junior high school Japanese language teacher type 1, high school Japanese language teacher type 1, special needs school teacher type 2
Past achievements
80 % got a 7 !
So far, all of our students have achieved good results, with over 80% achieving a 7 and the remaining 20% achieving a 6. This includes students in the two-year face-to-face learning course, as well as the two-year online SSST course and the one-and-a-half-year online Tutor course.
Comments from graduates
Class of 2023
I have always felt that I was not good at Japanese language, and my grades in modern Japanese literature in junior high school were low, so I was worried that it would be difficult before IB started. However, once I started, I found myself becoming more and more drawn to the depth of Japanese literature that I learned about through discussions with Sayaka-sensei.
Sayaka-sensei always taught me carefully, and even when I had trouble with how to analyze or express myself in writing, she listened to what I was saying and taught me how to write better sentences. Thanks to her, I now love Japanese literature!
Thank you very much for the past two years.
Class of 2021
I have been taking online IB Tutoring for nearly two years, and it was very helpful because I was able to get efficient corrections. In classes before the exam, we practiced by hand, which was a good experience for the real thing while also feeling the tension. In regular lessons, we analyzed literary works such as poems and novels. There were some difficulties because there was no clear answer, but the teacher explained things in detail, and I was able to clearly understand the author's argument in each work. Taking the teacher's classes helped me to realize the good points and interest of various literary works. I would like to continue reading many works and understand their intentions. Thank you very much.
Class of 2020
Thank you so much for teaching me IB!! At first, I thought I wouldn't even get a 5, but I'm happy that I managed to score a 6😊 Speaking of college, today I was successfully accepted into my first choice university! During the IB process, the teacher really helped me not only academically, but also mentally! I'll never forget the tarot reading the teacher did for me after class! Thank you so so much!
Class of 2018
During the two years I studied IB Japanese A under Sayaka-sensei, I learned the basics of Japanese grammar and how to write commentary, and at the same time, I discovered the joy of attending classes. The teacher never told us the correct answer to the theme of a poem or book, but instead helped us expand our own ideas and come up with our own interpretations through conversations and discussions during class. She is a very kind teacher!
Class of 2016
I had read light novels, but I had hardly read any literary works, so at first I was worried about whether I would be able to read ten books in two years. However, as I chose books in consultation with my teacher, I was surprised to find that the books recommended and introduced to me seemed interesting. Many of the books I read in IB were interesting, as I found myself unable to agree with the author's ideas, and on the other hand, I found them very easy to understand. There were times when I was confused when I was told to "write something that only I could write." There were days when I was away from IB studies and had to ask for life advice. The teacher's lessons, which were completely different from the Japanese classes I had in Japan, still remain in my heart. Thank you for the past two years.
Class of 2004
I was the only student in the entire school who was taking Japanese as their first language. This meant I was forced to study on my own, but it was impossible for me to "understand the questions," "put my opinion into writing," and "argue" all by myself. I was only able to write a disorganized string of words on half a page of a notebook, but two years later I was able to write a paper consisting of an introduction, body, and conclusion. It was all thanks to Sayaka-sensei's guidance that Sayaka-sensei not only improved my Japanese language skills, but also helped me grow as a person. My continued efforts under her guidance were worth it, as I was able to achieve good results in the final IB exam. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude.