I fired my Japanese language teacher Ms. Y last week. It was a sad decision that was the result of multiple issues. I scouted Ms. Y three months ago online. Normally, I would not accept online lessons. However, after considering the COVID-19 situation at the time, that was really the only option.
We used to have two lessons a week online. My requirements were so simple that any Japanese native speaker would be able to be my teacher. There were only two demands. One is a little challenging. I read an article and Mr. Y corrected my pronunciation while I was reading. The non-professional speakers often fail to address my problems, or they know it is not right but unable to point it out. The other is way easier – we just talk.
Among all the Japanese teachers I have experienced, Ms. Y was the most professional one. She was able to correct my intonation in extreme detail, word by word. With her help, I figured out dozens of problems I didn’t even notice before. I have to admit she is a good language teacher.
Unfortunately, at least for me, I don’t think Ms. Y is a good talker. Although we actually had some good time talking, she offended me frequently without realizing it. The problem is she was treating me like a random Chinese guy on the street even though I conveyed to her many times that I was not. For instance, one time we were talking about ChinaTown in Yokohama. I told her I don’t like Chinese food and haven’t eaten it since I moved to Japan. She showed her surprise, which was normal, and claimed her other Chinese students like eating Chinese food without issues.
Whether “my other Chinese students” do something or not, I don’t know what to say when someone talks to me like this. It shows that they identified me as a representative of a race more than an individual. Maybe it is alright to ordinary people who are willing to represent their country, for people who hate their origin like me, it is really annoying. Talking to them is almost a waste of time, they can connect everything you do to your original culture.
Believe it or not, I decided to tolerate Ms. Y’s behavior which I mentioned above. Then, she did something worse. Two weeks ago, I suggested practicing “casual talk”(タメ口), which is always my weak point. During the lesson, she asked many times why I couldn’t just use formal language(敬語) since it sounds more natural. Her move pushed me to my limit. I still don’t understand why she said something so stupid. If my casual talk has already sounded natural, why do I have to pay her to practice? What’s more, since my Japanese language ability is already good enough to deal with my daily needs, why I am taking Japanese lessons in the first place?
As my work was becoming more and more busy, and talking to Ms. Y made me really uncomfortable, I fired her. It was really a shame. In the next few weeks or even months, I will evaluate whether I really need to hire a Japanese language teacher. I can still give Ms. Y another chance Since I didn’t mention to her any of the things I wrote here.