Hinako Hokkaido's Tutor Interview

Hinako Hokkaido Tutor Interview

Q. Hello tutor Hinako Hokkaido! Thank you so much for accepting this interview. Could we ask you to briefly introduce yourself?: A. Hi, I'm Hinako. I live in Hokkaido, Japan. I am a former professor's secretary, a former postal worker, and a former caregiver. I have worked in a number of different jobs. My students often refer to me as a “passionate tutor"!
Q. You currently reside in Hokkaido. Can you tell us about your favorite Hokkaido cuisines? (We are sure there are many...): A. Hmm Hokkaido cuisines.... There is so much to choose from. For instance, I love "Kasube no Nitsuke” which might be rare. Kasube means "stingray" in Japanese. It is a very common dish in Hokkaido households, and I often make it myself.
Q. You mentioned that you have been an "anime lover for 30 years." Can you share with us the top 5 anime you recommend for Japanese language learners?: A. That's a tough question! I only get to choose five anime!? Well, I will pick from the basics: No.1 Evangelion, No.2 Chronicles of the Twelve Kingdoms, No.3 Saiunkoku Monogatari, No.4 Anohana, No.5 The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (I purposely chose old anime. Five is not enough!)
Q. What do you do when you are not teaching on Cafetalk? What are your interests?: A. As a Cafetalk student myself, I enjoy taking various lessons such as English, painting, and yoga. I often draw illustrations for my column as well.
Q. A lot of students are probably curious about the atmosphere in your lessons. What can a student imagine a lesson with you to be like? What is your teaching style?: A. My lessons are filled with laughter. I always try to make my lessons fun and enjoyable. I always want my students to laugh a lot and feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment in my lessons. I write Feedback as if I were creating an original textbook for each one of my students.
Q. Since you offer a variety of lessons, is there any lesson you can recommend in particular? Or can you give a quick overview of which lesson might be good for which type of student?: A. Actually, all of my lessons are created based on individual requests from my students. So I would recommend all of them, but the "Conversation and Grammar" lessons are the most popular. In this lesson, you will practice turning the grammar you “know" into grammar you can “use", while aiming to improve your conversational skills.
Q. Finally, would you like to leave a message for your current and future students?: A. Thank you for finding me from among so many Cafetalk tutors. I truly believe that this encounter was destiny! I am also really excited about my future students that I have yet to meet. I will do my best in every lesson, so please come and join my lessons.