🚀 go-pugleaf

>From: epoole@leotech.mv.com (Eric Poole)
>I'm looking to learn enough Japanese (spoken and written) to
>get by with in the shortest practical time.

Your best option is via private instruction.  I can heartly recommend
a woman named Yuka Kanno, 547-7705, who teaches here in the Boston
area.  She is a native of Japan and has taught formal instruction of
Japanese in both Japan and America.  Her rates are very reasonable and
she teaches in an "immersion" style that is very, very effective.
Even though she's female, she will instruct for proper usage with male
speech.  I've met many of her students (some are the
aiming-to-be-fluent types like me) but most are people who needed
survival skills and after 6 weeks of 2 or 3 classes per week these
students were able to get through life in Japan with complete ease (at
least in the language area, the social customs can still be quite
daunting).

>Can someone suggest somewhere in the Boston area where I
>might call to ask about a course of study?  Anywhere I
>should stay away from (e.g. schools that are known or
>perceived to be sub-standard or incompetent)?

Contact the Japan Society of Boston.  They can provide a list of
programs for Japanese study and probably a list of private
instructors as well.

>I need to start ASAP.

Yuka will be here at my office at 5 today (Tues, 8/25).  If you want
to arrange for a trial lesson (she always provides the first lesson at
no charge for evaluation purposes), call between 5 and 6:30 and make
an appointment.

Mary Riendeau		Software Tool & Die - Purveyors to the Trade
mer@world.std.com	The World - Public Access UNIX - (617)739-0202