Hello, this is Megumi from Cardemy Japan. 

Today, we interviewed Mohab, who is studying Japanese with Cardemy, and his teacher, Kiko Ihara, in Japanese.

Mohab, who works for a Japanese company in Egypt, started Cardemy Blended six months ago. In Cardemy Blended, students not only use e-learning (flashcards) but also have private tutors. 

Why did you start studying Japanese? 

Mohab: I've always admired Japanese culture, and now I work for a Japanese company. That's why I wanted to be able to speak in Japanese with my colleagues. 

Before starting Cardemy, I attended a language school where I studied up to about the N3 level. The challenging parts were finding it difficult to remember kanji and not understanding how Japanese is used in real situations. Kanji, in particular, are challenging to remember due to their complexity compared with alphabetical characters. 

How do you use Cardemy? 

Mohab: Before classes, I study kanji and new words using the Cardemy app. I think the way Cardemy teaches vocabulary is very innovative and effective. It's interesting how they present kanji, including their meanings and techniques for remembering them.  

The flashcards always allow me to study kanji and vocabulary through videos, and I can hear how natives use them, which is really helpful. All the flashcards are good, but my favorite flashcard is the one for the word "何卒" (nanitozo). 

To see an actual example of the flashcards, please check here. 

What are the classes like? 

Mohab: I wanted to focus more on reading and speaking, so I've been reading news articles and participating in discussions. While studying with Cardemy, I've come to understand conversations on various topics much better.  

Cardemy offers online classes, and I always look forward to them. Kiko is very lively and a lot of fun to learn from. Her classes are always enlightening, and they have been the best I've had so far.  

Do you feel your Japanese has improved?  

It's different now. Words come to me more naturally than before. When I was studying from books, I could only read, but with Cardemy, I am now able to enjoy learning how natives use words through fun flashcards. Repeating quizzes with actual videos and seeing the words used in various contexts help me to understand how different words are used naturally, as if they were in my mother tongue. That's one thing I love about Cardemy.   

Kiko, could you tell us about your classes? 

Kiko: I tailor my preparation methods to each individual, using news articles and videos to create lessons that cater to their personal interests.  

The flashcards are great because they can be used for both pre-study and review, allowing me to adapt them to each student's needs. The flashcards are selected by AI, which constructs the learning sessions, ensuring that added vocabulary is not forgotten.  

The app is quiz-based, which allows students to learn while playing, so they don't get bored. 

From your perspective as a teacher, do you think Mohab's Japanese has improved? 

Kiko: I am amazed at Mohab's progress. We changed the class duration from 30 minutes to 45 minutes, and recently we've even had time for discussions in the remaining time. 

Mohab: Thanks to Kiko, I'm really happy. When I first started Cardemy, I couldn't understand conversations in Japanese, but now, I can understand everything you and Ms. Kiko are saying, Megumi. 

Megumi: That's wonderful. 

Kiko, finally, could you please say a word to future students? 

Kiko: At Cardemy, the learning platform and classes are linked, allowing you to study Japanese by combining technology and human instruction. This means you can tailor your learning to your individual interests and goals. If anyone is struggling with learning Japanese, I recommend trying a trial lesson. I would be happy to help with your Japanese language studies.