For Japanese Professionals Working in English
You’ve studied English for years, yet you are still unsure of what was said and question how to say what you want to say.
Start in the Language StudioThe Gap
You can read a contract, write an email, hold a one-on-one. Then you’re in a meeting with people talking at full speed, dropping expressions you’ve never heard, and by the time you’ve worked out the first sentence, they’re three ahead.
The Language Studio starts with real, unscripted conversation at real speed. You hear exactly how an expression gets used in the moment, then slow it down, break it apart, and practice it until your ear and your mouth can both keep up.
Start here, wherever you are.
Free, self-paced practice built for Japanese professionals working in English. Every lesson is natural English at real speed in the real world, so you build the ear for natural pace and the vocabulary for what actually comes up at work and in private.
Every lesson is built from something real, not a script. Longer, unguided versions of many of these conversations live on the YouTube channel, for extra listening whenever you want more.
Visit the Language Studio →Every lesson is built around what is actually happening in your professional life, not a general curriculum, so you practice the exact moment that trips you up, until it doesn’t.
5–10 Min · Coffee Break
Short, focused practice.
One clip, one skill, done before your coffee cools.
Browse sessions →15–25 Min · Commute
A full listening session.
Real speech, real context, for the ride to work.
Browse sessions →30+ Min · Deep Dive
Extended practice.
Multiple clips and deeper analysis, for when you have real time.
Browse sessions →
About Maida
Maida
I have traveled to 30 countries and worked in a number of them, from Turkey to Italy to Vietnam. I understand at a personal level what it feels like to be immersed in a culture and language that isn’t yours. I have spent eight years preparing Japanese professionals for American rooms. I completed a U.S. State Department English Language Fellowship in Vietnam, where I organized professional exchange conferences with the U.S. Embassy and trained educators. As Assistant Field Director with Semester at Sea, I designed immersive cross-cultural experiences for over 500 participants across ten countries. I am based in Washington, DC.
- State Department English Language Fellow, 2024–2025
- East West Center Program Officer
- Presenter, TESOL International Conference, Indonesia
- MEd, University of Hawai’i
What People Say
Working with Maida.
Real feedback, in their own words — from lessons built around each person’s specific goals.
For Something Deeper
The DC Experience
One private evening in Washington DC for a small group of Japanese professionals. Real conversation with curated American and international guests, built around your group’s specific challenges, plus a week of direct support afterward.
Learn more →“It was a very happy, very useful experience. When you can spend real time and have a real-life experience, you use English more accurately and naturally. It helped me improve, especially in solving problems and reflecting quickly. That’s a good experience, because there’s nothing like it in the classroom.”
A participant in the professional exchange conference Maida organized in Vietnam
Start where you are.
Free, self-paced practice built for real English at work.
Start in the Language Studio