Teacher Guide

How to teach on SpeakMeet

Everything you need to know — from your first booking confirmation to running a lesson your student wants to repeat.

SpeakMeet connects Japanese students with native English-speaking teachers for in-person lessons near their local train station. When a student sends you a booking request, you have 48 hours to accept or decline. If you accept, our team handles the logistics — we coordinate the meeting place and send both sides the full details. Your job is to show up, be warm, and teach well.

After you accept a booking

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Wait for our coordination email

Once you accept, the SpeakMeet team will contact you directly to confirm the exact time and café location. We then email both you and the student with all the details. You do not need to contact the student yourself before the lesson.
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Know the location in advance

Arrive 5 minutes early. The meeting spot will be in the email from our team. If anything is unclear, reply to that email — do not contact the student directly.
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Come prepared

A notebook, printed materials, or a tablet with exercises all work well. Review the student's goal if they shared one in their booking request. First impressions matter.
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Keep to time

Lessons are one hour at ¥2,600. Start on time, end on time. Reliability is one of the biggest factors in getting booked again.

Payment

Students pay you ¥2,600 per hour directly on the day — cash or PayPay. This money is entirely yours. Do not ask for payment in advance or for multiple lessons at once. SpeakMeet charges students a separate monthly platform subscription — it has nothing to do with your lesson fee.

If a student tries to pay you in advance for several sessions at once, politely decline and explain that payment is per lesson on the day. This protects both of you.

Questions about payment? Email support@speakmeet.jp

How to run a great trial lesson

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Begin with a warm introduction

Introduce yourself naturally — where you're from, how long you've been in Japan, what you enjoy about teaching here. Keep it to 2–3 minutes. Students are almost always nervous at the start of a first lesson with a foreign teacher. Your energy sets the tone for everything that follows.
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Ask about their goals first

Start with something like: "What would you like to focus on today?" or "What made you decide to start English lessons?" Find out whether they want business English, daily conversation, pronunciation, travel, or exam preparation. This one question shapes the rest of the lesson and shows you're listening.
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A note on Japanese students

Most Japanese students will not express themselves directly, especially in English. If they seem hesitant or give vague answers, do not push — give them time, ask gentle follow-up questions, and read between the lines. What they're trying to say is usually more than what they manage to get out. Patience here builds trust faster than anything else.

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Keep it 70% student, 30% teacher

Your job in a trial lesson is to make the student speak — not to demonstrate how much you know. The student should leave feeling like they talked a lot. That feeling of "I actually spoke English today" is what brings them back. Resist the urge to fill every silence. Let them work through it.
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Observe carefully as they speak

While the student is talking, pay attention to:

  • Pronunciation — are specific sounds causing difficulty?
  • Accent and intonation — does the rhythm feel natural?
  • Tempo — are they rushing, freezing, or finding a flow?
  • Grammar — where are the consistent patterns of error?
  • Vocabulary — are they reaching for words they don't have?
  • Japanese vs English framing — are they translating directly from Japanese in a way that changes the meaning?

Do not correct every mistake in the moment. Note them and address the most important ones at the end. Interrupting kills confidence.

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Close with encouragement and a plan

End with two things — encouragement and direction.

First, tell the student specifically what they did well. Be genuine and specific, not generic. "Your vocabulary range is actually quite strong" lands better than "your English is good."

Then give honest, constructive feedback on one or two things to work on — and tell them what a lesson plan with you would look like. This is your pitch. The student is deciding right now whether to continue. Show them you have a plan for them, not just a conversation to offer.

Finally, ask directly: "Would you like to continue lessons together?" If yes, try to schedule the next session before you leave the café. A date in the diary is worth far more than "I'll think about it."

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Ask your student to leave a review

Before you say goodbye, remind the student to log into their SpeakMeet account and leave a review. Say something like:

"I'd love to hear your feedback — there's a short review form on the SpeakMeet website. It only takes 2 minutes and it really helps me."

The review form appears automatically on their account after the lesson. It asks whether they'd like to continue lessons with you — their answer to that question is how you become their confirmed regular teacher on the platform. SpeakMeet will also send them an automatic reminder if they haven't completed it within 48 hours, so you don't need to follow up yourself.

What not to do

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Don't exchange personal contact details

All communication before and between lessons goes through SpeakMeet. Do not share your LINE, Instagram, phone number or personal email with students. This is a platform rule and a safety requirement for both sides.
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Don't arrange lessons outside the platform

If a student suggests meeting directly without using SpeakMeet, politely decline. Private arrangements are not covered by our coordination or support, and bypassing the platform is a terms violation that can result in account suspension.
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Don't accept payment in advance for multiple lessons

Collect ¥2,600 per lesson on the day — cash or PayPay. Accepting bulk payment upfront creates disputes and puts both you and the student in a difficult position if plans change.
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Don't hold lessons in private spaces

For everyone's safety, all lessons — especially first lessons — must take place in the public café or meeting space confirmed by staff. Do not change the location without contacting us first.
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Don't cancel without notice

If you need to cancel an accepted booking, email support@speakmeet.jp as soon as possible and at least 48 hours in advance. Repeated last-minute cancellations affect your standing on the platform.
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Don't overwhelm beginners with grammar

Many Japanese students have studied grammar for years but have never had a real conversation in English. In your first lesson especially, focus on getting them talking — not on textbook rules. Confidence first, correction second.
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Don't avoid difficult topics to please students

Be honest with feedback. A student who never hears what they need to work on will plateau and eventually leave. Genuine, kind honesty is what builds long-term trust and repeat bookings.

Responding to booking requests

You have 48 hours to respond to each booking request. After that, the request expires automatically and the student is notified to try another teacher.

If a time doesn't work, decline with a reason — this helps us improve matching and is never shown to the student. Keep your availability up to date so students only request times you can actually do.

Teachers with 3 or more expired requests in a month will be flagged for a review by our team.

The Official LINE Group

After your student confirms they'd like to continue lessons, our team will create an official LINE group with you, the student, and a SpeakMeet staff member.

This group is for coordinating future lesson dates and locations only. A staff member will always be present.

Add the official SpeakMeet account on LINE now— that's how we're able to add you to your students' groups when the time comes.

＋ Add SpeakMeet on LINE
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What the group is for

  • Scheduling the next lesson
  • Confirming the meeting location
  • Asking staff any questions about the lesson
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What the group is NOT for

  • Personal conversation unrelated to lessons
  • Arranging lessons or payments outside of SpeakMeet

Important: Do not leave the group and contact the student privately via LINE or any other platform. This is a terms violation and will result in account suspension. The student is aware of this rule too.

Lesson fees (¥2,600/hour) continue to be paid directly to you in cash or PayPay on the day of each lesson.

Questions?

Email us any time — we usually reply within a few hours on business days.

📧 support@speakmeet.jp

🕐 Weekdays 10:00–18:00 JST