LANS Student Testimonials & Success Stories
What LANS students say about their results and career success after training with Sandra!
All testimonials on this page are from real students and are shared with permission.
Each reflects genuine experiences and results from the LANS pronunciation training.
I took Sandra’s LANS Pronounce and Speak Fluently Course where I learned English pronunciation patterns that I couldn’t learn in Japan. She persistently corrected my incorrect pronunciation accent during our class and now I use proper English pronunciation.
Moreover, I corrected my English intonation and accent through practice reading. The medical practice reading was essential to my successful presentation at an International Medical Conference.
Thank-you very much.
Dr. Hiroaki Nakashima - Orthopedic Spinal Surgeon (Japan) - Cervical Spine Research Society 2014 Award for Spinal Cord Research, NeuroScience Research Fellow Toronto Western Hospital
I’ve been working on vehicle design and Sandra’s English Classes were very helpful especially in describing my design idea with my expertise.
It is essential in the design field to convince our suppliers/members in the team I belong to move forward development projects with clearing concerns.
Thanks to my English pronunciation and ability to describe actions with prepositions have been improved by her classes, I have been able to express my idea with
high efficiency and enhancing persuasiveness.
Engineer, Toyota Canada Inc.
Thank you so much. When I came to Toronto, I noticed that I did not have much opportunity to improve my speaking skill in English Language Program in UofT. Before I met you my speaking score in esl school was very bad. Then I met you and took the LANS course. You really helped me to improve my speaking skill, especially pronunciation. I got an A at school in speaking! I became able to say my name in English with confidence, tell my opinion to friends appropriately and ask questions to strangers on the road without hesitation. I think I can seize more opportunities than before! I think you really changed my life!
Thank you so much.
Pharmacology Major (Japan)
I took the course with Sandra in 2014. I wanted to speak clear, improve my pronunciation. I work in the business environment and I wanted people to focus on my knowledge and experience not on my language and accent. What an amazing experience I had with Sandra. She identified my problems quickly, she knows the differences between languages. At the end of each class I was driving home happy, with more confidence, and practicing new for me sounds. She was very patient and we had lots of fun, as I was learning new tongue positions and sounds. I received so many compliments since I started this journey… I don’t speak perfect, I still work on my pronunciation, but I know for sure, that I sound better now. I am confident and I can correct myself if needed. I recommend Sandra’s classes, book and DVD with her lessons to anyone, who feels in need for improvement or to start learning English from the beginning. Speak like a Native Speaker.
Real Estate Salesperson
Her teaching methodology for physical mouth movements, spelling patterns, and reading tips, are so structured that you can easily understand and memorize them. Because she knows challenges that various non-native speakers are facing, she can focus on your problems effectively and efficiently. Not only have I improved my pronunciation to date, but I’ve also acquired useful tools to continue self-training going forward. Time and money spent for her course was one of the most fruitful investments I ever made.
Senior Manager, Financial Advisor
(Student wishes to remain anonymous)
I strongly recommend that you take LANS lessons if you really want to improve your English.
There are three reasons for this:
(1) Strategy: she has her own strategies to improve English skills. Especially, her pronunciation method is excellent. Different from many ESL teachers….
(2) Responsibility: she is a professional teacher and feels responsible for the improvement of her students…always tries to understand the status of her students’ English and thinks about how to solve problems effectively.
(3) Friendly: she is a very friendly and interesting person. … I guarantee that you will enjoy your time talking with her.
Engineer and Consultant, McKinsey & Company
I’ve taken the LANS workshop since 2016. I must say that Sandra is the best pronunciation specialist and esl tutor in my life especially in terms of improving practical English skills. She understands well the weak points of non-native people regarding structuring sentences, pronunciation, listening, presentation, and so on and therefore can instruct us to efficiently improve them with her highly sophisticated program and long experience. As one of the outcomes from her course, I clearly remember that when I presented my research progress in the laboratory for the first time, my supervisor and colleagues showed very good reactions to it since not only my progress, but also my presentation skills were much better than their expectations. I strongly recommend her course for all people who pursue high level skills.
Sandra, thanks very much for your continuous instruction.
Hirokazu Akiyama - PhD (Japan)
Research Scientist - University of Toronto
Sandra is a serious professional teacher who is the best for serious English learners having pronunciation problems.
Her well-designed workshop as well as her intensive teaching style will lead students to practice for their ultimate purposes.
I am confident in that your pronunciation will dramatically improve by Sandra's help as long as you seriously practice and make efforts!
Sachi Otsuka - Assistant Brand Manager
Johnson and Johnson
After retirement, I received Sandra's lesson. Her pronunciation guidance is a persistent guidance that does not allow compromise and is based on clear pronunciation theory. A year later, when I entered Seneca college language school, I was told by classmates that my accent, the way I spoke, was like a native speaker, totally different from other Japanese people. At that time I was convinced that her pronunciation guidance was genuine.
Another reason why I continued to receive her lessons is that she took notes regarding my spoken English as I spoke and pointed out on paper the areas where I was grammatically incorrect and where my sentence structure was incorrect. The notes she handed to me after the lesson are my precious treasure.
Thank you Sandra.
Seiji Narisada - Former Public Servant (Japan)
I was very lucky to have had an opportunity to take Sandra’s lesson. I wanted to improve my English pronunciation as well as conversation. I tried some textbooks issued in Japan for English pronunciation.
However, nothing worked for me. They were too complicated and difficult to understand. Since I have taken Sandra’s lesson, I have received a lot of compliments on my pronunciation.
Her way of teaching was easy to understand for me and she told me how to work on it. She really knows Japanese students’ weak points and doesn’t give up until we get it. I learned not only pronunciation but also conversation and grammar. I needed someone to correct my errors in English which I am not aware of.
After I came back to Japan, I tried to find someone like her, but I didn’t find the right person. It is very difficult to find a teacher who can point out and correct our weak points like her.
I really recommend taking her lesson!
I took Sandra's pronunciation correcting and English conversation courses for 2 years. She understands exactly the differences in pronunciation and intonation between Japanese and English, and it teaches exactly how Japanese can speak English that is international to the international community. In addition, she is a responsible teacher who constantly grasps the situation of each student and is always thinking seriously how to teach. Sometimes I thought it was a little tough, but it comes from Sandra's sense of responsibility as a teacher and professionalism, and I could be a very respectable teacher even in those partsFor classes in English conversation, you can also receive highly original and innovative lessons (classes using original teaching materials). It was a very pleasant lesson that deepens new discoveries and understandings of English language each time I attend Sandra's lessons. It is a teacher who wants to recommend to those who are thinking about improving pronunciation and English conversation in Toronto.
Satoshi Nori - Medical Doctor (Japan)
I came to Toronto to improve my medical English skills after graduating from medical school in Japan. During my time abroad I tried taking Sandra’s lessons. I was pleasantly surprised when I was able to improve my pronunciation during the trial lesson. Sandra opened my eyes to a whole new way to practice English.
She knows all about the weak points and habits of Japanese English speakers and how to improve or fix them. I really appreciate that she corrected my English every time I made a mistake, no matter how small.
As a doctor, English skills are very important to stay up to date with the latest medical information, talk to foreign patients and be able to work in the world.
I am sure I will come across a lot of unfamiliar medical terminology but I am not afraid at all. Now I am able to pronounce words properly thanks to the strategies Sandra taught me.
Meeting Sanda was one of the best parts of my time abroad.
I hope more Japanese people who want to improve their English skills take her lessons and are able to improve like I was!
Dr. Tomoko Sakayama
2018 Graduate of Nagasaki University Medical School (Japan)
My name is Yuka and I am from Japan. I took Sandra’s class for around one and a half months and I have been here for 5 months. I was very satisfied with her lessons.
First, her pronunciation theory is original and accurate and her method worked effectively for me. For example, I discovered the difference between R and L which I hadn’t been able to distinguish since I came to Canada despite studying ESL at a language school. She showed me how to move my mouth and I could feel how English sounds work.
Second, she has a strong ability with her ears. She could hear the pronunciation mistakes I made whenever I talked and she corrected me. I didn’t realize my mistake when I spoke, but after her explanation I understood everything. Third, she is straight forward. She doesn’t hesitate to point out errors. I think this is very important to improve my English. In my daily life, most of my Canadian acquaintances don’t correct me and even some of my English teachers. That is an important skill for a teacher to have.
In addition, I like her personality. I hope you will also enjoy talking about movies and various topics with her.
Sandra helped me to fix my pronunciation and improve my speaking. Her explanations are always clear and easy to understand. After I studied with Sandra, I had confidence in my pronunciation and became able to speak more. Also, the speaking lesson with a movie helped me to speak and explain situations using reported speech and long sentences.I took an interpretation and translation course at one school after taking Sandra’s lesson. The contents and level of that course were quite difficult and high. If I hadn’t taken Sandra’s lesson, I couldn’t have kept up with that interpretation class.If you have a motivation in which you really want to improve your pronunciation and speaking and also if you review many times what you learned from Sandra, she absolutely will help you to improve them. She is a great teacher! I really appreciate her.
I’m a Registered Nurse in Japan, and I’ve lived in Canada for 3 and half years. Since I took Sandra’s lesson, I have confidence speaking English. Before, I used to shy away from speaking with people but now I’m not afraid to talk to people.
Nursing is my life, so I’d like to work as a nurse in Canada. Therefore, I’ve studied nursing at college. However, when I went to work as a student nurse (clinical practice) at the hospitals, I was shocked because many elderly patients and other staff could not understand my English. I found Sandra’s school, and took her lessons. She taught me a totally different tongue and lip movement than what I learned in Japan. Her techniques show us how to easily pronounce English correctly…… At the rehearsal, four group members complimented me on my clear English. Also two Canadian members advised two other foreign students that they could not understand their English……Sandra helped to improve my speaking, and we got 28/30 on the presentation.
Registered Nurse (Japan and Canada)
I got the maximum score on the listening part of the TOEIC test because I studied pronunciation with you!!
It really helped a lot.
I could understand much more easily what they said in English and that was amazing! I’m so happy to get this score:)
Thank you so much, Sandra!!
When I started working at a café in Toronto, I had difficulty with pronunciation so the customers couldn’t understand my English but soon after I started taking Sandra’s class, I didn’t need to repeat myself and customers told me my English improved a lot. I was surprised how quickly I improved!
I strongly recommend taking the LANS Pronunciation course if you don’t have confidence with your pronunciation. I loved taking this class!
Café Server in Toronto (
I was awakened to the truth at my first lesson, I had a lot of misunderstandings about English pronunciation, even though I had learned English for 25 years in Japan. LANS lessons present us our common weak points and provides proper solutions …is well organized, necessary and sufficient. This is an important point for a busy business person. My English pronunciation was dramatically improved in a short period of time, I strongly recommend taking her lesson.
Cardiac Surgeon Research Fellow, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, Toronto Canada
I was working in a Canadian hotel and after I took the LANS Pronunciation course my Canadian coworkers said my English improved a lot. Now I know how to correct my pronunciation by myself if I make a mistake!
Business Management
(from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I looked forward to taking your class all the time. Your teaching was efficient. Before taking your class, I had a lot of problems in speaking and I didn’t know how to pronounce every word. But I understand it now! Thank-you for being patient and I will never forget the great time I had taking the LANS Pronunciation Fluency class.
Travel Agent (from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I would like to thank you for the help you gave me for the IELTS exam.
I took the exam and I got a great result.
Thank you very much Sandra!
Pet Groomer
I am on a Working Holiday Visa in a Canadian coffee shop. After taking the LANS Pronunciation course, it has been easier to communicate in English than before. I can talk with customers more easily and now enjoy my work much more. I think the reason is because I have more confidence in my pronunciation.
Nurse (from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I have taken the LANS course for 5 months. Thanks to Sandra, I improved my TOEFL score and corrected my English pronunciation and grammar a lot! I really appreciate it and in the future, I would like to take a class again!
Thank-you so much Sandra!
When I was working and I said “exchange or return” the customers didn’t understand me but now after studying the LANS course, the customers totally understand what I say so I am happy and think my pronunciation has improved, especially the R sound after only 7 hours studying with Sandra. I was surprised how fast I improved!
Thank-you Sandra.
Retail Associate and Ballet Instructor
(from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
If you would like to learn listener-friendly English, Sandra is the best teacher for you.
Pronunciation and natural expression are the main contents of her class.
Her professional lecture will bring better ability to communicate with your colleagues/boss/friends/date in English.
Kosuke Watanabe – Trainee - Toyota
Studying with Sandra is one of the most significant experiences in my life. She told me how to move muscles around my mouth in order to correctly pronounce as native Engish speakers do. Her teaching method is practical and helpful because it’s greatly based on her long years of study on why non-native speakers, especially Japanese, have difficulties in English pronunciation. Thanks to her lessons, I am now able to distinguish between the correct sounds and the wrong ones all by myself, which means I am able to confidentially speak in English in any situation.
Yuki Satake
Bain and Company, Associate Consultant
Hi. My name is Eun Sook from Korea.
Sandra has knowledge of the difference in pronunciation between Korean and English.
Furthermore, she has her own teaching system and explains easily how to pronounce English sounds.
After studying with her I could pronounce the sounds I couldn’t before and my listening skill improved.
Thank you Sandra!
(from Korea on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
Dear Sandra,
I would like to thank-you for being such a wonderful teacher. I have improved my pronunciation and gained confidence in my English through our lessons in the past year.
Working in Customer Service in a financial institution in Toronto, I talk with about 30 clients over the phone every day.
Before I started the LANS Pronunciation Course, some clients did not understand what I was saying because of my Japanese accent. Some of them even requested transferring the call to another representative who spoke better English. I was quite upset and contacted you for help.
After several lessons with you, I noticed that phone calls with clients became much easier and less stressful. People stopped complaining about my accent. I was very happy when one of the clients told me that I had a “cool” accent and he liked it.
I strongly recommend the LANS Pronunciation Course for anyone who wishes to improve his/her speaking skills. In the pronunciation course, each of the 22 sound groups was explained logically. I learned the techniques on how to pronounce them correctly. Sandra’s experience in and understanding of the Asian accent was a bonus.
Thank you, again, for giving me this valuable learning experience and the friendship. I wish you all the best in the future.
Sincerely,
Yoko Nakanishi - Customer Service Associate
OANDA Corporation
There is no doubt that Sandra is the best English tutor teaching English pronunciation in Canada as well as offering order-made communication training. The reason I took her lesson was that I needed to practice Patient Counseling with appropriate English communication skills for the Canadian Pharmacy exam. So I asked her to play the role of the patient and I practiced patient counseling again and again. I still remember that the first role playing was actually horrible because I was nervous and my knowledge was not very organized, however, I gradually improved with her advice. Sandra always pointed out my weak points with clear instructions for correction. Eventually, I could perform very well on the day of the exam. I didn’t go into panic at all because I knew how to handle the situation as she had suggested in her lessons. Now, I should mention how she taught English pronunciation. In short, it was very clear and organized. She knows what Japanese tend to pronounce incorrectly, not only L and R but also bone and born! Accordingly, she knows what should be corrected and how it should be done.
I’m happy to write this reference here and hope more and more Asian people learn beautiful English pronunciation in Toronto!
Sincerely,
Atsushi Sato - Pharmacist (Japan and Canada)
I strongly recommend Sandra’s LANS English Pronunciation lessons for everybody who wants to study English.
I went to many English schools, but I have never experienced such a nice lesson.
Especially the pronunciations lessons are very good. She taught me many times until I could pronounce every word correctly. She has never compromised. In some classes, I did only one word in a lesson. Of course, this strict lesson is not only for pronunciations but also for phrasal verbs or grammar.
If you were to compare the lessons to baseball, Sandra’s lessons would be fielding practice or running.
Normal English conversation itself would be the baseball game. I think it is difficult for you to improve your baseball skills with only games, because you need basic field practice and physical practice.
Sandra’s LANS lessons are basic field practice and physical practice. Therefore, I believe Sandra’s lessons are essential for you to improve your English skills.
Dr. Sho Moriguchi (Japan)
Psychiatrist, Postdoctoral Fellow, CAMH, Toronto, Canada
I really appreciate all Sandra’s help. She is the best teacher I have had. She taught me not only pronunciation, but also a lot of things which I needed. I believe she can analyze the points which every student needs individually, and help them.
When I needed to improve my writing skills, she taught me how to write correctly and my weak points in essays. Additionally, I didn’t have enough skill regarding fluency. After I took her lessons, I really improved making appropriate sentences using PAN. In addition, I had some interviews to go to for graduate school, so she also helped me prepare for interviews. I obtained a lot of tips from her.
If you want to pronounce English correctly, speak fluently, and prepare for interviews for job or school, you should take her lessons. I strongly recommend her class in terms of improving your English skills.
Thank you for all your help, Sandra.
Sincerely,
Shino Takamiya (from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
All I can say is Sandra is the best teacher in Toronto. What I appreciate the most was her professional class and sight to see student’s level of English. When I took this course, I couldn’t improve my English more by myself. But since I took it, she taught me not only pronunciation but also my weakness regardng to speaking English. This is why I could know what to study and how to study. Especially her intonation and linking classes were awesome. Although I used to go to a language school and other pronunciation class, this class quality was way higher.
Thank you Sandra and I’ll stiil continue your class through Skype:)
Kentaro Ishida (from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I use English frequently for my work, but since I did not study English after graduating from university, I worked in English in my own way. While I was in Toronto, I decided to take a workshop at LANS with Sandra, to improve English, especially pronunciation: the difference between “R” and “L”, the pronunciation of “th”, etc.
I could understand very well because Sandra taught me afterunderstanding the habit of each person. I don’t have enough English skill yet, but I do know how to pronounce correctly, and I think my communication skills have improved dramatically. For those in similar circumstances, I recommend Sandra's course.
Keisuke Tsuruzono - Car Manufacturing Representative - Honda
I was very happy that I chose your lessons.
I was not confident in my English before I learned pronunciation with you.
But now I am confident in my pronunciation!
I am so happy that I can read correctly, even new words, after your lessons.
Thank you very much!
Tsukasa Watanabe (from Japan on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I would like to say Thank-you Sandra!!!
You helped me so much. I became more confident in speaking. Your explanations were so comprehensible.
I’ve started to use more words. You taught me to choose the correct expression faster. I felt so comfortable studying with you. I was not afraid to say something in the wrong way because I knew you would correct me very softly. Even if I repeated some mistakes several times, you were so patient.
Your intelligence is so amazing. It was very interesting to speak with you about any topic.
I’ve never had such a remarkable teacher!!!
Thank-you again.
Accountant
This is amazing!
When I started to study with you I regretted that I didn’t take your course earlier. I was so happy to study with you. Appreciate everything.
I think my English has improved a lot since I started to study with you.
Thank-you so much!
Ji Hoon Kim (from Korea on a Working Holiday Visa in Canada)
I appreciate your help.
Because of your lesson, I have confidence when I speak English.
Mi Ja Sim – Student from Korea
Since I came to Toronto, I’ve gone to ESL school for 6 months but didn’t feel my English skills were improving so when I was at school I wondered why I was there.
However, soon after graduating, I met Sandra and since taking her course I feel I have been studying seriously because I have improved a lot in a short time.
I really appreciate you, Sandra!
hank-you!
Shunsuke Uchida - Student from Japan
