Biography
Her passion has lied in Japanese teaching and learning for nearly two decades. After graduating from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in 2003 and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005, and after attending a summer teacher training program at The Ohio State University in 2006, she taught Japanese at various institutions both in Japan and the U.S. Her students ranged from those with no knowledge of Japanese to those at advanced proficiency levels in so-called fifth-year courses at U.S. universities.
She has hands-on experience in a number of teaching approaches and methods and utilizes numerous textbooks and teaching aids. Her goal is to create communicators who can function in Japanese society in a culturally appropriate manner and autonomous learners who can continue improving their language skills without instructors’ help after completing the Japanese program.
She is making a conscious effort to be more flexible and alert to changes, such as pedagogical trends and technological advancements. She is also striving to be innovative and to incorporate new ideas into her teaching.
Education
M.A. in Japanese Linguistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2005)
M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (2003)
B.A. in English, Tsuda University (2001)
Courses Taught
JAPN 201 Elementary Japanese I
JAPN 305 Advanced Japanese I
JAPN 440 Fourth Year Japanese I