Experience Summary
Although I am not a certified teacher of Japanese, I know what it is like to be a student of it. I first went to Japan at the beginning of high school with the American Field Service (AFS). I had never studied Japanese before and I lived in a small town, lived with a family that spoke no English, and attended a Japanese high school for one year. Since my Japanese was initially learned entirely from immersion, I have a very natural intonation and colloquial speaking pattern--something difficult to acquire in a classroom. I have since studied Japanese grammar and Kanji formerly for almost 5 years. I returned to Japan in 2009 to spend a semester at the International Christian University in Tokyo as an exchange student. As the university is bilingual, I completed half of my course work entirely in Japanese. In addition, I have experience with kendo (Japanese sword play), kyudo (Japanese archery), tea ceremony, koto (Japanese harp), Noh Drama, Bunraku, and Kabuki (traditional Japanese theatre), and day-to-day Japanese culture and society.
Teaching Style
I am very creative and hands on! Route memorization does not work for everybody and I believe in teaching flexibility.
My Hobbies
I love to sew and work on craft projects! I am also an avid reader and baker.