Jane

Jane P. Bio

 
Hello, I’m Jane. I’ve been engaged in foreign language study for most of my life because I am fascinated by the structures, sounds, and writing systems of different world languages. Beginning with Latin in junior high school, I went on to study Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and a bit of German. Majoring in Russian at the university level, I then pursued in-depth study of Chinese and Japanese at Harvard and Columbia Universities, where I earned a Master’s degree and an M.Phil. After spending 18 months as a Fulbright Fellow in Japan, I continued to live, work, and raise my children in western Tokyo for another eleven years. It was a great experience for both of my children, who will always regard Japan as their second home.
 
While working for ten years at International Christian University as the university translator and editor, I also spent seven years as an instructor of Japanese-English translation and conversational English at Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuin’s Conference Interpreting School. Returning to the U.S. to live in 1999, I worked as a translator on a high-profile international law case for a year and then was fortunate enough to be selected by the Japanese Mission to the United Nations to serve as a speech editor for Japanese government leaders and diplomats.
 
When my assignment at the Japanese Mission concluded in 2012, I made a decision to resume teaching and enrolled in a course for TESOL certification. Upon completion of that course, I was hired to work as an English instructor in a popular online program, and a number of my regular students included professionals such as doctors, researchers, and high-level company executives. I have also taught Japanese to American students who are interested in learning about Japan’s language and culture.
 
My current hobbies include reading novels in my favorite languages, practicing yoga, trekking, and snow-shoeing in the winter time.
 
I look forward to working with you to help you achieve your English-language goals in a comfortable online setting. I’m confident that my varied background and teaching experience will enable me to be offer fun, interesting, and effective classes.