LLL SIG Membership List

Arai, Linda (Osaka)
Linda is teaching young women at Osaka Jogakuin College. She has also been teaching the same group of Nissay retirees in Osaka for about 20 years. Wanting to have better classes with these latter students led to her doing a M.Ed from Temple University-Japan. Finding/making appropriate and interesting materials is a constant challenge, but these students make their own fun. Contact: araifam@axel.ocn.ne.jp

Baines, Robert (Tokyo)
Currently teaches at four Tokyo universities, where, on occasion, he has had a few nontraditional adult (40-65 y/o) learners. He holds 3 master's degrees (Educational Administration; TESOL; English/Secondary Ed.) and has successfully defended his Ed.D. dissertation. In addition, he will finish his A.A.S. in Gerontology in Spring 2005,complementing a variety of elder-care certifications. He holds teaching licenses in Massachusetts, Ohio, and Arizona. In Arizona, he is the teacher with the most approved subject areas, with certificates in Standard Adult Education, Standard Secondary Education, and Administration.

Bradford-Watts, Kim (Kyoto)
Kim teaches university level classes at Osaka Gakuin, Kansai Gaidai, Kyoto Gaidai, Kyoto Institute of Technology, and Kyodai. She also teaches privately to several older learners. She holds a MA (Applied Linguistics) from Macquarie University and is currently studying for the MA (Educational Studies) by distance from the University of Newcastle, Australia. She is particularly interested in curriculum and materials development and older learners' use of, and comfort with, new technologies for language learning.

Endo, Masako (Sapporo)
I teach at Sapporo University Women's Junior College and I also teach small groups of advanced level adult learners. Beginning learning English in my 30s, I started teaching when I was almost 40. I would like to know how I can serve the needs of mature English learners in college classes. Contact: endos@mb.snowman.ne.jp

Gainer, Mirial (Kanto)
I have been living and teaching in Japan for nearly 30 years now. Most of that time was spent in Hokkaido. At present I live in the Kanto area, although I still make many work related trips each year to Hokkaido. Probably I will transfer back to Hokkaido in the near future. I am the curriculum advisor of a small English school with branches in Hokkaido and Kanto. At times I also write materials for the school. I am also involved with the orientation and training of our foreign staff. It seems that with the exception of the year I taught in France, I have always taught some classes of adult learners, the oldest being in his 80s, in addition to university or church related classes. My educational background includes: MA and BA in English; many graduate hours in TESL including one TESOL Summer Institute in the 80s, and a more current summer at ICCT in Wheaton. I am currently finishing my doctorate at Bethany Theological Seminary.

Harlow, Amanda (Sapporo)
Amanda is teaching at NHK Culture centers in Sapporo and Shin-Sapporo. She teaches about 60 students a week, aged 50 and up. She is also working (slowly) on the Masters (Education) by distance study with Manchester University, UK. She is hoping to do a thesis next year about older learners and learning styles/processes. Amanda has lived in Japan for about 11 years, in Saitama and Sapporo.

Harper-Tanaka, Julia (Kyoto)
I worked for two years in the lifelong learning program at Toyama College of Foreign Languages teaching older learners ages 20 to 80 (and loved it!). I recently made a permanent move to Kyoto and am currently teaching employees, ages 30 to 50, at several companies in the Kansai region. I am also doing a MSc in TESOL with Aston University in Birmingham, and will soon begin my dissertation on a topic connected with LLL, probably learning styles, or material production. I am interested in trading ideas and resources concerning LLL.

Ishida, Tadashi (Tokyo)
I have been teaching English to adults at community centers, English clubs, and my own school in the lower town of Tokyo for 22 years. I have about 60 students a week aged between 60 and 70 plus. The Board of Education of a local government accepted my proposal to start a class for students over 60 years old at community centers about 15 years ago. Doing research on why older learners want to study English. Contact: papion_tadashi@nifty.ne.jp

Itoi, Emi (Saitama)
I have been teaching English to various groups (from three to 60 years-old) at various places (a private English conversation school, Juku, companies, colleges) for nearly 20 years . I am currently teaching at Bunkyo University in Saitama. I am planning to start private English classes at home to teach children and old people from next April.

Jego, Eric Hajime (Asahikawa, Hokkaido)
I have been teaching in Japan for 5 years. The first 2 were with GEOS in Nagoya and the last 3 have been on my own in Asahikawa, Hokkaido. I'm operating my little school, called the Peak Communication Word www.geocities.com/jegopeak1/. I have a variety of students from 20 to 80 years old. I teach about 30 students a week at my school. I also teach at a Nursing College once a week. I studied Education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton (Canada).

Kato, Corazon T. (Gifu)
I am working for Chubu Gakuin College (Teaching Kindergarten, College and Adult students). I am presently enrolled in a M.A. in English Language Teaching at the University of Technology Sydney, Australia. Contact: corazont@mac.com

Kelly, Curtis (Osaka)
Curtis is a 25-year resident of Japan, a professor of English at Osaka Gakuin University and has a doctorate in adult education. He recently finished a Ministry of Education research project on using e-learning to train Japanese elementary school English teachers. Because of his specialties Adult Education, teaching English writing, teaching children English, and storytelling, he often presents in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. He has also hosted weekly television and radio shows on local Japanese networks and written numerous textbooks: Significant Scribbles, Writing from Within, The Snoop Detective Conversation Book, Surechigai 100:Nichibei Kotoba Masatsu, and so on.

Kuze, Kyoko (Tokyo)
I have been teaching for 7 years, mostly at Yamawaki Gakuen Junior college, and at Tsuda Language Institute, where I have students aged 20 to 75. I have a MA in TESOL from Manhattanville College in USA, and I am eager to study more, especially about materials that match adult learners' interests. Contact: mk-kuze@mti.biglobe.ne.jp.

Miki, Naoko (Akashi, Hyogo)
I am teaching privately at home and am currently taking a Diploma course in Practical English Teaching through the University College, Chichester in Osaka. Most of my students are women aged 30 to 60. I am interested in how teachers can help adult learners, depending on their interests. I'd like to share some ideas with other members.

Morikoshi, Kyoko (Sapporo)
I am teaching at Hokusei Gakuen University Junior College. I've been a JALT member for many years, but I am not active these days. I'm very much interested in teaching older learners because, although I teach young adults, I do have some older learners in my class and I would like to help them more. Besides, I think there will be the need forEnglish classes for older learners in the future.

Sono Okabayashi (Nagoya, Aichi)
I am teaching at Aichi University, Meijo University, and Nagoya College of Music. I teach about 100 young students at these 3 universities and 2 classes for adults and older learners at the extension center at the Nagoya campus of Aichi University.
I lived and studied in the U.S. and Belgium. I have a master's degree in TESL from Fairleigh-Dickinson University and also another master's degree in European Studies from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven(Catholic University of Leuven ) in Belgium. Now I'm writing a paper on Extensive Reading. But I guess I will teach more and more classes for older learners as I myself am growing old. I hope I will be able to help these learners with better understanding and knowledge.

Swanson, Malcolm (Kitakyushu)
Malcolm is teaching English and Computer Graphics at Kyushu Junior College of Kinki University in Fukuoka. He occasionally teaches students, most of whom are over 50, in community courses for the local city government. Malcolm is particularly interested in discussing course structures and materials that meet the needs of older learners.

Wanner, Peter (Shizuoka)
Peter Wanner is Associate Professor at Tokai University, Shimizu Campus. He has previously worked at Kains English College, Fukuoka University of Education, Kyushu Institute of Technology, and Kyoto Institute of Technology. He holds a BA (Japanese, Political Science, and Business Management) from the University of Portland, a Master of Science in Linguistics from Georgetown University and a Doctor of Science in Cognitive Language Development from Nagoya University.

Yamanaka, Margaret (Gifu)
I am teaching at Gifu Women's University (Tourism Department at the moment), and at Ajisai Nursing College (once a week). For about 5 years in the late 80s, I taught adults at the Lifetime Learning Centre in Kakamigahara (Gifu Prefecture). Now I occasionally run a 10-week English course as part of the Gifu Women's University Extension Campus. In the meantime, the university has consistently been accepting mature-aged undergraduate students, and also allows chokosei adult students to sit in on English conversation classes. Consequently, nearly every year I have a few students who are in their 50's or 60's sitting beside the 18 - 20 year olds. A teaching challenge, to say the least! But also heaps of fun!!