HIROKO TAKAGI

EDUCATION

Currently working toward Ph.D. in Education at San Diego States University, San Diego, CA and Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA. Earned 32 units as of December 2002.

M.A. in Linguistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA with California Community Colleges Instructor Credential in Language Arts and Literature, and in Japanese. August, 1990.

Completed a graduate course in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 1983.

B.A. in Linguistics, Ochanomizu University, Tokyo, Japan with Secondary School Teaching Credential in English.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Certified ACTFL OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview) Tester. January, 1999.

Completed four summer institutes sponsored by the Center for Language Education and Research at Michigan State University. CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) Material: Introductory & Advanced Techniques, and Internet in Foreign Language Instruction: Introductory and Advanced Techniques. August, 1999 and July 1998.

Completed two-day Japanese Oral Proficiency workshop by the Center for Applied Japanese Language at the University of Oregon. June, 1998.

Completed ACTFL four-day OPI Tester Training Workshop in Nashville. November, 1997.

Completed Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview (SOPI) Japanese Speaking Test Rater Training Workshop by Center for Applied Linguistics held at California State University, Long Beach. April, 1993.

Completed 1991 Intensive Summer Teacher Training Institute, focused on proficiency-based instruction, National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC), University of Hawaii at Manoa. June-July, 1991.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Conduct beginning, intermediate, and advanced level Japanese language courses. Various class sizes. Community college, four-year university, and graduate students.

Encourage students' understanding of the Japanese people and culture. Presenting videos and articles, guiding discussions, inviting guest speakers, and organizing yearly cultural fairs and speech contests.

Incorporate the use of computers in the instruction.

Received a $500 curriculum development grant from Southwestern College to incorporate the use of Japanese word processing software.

Train instructional aides in conducting drill sessions.

Examine and select textbooks, workbooks, reference materials, audio-visuals, and computer software. Applied for and received $6,000 worth of teaching materials from the Japan Foundation for the University of San Diego and Palomar College, and Southwestern College.

Attend conferences to obtain new and useful information on theory, teaching methods, and teaching materials, as well as grants and workshops.

Developed a Japanese language program in a community college by writing course outlines.

Presented my thesis research on second language acquisition in conferences. Dec. 1989 at Linguistic Society of America (LSA), Oct. 1990 at California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL).

EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYMENT

AWARDS/DISTINCTIONS

Fellowship from the Center for Language Education and Research at Michigan State University to attend CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) Material Development for LCTLs (Less Commonly Taught languages): Introductory Techniques Institute. July 1998.

Fellowship from the National Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to attend 1991 Intensive Summer Teacher Training Institute, focused on proficiency-based instruction. June-July 1991.

Scholarship from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. which paid one half of the tuition for a graduate course in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language. 1983.

MEMBERSHIP

The Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ)

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

Association of Asian Studies (AAS)

Teachers of Japanese in Southern California