Gaba Corporation

When I was a university student, I studied abroad in Japan for a year and just really loved it. I knew that I wanted to go back to Japan again, though I wasn’t sure at the time if for work, grad school, or just vacation. After graduation, I tried working in the US for about a year before I decided to look into English teaching programs. I’d worked as an English tutor for ESL students at my university, so I knew that helping people improve their English is something that I really enjoy.

Gaba appealed to me for several reasons. Because I already had experience studying abroad in Japan, I had a good idea of where I wanted to live, and Gaba did a great job placing me in an awesome school (we call them Learning Studios) pretty much exactly in the area I wanted to be. I liked the independence that Gaba offered, unlike other Eikaiwa (English conversation) schools, they didn’t tell me what flight to take or what house I was supposed to live in. So, I had a lot of freedom. I was able to plan my own schedule, as well, which afforded me time to travel, meet up with friends, and pursue my own hobbies and interests.

The thing that made my teaching abroad experience unique and special for me were definitely the students. One thing I especially like about Gaba is the one-to-one lesson style. In a classroom environment, as a teacher, your attention is split between several (or many) students, but in a one-to-one environment you can give personalized attention to every student. It gave me the opportunity to have some really excellent conversations with individuals from all different walks of life—from a Formula Three racecar driver to a TV drama director to company CEOs and directors. The students ranged in age from elementary school kids to retirees. So I could start out my day chatting with a fun retiree, teach the most brilliant and adorable children in the afternoon, and then talk Japanese economic policy in the evening when all the businesspeople came in for lessons. Every day was stimulating and meaningful, and I felt like I was learning as many new things about the world as my students were learning about English.

I graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in New York with concentrations in piano performance and Japanese language. I worked as an instructor at Gaba for one year in the Kyoto Learning Studio. Teaching at Gaba was a big change from the classroom setting since we only offer one-to-one lessons. I really liked the fact that Gaba encourages more career development. As an instructor, I had the chance to get directly involved with lesson sales as a First Meeting Instructor.

Currently, I am an Instructor Support Leader at the Umeda Learning Studio in Osaka. I provide support to itaku-contracted instructors who teach at Gaba. Basically, I act as a bridge of communication between the instructor and the company.

My first experience teaching abroad was with the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Program in Chippubetsu, Hokkaido. In my junior year of university, I studied abroad for one year as a member of the Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies at Doshisha University. After my year at Doshisha, I became particularly interested in Japanese religion and culture and wanted to pursue my Japanese studies even further. I was considering a career in teaching, so my academic advisor encouraged me to apply for the JET Program. My year in Hokkaido was extremely rewarding and I will always remember Chippubetsu with a great fondness.