Online Japanese Literature Discussion Classes

We will read and discuss short stories of some of the most noted Japanese authors.
 

• Open to anybody who is interested in Japanese culture or literature

• Conducted entirely in English

• Share what you feel about the work with participants from all over the world

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Join our global online classes!

Ikuya Takahashi was born in 1983. When he was 20, he went abroad to England for the first time as an exchange student and stayed there for 10 months. There, he found intercultural communication both fascinating and difficult, and he strongly felt that he needed to know more about the culture and history of his own country. For this reason, he decided to become a tour guide interpreter. Subsequently, he worked as an interpreter for JICE, a government-affiliated organization for several years. When he was 27, he decided to go to Paris, one of his dream cities, and stayed there for one year. The following year, he did his master’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London.

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Since coming back to Japan, he has been working as an English instructor, teaching classes for various corporate clients as well as interpretation courses and classes in preparation for exams such as IELTS or TOEFL iBT. In addition, he has taught numerous private lessons for professionals and students alike who were preparing to study abroad in order to obtain advanced degrees. He has also been in charge of managing teams of instructors with different nationalities and backgrounds as well as developing curricula for Academic English classes at several prestigious universities in Japan. To date, he has taught about 5,300 hours. His passion is travelling, and so far he has been to 35 countries, the most recent of which was Cuba.

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Work history
Former full-time instructor at Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuin, International Education Center
Former interpreter at Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE)
Former freelance tour guide-interpreter

Credentials

• MA in International Studies and Diplomacy
  from the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)

• ​BA in English Literature                                                                                               

        from Sophia University 

• Diploma of French Language and Civilization C1 (Level Superior)

        from Paris IV Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne, Paris, France

• Certificate of Graduation
  from Conference Interpreting School at International Education Center (IEC), Nichibei Kaiwa Gakuin

• CELTA

Qualifications

• English: IELTS 8.0, UNATE Special A, EIKEN Grade 1, TOEIC 990, National Guide-Interpreter Certificate

• French: DALF C1, National Guide-Interpreter Certificate

On his own time, he’s invested in teacher training, earning numerous qualifications and accumulating experience so that he can cater to his students’ needs. [...] He was so passionate that it was impossible to sit there without feeling excited about the subject myself.