Rebecca Jones
(1995-96)
I first walked into my plush, new home at LIOJ in March 1995, and when the time came to say "sayonara" I had not only blossomed into a far better teacher, but I was also a much "fuller" person.
Leaving my Japanese home was hard and it has left me with a lasting sense of gratefulness and positivity, tinged with a sadness at being away from some of the most inspirational people I have ever worked with and taught.
It would be impossible to explain in so few words the effect that Abet, Doray, and Nat had on my life. Suffice to say, they helped me to develop an inner calm and love of life and teaching that surpassed all my previous five years of work within EFL. Our whole LIOJ team at that time combined fun, joy and caring with professionalism I have never witnessed since. Our students were a wonderful mix of personalities and styles and it is moving to still receive emails and letters from a few of them-a special hi to Mami, Sachiyo, Izumi, Ken, Haruo, Kaz, and Kazumi!
As with many past LIOJ teachers and students, I think the High School Intensives, with their dance classes and Alfa/Beta simulation will stay with me forever. Never have I learnt so much in such a short space of time!
The Summer Workshops were a treat during which we had the honour of mixing with so many knowledgeable and inspirational presenters and teachers from all over the globe. Kip Cates, Steve Epstein, and Alan Maley certainly left their mark on my professional direction. I have since become particularly involved in teacher training and writing EFL textbooks for European markets and am proud to say that there is a strong sense of cross cultural awareness in everything I present.
I believe the gift of working at LIOJ is the way in which both the place and the people touch and enrich your life, leaving a smile to compliment the colourful and rich memories: "Joy To The World," as we used to sing on our way down to class!
July 2002
Top |
Copyright (c) Language Institute of Japan (LIOJ) / 日本外語教育研究所 |  Back |