Gary Ireland first came to Japan as a traveller in 1986. He returned in
1988 and began to teach English at a private language school. During the
next few years, he gained experience teaching every age and level of student
in a variety of additional teaching positions, which included; a juku, bunka
centre, senmon gakko and several business English centres. Gary began teaching
in college and university in 1993 and has taught
at six Tokyo colleges and universities since. He currently holds the position
of Associate Professor at a women's university in Tokyo. After graduating
from university and before settling in Japan, Gary spent several years travelling
around the world, and has continued to travel as often as possible since
being based
in Japan. In total, he has travelled in
over 50 different countries throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, and Central
America. Previous language learning publications:
Keep Talking (communicative text) James Alexander Press 2000
Keep Talking 2nd edition James Alexander Press 2001
Keep Talking Listening exercises James Alexander Press 2002
Kevin
Murphy came to Japan in 1989 and has since taught at numerous universities
and colleges in Tokyo. His main professional interest is curriculum and assessment
development.
Max
Woollerton first came to Japan in 1987 and began teaching English at a private
language school. Within six months, he had moved on to working in a vocational
college (senmon gakko). Here he became the coordinator for a current issues
course and then later, the coordinator for an English for Special Purposes
course. Between 1996 and 1999, he broadened his experience by teaching students
of every age and level in a variety of institutions, which included; a preparatory
school (juku), a public high school and a school for overseas returnees. Max
has taught in numerous other educational settings and his students have included
people from all walks of life. Max began teaching in universities in 1999 and
has taught at seven Tokyo universities as a part-time instructor.
Max Woollerton is a Master of Education graduate of the University of Manchester's
Education technology and ELT programme. He is committed to the development
of the use of technology in a practical and useful way within the Japanese
EFL classroom.
He hopes that The English Course will, as it develops, come to embody all
of the positive aspects of using technology to learn a language. Max
is also particularly
interested in learner motivation and how to encourage it's development.
