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About Me
About Me
ようこそ。I am Tracie L. Whiting Kipper. I am a Japanese Language & Culture lecturer with over 15 years of experience teaching youth, university student and adults of all ages. My classroom experience includes the university lecture hall, community education programs, online instruction, and even broadcast television programming. Currently I am the Japanese Language & Culture lecturer at the Kansas City Art Institute where all of my students are preparing for their BFA degrees. Some of my students have learning challenges, but all of them are open to learning how to see the world differently and share that with those around them. I am also the Adjunct Assistant Professor of Japanese at the Johnson Community College in Overland Park, Kansas specializing in online Japanese courses.
Prior to entering the MAFLT program, I had a career with the Japanese government. First, as the English Manager of the Nagano Olympic News Agency for the 1998 Olympic Winter Games held in Nagano, I prepared and edited translations, interpreted for VIPs and served as a consultant for the official documentaries. Following the Olympic Winter Games, I served as the Economic Analyst and JET Program coordinator at the Consulate General of Japan at Kansas city.. After becoming a mother, I did freelance translation and interpreting for major companies in the Kansas City area, and became an adjunct at nearby universities. At long last I found my way to MAFLT.
Having a prior career in Japanese before becoming a teacher means that I especially enjoy building lessons and projects around authentic materials and contexts. As a category IV language, Japanese is often intimidating, so I focus on learner motivation so they can see how the language fits their career and personal goals. I have also founded the Japanese Instructors Association of the Heartland with a fellow instructor in Kansas City, and we strive to provide professional development in the central plains states. In my free time I enjoy kayaking and traveling with my family, creating Chinese/Japanese brush calligraphy.
Click here to learn more about the MA in Foreign Language Teaching program at Michigan State University:
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