She has been teaching English as a foreign language in Japan with the JET Program.
Jennifer Cohen is about to start her 3rd year as an Assistant Language Teacher in Gunma prefecture, Japan. As an ALT, she team-teaches English to Japanese high school students and works at 3 schools: intermediate-high level, low level and low level-special needs. As a native English teacher, Jenn tries to teach her students active English and communication, which entails a lot of speaking and conversation activities to increase confidence and fluency.
In addition to English language, Jennifer also teaches about foreign culture (mainly American/western culture) and ballet. Not many foreigners live in this community so she is highly noticeable and always strives to maintain a positive image of American people. Ms. Cohen came to Japan without any Japanese language skills or Chinese Kanji knowledge, but I has been studying by enrolling in a beginner’s JET language course, communicative textbooks, attending events, private lessons, communicating with co-workers and students at work and in the classroom, interacting with Japanese people in the local community and living in an environment surrounded by Japanese.
She has also taken on new Japanese studies and hobbies like Shodo (calligraphy ), Wadaiko (Japanese traditional drumming) and Sado (Japanese Tea Ceremony). Jennifer has also done some traveling around Japan and Asia, which has enhanced her understanding of Asian/Global studies. She has been to Kyoto, which is home to numerous UNESCO world heritage sights, Nikko, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Nagano, Kanazawa, Kamakura and Shirakawa-go. Outside Japan, Jennifer visited Seoul, Korea, Chaing Mai, Thailand and Hong Kong. Ms. Cohen has volunteered in the Tohoku region of Japan to clean up from the 2011 tsunami damage.
Her prefecture of Gunma is not famous to outsiders but we are home to beautiful nature and breathtaking mountains. Additionally Gunma is the birthplace of Japanese industrialization with the first silk mill built in Tomioka city, established by the French around 1872. Japanese women were instrumental in the factory’s production as women were the main workers.
Jennifer Cohen graduated from Adelphi in 2010 with a B.A. in History and in 2011 with a M.A. in Social Studies Education. She hopes to return to the USA and work in education as a social studies educator or Asian and international studies.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director
p – 516.237.8634
e – twilson@adelphi.edu