The FLA Writing Center tutors are postgraduates in or graduates of Sophia University programs. They have all gone through training to ensure they can offer the most in their tutorials. As most tutors are in the process of writing and researching themselves, they are in the ideal position to help other student writers with their writing needs.
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Akane
Experience in Japan: Born and raised in Yokohama city, I grew up seeing traces of Western technologies in my hometown introduced in the 19th century with the opening of the Port of Yokohama. Until recent years, I had always been fascinated by cultures and languages rather than outside of Japan. Over the years that I spent working and studying in Spain before resuming my undergraduate studies at FLA, I began to appreciate more of Japan's rich cultural heritage. I am looking forward to discovering what I have taken for granted in this beautiful country in the coming years. Academic Writing Experience: Having graduated from a public high school in Japan without any English writing experience, I struggled with academic writing when I started my undergraduate studies in 2016. Since then, the Writing Center has guided me through my journey to become a better writer. I am excited to pass on the knowledge from the tutors and myself to other FLA students for their development of writing skills. |
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Allysha
Experience in Japan: Being a third culture kid of Filipino and Japanese descent, I had moved back and forth from my home countries throughout my childhood. From 2012 onward, I have since lived in Japan while attending the International School of the Sacred Heart for my secondary education. In 2021, I started attending the FLA Program at Sophia University to pursue an international education while having a deeper appreciation of Japanese history and culture. Academic Writing Experience: While having been an avid writer my entire life, I began to seriously pursue academic writing throughout my years in secondary school. Not only had I taken the Advanced Placement programs for English Language and English Literature, but I utilized these writing skills in persuasive speech writing as a part of a Debate team. These skills have been further improved and reinforced under the FLA Core Program, as I continue to apply my love for writing in my studies. Although I have much more to learn about academic writing, I hope that I can support other students’ academic writing journey and share my love for written language with others. |
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Brenson
Experience in Japan: It was in 2018 when I first traveled to Japan, an eager tourist who was captivated by the beauty of Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. A highlight of that trip was visiting Senso-ji in Asakusa and praying that the next time I land in Japan, I will then be a ryuugakusei. Two years later, that wish was realized. I returned in October 2020 as a research student at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. I entered Sophia University in the spring of 2022 as a Ph. D. student at the Department of Education, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences. One thing I am passionate about is teaching, and I am happy that I can practice this in Japan. Working as an English conversation teacher and a group leader for empowerment programs enabled me to interact with Japanese students, from elementary to university level. I am always excited to teach students and help them achieve their maximum potential. Academic Writing Experience: My bachelor’s and master’s courses at the University of the Philippines Diliman greatly honed my academic writing skills in English. I was trained to write essays, reports, theses, and other academic papers. My work as a teacher for ten years involved checking and providing feedback to students’ written outputs. I also gain valuable lessons and experiences by presenting at academic conferences and writing research papers. Perhaps my greatest achievement in this field at present is authoring Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary Grades, a textbook intended for college students majoring in Education. Given the opportunity, I hope to share my knowledge and skills with other students and help them make milestones in academic writing. |
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Erin
Experience in Japan: Having become enamored of the Japanese language as a middle schooler, I self-studied Japanese for four years before I was able to begin taking formal classes as a college student. I spent the fall of 2016 studying abroad at Doshisha University, and that cemented my desire to focus on Japan in my course of study. I lived in Tokyo for another summer before graduating college, and spent three years as a researcher of Japanese foreign policy in Washington DC before being accepted to Sophia’s Global Studies MA program in the spring of 2023. Academic Writing Experience: While I have had a passion for all forms of writing since childhood, my bachelor’s and master’s programs at the University of Pennsylvania have given me the opportunity to develop my academic writing skills at one of America’s top universities. Throughout my academic experience, I wrote a wide array of research papers and helped to revise the work of my fellow students. I also wrote two undergraduate theses, which I greatly enjoyed. I hope to be able to help other students find the same excitement and passion for academic writing that I have found. |
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Gibran
Experience in Japan: I am a second-year Ph.D. candidate at the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies (GSAPS), Waseda University, where I am researching the ASEAN norms of non-interference. Before entering the Ph.D. program, I was a research student (研究生) at the Graduate Program in Global Studies (GPGS), Sophia University, for one year. I also completed my master's degree at GPGS from 2014 to 2017. I worked for the Writing Center intermittently from 2020 to 2022, as well as the spring semester of 2017. Academic Writing Experience: Upon my graduation from the M.A. program in March 2017, I worked as a tutor at the Writing Center from April-August 2017. Thereafter, I joined President University in Cikarang, Indonesia, as a lecturer in the International Relations study program. Aside from fulfilling my teaching obligations, I have worked extensively on the topic of ASEAN norms and principles and conducted joint research with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia. Concurrently, I served as Managing Editor II of AEGIS Journal of International Relations for two years, where I was responsible for formulating guidelines, editing, and laying out submitted manuscripts. |
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Iain
Experience in Japan: After graduating with honours and working as a teaching associate at Monash University’s School of Social Sciences, I moved to Japan in 2021 to pursue postgraduate studies at Waseda University’s Graduate School of Political Science. As a scholar of international relations with a passion for regional politics, it was my goal to deepen my knowledge of Japan and deepen the relationship between Australia and Japan. To this end, I now work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Japan while completing my research project. Academic Writing Experience: Since undertaking my bachelor's, I have been passionate about improving my academic writing and helping others improve theirs. After graduating, I worked at my university as a tutor for undergraduate students who needed help with their written work and as a teaching associate responsible for teaching classes and grading student papers. During this time, I received my Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. I now work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan, helping Japanese public servants with their spoken and written language skills, and at Waseda University as a research associate responsible for helping EFL authors publish academic articles in English |
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Kaho
Experience in Japan: I was born and raised in Japan. I went to a Japanese private school in Tokyo and obtained a Bilingual Diploma of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in 2021. Academic Writing Experience: I have had several academic writing experiences in English before coming to Sophia. I began writing academic English in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in middle and high school. I wrote on a wide range of subjects in the IB program and used various text types, which helped me transition to academic writing in the FLA. My experiences writing academic papers in English Composition I and II have been valuable because I learned about creating unity and coherence throughout the paragraphs, making persuasive appeals, and utilizing textual borrowing. However, as I acquired my own writing skills, I grasped the joy of written communication as I encountered new ideas and expressed my thoughts in my own words. Writing is now a tool for me, and it is one of my favorite skills to practice. |
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Kanae
Experience in Japan: I was born in Tokyo, Japan. When I was four years old, I moved to Utah with my family. After three years, we returned to Japan. After living in Tokyo for four years, my family moved to the US again, but this time to Virginia. We came back after four years. Since then, I have lived in Tokyo and enrolled in a public school for middle school and high school. I entered Sophia University in the spring of 2021. Academic Writing Experience: I had not taken a formal writing course during my stay in the US, so the first time I received proper education on writing was in high school in a course to prepare for university entrance exams. There, I followed templates and did not focus on any aspects other than finishing writing my essays in the given time. However, my understanding of academic writing changed after entering Sophia University and completing Composition I and II. Through the composition courses, I learned how to create unity and coherency. I also developed my writing skills for organization and clarity through revising my assignments. Since writing is a way to express one's ideas, I think it is crucial to be able to express oneself clearly. Therefore, we should all continue to learn and improve our writing skills. By assisting fellow FLA students, I hope I can learn and strengthen my own writing as well. |
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Miyu
Experience in Japan: I was born in Shiga and lived in Japan throughout my early childhood. After living abroad from 2007 to 2015, I returned to Japan during my final year of middle school. I came to Tokyo in the spring of 2019 for my BA at Sophia University's Faculty of Liberal Arts. I am currently enrolled in the Graduate Program in Global Studies (Japanese Studies). I am an enthusiast of Japanese Literature, with a few of my favorite authors being Murakami Haruki and Mishima Yukio. Academic Writing Experience: I have been passionate about English writing ever since taking IB English Literature in high school. My current graduate studies which focus on Literature require intensive academic writing and reading. Outside of class, I have experience working as a research assistant, where I managed research data, proofread drafts, and translated survey forms from English to Japanese. I went through rigorous writing training under FLA's Core Program, and with my memories of the program still fresh in my mind, I believe I can provide effective advice to students. |
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Vanessa
Experience in Japan: I was born and raised in Yokohama, but moved to central Tokyo to attend an international school from elementary to high school. I now attend Sophia University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts. Academic Writing Experience: I have always gravitated towards writing as a means of expressing myself, and enjoyed both writing essay assignments and publications for my journalism club throughout high school. However, it was not until taking FLA’s English Composition courses that I understood academic writing as a genre of its own. I have worked diligently throughout both English Composition 1 and 2, and believe that I have much empathy for the struggles of academic writing and ample advice to share with you. |
Do you have what it takes to be a writing center tutor?
FLA Writing Center Tutor Qualifications
Applicants should…
* Applicants must also have a ‘Working Permission’ and ‘Residence Card’.
Job Description
If you are interested in working as a tutor, please email the Writing Center (wrtng-c@sophia.ac.jp).
In your email explain why you want to work for the FLA Writing Center and how many semesters you will be able to work. In addition, attach a CV/resume, a recent writing sample for evaluation, and a prospective writing center tutor bio and photo in your application (see TUTORS section above for examples of tutor profiles) .
FLA Writing Center Tutor Qualifications
Applicants should…
- be Graduate Students or Alumni of Sophia University or exceptional undergraduate FLA students that have been encouraged to apply by their Core Program Professor.
- have advanced proficiency in spoken and written English.
- be comfortable providing feedback on students’ written assignments, essays, reports, and other papers.
- be friendly, supportive, and enthusiastic about providing academic advice to undergraduates.
- have a strong sense of responsibility.
- is reachable on email.
- be able to work at least two days and two sessions a week for a minimum of two semesters (hours are flexible).
* Applicants must also have a ‘Working Permission’ and ‘Residence Card’.
Job Description
- Successful applicants will receive training and have the opportunity to observe experienced tutors.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to visit classes and introduce the Writing Center to students at the beginning of each term.
- Writing Center tutors are expected to assist with and facilitate writing center workshops.
If you are interested in working as a tutor, please email the Writing Center (wrtng-c@sophia.ac.jp).
In your email explain why you want to work for the FLA Writing Center and how many semesters you will be able to work. In addition, attach a CV/resume, a recent writing sample for evaluation, and a prospective writing center tutor bio and photo in your application (see TUTORS section above for examples of tutor profiles) .