My current responsibilities as Head of English Education, Director of Social Outreach, IAMU Section Chief, and International Affairs Committee member in the Graduate School of Maritime Sciences at Kobe University include overseeing curriculum design and development, strengthening and fostering new international ties and exchange programs with other universities, integrating student and university activities with the maritime industry and society at large, and the further development of a Global Maritime Studies research lab. My main goal is to continue developing a living program that broadens the international perspective of maritime students, and adapts to the needs of those who will become leaders and successful contributors in the maritime industry. I have lived and taught English in Japan for over 20 years at various levels of education, and am currently an Associate Professor at Kobe University. My research areas include VHF radio communications, port traffic management, learner autonomy, self-directed learning, vocabulary acquisition, cultural proficiency, student exchange, computer-assisted language learning, extensive reading, and intercultural communication. I have published articles in various linguistic/ESL/EFL and maritime education and training journals, and have presented at many international conferences, including as the keynote speech at the IAMU AGA Conference, were I received best paper award, Hyogo Prefectural Skills Development Conference, VARG Conference in Cardiff, Wales, the TESOL Convention, CamTESOL, JALT, and Thai TESOL, among others.Specialties: Maritime English, VHF communication, vessel traffic services, Learner Autonomy, self-directed learning, student study abroad and exchange programs, vocabulary acquisition, study abroad preparation, CALL, Intensive English Courses, curriculum and materials development