Tomoko Sanders

I was born and raised in Osaka, Japan. I earned my teaching credentials at KEC Japanese School and received my B.A. in Japanese Linguistics from Osaka International College in 2007.

At the age of 13, I started studying English at school since every student was required to learn a foreign language. Although it was a requirement, I really enjoyed it because I believe English is a language that allows me to communicate with people from different countries. To improve my listening and pronunciation skills, I used the radio for practice. Later on, I went to a community college in Australia to study English for four months. It was tough at first because I had never heard an Australian accent before, but about a month later, I suddenly started to understand what they were saying! After returning from Australia, I had the opportunity to continue speaking with English speakers. I later taught Japanese privately to missionaries and other students in Japan. I currently live in Lynchburg, VA, and am homeschooling my two young children. I enjoy remodeling the house, cooking, and playing with my kids.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe the best way to teach a language is to speak to my …