Education
Master of Arts in Linguistics, Certificate in Computational Linguistics
San Francisco State University
Studying with Dr. Jenny Lederer, Dr. Anastasia Smirnova and Dr. Teresa Pratt, I began shaping my research interests at SFSU. Building on my years working as a Japanese translator, I developed an interest in Japanese sound symbolism, explored conceptual metaphors of identity crafting in online queer communities, and gained a deep understanding of many branches of linguistics. My capstone paper explored research into sound symbolism with a focus on Japanese and addressed the difficulties of applying current NLP approaches to sound symbolism to Japanese.
Master of Arts in Applied Translation Skills
University of Leeds
Specializing in German and Japanese to English translation, I translated excerpts of Downtown Blues by Myra Çakan and The Video Game Textbook (ゲームの教科書) by Baba Yasuhito and Yamamoto Takamitsu for my final project. I also studied the contemporary machine translation models and became familiar with the CAT tools in most common use in the industry.
Bachelor of Arts in German and Japanese
University of Leeds
In addition to fluency in both German and Japanese, my undergraduate education also included socio-cultural and history courses about Germany and Japan. I spent a year abroad at the University of Fukuoka studying Japanese Language and Literature, and a semester at Heidelberg University studying German Language, History and Culture.
Teaching Experience
Instructional Support Assistant
San Francisco State University
2024
While a graduate student at SFSU, I worked as an Instructional Support Assistant with Teresa Pratt in Introduction to the Study of Language. I led a section of around 20 students in discussion and work sessions once a week. During these sessions, I helped students understand the topics covered by Professor Pratt in lectures earlier in the week, and was available for questions during on my expertise as a linguist. I was also able to draw on my experience and education as a translator to bring a different perspective to classes. I was also responsible for grading and providing specific feedback.
English Language Teacher
MAN Diesel & Turbo, Berlin, Germany
2011
At MAN, I taught adult learners of English. My students included engineers, logistics planners and managers with skills ranging from basic to almost fluent. I was responsible to creating syllabi that accommodated the needs and expectations of each student individually. Most spoke German as their first language, while a few spoke Turkish as their first language, and these different linguistic backgrounds were accounted for in my teaching approach.
Teaching Assistant Volunteer
Urmston Grammar School, England
2005 – 2006
During my final year before college, I volunteered as a language assistant in German classes at my college. Students ranged from 12–13 year olds in beginner German classes to 14–15 year olds preparing to take GCSE German exams. I provided assistance in full classes, and also held sessions with students on a one-on-one basis for focused German instruction.
Professional Experience
Freelance German and Japanese Language Service Provider
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
2017 – Present
Self-managed language services with a particular focus on legal and automotive texts, using professional Japanese and German skills to provide post-editing, translation, transcreation, and review, with a translation output of more than 15,500 words a week.
German and Japanese Translator at SDL plc.
Sheffield, UK
2014 – 2016
At SDL, I worked primarily with automotive clients to provide translation, review, and quality assurance for content ranging from basic vocabulary lists to commercial advertising copy and complex legal documentation for high-profile luxury car brands. As the sole Japanese-speaker on staff at that time, I was also responsible for quality assurance for outsourced Japanese work, and for managing freelancers across extremely large projects with challenging deadlines for household name clients in both the English and Japanese-speaking markets.
Freelance German and Japanese Translator
Leeds, UK
2013 – 2014
As a newly qualified translator, I provided translation services for a variety of clients and text types. My particular focus at this point in my career was rental agreements and banking contracts, but also encompassed subjects such as professional emails, historical textbooks, and fiction.