Instructor Bios
Chihiro Kamei Legris
Ms. Legris has a Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies from the University of the Texas at San Antonio. Over the last 12 years, she has taught at various high schools in San Antonio, including St. Mary’s Hall and Incarnate Word High School. Currently she is an instructor in Japanese at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.
Kana Abe
Ms. Kana Abe received an M.A. in Communication Studies from Baylor University in 2009 and an M.A. in Japanese from the Ohio State University in 2011. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. degree in Foreign Language Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught beginning to advanced level college Japanese as well as intermediate levels for K-12 students at Japanese immersion summer camp .
Ms. Kana Abe received an M.A. in Communication Studies from Baylor University in 2009 and an M.A. in Japanese from the Ohio State University in 2011. Currently, she is working on her Ph.D. degree in Foreign Language Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has taught beginning to advanced level college Japanese as well as intermediate levels for K-12 students at Japanese immersion summer camp .
Kaori Kitta
Ms. Kitta has a B.A. in American Culture from Tsuda College in Japan, and an M.Ed in secondary education, and an M.A. in ESL from the University of North Texas. She taught high school English in Japan. Here in Austin, she teaches Japanese at Austin Japanese School, and Japanese exploratory classes in Austin ISD. She also trained members of Rotary International District 5870 in basic Japanese for their Group Study Exchange.
Kayoko Omikawa
Ms. Omikawa received an elementary school teaching credential from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan in 1980. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Meisei University in Japan. She taught in a public elementary school in Chiba Prefecture for years. After moving to the US in 1999, she taught Japanese at Austin Japanese School for seven years and in the Texas Union Informal Classes for half a year.
Ms. Omikawa received an elementary school teaching credential from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Japan in 1980. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Meisei University in Japan. She taught in a public elementary school in Chiba Prefecture for years. After moving to the US in 1999, she taught Japanese at Austin Japanese School for seven years and in the Texas Union Informal Classes for half a year.
Tomoko Watanabe
Dr. Watanabe Traphagan holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Foreign Language Education from the University Pittsburgh, an M.A. in Instructional Technology from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in English Literature from Waseda University. She has taught college level Japanese from beginning to advanced levels at the University of Texas at Austin, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the University of Michigan.
