Akiko Tanigaki
Interpreter, translator, English teacher/trainer
Akiko Tanigaki is a native Japanese speaker with over 30 years of language teaching experience. Her teaching method has been uniquely developed through her graduate studies in languages and linguistics; her personal experience learning more than five languages; her visits to language classrooms in Europe and in the U.S.; her simultaneous interpretation training; her career as an interpreter and translator; and her interactions with students from different countries.
Using her method, Akiko teaches a wide range of people, including students, sales representatives, and engineers. She is especially committed to promoting continuing education and offers various lessons tailored to individual needs and all language levels.
Akiko’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Sophia University (1998), including an exchange program at Salzburg College, Austria (1996-97), and a Master of Human and Environmental Studies from Kyoto University (2000). Her cross-cultural experiences in Salzburg and the long-standing friendships she has cherished since then have greatly influenced on her view of life and educational philosophy.
After withdrawing from her doctoral course in 2001, Akiko started her career using her language skills. Drawing on her work experience as a receptionist at the Goethe Institut (2001-03), where she spoke German; as a sales representative at an architectural material manufacturer, Akashi Yogyo Co., Ltd. (2003-06), where she dealt with architectural jargon; and as an in-house translator at Shared Service Center, P&G Japan (2006-07), she transitioned to a freelance translator and interpreter, working with several agencies in Tokyo (2007-2015). Since 2016, she has been the COO of H&A Design, LLC.
With extensive teaching experience, she has become a passionate developer of new teaching methods. She is eager to contribute to the community through languages and to help students explore a new world.
The Akiko MethodⓇ
Akiko is an interpreter, translator, and teacher. Through her work, she goes back and forth between English and Japanese naturally and constantly. Also, She has learned multiple languages herself, including German, Italian, French, and Latin.
From her experiences, she believes that in language learning, you can understand difficult concepts by breaking them into smaller pieces and arranging them in the correct order. She has applied this method to her teaching, and it has proved successful. This is how the Akiko Method® was born. She excels at creating and organizing steps that are easy to follow, leading to significant progress.
谷垣晶子
通訳・翻訳、英語講師
語学教育
講師歴は30年以上。大学院での言語の研究、5ケ国語以上の習得経験、欧米での言語教育の視察、日本での同時通訳訓練、通訳・翻訳家としての実務経験、さまざまな国の学習者への指導を通して、独自の教授法を開発しています。
略歴
兵庫県生まれ。1998年上智大学文学部英文学科卒業（’96-97 Salzburg College（オーストリア）交換留学）。2000年京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科修士課程修了、2001年同研究科博士後期課程中退。ドイツ政府委託機関勤務、建材メーカー勤務、消費財メーカー翻訳専任を経て2007年フリーランス翻訳者として起業。2010年インタースクール会議通訳コース修了。通訳業務開始。2016年H&Aデザイン合同会社 COO就任。企業で英語研修を担当（～現在）。浅間山麓の森の中に住んでいます。
アキコメソッドⓇ
語学教育において「アキコメソッド®」という独自の教授法を開発しました。
語学はどんなに難しそうに見えても、小さな断片に分け、それらを適切な順序に並べて、一つずつステップを踏んでいけば必ずマスターできると考えています。Akiko Method®（アキコメソッド®）は、一人ひとりの個性とニーズに合わせてステップを作ったり並べ替えたりすることが得意です。難しいと感じることなく学習ができるように工夫しています。