Teacher
Professor Kevin L. Mark
Background
I was born in Hawaii in 1951. My father was a pilot in World War II, fighting the Japanese in the Pacific, particularly around New Guinea. His wartime experiences made him eager to visit Japan in peacetime, and both my parents fell in love with Japan after a family vacation here in the spring of 1957. My father was delighted to be sent to work at Atsugi in October of the same year, and we spent two memorable years here before moving to Europe.
Although I have a US passport, I grew up, from the age of nine in the UK. I studied French Language and Literature at Worcester College, Oxford University, and later Linguistics and Education at the University of Manchester. My first job in Japan was for two years at Okayama University, from 1985 to 1987. After that I worked for four years at Meiji Gakuin University in 国際学部. I have been at Meiji University since 1991.
Research Interests
My experiences of education in the UK and Japan have left me with a strong sense of the need for a new approach to education. I believe that we need new approaches in all aspects of, focusing much more on developing self-awareness, confidence, critical thinking and communication skills in students. My seminar reflects this "philosophical" interest in education. I also use the seminar to develop innovative techniques and materials for language learners.
I am working on the formulation of a practical approach to language teaching that is grounded in a philosophical approach to education in general. In particular I am interested in helping to reform English language teaching in Japan through the use of new types of materials that rely much less on a "transmission" model of education and much more on a "discovery" approach, with learners and teachers collaborating and working on creative projects.
The future of this seminar
In the next few years I would like to involve the seminar members in communicating with people outside the university through different creative projects. This will become possible gradually as we work on developing, within the seminar, systematic ways for students to teach themselves more and more.
One kind of project that I want to do is this: make short films and theatre productions that can be enjoyed by members of the public, including high school students. We are not quite ready to do this at the moment, but maybe it will happen in the next year or two. But whatever we do, I am sure it will be a fresh and stimulating experience for all of us.
Is this zemi right for you?
If you are ready to give plenty of time to zemi activities, are open to studying and learning in new ways, and want to develop your English, this seminar may be good for you. It requires commitment, flexibility, openness, curiosity and a willingness to work with others. This is an environment in which all of us will grow as people.
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