Erin Gagatko



Email

egagatko@tiu.ac.jp


Introduction

Hi! My name is Erin. I’m from the U.S., and I’ve spent most of my time in Portland, Oregon. I majored in Japanese Language and Literature for my undergrad, and that’s when I really fell in love with language learning. After graduating, I taught as an assistant teacher in Hyogo Prefecture and Osaka. While I was discovering my passion for language learning and linguistics, I was also realizing that, for people learning English as a second language, learning is both an amazing adventure and a *huge* challenge that can provide a world of opportunities! So, I decided to pursue my master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages through the Applied Linguistics department at Portland State University. I’m truly dedicated to helping learners navigate their language learning journeys, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! In my free time, I love to listen to music, watch movies, and take bicycle rides. If you have any new songs or movies, please share them with me! I spend a lot of my down time trying to learn new things, so I’m always looking for new recommendations of podcasts and literature as well. And I love pets, so if you have pets I would love to see pictures of them!


Home City


Favorite
Conversation Topics

  • Music (indie, punk, old/new, really anything!), literature and comics, podcasts (language, world news, pop culture, etc.), food, movies (especially horror), bicycling, sustainability and environmental issues, sustainable fashion – up-cycling and D.I.Y., travel, Japanese baseball, U.S. culture, language, and intercultural communication.

Academic Advising Specialties

  • Grammar, reading, writing, listening, pronunciation and speaking, academic writing, presentation skills, homework help, TOEIC and TOEFL practice.