About the Owner (of English Bridge & this blog)

Between completing her BA and coming to Japan in 1995, Cathrine-Mette (Trine) Mork 望久（モーク）片梨奈（カタリーナ）spent time at a language institute in Costa Rica while traveling in the region. She loved teaching English from the start and has been doing it ever since. Back in her hometown of Montreal, Trine taught refugees, immigrants, exchange students, and French-speakers at a language school while completing a graduate degree at McGill University. Trine first came over to Japan on a three-year exchange program in Miyazaki Prefecture, and soon fell in love with the country. She has mostly been employed in a full-time, contract capacity by universities in Miyazaki, Aichi, and Tokyo, but has also worked with Jr. high school and elementary school students. She also conducted business language training for Sumikin Intercom in Tokyo, dealing with large clients such as Pioneer, Proctor & Gamble, and Eli Lilly (pharmaceuticals). Since coming to Japan, Trine has earned a post-graduate diploma in TEFL, has had professional training in teaching children, has passed several levels of Monbusho’s Japanese Proficiency Exam, and has completed a Japanese to English translation course with Media Soken Inc. She has edited English research papers for Japanese institutions, individual professors, and students, and has done translation work on a variety of documents into English. When she has the time, Trine enjoys cycling, reading, surfing the Internet, and meeting new people. She has cycled in many areas of Japan, and practiced shorinji renshinnkan karate-do in the years she lived in Miyazaki. In Canada Trine was a figure skating coach.

“As I’m originally from Montréal, I speak French, though far from fluently. I have studied other language too: Spanish, Norwegian, Danish, and Italian. If you don’t use a language, however, it’s easy to forget it. I’ve been working in Japan since 1995. I’ve lived in Miyazaki City, Okazaki City (Aichi), Ikebukuro (Tokyo), and now I live in Hachioji City, west of Tokyo. I have taught English in Canada and Costa Rica in addition to Japan. I enjoy teaching EFL because I love languages, linguistics, and intercultural conundrums. I also enjoy helping people achieve their goals.  私はモ ントリオール出身なので、流暢とは言えませんがフランス語も話します。スペイン語、ノルウェー語、オランダ語、イタリア語も勉強しました。でも、言葉は使 わないとすぐ忘れてしまいますね。日本では１９９５年から働いています。宮崎、岡崎（愛知県）、池袋（東京）にいましたが、今は東京の西にある八王子市に 住んでいます。日本の他に、カナダとコスタリカで英語を教えた経験があります。言葉、言語学、異文化間の問題などに大変興味があるので、ＥＦＬを教えるこ とがとても好きです。また、目標に向かって頑張る人を応援するのも好きです。”

“I am the owner of an organization in west Tokyo called English Bridge that provides language-related instruction and services. Click the logo below for more information about English Bridge, and the “book now” button in the sidebar if you would like to sign up for a free trial lesson. 私は東京西部でEnglish Bridgeという言語関連の指導およびサービスを提供する組織を経営しています。English Bridgeについてさらに知りたい方は下のロゴをクリックしてください。無料お試しレッスンを受講されたい方は、サイドバーの”book now”ボタンをクリックしてください。”