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Alex Brock

Lead English Instructor
✦ From Maryland to Yamagata

A lifelong love of Japan —
and of teaching

Alex grew up in Maryland, USA, with a deep fascination for Japanese culture that started early — watching Dragon Ball and Pokémon as a kid, he was drawn into a world that felt both wonderfully different and genuinely exciting. That curiosity never faded, and eventually it led him all the way to Yamagata, where he has been teaching English to children and families since 2011.

Alex's approach to teaching comes from his background in Psychology — he understands how people learn, what motivates them, and how to build confidence in a way that lasts. His classes are warm, encouraging, and genuinely fun. He believes that when a child feels safe to make mistakes and try again, real language learning happens.

Outside the classroom, Alex is a musician and creative maker. He plays guitar and has a deep interest in design — an interest that has led him to create his own musical board games from scratch. His students often discover that English and creativity go hand in hand.

✦ 講師紹介(日本語)

アレックス・ブロックはアメリカ・メリーランド州の出身です。子どもの頃に見たドラゴンボールやポケモンをきっかけに日本文化に強く惹かれ、その興味は消えることなく、やがて彼を山形へと導きました。2011年から山形で子どもたちや保護者の方に英語を教えています。

大学で心理学を学んだ経験が指導の土台になっています。人がどのように学ぶのか、何が意欲につながるのか、どうすれば自信が長く残るのかを理解したうえでレッスンを組み立てます。「間違えても大丈夫」と思える教室であってはじめて、本当の意味で言葉が身につくと考えています。

教室の外ではギターを弾き、デザインにも深い関心を持っています。オリジナルの音楽ボードゲームを一から制作するほどで、生徒たちは英語と創造することが自然につながっていることに気づいていきます。

🎓 B.A. Psychology — Towson University, Baltimore
📜 TESOL Certified (100-hour)
👶 TEYL — Teaching English to Young Learners
📅 Teaching since 2011
🌉 ABC英会話 講師 2019年〜
🎸 Music Guitarist and lifelong music lover
🎲 Board Games Designer of original musical board games
✏️ Design Passionate about creative making
🐉 Japanese Culture Anime fan since Dragon Ball & Pokémon
Kyoko Sakurada
🇯🇵

Kyoko Sakurada

Japanese Instructor & School Administrator
✦ Yamagata Born and Raised

Bringing English closer
to home

Kyoko was born and raised right here in Yamagata City, and has spent over fifteen years helping local children find their feet in English. Her teaching career began in 2008 at Peppy Kids Club, where she developed a strong foundation in communicative English instruction for young learners.

From 2019 to 2025, Kyoko served as a 派遣外国語指導員 (dispatched foreign language instructor) for the Yamagata Prefectural Board of Education — working across multiple elementary schools in the Murayama district, including schools in Ōe, Sagae, and beyond. She supported classroom English lessons for students from Grade 3 through Grade 6, working alongside classroom teachers to make English accessible and enjoyable for every child.

At ABC Bridgeway, Kyoko handles Japanese-language support, grammar instruction, and school administration — making sure every parent and student always has someone they can talk to, in the language they're most comfortable with.

✦ 講師紹介(日本語)

櫻田恭子は山形市に生まれ、山形市で育ちました。2008年2月にこども英会話教室ペッピーキッズクラブで指導を始めて以来、15年以上にわたり地元の子どもたちの英語学習を支えてきました。

2019年4月から2025年3月までは、山形県教育庁村山教育事務所の派遣外国語指導員として、大江町立左沢小学校・本郷東小学校、寒河江市立寒河江小学校・寒河江南部小学校ほかで、小学3年生から6年生の外国語指導および授業計画の補助を担当しました。

ABC英会話では、日本語でのサポート、文法レッスン、教室運営を担当しています。保護者の方もお子様も、いちばん安心できる言葉でいつでも相談できる——そんな存在であることを大切にしています。

🏫 Teaching since 2008
🏛️ 山形県教育庁 Dispatched Instructor (2019–2025)
📚 Elementary English Specialist (Gr. 3–6)
🗾 Yamagata City Native
🌉 ABC英会話 事務兼講師 2019年〜

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