Word Hunters: Left, Right and Off-Center

#44 James Crocker

James Crocker has been a Primary Teacher, Language Instructor, Director of Studies, Principal, Teacher Trainer, ESL Author, and Lecturer for over 30 years. He has worked in many countries, most recently Japan, at Kobe Women’s University. He has published ESL texts with Macmillan and Oxford University Press. In this episode we talk to James about his background and the various twists and turns his career has taken. Show notes for this episode can be found HERE [https://wordhunters.com/44-james-crocker/ ].

#43 Hiroshi Okamoto

Hiroshi Okamoto has supported education and global learning across 45+ countries on five continents through the United Nations, JICA, and other organizations. With a diverse career as a dancer, actor, Michelin-starred restaurant chef, and global educator, he founded 3L-MIEL (Global Learning Center) in Kobe to promote international understanding through the five senses and help people Learn, Live, and Love by experiencing the world in immersive and meaningful ways. He is the author of "How to Find Who You Want to Become" (Iwanami Books), the supervisor of the "World Greetings" (3 volumes, supervised) (Doshinsha), and "Nutrition and Cooking" - World Breakfast Stories (Joshi Eiyo University Press). Show notes for this episode can be found HERE [https://wordhunters.com/43-hiroshi-okamoto/].

#42 Richard Harrison

Richard Harrison was granted the title of Professor Emeritus at Kobe University in early 2025. He received his Ba. Hons (1st Class) in Japanese Studies (Japanese linguistics) from Sheffield University in 1988. He has since been teaching Japanese in the UK, Australia and Japan. He received an Master of Education (Technology) from Monash University in 1999, and has been teaching Applied Linguistics specializing in Computer Aided Learning. Show notes can be found HERE [https://wordhunters.com/42-richard-harrison/].

#41 Emma Rye

In this episode, Emma Rye shares stories from her childhood, school days, travel experiences, academic and career pursuits, and living and working in Columbia. Show notes for this episode can be found HERE [https://wordhunters.com/41-emma-rye/].

#40 Charles Browne

Charles Browne was born in Boston in the United States but has lived and worked in Japan since 1985. He is a Professor of Applied Linguistics & TESOL and researches both Vocabulary and Reading, especially as they apply to online learning. He has more than 25 years of experience working as a teacher trainer, works with several boards of education, and has sat on several committees for the Japan Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MEXT). He is best known for developing two important new corpus-based word lists for second language learners, namely the New General Service List (NGSL) and the New Academic Word List (NAWL). In this talk, he shares some of his stories about growing up in different areas, becoming interested in Japan, working with the JET program, and working with future teachers. Show notes for Episode #40 with Charles Browne can be found HERE [https://wordhunters.com/40-charles-browne/].