Yuka Kuroda
Yuka Kuroda, a contributor to Creating Compelling Conversations, teaches English in Nantes, France. She specializes in teaching business English for tourism and hospitality professionals.
Kuroda has taught and held administrative positions in the field of ESL/EFL. Born in Southern California to Japanese parents, Kuroda grew up in a bilingual world. She quickly discovered her passion for literature and languages, and subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature – with a minor in French – from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Soon after completing her undergraduate education, Kuroda set her sights on becoming a social worker, and completed a fellowship in mental health. Through this experience, she learned that social work may not be her true calling, but also realized the joys of helping others and ameliorating people’s lives. Shortly after completing her fellowship, she began her graduate coursework in Education – TESOL at California State University – Fullerton. As a graduate student, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the English department, as well as a T.A. for an upper division Japanese course, before earning an M.S. in 2015.
Kuroda continuously strives to teach (and learn) languages as a vehicle for communicating understanding and appreciation across cultures, as well as self-expression. Her future goals and projects include pursuing her favorite pastime of creative writing, as well as applying to doctoral programs in France.