Atsuko Uemura joined the Japanese Language Program at the University of Arizona in 2025. She received her M.Ed. in Educational Science from Kyoto University, Japan, where she completed a thesis analyzing the structure and effectiveness of a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) program implemented in public schools in the Madrid region of Spain. She later earned an M.A. in TESL and Linguistics from Indiana State University, focusing on second language acquisition, language pedagogy, and linguistics.
She has teaching experience in public schools in Japan and is particularly interested in creating inclusive, communicative classrooms that support diverse student populations. Her teaching is grounded in the belief that language education plays a holistic role—fostering not only linguistic skills, but also personal growth and human development.
She places high value on experience-based memory in language learning, believing that emotionally and socially engaging experiences lead to deeper retention and more meaningful learning.