When Junko Mori came to Wisconsin in the 1990s, Japan was experiencing an economic boom. To foster business collaboration, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction recruited native Japanese speakers to help elementary and secondary school students learn the language.
After one year working in a Waukesha school district, Mori decided to pursue advanced degrees at the University of Wisconsin. Today, she is the department chair of Asian Languages and Cultures.
Native versus non-native speakers
Like Mori, many other scholars from foreign countries come to UW to teach their native languages. These instructors bring an authenticity to the classroom that students highly value. Read full article.