田崎清忠 ・ 元NHK-TV英語会話講師 ・ 横浜国立大学名誉教授 ・ 前東京純心女子大学学長 ・ ECC ホノルル市長杯弁論大会/高円宮杯弁論大会　審査委員長

*Click parts shown with underlined blue letters for further elaboration.

Birthdate: November 15, 1930
Birth Place: Ota-ku, Tokyo
Born near Anamori Shrine located close to Haneda Airport. Being bathed as a baby while listening to airplanes taking off and landing provided him with strong interest in airplanes when grown up.

Entered Toyokawa Elementary School, Kita-ku, but when in the 4th grade moved to Yanagida Elementary School, Kita-ku. This school was burned down later by an air raid.

On August 15, World War ended with Japan surrendering to the Allied Forces. Japan was now not allowed to build their own planes, thus crushing Kiyo’s lifelong dream of designing airplanes.

In September, NHK Radio started an English conversation program by Tadaichi Hirakawa.(*1) Disillusioned and searching for what he would and could do, Kiyo quickly became a great fan and diligent student of this program.

Because the Aviation Middle School had been burned down during the war, Kiyo transferred to Ibaraki Prefectural Technical High School in Koga.With mounting interest in studying English, Kiyo decided to further his education in college. He started to prepare for entrance exams to the Department of English, Tokyo Higher Normal School, one of the nation’s top-ranking teacher education institutions.

Admitted to Tokyo Higher Normal School, Kiyo now started on his way to becoming a teacher of English. This school, which later became Tokyo University of Education and then current Tsukuba University, was at that time dotted with such well-known academics as Rintaro Fukuhara (William Shakespeare), Rikutaro Fukuda (Comparative Literature), and Seiju Narita (American Literature).

Wrote a graduation thesis on Scot Fitzgerald, a member of the Lost Generation. Fitzgerald at that time was being highlighted as a center of the “Revival of Interest” as the Life magazine featured him. With materials and resources limited, Kiyo spent most of his time studying at the CIE Library, American Civil Information and Education Library in Hibiya, in order to complete his 28-page thesis in English.

Graduated from Tokyo Higher Normal School and became a teacher of English at Ibaraki Prefectural Koga First Senior High School which he had graduated from Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo, forerunner of Sony, marketed the nation’s first tape recorder. Interested, Kiyo quickly convinced the principal, saying that the new machine would be highly instrumental in improving the students’ pronunciation, and succeeded in purchasing the expensive recorder. Not knowing how to utilize the recordings effectively, he recorded the naniwa-bushi, chanted narratives, of Torazo Hirosawa, and played them in his English classes at school. The students were happy because they now did not have to study English, but the principal was not at all amused. Kiyo was called to the principal’s office and had a hard time trying to explain the correlation between naniwa-bushi and English pronunciation. Experience with the new recording mechanism, however, helped Kiyo learn so much about audio-education principles and techniques, and eventually paved a way to his publication of “Audio-Visual Techniques in English Teaching” (Taishukan Publishing Company) later.

Invited back to Tokyo University of Education, renewed Tokyo Higher Normal School, Kiyo started to teach at the university’s attached junior and senior high schools. He also taught part-time at Keio University, Chiba University, and Toyo Women’s Junior College.

Returned to Japan from the States and resumed teaching at Tokyo University of Education attached schools. Also began to write actively on language teaching. His first book was “Audio-Visual Techniques in English Teaching” (Taishukan Publishing Company, Tokyo).

Instructor on NHK-TV English Conversation Programs. Wrote the scripts, performed on TV, and published the follow-up recordings for the next 16 years until 1977. Since the programs aimed at introduction of the life of the U.S.A. as well as teaching practical English, Kiyo spent every summer vacation visiting the U.S. to gather materials he could use on his programs, eventually accomplishing the “all fifty states visits.”

Moved from Tokyo University of Education to Yokohama National University. Started writing articles and developing materials related to language teaching.(*2)

Instructor of “English for Millions” broadcast by Bunka-Hoso Radio Station. While teaching on regularly-scheduled programs, Kiyo wrote scripts, produced and performed in 90-minute specials like “Tojin Okichi,” “America Hikozo,” and “77 Samurai Visit America.” Funded by Japan YMCA, he also developed a series of “3-Minute Telephone English.”

①Senior Board Member, Japan National Student Association Fund.

②Board Member, Kanagawa Nongovernment Education Federation.

③Chief Judge, Prince Takamado Trophy All-Japan Inter-Middle School English Oratorical Contest.

④Chief Judge, Mayor of Honolulu All Japan Youth English Oratorical Contest.

⑤Linguistic Adviser, Internationalization Working Committee, NTT East Japan Hospital. (chaired by Dr. Ken-ichi, Saito)

⑥Executive Chairman, NPO Overseas Culture Center