DARRIONE JARRELL SORIANO
English Instructor
PORTFOLIO
ABOUT
I am a native-born American currently residing in Japan, and am both an English teacher and freelance Japanese ⇄ English translator/localizer.
I specialize in teaching English as a second language to students ranging from preschoolers to high schoolers, Eiken and TOEFL course instruction, growth mindset skill-building, and 21st century skill-building.
As a passionate and dedicated English instructor with over 4 years of English-teaching experience and 10 years of teaching experience overall, my top priority is teaching. By doing so, I can create the best educational environment possible that gives students the tools necessary to succeed in English reading, writing, and speaking. As such, I am able to build interpersonal relationships with all students, continuously refine my teaching skills, further develop my classroom management techniques, and support my students and staff to create an effective environment conducive for learning and personal growth. Therefore, I believe that English is more than a subject — it is a tool that enriches lives, develops communication skills, and prepares students for life.
To help achieve this, clear communication between all teachers and staff is necessary. Every morning, short meetings are held to bring up any concerns about students, curriculum changes, and new campaigns. Additionally, I conduct weekly meetings for teachers to discuss ideas on how to bring life to the classroom, propose courses designed to tackle both the learning and acquisition parts of language, and create lesson plans that improve the 4 communicative competencies so that students may communicate more effectively and efficiently.
With my interest in education, literature, and personal growth, I know I will be a great asset for you while working in a flexibly and collaboratively multicultural, multigenerational environment.
4+ Years of English-Teaching Experience
10 Years of Classroom Teaching Experience
Returnee Teaching Experience
Eiken Course Instruction
TOEFL Course Instruction
Curriculum and Course Development
Event Coordination, Management, Marketing, and Advertising Experience
Editing and Proofreading Experience
American Cultural Expertise
Japanese Culture Proficiency
Native English Fluency
Business Level Japanese Fluency
Japanese Language Proficiency Test - N2
Japan Kanji Aptitude Test - K5
EXPERIENCE
Supports multiple school branches throughout Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture
Taught over 6800 current and former students in over 2300 classes, ranging from infants to senior citizens
AEON Corporation - English Language Split Teacher | Apr. 2022 - Present
Contributed towards school’s income by hundreds of millions of yen in 2022 by creating, marketing, and executing various seasonal campaigns based on trends in company data
Expanded client base by 66% through meeting each client’s specific needs and publishing weekly educational articles online in Japanese and English
Conducts weekly business meetings by providing live English/Japanese interpretation and input to improve customer service, sales, and staff efficiency
AEON Corporation - English Language Branch Teacher | Nov. 2018 - Apr. 2022
Supervised a team of Japanese language translators ensuring linguistic quality assurance
Utilizes Computer-Assisted Translation tools to localize games efficiently and effectively between Japanese and English
Creates Japanese and English translations based on factors such as regional dialect, age, culture and character personality to feel authentic and accessible to the player
Freelance - Video Game Localizer / Translator | Sep. 2018 - Present
Secured thousands of dollars in fundraising by negotiating sponsorship contracts with local and multinational businesses
Increased outreach and engagement in the community by hosting gaming and social events with hundreds of attendees
Managed a committee for planning out event logistics, advertising on social media, and reaching out to vendors
Triton Gaming - Social Events Executive Board Director | Jan. 2017 - Jun. 2017
Managed a team of instructors by holding weekly meetings to discuss updates and individual performance reviews
Trained hundreds of students from white to black belt in group and private settings, ranging from infants to senior citizens
Served as Head Referee at regional tournaments in San Diego and coached new referees through on-the-job training
Elite Taekwondo Academy - Head Instructor | Aug. 2011 - Jan. 2017
PROJECTS
Returnee-Specific Curriculum Development
I created an individualized returnee-focused year-long curriculum based on the American K-12 education system.
This resulted in an elementary school 5th grader increasing their native English fluency and passing the Eiken 2nd Grade test.
TOEFL Course Instruction
I created a short-term TOEFL preparation course focusing on the speaking, reading comprehension, listening, and writing sections. Additionally, I issued and graded TOEFL mock tests, and provided feedback and gave advice.
This resulted in a 3rd year high schooler in passing the TOEFL, allowing them to study abroad at an American university.
Eiken Course Instruction
I taught Native Japanese students in Eiken 5th - 1st Grade courses, allowing them to build confidence in their English speaking, writing, reading, and listening abilities.
This resulted in Native Japanese students being accepted into prestigious Japanese universities, achieving Eiken 2nd Grade before high school and middle school, and some deciding to pursue English as a major at university.
Teaching Workshops
I hosted lesson-development workshops alongside teachers to create peer-reviewed lesson structures that efficiently tackle the learning and acquisition parts of language.
This resulted in a curriculum and lesson plan that teachers could agree on and teach effectively.
Quarterly Student Counseling Sessions
I conducted individualized counseling sessions that focus on improving the students’ abilities based on their class performance. We then established specific and feasible short-term and long-term goals to motivate the students to continue learning English and followed up with said students regularly to monitor growth.
This resulted in increasing the student retention rate by 70%.
Weekly Business Meetings
We discussed and implemented curriculum changes to better improve the growth mindset, critical thinking skills, 21st century skills, and the 4 communicative competencies for students of all ages. Also, we provided updates on overall student satisfaction based on feedback from lesson questionnaires filled out at the end of each class.
This resulted in a lesson-satisfaction rate of around 99% every month for the past 4 years.
Kids and Youth Events
I developed, managed, and executed various seasonal campaigns and events such as speech contests, Halloween events, and Christmas events geared towards children ages 3 - 17. These events left an impact and positive impression of English-learning on both students and parents.
This resulted in a kids renewal rate of 85%.
