Hi, I’m David Nagai. I’m the teacher and founder of Bridge Beyond English here in Yokohama-Motomachi, Japan.

I’ve lived in Japan for about ten years with my wife, who is Japanese, and we have a young son. 

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I’m American but I was born in Taiwan and lived there for most of my childhood. Now I’ve lived in six countries, studied four languages, and have more than 15 years of teaching experience. 

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I have a master’s degree in community development, where I learned how to teach and facilitate groups of diverse people cross-culturally. 

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I learned how to help people express their ideas and opinions, and also their problems and dreams relating to their work and life.

 

I discovered how to help people use communication, brainstorming, and critical thinking to creatively solve problems, innovate, and imagine better work and a happier life. 

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When I lived in India, I did NGO work in slum communities. I was involved in social business startup consulting and education for communication skills, leadership development, conflict management and gender equality.
 

I feel so thankful and humbled to have experienced so many diverse places and cultures in my life – to meet so many interesting people who have helped me open my heart and mind to different ways of thinking, working and living life. 

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It makes me curious to keep learning and growing. And it also makes me want to share what I've learned.

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Over my life I’ve seen people from many cultures trying to communicate and collaborate. Often, it results in poor connection, miscommunication,
or even big conflicts. But it doesn’t have to be this way! It can also be really positive and beautiful connection.

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My hope is to help people communicate well across cultures and to have good connection and collaboration. 

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So I want to welcome you to my school – Bridge Beyond English.

 

A school that is a bridge. A bridge beyond just English. A bridge into deeper communication, curious exploration and global connection.