Brown, Elizabeth

Elizabeth (Betty) Brown has been teaching Japanese at ASMSA since the fall of 2017. An Indiana native, Brown graduated from Ball State University in 2016. She then spent 10 months as an English Teaching Assistant in Germany through the Fulbright program, where she assisted English teachers, sponsored English and Japanese clubs, and visited nearby schools to discuss American culture, history, and politics. After returning to the U.S., Brown moved to Arkansas to begin her career as a Japanese Instructor.

Brown is currently pursuing a master's degree in Foreign Language Teaching through Michigan State University's Master of Arts in Foreign Language Teaching (MAFLT) Program, from which she plans to graduate in May of 2023. She is passionate about foreign language teaching and, during her time in MSU's MAFLT program, has had the opportunity to present on topics such as language program vitality, cultivating online communities, and leveraging genre-based pedagogies.

During her time at ASMSA, Brown has led several student trips to ASMSA's Sister Schools in Hanamaki and Osaka, Japan. She also assists with Sister City-related events in Hot Springs, such as the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

Outside of the classroom Brown is involved in the theatre and poetry communities in Hot Springs. She has been the featured poet at Wednesday Night Poetry twice in the past 5 years and can sometimes be seen filling in as the host. Brown is also a regular volunteer at the Pocket Community Theatre where she designs, sets, and runs lights and occasionally acts. Some shows that Brown has been involved in are Mousetrap, Death of a Salesman, and Tuesdays With Morrie. She is also the sponsor of ASMSA's drama club and brings students to act and volunteer at the Pocket. Brown was awarded the Pocket Community Theatre's Volunteer of the Year Award for the 2022 season.