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Moritani, Hiroshi, and Chiaki Iwai. "Role Identities of Japanese Teachers of English at Japanese Universities." JALT2018—Diversity and Inclusion 2018, no. 1 (August 1, 2019): 50. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2018-07.
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As part of a larger study of university English teachers, this paper presents a hypothetical model of the critical influences on the construction of role identities (i.e., how teachers understand their teaching roles) using data generated from in-depth interviews with 12 Japanese teachers of English at Japanese universities. To inductively create a hypothetical model based on the actual voices of these participants, the analysis utilizes a modified grounded theory approach (Kinoshita, 2003). We report that five critical influences emerged: (a) classroom experiences as a learner, (b) professional development, (c) contextual factors, (d) classroom experiences as a teacher, and (e) teacher-internal factors. We present the findings with reference to previous studies in language teacher cognition research. 本稿では、大学英語教師に関する研究の一部として、日本の大学で教える12人の日本人英語教師との深層インタビューから得たデータをもとに、彼らの役割アイデンティティ(教師の役割の理解)の構築に関与する重要な影響要因を示す仮説モデルを提示する。研究協力者の実際の言葉をもとに帰納的に仮説モデルを構築するために、分析に修正版グラウンデッド・セオリー・アプローチ（木下, 2003）を用いた。本稿では、役割アイデンティティの構築に関与する5つの重要な影響要因（a. 学習者としての授業経験、b.専門能力開発 c. 文脈要因、d.教師としての授業経験、e.教師の内的要因）を報告する。本稿では、これらの要因を言語教師認知研究の先行研究に照らしながら提示する。
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Chindemi, Gregory Paul. "Untrained Foreign English Educators in Japan: A Discourse on Government Education Initiative and Perceptions from Japanese Teacher's on Efficacy in the Classroom." International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 20, no. 7 (July 30, 2021): 118–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.20.7.7.
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Social scientists, teacher leaders, and academics, both Japanese and non-Japanese, have attempted to examine the phenomenon of unlicensed foreigners in the Japanese classroom environment. In an attempt to open a discourse on the intentions and subsequent failures of the JET programme, and to identify specific perceptions of Japanese teachers in relation to JET, a historical analysis of the JET programme coupled with a Likert Scale survey was utilized. In this ordinal scale survey, the opinions of both experienced Japanese teachers and inexperienced Japanese teachers on the challenges of working in conjunction with untrained foreign instructors during their career, were used to gauge teacher's attitudes and opinions. Results would suggest that teacher's with longer time in the field of education have stronger opinions towards untrained foreign educators in the classroom, while less experienced teachers are more apt to working with untrained foreign educators without expressing dissatisfaction.
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Ito, Yukiko. "The Effectiveness of a CLIL Basketball Lesson: A Case Study of Japanese Junior High School CLIL." English Language Teaching 12, no. 11 (October 22, 2019): 42. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n11p42.
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This article outlines a junior high school physical education class which teaches basketball in English using the CLIL framework as a case study. The purpose of the article is to consider how and what students learned from the class through students’ class results, basketball skills test, post lesson questionnaire and pre and post lesson teacher interviews. It examines how the teacher’s attitude toward CLIL changes from pre and post lesson interviews. Through this CLIL class led not by English teachers but by a physical education teacher the qualities and abilities necessary for competent CLIL teaching are considered. Regarding students, this CLIL lesson was conducted for the acquisition of physical basketball skills, English expressions and situational English ability. It also aimed to teach 21st-century skills defined by global education. The lesson resulted in students being able to understand both the English target structures and the basketball terms and strategies taught. In addition, students not only learned the content of the lesson, but also co-operated well with the teacher and worked well in teams which made the lesson successful. Before the lesson, the teacher felt that the CLIL lesson would be difficult for the students. However, the lesson was well received and had a great effect on the students and the teacher herself gained confidence. The experience they gained will lead to skills that will help them succeed in a global society in the future.
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Balgoa, Nelia G. "Filipino English Teachers in Japan: “Nonnativeness” and the Teaching and Learning of English." Journal of Language Teaching and Research 10, no. 2 (March 1, 2019): 256. http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1002.06.
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A feature of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, which aims to internationalize Japan and to improve the English-speaking ability of its students, is the hiring of Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) who are described by the Japanese government as native-level speakers of English working in Japanese classrooms. By using critical applied linguistic which focuses on questions of power, difference, access and domination in the use of the English language (Pennycook, 2001), this paper examines the motivations of the Filipino teachers as ALTs, the processes of international teacher recruitment and how their 'nonnativeness' reconfigure their identity as nonnative English speaker teachers (NNESTs) and Filipino migrants. Data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions of Filipino ALTs and Japanese teachers show that English is both motivation and vehicle for migration and settlement for the Filipino teachers. “Nonnativeness” requires from them reconfiguration of their identity which entails them to sound native, counteract perceived forms of discrimination and assess their roles in the spread and use of English. This “nonnativeness” is a repudiation of their skills and qualifications as English teachers thus, paving the way for an interrogation of language ideologies, and of linguistic and racial identities.
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Toya, Mitsuyo. "Exploring the process of teacher development toward teaching English by using the Trajectory Equifinality Modelling approach: Elementary, middle and high school comparison." Impact 2020, no. 9 (December 30, 2020): 35–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.21820/23987073.2020.9.35.
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Within the education system in Japan, English classes have historically been conducted in Japanese. While the reasons for this are obvious, there are potential pitfalls, including the fact that such classes depend on translating English to Japanese and explaining grammar principles in Japanese. In 2008 The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology introduced a major reform to the teaching of English. The policy reform specifically related to high school English classes, but in 2019 it was updated to include junior high school classrooms. This policy placed increasing pressure on Japanese school teachers to teach English in English. Despite this increased pressure to speak English exclusively during class time, a 2019 survey found that many teachers choose to ignore the guidelines. Professor Mitsuyo Toya, who is an expert in applied linguistics and TEFL and is based at the University of the Ryukyus in Japan, is part of a team exploring the process of teacher development for teaching English in Japan. By using the Trajectory Equifinality Modelling approach, the team hopes to suggest improvements that the education sector can put in place to benefit students and teachers alike.
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Thompson, Gene, and Karen Woodman. "Exploring Japanese high school English teachers’ foreign language teacher efficacy beliefs." Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education 47, no. 1 (July 19, 2018): 48–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1359866x.2018.1498062.
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Yamada, Mieko. "Evaluation of an EFL Teacher Training Program in Japan." Journal of Applied Social Science 12, no. 1 (February 19, 2018): 25–45. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1936724418755420.
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This article presents a study undertaken to evaluate how effectively an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) training program helps Japanese EFL teacher trainees prepare for their future positions. Data were collected via both interviews and surveys. Interviews were first conducted with Japanese teacher trainees enrolled in the program to identify concerns related to their EFL learning and teacher training. Since the interviews revealed potential areas for a new direction in the EFL curricula, surveys were later conducted to focus on the teacher trainees’ perceptions of Japan’s diversity. This article discusses the findings from interviews and surveys, and offers recommendations for further improvement to the Japanese EFL program.
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Omote, Akihiro. "Teacher Self-Efficacy and Instructional Speech: How Teachers Behave Efficaciously in the EFL Classroom." JALT Journal 39, no. 2 (November 1, 2017): 89. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltjj39.2-1.
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In this paper, I explore teachers’ self-efficacy and their instructional speech (in Japanese and English) in EFL classrooms in Japan. Mixed methods provided the framework for a questionnaire to 108 teachers followed by interviews with 6 teachers. The survey revealed a common perception that Japanese instructional speech is overused and a perceived conflict between the use of English and Japanese speech, but the interviews found that self-efficacy played a central role in a complex sociocognitive process to optimize efficacy due to distinct qualities of English and Japanese speech. Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) had two functions: an embarrassment buffer and a motivation keeper. Although both functions were conditional in English, they were cognitive and compensatory in Japanese. Along with the converging impact of English and Japanese on TSE, this discrepancy seems to lead to the overuse of Japanese in the process of efficacy optimization. Implications are provided for future instructional speech with an attempt to alleviate the conflict between the use of English and Japanese. 本研究は、教師の自己効力感（Teacher self-efficacy, TSE）を日本の英語教育におけるinstructional speech（授業言語、授業での日本語使用と英語使用）との関係から探ることを目的としている。研究は、質問紙（108名の日本人教師対象）と、その後行われた6名の教師へのインタビューを統合する混合法（mixed methods）で行われた。前者では英語と比較した日本語の過大使用、及び日英両言語の使用上の対立を、また後者では複雑で社会認知的な授業の最適化プロセスにおいてTSEが中心的役割を担っていることが判明した。TSEには問題回避と動機維持の2つの機能が見られる。しかし、英語は条件限定的、日本語は認知的または補償的にこれらの機能に関連しており、双方の関係性ははっきりと異なっていた。日本語の過大使用は、この日英言語のTSEへのそれぞれの対立的影響を元に生じていると考えられる。この対立を緩和するための授業言語のより良いあり方について考察し、いくつか提案を試みる。
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Sutherland, Sean. "'Real English' in Japan : team teachers' views on nativeness in language teaching." Journal of English Studies 10 (May 29, 2012): 175. http://dx.doi.org/10.18172/jes.186.
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In Japan, English is often taught by teams composed of a local Japanese teacher of English (JTE) and a native English speaking assistant English teacher (AET). This form of team teaching is typically assumed to be beneficial as it provides the students with exposure to models of native English which they would otherwise not encounter. Research has found that students and JTEs approve of team teaching as it provides students with motivation to study a language that would otherwise have little relevance to their daily lives. Less research has been done to explore how team teaching affects the JTEs with regards to their feelings about their own skills as English language users. In this paper, based on interview research with JTEs, I argue that team teaching reinforces the dichotomy between native and non-native speakers to the detriment of both Japanese teachers and their students.
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Gorsuch, Greta. "Japanese EFL Teachers' Perceptions of Communicative, Audiolingual and Yakudoku Activities." education policy analysis archives 9 (March 27, 2001): 10. http://dx.doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v9n10.2001.
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In recent years, the learning of English as a Foreign Language in Japanese high schools has become the focus of new educational policies applied at the national level. One of these is The Course of Study issue by the Ministry of Education, in which teachers are, for the first time in a long series of curriculum guidelines, adjured to develop students' "positive attitudes towards communicating in English." Another is the JET program, which has put thousands of native English speaking assistant language teachers (ALTs) into Japanese secondary classrooms for the purpose of team teaching with Japanese teachers. Data resulting from a survey project of 876 Japanese high school English teachers was used to provide empirical evidence of teachers' levels of approval of communicative, audiolingual and traditional (yakudoku) activities. Teachers were also asked to rate the strengths of a variety of influences on their instruction, including university entrance exams, and pre- and in-service teacher education programs. Teachers' perceptions of both activities and instructional influences were examined in light of teachers' length of career, type of school (private versus public, academic versus vocational), and level of contact with an ALT. The data revealed the complexities of imposing broad, national educational policies on a diverse group of teachers, and in an educational culture which likely precludes teachers' use of communicative activities.
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Turner, Marianne. "The positioning of Japanese in a secondary CLIL science classroom in Australia." Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 7, no. 2 (September 25, 2019): 192–211. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/jicb.18021.tur.
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Abstract In Australia, content and language integrated learning (CLIL) is commonly implemented as a way to encourage innovation in language teaching. This paper explores how Japanese can also be used to innovate the teaching of content. Qualitative data are drawn from a Year 8 science Japanese CLIL classroom in a secondary school with an opt-in CLIL program. In the class, a monolingual (in English) science teacher was co-teaching with a Japanese language teacher. Findings from observations, after-class reflections, teacher and student interviews, a student survey and work samples revealed that students were highly engaged with the Japanese component of their science lessons. Kanji was further positioned as a way for students to deepen their understanding of scientific concepts. However, there also appeared to be a separation in the way both teachers and students spoke about Japanese language use and learning science. Implications of these findings are discussed in the paper.
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Murray, Adam. "Teacher burnout in Japanese higher education." Language Teacher 37, no. 4 (July 1, 2013): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jalttlt37.4-7.
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In this brief paper, teacher burnout in Japanese higher education is described. In particular, faculty burnout, work-related stressors, and career fit are described. A case of a typical full-time contract English teacher is used to illustrate burnout within the current Japanese higher education context. The paper concludes with a number of practical suggestions for both contract teachers and university leadership. 本論では、日本の高等教育における教員の燃え尽き（バーンアウト）について考察する。特に、大学教員のバーンアウト、仕事関連のストレスの要因、そして職業への適合について論じる。典型的な専任契約教員の例を用いて、高等教育の現場における教員のバーンアウトについて詳述する。結論では、契約教員及び大学首脳部に対していくつかの実践的な提案を行う。
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Mayumi, Kayoko, and Julia Hüttner. "Changing beliefs on English: study abroad for teacher development." ELT Journal 74, no. 3 (April 7, 2020): 268–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/elt/ccaa020.
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Abstract Many teachers of English aspire to study in anglophone countries, especially at postgraduate level, as a means to support their own professional development. While the overt interest lies in acquiring cutting-edge theories in ELT to improve their classroom practices, a sojourn abroad is also valued as a cultural and linguistic immersion in the English language. Within the vibrant research scene of study abroad, comparatively little is known about the effect of studying abroad on older participants. This study addresses mature teachers as students abroad and focuses on the challenges and changes to their existing professional beliefs triggered by their foreign academic sojourn. The participants are four Japanese teachers of English who attended MA programmes in the UK. The analysis of a corpus of 2046 minutes of in-depth interviews, conducted over a period of 20 months, revealed how some core professional beliefs on English were reformulated, and triggered teacher development.
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Ahmadi, Mohammad Hadi. "Investigating Characteristics of a Dialogic Discourse Pattern in Japanese Academic English Classrooms." International Journal of English Linguistics 7, no. 1 (January 14, 2017): 25. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijel.v7n1p25.
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This article investigates the dialogic aspects of discourse in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classrooms. A more dialogic pattern of classroom discourse indicates that many participants, for example, students as well as the teacher, are involved in generating the whole classroom discourse. For the purpose of determining the level of dialogicality in academic English classes, twenty four lessons of four different teachers were audio- and video-recorded for an entire academic year. The classroom discourse was transcribed and the level of dialogicality was coded based on principles suggested by Nystrand (2003). The principles cover the authenticity of the questions asked by the teacher and the occurrence of uptake. Accordingly, different modes of classroom discourse are observed in each of these classes which are monologic, recitation, and occasionally dialogic. The cases analyzed in this article reveal that it is not just the type of the questions that can lead to establishment of a dialogic mode, but there are some other teacher moves which can be either facilitative or interruptive. These moves are identified and labeled as encouraging student’s participation (ESP) and discouraging student’s participation (DSP). It is argued that these moves can influence the formation of ground rules and consequently the establishment of a dialogic mode.
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Donegan, Robert. "Process Drama and Teacher in Role in ELT." JALT PIE SIG: Mask and Gavel 8, no. 1 (January 2020): 5–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltsig.pie8.1-1.
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This paper is a discussion of the potential of using specific drama techniques during English lessons at a Japanese private senior high school. The techniques in focus are process drama and specifically teacher in role (TiR). TiR is a specific technique that is often used in the broader area of process drama. Process drama concerns itself more with the experiential rather than the performance aspect of drama. In it, a teacher, or facilitator, goes into role with the participants in the co-construction of extended role-plays and dramas. Such methods have been used in English language teaching by many practitioners. The methods are discussed in this paper, with the focus on their suitability for teaching in a Japanese senior high school.
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Dowdle, Brian C. "The Generalist’s Dilemma: How Accidental Language Teachers Are at the Center of Japanese Pedagogy." Japanese Language and Literature 54, no. 2 (September 25, 2020): 383–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.5195/jll.2020.136.
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This article introduces the role and issues of generalist in Japanese-language education. Generalists teach both Japanese- and English-language courses, across the curriculum. They may be “accidental” Japanese teachers, who were trained in other fields but find themselves teaching language due to the nature of the job market. Hence, unlike specialist Japanese language educators, generalists may lack an academic identity of language teacher. This article shows how the generalist’s dilemma provides a window into larger problems of diversity in Japanese language instruction and its relationship to Japan studies, more broadly. It shows how the place generalists may help us: reconsider the divided between “content courses” and Japanese-language courses; understand the structural disincentives for generalists to identify as language teachers; and appreciate the modes of interdisciplinary learning and language competency modeled by generalsits.
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Nakahara, Masumi, and Paul Black. "How I survived as an overseas teacher of Japanese in Australia." Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 30, no. 1 (January 1, 2007): 6.1–6.17. http://dx.doi.org/10.2104/aral0706.
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Languages education, or what has been called the study of languages other than English (LOTE), seems to involve a paradox in Australia. It is supposed to promote cultural enrichment and intercultural understanding, and yet the process of becoming a qualified language teacher tends to be intolerant of the cultural differences of overseas born and educated speakers of these languages. This is clear from an increasing body of literature on the difficulties experienced by overseas educated language teachers, which we review in the first half of this paper. Since this raises questions on how such teachers survive in Australia, we then present an introspective study of the experiences of the first author, including the circumstances that brought her to Australia, the difficulties she faced in teacher training and as a newly employed teacher, and the factors that enabled her to cope and eventually succeed. Her experiences highlight the particular importance of supportive supervisors and colleagues, thus suggesting a valuable role for mentoring.
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Nakahara, Masumi, and Paul Black. "How I survived as an overseas teacher of Japanese in Australia." Australian Review of Applied Linguistics 30, no. 1 (2007): 6.1–6.17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/aral.30.1.04nak.
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Languages education, or what has been called the study of languages other than English (LOTE), seems to involve a paradox in Australia. It is supposed to promote cultural enrichment and intercultural understanding, and yet the process of becoming a qualified language teacher tends to be intolerant of the cultural differences of overseas born and educated speakers of these languages. This is clear from an increasing body of literature on the difficulties experienced by overseas educated language teachers, which we review in the first half of this paper. Since this raises questions on how such teachers survive in Australia, we then present an introspective study of the experiences of the first author, including the circumstances that brought her to Australia, the difficulties she faced in teacher training and as a newly employed teacher, and the factors that enabled her to cope and eventually succeed. Her experiences highlight the particular importance of supportive supervisors and colleagues, thus suggesting a valuable role for mentoring.
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Takegami, Fumi. "Identifying Existing Positive Disharmonies for Reconstructing Teaching Practice: A Case Study in Japan." International Journal of Education 12, no. 2 (May 23, 2020): 46. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ije.v12i2.16885.
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The purpose of this paper is to report outcomes of the study regarding the professional development of a Japanese teacher of English (JTE) helping her to meet the recent national English foreign language curriculum policy in Japan. The policy requires teachers to basically conduct classes in English. An action research framework was used. The participant, in collaboration with the author, went through praxis-oriented cycles built on planning, doing reflecting and revising. Data were collected and analyzed using grounded theory methods. A three-stage coding process led to the emergence of two core themes to encapsulate the data: Existing Positive Disharmonies (EPD), a disruptive zone leading to possibility of change; and Reconstructing Teaching Practice (RTP), in which the participant experienced changes that worked in her lessons. This led to the advancement in her teacher development to meet the demands of the new curriculum policy. The paper demonstrates that shedding light on positive disharmonies within teaching practices was useful in the participant’s professional development helping her to make instructional adjustments required by policy changes. It is plausible that the outcomes of this study may be transferable to teachers working in other similar teaching environments. Accordingly, a model for teacher development is presented to help JTEs and other teachers in their teacher development.
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Duppenthaler, Peter. "Gaijin." English Today 5, no. 3 (July 1989): 30–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266078400004144.
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Floris, Flora Debora. "DEBUNKING THE MYTHS OF NON-NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER TEACHERS: AN INTERVIEW WITH PROFESSOR MASAKI." TEFLIN Journal - A publication on the teaching and learning of English 27, no. 2 (October 4, 2016): 126. http://dx.doi.org/10.15639/teflinjournal.v27i2/126-131.
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Masaki Oda is a Professor of Applied Linguistics at Tamagawa University in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in Sociopolitical Aspects of Language Use. Prof. Oda got his PhD program from Georgetown University, where he also taught Japanese for several years. He returned to Japan in 1990 and began teaching EFL and training EFL teachers at Tamagawa University. He was the 2003 – 2004 Chair of the NNEST Caucus and is now the Director of Center for English as a Lingua Franca (CELF) at Tamagawa University and the AsiaTEFL Vice President. This interview highlights Professor Oda’s experiences and opinions regarding NEST (Native English Speaker Teacher) and NNEST (Non-Native English Speaker Teacher). He attempts to raise awareness among the professionals that there should be no divide between NEST and NNEST in the ELT profession.
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Machida, Tomohisa. "How Do Japanese Junior High School English Teachers React to the Teaching English in English Policy?" JALT Journal 41, no. 1 (May 1, 2019): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltjj41.1-1.
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The Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT) proposed the teaching English in English (TEE) policy in junior high schools (JHSs) in 2013. According to the new Course of Study (MEXT, 2017), JHS English teachers will be required to teach English in English starting in 2021. A study of JHS English teachers’ reactions to the new policy is reported in this paper. Participants included 98 public JHS English teachers (31 males and 67 females) in the northeast region of Japan. Teachers’ responses to the policy were investigated using the Teacher Foreign Language Anxiety Scale (TFLAS; Horwitz, 2013), a background questionnaire, class observations, and individual interviews. Due to JHS teachers’ lack of confidence in using English for instruction and concern over students’ possible struggles in learning, teachers were anxious about TEE. In addition, many teachers wanted practical training opportunities to develop their English communication skills to be ready for successful policy implementation. 文部科学省は2013年に、中学校でも英語の授業を英語で行う方針（TEE: Teaching English in English）を打ち出した。そして、2017年に改訂された新しい中学校学習指導要領では、2021年からの英語による指導が義務付けられた。本研究は、英語の授業を英語で行う方針に対する中学校英語教師の反応を調査したものである。東北地方の公立中学校英語教師98名（男性31名、女性67名）が本研究に参加した。調査にあたっては、教師外国語不安スケール（Horwitz, 2013）、質問紙、授業観察、インタビューの手法を活用した。その結果、中学校英語教師は英語を使った指導に対する自信のなさや、生徒の英語学習が困難になるかもしれないという思いから、英語による指導に不安を感じていることが分かった。さらに、多くの教師はTEEが滞りなく実施されるためにも、教師自身の英語によるコミュニケーション能力を伸ばす実践的な研修の機会の充実を望んでいた。
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Weinmann, Michiko, Ryo Kanaizumi, and Ruth Arber. "English language education reform in pre-2020 Olympic Japan: educator perspectives on pedagogical change." International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2021, no. 271 (September 1, 2021): 107–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2020-0035.
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Abstract This paper reports on the perspectives of English language teachers and teacher educators on the most recent English language education policy and curriculum reform in Japan, implemented in preparation for hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. Previous research has comprehensively analysed how language ideologies based on national imaginaries, native-speakerism and deficit views of Japanese teachers’ pedagogy and practice continue to frame debates about English language education in Japan. Through select thematic episodes derived from the interview data with English language practitioners located in Japan, this paper brings into focus the views of English language educators who articulated insightful counter-positions to taken-for-granted understandings of effective English language use and teaching. The authors argue that in order to effect a paradigm shift in global English language education, in Japan and internationally, it is important to incorporate a critical examination of teacher perspectives that challenge and augment prevalent tropes about English language teaching and learning. The paper concludes with implications for addressing the policy-practice and theory-practice divides in English language education. It argues that a continued engagement with educator perspectives is an important space for bringing about a transformation of language ideologies and pedagogical change at the grass-roots level of the English language classroom.
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Thompson, Gene, and Karen Dooley. "Exploring the key domains where teacher efficacy beliefs operate for Japanese high-school English teachers." Asia Pacific Education Review 20, no. 3 (July 5, 2019): 503–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12564-019-09607-y.
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Lee, Bradford, and Justin Bailey. "Rural Japanese Students’ Sentiments Regarding Japanese Teachers of English." JALT Postconference Publication - Issue 2020.1; August 2021 2020, no. 1 (August 1, 2021): 145. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2020-18.
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English is not a single entity, but rather composed of infinite varieties known collectively as World Englishes. Published research in the Japanese context has overwhelmingly reported students’ preference for the Standard American variety, with Japanese English being typically subject to scorn. However, the current study argues that this established narrative has been subject to sampling bias due to homogeneous study locales (mostly in-and-around the Tokyo area) and sample selection (mostly English or Communication majors). Our precursor research on non-English majors residing in rural Japan found no statistical difference between the number of students preferring native English teachers vs. Japanese ones (Lee & Bailey, 2020). Following this line of research, the current study reports on a qualitative investigation into the sentiments of this underrepresented population. The factors of effective communication, interest in language-learning strategies, and peace-of-mind were found to be behind the students’ positive sentiments towards Japanese Teachers of English. 英語は単一ではなく無限の種類があり、それらは総称して「世界英語（複数形）」と呼ばれている。 これまでに発表された日本に関する研究では、学生が標準的なアメリカン・イングリッシュを好むという報告が圧倒的に多く、ジャパニーズ・イングリッシュは軽蔑の対象とされてきた。しかし本論はこのような結果は研究場所（主に東京周辺）とサンプルの選択方法（主に英語またはコミュニケーション専攻の学生）が均一的であるため、サンプリングバイアスの影響を受けていることを指摘した。日本の地方在住の非英語専攻の学生を対象とした筆者たちによる先行研究では、ネイティブの英語教師を好む学生と日本人教師を好む学生の間に統計的な違いは見つからなかった (Lee & Bailey, 2020)。この一連の調査を受けて、本論では過小評価された集団の感情に関する定性的調査の結果を報告した。 日本人の英語教師に対する学生の好意的な感情の背後には、効果的なコミュニケーション、語学学習戦略への関心、そして安心感という要因があることがわかった。
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Hall, James, Kodai Tamura, and Shuhei Kumagai. "Enhancing teacher education through a lesson study application built with WordPress." JALTCALL Publications PCP2020, no. 1 (February 15, 2021): 47. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltsig.call2020.4.
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A WordPress Lesson Study Application (LS APP) was developed for an English teacher education program at a Japanese national university for the following two purposes: (1) bridge the gap between teacher education classwork and school practice; and (2) enhance collaborative reflective practice between student-teachers. The first was accomplished through linking student-teachers’ teaching practicums with theory and techniques learned in their university English teaching methodologies class using the tagging function of the LS APP. The second was accomplished through enabling students to give each other feedback on their lessons during their practicum using the LS APP. This paper describes how WordPress content management functions and two plugins were utilized to accomplish the two objectives. Then, it describes the lesson study process facilitated by the application. Lastly, the authors describe the extent to which the LS APP has linked theory and practice as well as the type of peer feedback student-teachers perceive to have benefitted from. The goal of this paper is to describe how WordPress functionalities have been used to facilitate teacher development, and serve as a practical case study of using technology to enhance teacher education.
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Amerian, Majid, and Sajjad Pouromid. "LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ON MATERIALS USE AND THEIR LOCUS OF CONTROL: CASE-STUDIES FROM IRAN AND JAPAN." Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics 7, no. 3 (January 31, 2018): 583. http://dx.doi.org/10.17509/ijal.v7i3.9808.
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Teacher belief research has gone a long way to understand the complex mental lives of language teachers with regards to different aspects of the teaching profession. Little, however, is known about the teachers’ beliefs on the use of language teaching materials. Similarly, attempts to find literature on EFL teachers’ actual use of the materials based on systematic observation meets with great difficulty. The present case study research was therefore designed to contribute to the literature on teacher beliefs and materials use utilizing data from five Iranian and five Japanese teachers of English as a foreign language. Based on questionnaires, observations (50 sessions) and stimulated recall interviews (around 13 hours), it was found that while the Iranian teachers’ beliefs were rooted in their learning and teaching experiences besides the syllabus and context imposed standards, the Japanese teachers’ beliefs were mediated by their learning and teaching experiences, self-developed theories, SLA informed theories and colleague inspirations. The results of stimulated recall sessions making use of the construct of locus of control as interpretive lens also suggested that while the Iranian teachers mostly held other parties responsible for their pedagogic decisions, the Japanese teachers took responsibility for most of their decision on materials use.
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Jin, Yinxing, Kees De Bot, and Merel Keijzer. "Affective and situational correlates of foreign language proficiency: A study of Chinese university learners of English and Japanese." Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 7, no. 1 (March 31, 2017): 105–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2017.7.1.6.
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The study explores the effects of teacher support and student cohesiveness on foreign language (FL) learning outcomes and compares their effect with that of FL anxiety. One hundred and forty-six first-year Chinese undergraduates of Japanese, who were also learning English, participated in two surveys that were administered over a 2-month interval. Data were collected using the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (Horwitz, Horwitz, & Cope, 1986), the Teacher Support Scale (Trickett & Moos, 2002), the Affiliation Scale (Trickett & Moos, 2002), the English Proficiency Scale, and the Japanese Proficiency Scale. It was found that (a) student cohesiveness was a positive predictor of FL proficiency, (b) teacher support, which was positively related to student cohesiveness and negatively to FL anxiety, did not show a direct relationship with FL proficiency, and (c) FL anxiety, which was negatively associated with FL proficiency, showed a better predictive power than student cohesiveness and teacher support.
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Reed, Nathaniel. "Teacher Views of Teaching English through English (TETE) in Japanese Junior High Schools: Findings from the Inside." Language Teacher 44, no. 6 (November 1, 2020): 35. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jalttlt44.6-1.
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This study investigates teacher perspectives on a recent directive from the Japanese Ministry of Education (MEXT), which states that “lessons should be given in English at junior high schools (JHSs), in principle, according to the level of understanding of students” (MEXT, 2014, p. 4). I am a native English-speaking teacher (NEST) and taught with twelve Japanese national non-native English-speaking teachers (NNEST) in two Niigata-based junior high schools throughout the 2017 to 2018 academic year. In one of the schools I spoke only English (whilst teaching and outside of class), and in the other school I spoke the students’ L1s (Japanese and Spanish), and English (students’ L2). My classroom experiences are discussed through reflective practice. Data from questionnaires and interviews indicate NNESTs’ perceptions of the study and opinions of teaching English through English (TETE). I finally discuss challenges that the TETE experience presented to my teaching and suggest ways to overcome them. 本論は、文部科学省（MEXT）の「生徒の理解の程度に応じて、中学校では授業は英語で行うことを基本とする」（MEXT, 2014: 4）という近年の方針に対する教員側からの受け止め方について調査したものである。英語母語話者の教員（NEST）である筆者は、2017-2018年度に非英語母語話者の日本人英語教員（NNEST）12名とともに新潟県の中学校2校において英語を指導した。実験群の学校ではNESTは指導中に英語のみを話し、統制群の学校では生徒の母語である日本語及びスペイン語（L1）と英語（L2）で話した。教室におけるNESTの体験について振り返りを基に議論された。本研究に対するNNESTの受け止め方や、英語を英語で指導した授業（TETE）に関する意見はアンケートおよびインタビューによって収集された。本論は、英語を英語で教えることの課題や、それを克服する方法について論じている。
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Nishino, Takako. "コミュニカティブ・アプローチに関する日本人高校英語教師の信条と実践 – Japanese High School Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices Regarding Communicative Language Teaching." JALT Journal 33, no. 2 (November 1, 2011): 131. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltjj33.2-2.
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Borg (2003) defines “teacher cognition” as how teachers think, know, and believe. According to Borg, teacher cognition, classroom practices, learning experiences, teacher education, and contextual factors all relate to and influence each other. He also points out that researchers need to investigate the cognition of secondary school English teachers whose first language is not English, particularly those working with large classes of learners. Accordingly, in this study, I investigated how Japanese high school teachers perceive the use of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in their English classes. Since 1989, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has attempted to promote higher achievement in English communicative skills among secondary school students by urging teachers to use CLT. This focus on CLT in Japan contrasts sharply with the traditional and arguably still dominant yakudoku method, which involves decontextualized grammatical instruction and word-by-word translation of written English into Japanese. To achieve this communicative innovation, MEXT institututed a 5-year Action Plan in which intensive teacher training programs for 60,000 secondary school English teachers and the introduction of a listening component in the Center Test (a nationwide college entrance exam) were important features. To date, little research has been done on how high school teachers perceive and use CLT and how their cognition has been affected by its communicative orientation. To investigate teachers’ cognitive and practical adjustment to this landmark innovation, I conducted a survey of Japanese high school teachers’ cognition and practices regarding CLT. I posited three questions: What beliefs do Japanese high school teachers hold about CLT? How do they use CLT in their English classrooms? How do they perceive their teaching efficacy, their experiences in pre- and in-service training, their learning experiences, and contextual factors? Data were obtained through a questionnaire, based on previous studies of teacher cognition. The questionnaire was sent to randomly selected Japanese high schools in the fall of 2006, and 139 teachers responded. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). As regards the first research question, the descriptive statistics showed that the respondents held positive beliefs about CLT. At the same time, they believed that rote memorization is important. In addition, more than half of the respondents said that they wanted to make their lessons more communicative, and the largest number answered that smaller class size should be maintained in order to use CLT effectively. With respect to the second research question, the respondents did not frequently use communicative activities. There seemed to be a gap between their reported beliefs and practices. Concerning the third research question, results indicated that (a) the respondents had less confidence in their ability to implement CLT than in their English skills and grammatical knowledge, (b) the respondents had fewer opportunities in pre-service training courses than in in-service training programs to receive practical training in CLT, (c) they perceived that the classroom conditions were not optimal for the use of CLT, (d) MEXT innovations had not strongly influenced their classroom practices, and (e) they had had few chances to experience communicative activities in English class when they themselves were in high school. It appears that these factors had a negative influence on the respondents’ use of CLT. In summary, the respondents held positive beliefs about CLT, but there was a gap between their reported beliefs and practices. In order to make Japanese high school English lessons more communicative, contextual factors and teacher training programs should be re-examined and context-appropriate communicative methodologies should be developed by teachers themselves. 文部科学省は、1980年年代後半から英語によるコミュニケーション能力を高めようと、高校の授業でのコミュニカティブ・アプローチ（CLT）の採用を促してきた。また、2003年から５年間にわたり「『英語が使える日本人』の育成のための行動計画」を実施し、その方針の具体的な実現を図った。本研究では、無作為抽出した高校に質問票を送付し、日本人高校教師がCLTをどのように考え実践しているか、また、教師としての能力、教職課程、教員研修、学習経験、教育環境などをどのようにとらえているかについて、2006年秋に調査した。その結果、回答者139名の約60％は、CLTの理念（「言葉は使うことで効果的に習得」「コミュニケーション能力の育成が大切」「間違いは学習の一環」など）に賛成（或いは強く賛成）しているが、コミュニケーション活動を普段の授業で使っている回答者は全体の30％に満たないことがわかった。結果を踏まえてどのような要因がCLTの実践に影響しているかを考察する。
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Hino, Nobuyuki. "The teaching of English as an International Language in Japan." AILA Review 22 (November 16, 2009): 103–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/aila.22.08hin.
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This paper explores the ambivalent nature of Japanese attitudes toward English vis-à-vis the Japanese language, followed by a discussion of Japanese efforts in incorporating the concept of English as an International Language (EIL) into their educational system and teaching practice as a solution to this dilemma. While the Japanese have an indigenous language used for all purposes including academic discourse, in this age of globalization they seem to find it to their disadvantage. The recent move in Japan in both public and private sectors is to promote the use of English even among Japanese people, often at the expense of their native language. One practical approach to a solution or a mitigation of this dilemma is the teaching of EIL or de-Anglo-Americanized English as a means of expressing indigenous values in international communication. Although Japanese teachers of English have not really gone beyond the World Englishes paradigm, which describes the Expanding Circle Englishes including Japanese English as basically exonormative, efforts have been underway in Japan to put the idea of EIL into practice. The teaching of EIL in place of Anglo-American English provides a chance of reconciliation between the use of internal and external language resources.
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Shibata, Miki. "How Japanese teachers of English perceive non-native assistant English teachers." System 38, no. 1 (March 2010): 124–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2009.12.011.
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Galloway, Nicola. "“I get paid for my American accent”: the story of one Multilingual English Teacher (MET) in Japan." Englishes in Practice 1, no. 1 (October 1, 2014): 1–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/eip-2014-0001.
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Abstract The flourishing research being published in the Global Englishes paradigm is increasing awareness of how English is used as a global lingua franca in international contexts. Such research has a number of implications for the English Language Teaching (ELT) industry, particularly in Expanding Circle countries, such as Japan where English is no longer being learnt as a mere ‘foreign’ language. However, the Native English Speaker (NES) episteme continues to dominate and, despite increasing calls for curriculum change, including the employment of more Non-native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) or Multilingual English Teachers (METs), NESs continue to fill teaching positions worldwide, perpetuating stereotypes about ‘correct’ and ‘standard’ English. The current study investigates the implementation of curriculum change at the practical level, aiming to investigate the experiences of NNESTs teaching outside of their home context in Japan. Despite calls for the employment of such teachers, who may serve as better role models for students than a monolingual NES, little research has been conducted with NNESTs teaching outside of their home countries. This study aims to fill this gap. It is part of a larger study, which includes longitudinal data collection with several participants in different countries (n=20), including practicing and pre-service teachers, via interviews, diaries and focus groups. This article reports the first interview documenting the experience of one multilingual NNEST in Japan, who has been forced to take on a ‘fake American’ identity. This single narrative provides insights into the experience of this teacher, highlighting the number of obstacles to implementing curriculum reform in the Japanese context. It provides preliminary insights into the identity of METs and the strategies they employ to maintain authority and legitimacy in the classroom.
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Cook, Melodie. "Offshore Outsourcing Teacher Inservice Education: The Long-Term Effects of a Four-Month Pedagogical Program on Japanese Teachers of English." TESL Canada Journal 28, no. 1 (November 3, 2010): 60. http://dx.doi.org/10.18806/tesl.v28i1.1060.
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This longitudinal study tracked five public junior and senior high school Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) who were sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to study English and Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) pedagogy at a host university in Canada. This qualitative case study found that teachers who were not bound by practical constraints such as grammar-based entrance examinations or external influences such as a perceived need to conform to the practices of colleagues were able to incorporate what they had learned in Canada. However, high school teachers facing these constraints tended to abandon new practices in favor of traditional teaching methods such as grammar translation. These findings suggest that JTEs do benefit from overseas study, but that the extent of what they can incorporate into their regular teaching practice depends on the context in which they teach. The findings imply that host program planners and instructors could benefit from a closer look at constraints faced by third-year public high school teachers in particular, as it is they who face the greater number of obstacles to incorporating CLT into their regular teaching practice.
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Nagatomo, Diane. "A case study of how beliefs toward language learning and language teaching influence the teaching practices of a Japanese teacher of English in Japanese higher education." Language Teacher 35, no. 6 (November 1, 2011): 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jalttlt35.6-5.
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Japanese teachers of English in Japanese higher education are an under-researched, yet a highly influential group of teachers. A yearlong case study with one teacher, a literature specialist who is relatively new at teaching English, was conducted. Through multiple interviews and classroom observations, it was found that the teacher’s beliefs toward language learning and language teaching are deeply rooted in how she successfully learned English and are shaped by her love for literature. The paper concludes with a call for more qualitative and quantitative research investigating the teaching practices and the English pedagogical beliefs of Japanese university English teachers in order to deepen our understanding of English language education in Japan. 日本の高等教育機関における日本人の英語教師の役割は大きいにもかかわらず、これまで十分に研究の対象になって来なかった。文学が専門の比較的経験の浅い1人の教師を対象として1年間、ケーススタディを行った。数回のインタビューおよび教室での観察を通じて、その教師の言語学習・言語教授についての本人の信条が、自分の英語学習における成功体験および文学への愛情に少なからず影響されていることが判明した。本論では、日本における英語教育の理解を深めるためには、大学教師がどのような教育を行っているか、どのような教育上の信念を持っているのかを、質的にも量的にもさらに研究する必要性があると結論づけている。
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Monobe, Gumiko, and Barbara L. Seidl. "“We have stories to share!”: Narratives of Identity and Perspectives of Japanese Descent Teachers in the USA." Journal of Family Diversity in Education 3, no. 3 (May 17, 2019): 88–111. http://dx.doi.org/10.53956/jfde.2019.143.
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As the number of immigrant children entering school systems increases across the globe, preparing teachers to support these children and their families is of critical importance. How to support and bring strength to English language learners (ELLs) and immigrant children is a new subject among the scholarship of teacher education, due to the increasing numbers of immigrant children. There are unique complexities that educators need to consider, including: (a) their own cross/bicultural, bilingual identity development, (b) their interpersonal relationship building, and (c) their hybrid experiences in a culturally and linguistically unfamiliar environment with other children and teachers in a new country.In this study, we focus mainly on three teachers who are Japanese descent and their support of Japanese immigrant students. Findings from this study suggest that the three teachers used their funds of knowledge (González, Moll, & Amanti, 2005) as immigrants and immigrant teachers to support their Japanese immigrant students in the following three categories: building interpersonal connections, cross-cultural mediation, and nurturing identity development in the context of hybridity and wholeness.
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Gorsuch, Greta. "Assistant Foreign Language Teachers in Japanese High Schools: Focus on the Hosting of Japanese Teachers." JALT Journal 24, no. 1 (May 1, 2002): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltjj24.1-1.
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For both political and social reasons, the learning of English as a Foreign Language in Japanese secondary schools has become the focus of a variety of new educational policies applied at a national level. The backdrop of this article is the JET program, which in 1998 employed 5,361 assistant language teachers (ALTs) from various countries for the purpose of team teaching in Japanese junior and senior high school foreign language classrooms. The article focuses on Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) and their responses to team teaching with ALTs, particularly in terms of JTEs' perceptions of their own English speaking skills and English language learning experiences. Drawing from the questionnaire responses of 884 JTEs in high schools in nine randomly selected prefectures, the author also outlines patterns in assignment of ALTs in both academic and vocational high schools, providing a more complete picture of the JET program.
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Suemori, Saki. "Research Forum: Motivators and Demotivators to Teach English in Japanese Secondary Schools." JALT Journal 42, no. 1 (May 1, 2020): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltjj42.1-3.
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This paper presents an investigation of motivators and demotivators for Japanese teachers of English (JTEs) working in secondary schools. A total of 8 JTEs participated by answering a questionnaire containing 3 open-ended questions (2 were subsequently interviewed). Questionnaire results indicated that participants were influenced by 4 factors (i.e., student attitudes, teacher autonomy, self-evaluation, and relationship with colleagues). The follow-up interviews with 2 of the participants provided additional information on some of these influencing factors. Future research should explore changes in teacher motivation in specific contexts. 本研究は、日本の中学校、高校で教える日本人英語教師（JTEs）の動機づけを増大、減退させる要因を調査した。参加者は8名のJTEsである。8名の参加者は、質問紙に回答し、そのうち2名は、さらにインタビュー調査へ参加した。質問紙によって、参加者は、主に以下の4つから影響を受けていることが明らかになった：生徒の態度、教師オートノミー、自己評価、同僚との関係。さらにインタビュー調査によって、これらの要因が教師にどのように影響を与えているかを明らかにした。本研究によって、特定の状況下で教える教師の動機づけがどのように変化していくか、さらに調査していく重要性が示唆された。
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Prais, S. J. "Educating for Productivity: Comparisons of Japanese and English Schooling and Vocational Preparation." National Institute Economic Review 119 (February 1987): 40–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002795018711900104.
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The high technical quality and reliability of Japanese manufactures raises questions of how the training and education of their workforce differs from Britain's. The standards reached by Japanese 15-18 year-olds in their technical and vocational secondary schools—and the number of pupils reaching them—are described in this paper and compared with Britain, as well as the standards reached in mathematics during compulsory schooling till 15. This article follows earlier studies of German and French schooling and vocational preparation (see this Review, August 1983, February and May 1985, and May 1986).Japan … can hardly fail to become a teacher ere long. Alfred Industry and Trade, 1923.
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Donnery, Eucharia. "Process Drama in the Japanese University EFL Classroom: The Emigration Project." Scenario: A Journal of Performative Teaching, Learning, Research VIII, no. 1 (January 1, 2014): 36–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.33178/scenario.8.1.4.
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This paper examines the impact of using a process drama project in a Japanese university EFL class focusing on the social issue of emigration from a historical perspective while simultaneously developing English communicative skills. Speaking in English is a skill that many Japanese people find challenging. There are a number of cultural reasons for this, for example the enormous linguistic gap between Japanese and English communicative patterns in terms of explicitness/implicitness, hierarchy, gender, and the role of silence. Therefore, the overt aim was to help students develop English language skills while learning about Japanese historical emigration through the medium of English with Japanese scaffolding. This is in keeping with the needs of the average Japanese university EFL student, who has had six years of accuracy-based study for the short-term target of the university entrance examination and who sees English in terms of mathematical code, rather than as a communicative tool. The narrative arc of the paper follows the Noh theatre JO-HA-KYU, Enticement- Elaboration-Consolidation trajectory to take the reader through the emigration process drama project held in the spring semester of 2009 at the School of Human Welfare Studies (HWS), Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU), Japan. The research approach was a mixed-method one and data was collected through digital recording of role-plays, student self-critical reflection by writing-in-role and writing out-of-role in an online class group, qualitative and quantitative questionnaires and teacher observation. Results indicated that process drama projects can have a positive influence on Japanese university EFL learners from the perspective of both linguistic and intercultural communicative competence.
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Egitim, Soyhan, and Travis Garcia. "Japanese University Students’ Perceptions of Foreign English Teachers." English Language Teaching 14, no. 5 (April 12, 2021): 13. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v14n5p13.
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This study aims to understand Japanese university students’ perceptions of foreign English teachers (FETs) through a two-phased exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. During the initial phase, a quantitative survey was performed with first and second-year Japanese university students (n=377). Despite a lack of precision and a high dispersion measure, the Quantitative data analysis revealed certain outliers. A significant number of participants viewed their FETs as more of an entertainer, preferred FETs of American/European heritage, and believed FETs of Asian descent may not be able to teach the language and culture as effectively as FETs of American/European heritage. Thus, a qualitative inquiry was performed to explain and build upon the quantitative findings. Two focus groups with students from the quantitative survey were given interviews. The responses confirmed the existence of phenotypical, gender, and personality FET stereotypes in Japanese university EFL classes. In addition, past educational experiences, socio-cultural factors, and mass media were also found influential in students’ perceptions of FETs. Based on the findings from the focus group interviews, the researchers propose intercultural activities as an effective pedagogical strategy to promote reflective teaching practices and intercultural competence in Japanese university EFL classes.
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RODIS, OMAR M., NAOYUKI KARIYA, MICHIKO NISHIMURA, and SEISHI MATSUMURA. "The Student-Teacher Shuttle Card for Japanese Dental Students Taking a Dental English Course." TESOL Journal 2, no. 1 (March 2011): 73–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.5054/tj.2011.244136.
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Yabukoshi, Tomoko, and Kazue Kato. "Facilitating Japanese College Students’ Autonomous Learning Outside the English Classroom." Language Teacher 41, no. 5 (September 1, 2017): 3. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jalttlt41.5-1.
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This study explored the effectiveness of an autonomous learning support program implemented with 23 Japanese college students to promote self-instructed English learning outside the classroom. The program incorporated the following five learning activities: language learning strategies, setting goals, making plans, reflecting and self-evaluating, and receiving feedback from an English teacher, all of which have been considered significant elements of autonomous learning (Benson, 2011; Holec, 1981). At the end of the program, an original questionnaire was administered to the students. English proficiency test scores and evaluation sheets recorded by their teachers were also collected. Analyses of the data showed that: (1) the program had positive impacts on out-of-class learning, such as increasing student motivation, clarifying learning goals, increasing study time, and improving English proficiency; and (2) the students were likely to have difficulties following their study plans when they had less contact with their teachers and classmates. 外国語教育では様々な自律学習支援が教員によって実施されている。本論では日本人EFL大学生23名を対象とした教室外での自律学習支援プログラムの有効性を調査した。プログラムでは先行研究に基づいて、(A)英語学習方略の紹介、(B)学習目標の設定、(C)学習計画の作成、(D)学習の反省と自己評価、(E)教員によるフィードバックの5つの活動を実践した。プログラム終了後、参加者に質問紙を配布し、各活動の有用性や自身の自律学習の変化について尋ねた。さらに教員による学習者評価シートや英語能力テストスコアのデータも収集した。分析の結果、本プログラムの有効性として、参加者の学習意欲の向上、学習目標の明確化、学習時間の増加、英語能力の向上が示唆された。一方、計画的学習の遂行は、教員やクラスメートとの接触が少ない時期に計画の遂行度が低いことが確認された。
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Dunbar, Ann-Marie. "“THREE LEAGUES AWAY FROM A HUMAN COLOUR”: NATSUME SOSEKI IN LATE-VICTORIAN LONDON." Victorian Literature and Culture 46, no. 1 (March 2018): 221–36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1060150317000407.
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Natsume Soseki arrived in Londonin October 1900, with great expectations, both his own and those of the Japanese government officials who sponsored his scholarship to study abroad for two years. Soseki would eventually become one of the most important figures in modern Japanese literature, featured on Japan's 1000-yen note from 1984 to 2004; before he wrote the novels that earned him such fame – includingI Am a Cat(1906),And Then(1910), andKokoro(1914) – Soseki, who was then a young English teacher in the Japanese provinces, was sent to study English language and literature as part of Japan's large-scale modernization and westernization efforts, following the “opening” of Japan to the West by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854 and the Meiji Restoration of 1868. Soseki's London sojourn coincided with the peak of British imperial might and also Japan's emergence as a world power. Soseki witnessed numerous important historical events as the Victorian era drew to a close, including the return of troops from the second Boer War and Queen Victoria's funeral procession. Following the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95, Japan won major financial and territorial concessions from China, a sign of Japan's new military power and ambition. Indeed, much of the funding for the “rapid expansion of the Japanese higher education system” came from these war reparations that “essentially bankrupted the Chinese government, hastening the downfall of the Qing Dynasty and the Sino-centric order in Asian culture. . . . Soseki's journey to London – metropole of the British Empire – was part and parcel of the geopolitical rise of one empire and the fall of another” (Bourdaghs, Ueda, and Murphy 4). Questions of empire and the relative strength of nations were very much on Soseki's mind during his time in London. During what was then a fifty-day journey by sea from Japan to England, “all ports between Yokohama and Marseilles were under British, French, or Dutch rule” (Hirakawa 171).
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Benthien, Gaby. "The transition from L2 learner to L2 teacher." Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies 11, no. 2 (June 26, 2017): 85–102. http://dx.doi.org/10.17011/apples/urn.201708233540.
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While newly employed teachers may begin their career with certain ideas and beliefs, these are influenced by different stimuli, encounters and constraints which lead to the ongoing recalibration of their L2 identity. This longitudinal case study explores the L2 journey of a Japanese teacher of English through narrative inquiry using a dynamic approach. Drawing on interview data, the study documents the participant’s transition from L2 learner and pre-service teacher to L2 teacher, focusing on the interconnectedness of the L2 learning and teaching environment and extended socio-educational environment, and the effect of educational, geographical, professional, social, and temporal factors. The study provides a holistic view of the complex interplay between the continuing L2 learner identity and emerging L2 teacher identity, as experienced from the perspective of the novice teacher. The complexity of establishing a professional L2 teacher identity in Japan is highlighted, including discovering one’s own teaching style, finding ways of adapting teaching to national educational directives, meeting the challenges of motivating students, feeling a sense of responsibility for examination preparation, encountering cross-cultural and power issues in team teaching, contemplating future career options, and coming to terms with employment practices. Based on the findings, the study concludes by offering some suggestions for taking not only the challenges faced by the L2 learner, but also the L2 teacher into account, and ways of encouraging meaningful dialogue between researchers, teacher educators and teachers.
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Machida, Tomohisa. "Japanese Elementary School Teachers and English Language Anxiety." TESOL Journal 7, no. 1 (February 6, 2015): 40–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/tesj.189.
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Hosseininasab, Khatereh. "Rethinking Privilege in Teaching English in Japanese Higher Education." International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research 19, no. 10 (October 30, 2020): 100–114. http://dx.doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.19.10.6.
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This article addresses the issue of native-speakerism in teaching English in the context of Japanese higher education and the privilege arising from it. Previous research has shown that native speakers are often regarded as highly skilled and qualified teachers in teaching their mother tongue. This has often led to the marginalization of teachers who speak the language they teach as an additional language. In the case of Japan, however, there is doubt about the existence of such a privilege for native-speaker teachers and some studies have shown that native speakers of English do not receive preferential treatment in this context as they are often perceived as replaceable and temporary. The present study aimed to further explore this issue by focusing on the varieties of English Japanese universities expect their teachers to speak. In so doing, the study has investigated hiring policies of Japanese universities with reference to the job advertisements they post on a designated portal. The results of the qualitative thematic analysis indicated that the majority of the advertisements demanded prospective candidates to be native speakers of English, which also meant that this subgroup of teachers has a privilege in landing academic jobs by token of the variety of English they speak. The article suggests that the critical pedagogical approach of teaching English as an international language (TEIL) can mitigate such privilege by raising awareness towards the validity and appropriateness of different varieties of English spoken in the world.
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Head, Philip. "Student and Teacher Views on English Language Speech Contests in Japan." JALT PIE SIG: Mask and Gavel 6, no. 1 (May 2018): 5–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltsig.pie6.1-1.
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English language speech contests are popular in Japanese junior and senior high schools, bringing prestige to winning students’ schools and aiding winners to gain admission to university (Nishikawa-Van Eester, 2009). As a result, students and teachers devote a great deal of effort practicing for these high-stakes contests. However, there has been very little research examining what motivates students, especially pre-university ones, to join speech contests or how students feel about their experience of participating. In this study, 25 high school and 73 junior high school speech contest participants completed anonymous surveys (including both Likert-type quantitative questions and qualitative open response questions) examining two areas. The first is the reasons students join speech contests (e.g., to win a prize), and the second is students’ overall experience of the contest itself (e.g., was it stressful?). In addition, 36 teachers of speech contest participants were asked why they felt their students joined the contests and their impressions of their students’ experiences in order to look for any differences between teacher impressions and the reported experiences of the students. The two surveys showed that both students and teachers felt the most important reason for students joining speech contests, in order of ranking, was a desire for personal growth, followed by self-expression, improving English communication skills, making social connections, and winning a prize. The fact that winning a prize was considered the least important reason to participate indicates that these students were primarily intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated to compete. Regarding the second question, the overall experience of participating in a speech contest was positive for students, with the majority enjoying the contest and wishing to repeat the experience. In addition, students reported feeling more confident in their public speaking as a result of participation, as well as having made improvements in their English communication abilities. The most surprising result is that students do not consider the experience to be stressful, although outside observers such as teachers may perceive that it was the opposite. Overall, we can conclude that speech contests are a generally positive experience with many benefits for students who participate, thus justifying the heavy time commitment involved for both students and teachers.
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Garnica, Adam, and Ramon Mislang. "Teacher Perceptions and Practices in an English Conversation Lounge." JALT Postconference Publication - Issue 2020.1; August 2021 2020, no. 1 (August 1, 2021): 224. http://dx.doi.org/10.37546/jaltpcp2020-28.
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This research focused on examining how language was being used in a mid-sized private Japanese university’s English conversation lounge. Data on distribution and length of turns as well as quantity and quality of utterances were recorded through surveys with students and instructors as well as interviews with instructors. Data was also collected to investigate student perceptions, attitudes, and motivations for conversation practice with native English speakers. The results of reported talk time from students and teachers attending the lounge demonstrate a mismatch between the expectations of stakeholders and the reality of conversation practices beyond the classroom. The implications of the findings can help inform the development of, and training for, similar English conversation lounge areas or social learning spaces at other universities. 本研究では日本の中規模の私立大学構内に設けられた英会話ラウンジにおいてどのように言語が使われているかに焦点を合わせて考察を行った。研究方法としては、学生と教員を対象にしたアンケート調査と、教員へのインタビューを行い、これらを通して、会話の配分や受け答えの長さ、また発話の量と質を記録した。調査では、学生が感じたことや態度、そして英語のネイティブスピーカーと会話を練習するモチベーションが何かについてデータを収集し、分析した。結果として、関係者の期待と教室外での会話練習の現実との間に齟齬があることが判明した。本研究で得られた知見は、他の英会話ラウンジや他大学構内の社会学習スペースの開発や研修などに活用できると考えられる
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Okada, Reiko. "Challenges in Teaching Japanese EFL Students to Express Themselves Logically." Asian Education Studies 3, no. 1 (January 31, 2018): 73. http://dx.doi.org/10.20849/aes.v3i1.335.
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This paper describes a study conducted with twenty-five Japanese lower-level EFL students to develop their ability to write logically in English. In school, Japanese students rarely express their opinions in writing supported by facts or reasons, a result of an important characteristic of Japanese culture: people focus more on emotion than on critical reasoning. Teachers of English often instruct students to add reasons, examples, or conclusions to their written expressions of opinion, but students often fail to do so because they do not grasp their purpose. In this study, students were explicitly instructed in 1) the different values in Western and Japanese culture, 2) alternate ways of thinking and expression, 3) the importance of logic in English rhetoric, and 4) paragraph structure in written English. Students practice writing using English paragraph structure, first in Japanese and then in English. The results indicated that initially only about one third of the students acquired an understanding of how to organize a paragraph logically when writing in Japanese, indicating the difficulty Japanese students have in adopting the principles of English rhetoric even in their native language. After explicit instructions were given repeatedly, another one third of the students were able to structure their paragraphs logically when writing in English. Throughout the six sessions of the study, however, the rest of the students (32%) continued to write their paragraphs in both Japanese and English according to the conventions of Japanese rhetoric, or without logical reasoning.