For over 30 years, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals have set foot on Japanese soil as foreign assistant language teachers (ALTs) through the government-sponsored Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program (CLAIR, 2022). The job of the ALTs is to teach English in public schools, in tandem with Japanese teachers of English (JTEs). Despite, or perhaps by virtue of, the immense popularity achieved and tremendous funding allocated, the legitimacy and the efficacy of the program have neither been closely questioned nor systematically investigated. This paper presents a study that explored, via narrative interviewing, the identities and their constructions of ALTs in the JET program. The participants in the study were 25 former ALTs with diverse demographic variables who have experience living in various parts of Japan at different time periods. Findings revealed that ALT identity is comprised of two interconnected primary categories, foreigner identity and dabbler identity.
Takaaki Hiratsuka is a Professor at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan, where he supervises master’s and PhD students, both Japanese and non-Japanese, in related fields of language teacher education and narrative inquiry. He received his PhD in language teaching and learning from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is also the Chairperson of JALT 2023 Conference. His recent book publications include: Narrative inquiry into language teacher identity: ALTs in the JET program (2022, Routledge) and Team teachers in Japan: Beliefs, identities, and emotions (2023, Routledge).
There is a short drink/snack/rest break midway through the event.
This is a face-to-face event sponsored by Gunma JALT.
