Teaching English at Japanese Universities

Written by leading English-language educators in Japan, this Handbook provides an in-depth guide for the new generation of teachers at Japanese universities. In clear, accessible prose, it offers practical and detailed advice on effective classroom pedagogy, student motivation, learning styles, classroom culture, national language policy, career opportunities, departmental politics, administrative mindset, and institutional identity. Its four sections―The setting, The courses, The classroom, and The workplace―examine issues faced by university language teachers as well as challenges confronted by the increasing number of scholars teaching English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) courses. Firmly grounded in contemporary teaching method and theory, the Handbook’s 23 chapters also acknowledge the influence of diverse movements such as World Englishes, global issues, gender, and positive psychology. Its three appendices contain information on organizations, books, journals, and websites particularly useful for Japanese university educators; explanation of types and rankings of schools; ways to learn more about individual institutions for job-hunting; and detailed information on the structure (and Japanese titles) of faculty and non-teaching staff at the typical university. This Handbook is an invaluable resource for anyone teaching, or aspiring to teach, at a Japanese university.

Paul Wadden, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in the English for Liberal Arts Program of International Christian University, Tokyo. The editor of the original A Handbook for Teaching English at Japanese Colleges and Universities (Oxford University Press, 1993), he is the author of articles on language teaching and academic writing appearing in TESOL Quarterly, ELT Journal, RELC Journal, College Literature, Composition Studies and many other journals; articles on culture, politics, and education in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Japan Times; and more than 50 textbooks. He has taught in Japanese universities for the past 30 years.

Chris Carl Hale, EdD, is Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Global Communication and Language at Akita International University, Japan and formerly the Academic Director of the Tokyo Center of the New York University (NYU) School of Professional Studies (SPS). He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses related to language acquisition and teacher training in the United States and in Japan for over 20 years at universities such as City University of New York (CUNY), Queens College, Teachers College Columbia University, and International Christian University, Tokyo. His articles have appeared in Language Testing in Asia, TESOL International, and Teachers College Columbia University Journal of TESOL and Applied Linguistics. He is also an avid DJ and techno music producer.