Becoming a process drama practitioner: An exploratory study of higher education language teachers in Japan

Research in language learning indicates that process drama (PD), an educational approach where students and teachers work in and out of role to explore themes and issues, can be well suited to the Japanese higher education (HE) context. Despite the benefits highlighted in the literature, PD remains a niche approach to language teaching and learning, with a limited number of practitioners in Japan. This study seeks to uncover language teachers’ experiences of becoming Process Drama Practitioners (PDPs) and using and sharing PD as an English language teaching approach in Japanese HE. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with six experienced PDPs. The findings indicate that prior positive experiences with drama was an encouraging factor of the adoption and self-directed initial use of PD in their teaching practices. Positive student outcomes and feedback were primary motivators for continued use of PD. Experiences of sharing PD led to a perceived need to distinguish PD from theatre-based approaches and establish connections to familiar approaches to language teaching.

EFL learners and English email writing: developing a computerised diagnostic language assessment

Email remains a key mode of communication between faculty and students in higher education institutions. Composing appropriate email texts is an important skill for learners; however, little technological support is available for the pragmatic aspect of email communication – the ways in which social context influences language choices. Furthermore, pragmatics can be undertaught in the language classroom. One approach to providing support for learners while also addressing the issue of giving instruction to large class sizes is via computerisation. In this ongoing research project, we describe the development of a Computerised Diagnostic Language Assessment (C-DLA) of L2 English email writing for Japanese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Japanese higher education. The C-DLA provides automated feedback to learners on the pragmatic aspects of their draft email texts, with feedback adapting to learners’ success in resolving identified issues. We report on the development phases of the project, challenges encountered, and implications for further research.

Competing Meanings of International Experiences for Early-Career Researchers: A Collaborative Autoethnographic Approach

Although there is a pressing demand for international experience for early career researchers (ECRs), the meaning of this experiences arising from their day-to-day work responsibilities is still unclear. Accordingly, using our emic reflections for this autoethnographic study, we—five Japanese ECRs with years of international experiences—collaboratively explored how we made sense of our international experiences, that is, our distinct capital attained from international study and research experiences. We used Identity Trajectory as a conceptual tool to widely capture ECRs’ key experiences and sense-making. Our reflective conversations resulted in five major themes: (1) global personal network, (2) communicative competence, (3) scholarly community culture, (4) scholarly ambition and (5) pedagogical application. We consistently valued our attained capital, but simultaneously recognised dilemmas while engaging in our work. Lack of institutional support was critical, preventing us from using our international experiential capital and further developing as internationally active researchers. This study offers insights for those who may consider an academic career in Japan after returning from international sojourns and for policymakers promoting the internationalisation of Japanese higher education. Studies such as this one also contribute to the exploration of the value of international experiences for researchers in different contexts.

Handbook of Higher Education in Japan

This Handbook tells the story in 25 chapters of how Japan’s HE system has become what it is now, ending with a very tentative glimpse into the rest of the 21st century. A variety of themes are covered by scholars—both established, senior figures and younger researchers with their own fresh look at current circumstances. Chapters that concentrate on governance look at the distinction between "national," "public," and "private" institutions; others consider important topics such as internationalization, student recruitment, faculty mobility. More innovative topics include "Women of Color Leading in Japanese Higher Education." All provide copious references to other authorities, but rather than just toe the conventional line they include opinions and proposals that may be contentious or even revolutionary. The editor provides an overview of the subject and its treatment in an Introduction. -- Rights Statement: Amsterdam University Press has exclusive rights to sell the print Handbook in all territories excluding Japan, Taiwan and Korea. --

A Call for Greater Quality Assurance in Postsecondary English Language Education in Japan

Quality assurance (QA) is a necessary component of language education that is too often overlooked or absent in Japanese higher education institutions. This paper discusses the notion of QA in language education generally, briefly outlines the landscape of QA in postsecondary English language programs in Japan, and discusses some organizational factors that may help or hinder QA in such contexts. The paper concludes with recommendations for how postsecondary English language programs in Japan can offer more robust QA measures in order to provide a uniform standard of course and lesson delivery to all students. 質保証は言語教育になくてはならない一要素であるが、日本の高等教育機関においては、あまりにも見過ごされたり、欠けていたりしている。そこで本論は言語教育一般の質保証の観念について述べる。まず、日本の高等教育の英語教育プログラムにおける質保証の状況を簡単に概観し、その中で質保証の助けまたは妨げになるようないくつかの組織的な要因について論じる。最後に、日本の高等教育における英語教育プログラムが、全ての学生に対し、コースや授業の統一された基準を提供するべく、いかにより堅ろうな質保証の対策が講じられるかを提案する。

Japanese Higher Education

In today’s information-driven society, the Japanese government envisions the next societal revolution as “Society 5.0,” where advanced technologies and service platforms integrate with and empower individuals in a human-based society. While Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has traditionally focused on technical skills and knowledge in isolation, this paper will look at the potential role and benefits of incorporating liberal arts education into these technical studies. This concept of integrating the liberal arts into STEM education is known as STEAM. The purpose of the study is to create a foundation for clarifying the role of interdisciplinary education in overcoming the vertical division of academic disciplines and restoring the “integrated nature” of scholarship. This study seeks to show how the humanities, social sciences, and arts can be used to enhance STEM education, and, furthermore, how this STEAM approach to education is key to enabling Japan’s vision for Society 5.0.

Environmental Legal Education as if Earth Really Mattered: A Brief Account from Japan

How can environmental legal education engage with the Anthropocene? Focusing on the Japanese higher education context, this article interweaves the author’s own biographical experience (i.e., a recent professional move from the Graduate School of Law to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences) with an analysis of how international non-monodisciplinary teaching frameworks can contribute to the development of environmental legal studies beyond the School of Law and its disciplinary focus. In this regard, what is considered is the extent to which a cross-listed course, Law and the Environment, designed for a mixed body of Japanese and international undergraduate students enrolled in different tracks (Environmental Sciences and Humanities & Social Sciences), may help both break down familiar approaches to environmental problems and turn the classroom into a new ‘community of inquiry’.