Startseite Linguistik & Semiotik How does experience teaching in Japanese EFL classrooms inform English native-speaker educators classroom practices? The negotiation of face in university classrooms
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How does experience teaching in Japanese EFL classrooms inform English native-speaker educators classroom practices? The negotiation of face in university classrooms

  • Joshua Kidd

    Joshua Kidd holds a PhD in applied linguistics from Macquarie University, Sydney. In addition to managing his own language school, he lectures at Waseda University, Meiji University and Utsunomiya University in Japan. His research interests include pragmatics, identity, student collaboration and teacher training.

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Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 14. Februar 2022

Abstract

Language teachers experience a range of challenges unique to the cultural and social contexts in which they work. To negotiate these challenges and facilitate language acquisition, teachers draw on linguistic and sociocultural knowledge of the L1 and L2. United by a desire to develop and/or maintain positive aspects of face, students and their teachers employ culturally, socially and individually informed communicative strategies and behaviour to demonstrate individual worth and maintain classroom appropriateness. In this study, we analyzed the insights and practices of experienced and less experienced English native-speaker teachers (ENSTs) working with Japanese university students to identify challenges encountered within the classroom. The experienced language teachers (ExTs) identified a diverse array of challenges including student mental health, teacher fatigue and assessment transparency. In contrast, the less experienced teachers (LExTs) agreed that key challenges were student silence, use of the L1, and students sharing information. Focusing on the themes identified by the LExTs, we observed student/teacher interaction during learning activities and isolated the linguistic practices and behaviours employed by both groups of teachers. Through examining classroom exchanges we hope to arrive at a deeper understanding of the linguistic politeness strategies employed by ENSTs and potential implications for the negotiation of face.


Corresponding author: Joshua Kidd, Utsunomiya University, 350 Minemachi, Utsunomiya, Tochigi 321–8505, Japan, E-mail:

About the author

Joshua Kidd

Joshua Kidd holds a PhD in applied linguistics from Macquarie University, Sydney. In addition to managing his own language school, he lectures at Waseda University, Meiji University and Utsunomiya University in Japan. His research interests include pragmatics, identity, student collaboration and teacher training.

Appendix: Transcription conventions

(5)          elapsed time in silence by seconds

(.)           micropause of less than 0.5 s

Word      some form of stress (voice amplitude)

WORD    indicates a stressed word

:              lengthening of a sound

↑             rising intonation

↓             falling intonation

。。             speech noticeably quieter than the surrounding talk

(xxxx)          unclear speech

((sits))          additional information regarding movements and/or gestures

Nihongo       Japanese speech

‘Japanese’   English translation

In classroom Extracts A–D Japanese speech is recorded in italics with the corresponding English translations identified in single quotation marks. In the case of retrospective interviews, the original Japanese is recorded in single quotation marks with the English translation directly following in single brackets.

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Received: 2020-03-21
Accepted: 2020-07-10
Published Online: 2022-02-14
Published in Print: 2022-07-26

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Heruntergeladen am 21.1.2026 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/pr-2020-0018/pdf
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