Vulnerability and Resilience During Emergency Remote Teaching: Voices of Part-Time University English Language Teachers in Japan

by Wendy M. Gough, Bill Snyder, Chiyuki Yanase, Colin Skeates

Overview

This book explores the profound impact of Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT) on part-time university English language teachers in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a blend of quantitative data and heartfelt personal narratives, the authors reveal the complex challenges faced by these educators—ranging from job insecurity to the rapid adoption of new teaching technologies. The initial chapters delve into the setup of the study, followed by detailed analyses of survey and interview data that underscore the vulnerability and resilience these teachers exhibited. As the pandemic forced a sudden shift to online education, the book examines how these teachers navigated their altered professional landscapes, balancing teaching responsibilities with personal and professional uncertainties.

Part three of the book focuses on the voices of the participants, offering rich, first-person insights into their experiences during the first semester of ERT. The narrative deepens with participant interviews and personal reflections that illustrate the profound psychological impacts and the innovative coping strategies developed in response to the crisis. In concluding, the book addresses the future of educational practices, emphasizing the importance of institutional support and professional development in enhancing the resilience and effectiveness of part-time faculty. This comprehensive study not only highlights the immediate effects of the pandemic on educational practices but also serves as a crucial resource for understanding the ongoing needs and contributions of part-time teachers in higher education.

Praise for Vulnerability and Resilience During Emergency Remote Teaching: Voices of Part-Time University English Language Teachers in Japan.

“There’s a lot to learn from this very readable and engaging book. Curated in an interesting way, researchers report on emergency remote teaching by part-time English language teachers in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, teachers tell their own stories, rich in detail and filled with emotion, reflection, and learning. Implications are clear for part-time English teaching in bad times and in good. Recommendations are made. This is a stunning book that all English teachers, and their managers, must read.”

Gary Barkhuizen, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Product Details

BN ID:	2940167712874
Publisher:	Candlin & Mynard ePublishing Limited
Publication date:	07/04/2024
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

​Wendy M. Gough is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies at Bunkyo Gakuin University in Tokyo. She has worked as a language teacher in the United States and Japan for over 25 years. Her current interests are in supporting part-time university teachers, curriculum development, motivating student writers.

Bill Snyder is Professor in the International Language Education: TESOL Program at Soka University in Hachioji, Japan. He has worked in language teacher education for over 30 years in the United States, Turkey, Armenia, South Korea, and Japan. His current research interests focus on trust in language teaching and the lives of part-time teachers in Japan and elsewhere.

Chiyuki Yanase is a part-time lecturer at several universities in Tokyo. She holds an MSc in TESOL from Aston University and has over 30 years of experience teaching English at various institutions. Her current research interests focus on teacher and learner wellbeing, and she continues to explore the science of happiness.

Colin Skeates is currently a part-time lecturer at several universities in Nagoya. At the start of the pandemic, he was a full-time (contract) teacher working for Keio University. He has worked as an English instructor in Thailand and Canada, but has spent the majority of his career in Yokohama, Japan. A bit of a Jack of all trades, he is interested in several areas of language teaching and learning research such as the role of AI in language education and professional and faculty development. It is, however, the role of research in university decision making that leaves him most confused.