Abstract
The newly issued and implemented Course of Study by the Japanese Ministry of Sports, Education, and Science and Technology reinforces the use of English in English classrooms at junior high and high school levels. However, the teachers are rather reluctant to use English in their classes all the time, especially at junior high schools. This study presents an analysis of veteran teachers’ trajectory towards teaching English in English using the trajectory equifinality approach. The participant was in his sixties, retired from public school teaching with distinguished achievement of being a leader for the junior high school principal association nationwide. The online interview over one hundred minutes revealed that his university teacher training was minimal because it was common for English majoring students to learn literature and linguistics back then. Yet, his trajectory shows that he constantly upgraded his knowledge and skills in teaching English during his career, especially by associating with native-speaker teachers. He also took advantage of music as he played and sang with a guitar in class. His remarkable practice shed light on how teachers even in the considerably older generations could have agency and transform themselves into professional, effective teachers.
Author Information
Mitsuyo Toya, University of The Ryukyus, Japan
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