2016/04/03 Reiko Yoshihara

Accidental Teachers: The Journeys of Six Japanese Women from the Corporate Workplace into English Language Teaching

by Reiko Yoshihara

Yoshihara reported on her qualitative narrative study that explored the transitional processes of Japanese women giving up their jobs, entering higher education, and becoming university EFL teachers. The participants included six Japanese women who changed careers to become university EFL teachers in Japan. Data included a background survey, interviews, and e-mail communication from August, 2014 through October, 2015. The exploration of such mid-career changers broadened attendees' understanding of the complex relations between individuals and the gendered social world. Yoshihara presented two main themes that emerged from her participants’ narratives of their crossing from one setting to another; push and pull factors informing the decision to leave their previous job and gender issues in their new profession as EFL teachers.

この論文は、仕事を辞めてEFL大学教師になった日本人女性達によって語られたその過程を質的に研究したものである。被験者は、日本の大学でEFL教師になるために仕事を辞めた６人の女性である。論文の中には、背景の調査やインタビュー、2014年8月から2015年10月までのeメールでのやり取りが含まれている。このように人生の途中でキャリアを変えた人達を調査することで、個人とジェンダー社会の間での複雑な関係について私達は理解を深めることができる。被験者がある場所から別の場所へと移る時の話の中には２つの主となるテーマが見出される。１つ目は、離職がなかなか出来ない原因。２つ目は、EFL教師としての新しい職の中でのジェンダー問題である。

Reiko Yoshihara (not pictured) is an associate professor at Nihon University. She has received an M.Sc in women’s studies (Minnesota State University) and an M.Ed and Ed.D in TESOL (Temple University, Japan). She has taught English at the university level in Japan since 1995. Her research interests include teacher development, critical and feminist pedagogy, and CLIL/CBI.