Assistant Language Teachers in Japan: Roles, Teaching Practices, and Classroom Collaboration with Japanese Teachers of English

Abstract

Given the increasing importance of English proficiency in Japan’s educational landscape, it is crucial to better understand the dynamics between ALTs and JTEs, particularly the nature of their collaboration in the classroom. While research has examined ALTs in Japan, few studies have focused on their roles across various educational levels and the practical realities of ALT-JTE collaboration. The purpose of this paper therefore is to look into the expected and actual roles of an ALT in Japanese public schools from early childhood to secondary education. More importantly, it details the language teaching practices of ALTs vis-a-vis their JTEs, or the dynamics of English language classroom instruction between them. It also discusses key issues, talks about their implications, and gives recommendations on how to further improve this teaching dynamic.