Chapter 7: In the Eye of the Beholder: Perceptions of Ideal English Teachers by Natasha Hashimoto
Abstract
In this study, the author examines cultural values incorporated into sales messages in private English language school (eikaiwa) adverts and how they appeal to adult English language learners in Japan. The participants in the study were university students (n=290) who responded to a questionnaire that included various visual prompts, some of which were selected from online advertisements. The participants were invited to reflect on the adverts they found particularly attractive and their choice of ideal teachers based on photographs. The participants shared reasons for their choices and described what characteristics they imagined their chosen teachers possessed. The author drew on theoretical concepts of capital and raciolinguistics to discuss the results of the survey. The findings indicate that perceptions of desirable teachers and perpetuated "authentic and legitimate" English variants remain problematic.
About the Contributor
Natasha Hashimoto is an Associate Professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. Her doctoral degree is in education/applied linguistics, and her master’s is in human rights and social justice. Her teaching and research interests include Bourdieusian theory, multilingualism, metacognitive strategies, social-emotional learning, and fairness in language assessment. She has lived and studied in four different countries and has been in Japan for 20 years.
Citation
Hashimoto, N. (2023). In the eye of the beholder: Perceptions of ideal English teachers. In G. P. Glasgow (Ed.), Multiculturalism, language, and race in English education in Japan: Agency, pedagogy, and reckoning (pp. 182–203). Candlin & Mynard ePublishing. https://doi.org/10.47908/26/7
In this study, the author examines cultural values incorporated into sales messages in private English language school (eikaiwa) adverts and how they appeal to adult English language learners in Japan. The participants in the study were university students (n=290) who responded to a questionnaire that included various visual prompts, some of which were selected from online advertisements. The participants were invited to reflect on the adverts they found particularly attractive and their choice of ideal teachers based on photographs. The participants shared reasons for their choices and described what characteristics they imagined their chosen teachers possessed. The author drew on theoretical concepts of capital and raciolinguistics to discuss the results of the survey. The findings indicate that perceptions of desirable teachers and perpetuated "authentic and legitimate" English variants remain problematic.
About the Contributor
Natasha Hashimoto is an Associate Professor at Tokyo Woman’s Christian University. Her doctoral degree is in education/applied linguistics, and her master’s is in human rights and social justice. Her teaching and research interests include Bourdieusian theory, multilingualism, metacognitive strategies, social-emotional learning, and fairness in language assessment. She has lived and studied in four different countries and has been in Japan for 20 years.
Citation
Hashimoto, N. (2023). In the eye of the beholder: Perceptions of ideal English teachers. In G. P. Glasgow (Ed.), Multiculturalism, language, and race in English education in Japan: Agency, pedagogy, and reckoning (pp. 182–203). Candlin & Mynard ePublishing. https://doi.org/10.47908/26/7

Information About the Book
Title: Multiculturalism, Language, and Race in English Education in Japan: Agency, Pedagogy, and Reckoning
Editor: Gregory Paul Glasgow
Publication date: March 2023
Read more...
Title: Multiculturalism, Language, and Race in English Education in Japan: Agency, Pedagogy, and Reckoning
Editor: Gregory Paul Glasgow
Publication date: March 2023
Read more...