An Autoethnography of Teaching English in Japan: Bridging Life and Academia by Sanae Oda-Sheehan
(Life and Education in Japan Series) [Kindle | ePub | Print | Scribd | Apple]
Based on her professional and personal experiences in education as well as in business, Sanae Oda-Sheehan (PhD) came to realize that there may be several problematic gaps hindering learning effectiveness in the Japanese EFL context. In exploring possibilities to bridge those gaps, she proposes the framework called the Pedagogical Trinity: the integration of L2 pragmatics and grammar pedagogy to promote the implementation of communicative language teaching. This book shares her experiences in exploring how to bring about such integration and bridge those gaps by utilizing autoethnography.
Autoethnography is a burgeoning and promising approach in the qualitative research field, in which researchers use themselves as the research subject to better understand sociocultural complexities through the connectivity between self and others. By employing the autoethnographic approach and analyzing in-depth face-to-face interviews and journal entries, Oda-Sheehan reflected on her teaching practices and her own identity formation to explore the critical factors for the integrative approach. Through this life-sized portrait of the research project, she obtained interpretive insights that show how critical it is for teachers to have an awareness of their multiple identities and perspectives, long-term visions, and readiness for necessary transformation. This book meticulously crafts and demonstrates how autoethnography can be utilized as a research method to merge analytic rigor and creative dynamics.
Through the connectivity in an autoethnographic orientation, readers may find themselves in the stories unfolded in the chapters and be guided to reflect on their own experiences and endeavors. In that way, what is presented in this book may become readers’ own stories, giving them the strength to go forward in life. This book can provide a platform of open dialogue to explore approaches to bridge life and academia collaboratively.
Autoethnography is a burgeoning and promising approach in the qualitative research field, in which researchers use themselves as the research subject to better understand sociocultural complexities through the connectivity between self and others. By employing the autoethnographic approach and analyzing in-depth face-to-face interviews and journal entries, Oda-Sheehan reflected on her teaching practices and her own identity formation to explore the critical factors for the integrative approach. Through this life-sized portrait of the research project, she obtained interpretive insights that show how critical it is for teachers to have an awareness of their multiple identities and perspectives, long-term visions, and readiness for necessary transformation. This book meticulously crafts and demonstrates how autoethnography can be utilized as a research method to merge analytic rigor and creative dynamics.
Through the connectivity in an autoethnographic orientation, readers may find themselves in the stories unfolded in the chapters and be guided to reflect on their own experiences and endeavors. In that way, what is presented in this book may become readers’ own stories, giving them the strength to go forward in life. This book can provide a platform of open dialogue to explore approaches to bridge life and academia collaboratively.
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Reviews |
Rationale and Motivation for Writing This Book Gaps to Be Bridged in the Japanese EFL Context The Integrative Approach “the Pedagogical Trinity” How to Approach the Exploration Identity and Language Learning/Teaching Overview of the Book and Research Questions Reflective Questions for the Reader
Benefits of Autoethnography Critiques of Autoethnography and Counterarguments Using Autoethnography for This Study Use of Vignettes Relational Ethics Reflective Questions for the Reader
Data Analysis and Interpretation Community of Practice Reflective Practice Applying the Theoretical Frameworks Reflective Questions for the Reader
What I See in the Reflections Reflective Questions for the Reader
What I Discovered Through the Critical Incidents Example of Reflective Practice (RP) in My Teaching Reflective Questions for the Reader
Findings Addressing the Research Questions Reflective Questions for the Reader
Unexpected Developments Key Takeaways from This Study For Future in Continuum Epilogue
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What a unique contribution to the field! Sanae shows how to conduct ground-breaking autoethnographic research, and she has even artfully (and with unstinting honesty) woven in her identity as a mother and daughter! This was totally unexpected! Her detailed documentation reminds researchers that we all have multiple identities, many of which we erase to teach or do research. I am thrilled to see her self-identify as ‘a missionary of pragmatics,’ as she shines a bright light on how important pragmatics is to effective communication. This is such an engaging and enjoyable read!
Donna Fujimoto, Professor, Osaka Jogakuin University. Sanae Oda-Sheehan’s book should be a primary text for anyone in second language education interested in autoethnography. The brilliant presentation of her autoethnographic study demonstrates the types of insight and can be shared from this approach. She empowers readers with ways in which they can carry out their own projects. This is a moving, compelling work that deserves to be read. Gregory Hadley, Professor of Sociolinguistics and Western Cultural Studies, Niigata University. Author of 'Grounded Theory in Applied Linguistics: A Practical Guide' (Routledge) Sanae Oda-Sheehan’s book addresses some of the most pressing questions in the Japanese EFL context - how to bridge the gaps between linguistic theory and teaching practice, and between what is taught in the classroom and what is needed by students in the world. Through a rigorously conducted and compellingly written autoethnographic account, this book investigates the possibility of implementing a pedagogical framework aimed at bridging these gaps. By bringing together personal insights and interview data, Oda-Sheehan provides a fascinating account of how a reflexive awareness of our multiple identities can help teachers move towards a pedagogy in which they may successfully integrate pragmatics, grammar, and communicative language. Robert Lowe, Associate professor, Tokyo Kasei University. Co-editor of 'Duoethnography in English Language Teaching: Research, Reflection and Classroom Application' (Multilingual Matters) About the author
Sanae Oda-Sheehan is a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University and received her PhD from Ochanomizu University in 2020. She teaches at the tertiary level in Tokyo and also works as a communication consultant utilizing her business background. Her research interests include teacher identity, L2 pragmatics, and communicative task effectiveness.
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Publication details
Publication date: January, 2022
ISBN (Print): 9798401662002
ISBN (eBook): 9781005581978
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47908/21
Ebook, $9.99 [available from Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Apple, Kobo, and other ebook stores]
Print book, 178 pages, $29.99 [Available from Amazon and other online booksellers]
Series: Life and Education in Japan
Series editors: Diane Hawley Nagatomo and Melodie Cook
ISBN (Print): 9798401662002
ISBN (eBook): 9781005581978
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47908/21
Ebook, $9.99 [available from Smashwords, Amazon Kindle, Apple, Kobo, and other ebook stores]
Print book, 178 pages, $29.99 [Available from Amazon and other online booksellers]
Series: Life and Education in Japan
Series editors: Diane Hawley Nagatomo and Melodie Cook