Interactive Presentation Leaving the NEST: Reflections as an American Teacher of Japanese in an Australian High School more

Sun, May 22, 13:30-14:15 Asia/Tokyo

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of nuance in the dichotomy between NESTs (native English speaking teachers) and NNESTs (non-native English speaking teachers). However, even as the complex definition of a native speaker is explored and scrutinized, it can still be difficult for those who identify unambiguously as a NEST or NNEST to understand the challenges and strengths of the other side. The presenter, a NEST from the US, had a chance to bridge this gap when he was offered the opportunity to teach Japanese language classes in an Australian high school. Over a two week period, he taught beginner level classes to three groups of thirty 7th graders and one group of twelve 8th graders. In this interactive presentation, he describes how the experience of teaching a foreign language in a foreign country broadened his understanding of home. He shares the details of lesson planning and delivery, highlighting moments affected by his status as a non-native Japanese speaker. He then explains how this influenced his English teaching practice and helped him to better understand and embrace differences with NNESTs in Japan. Finally, participants are invited to reflect on where their own home bases lie and to critically examine implicit biases they or their colleagues might hold from their own experiences with native speakerhood.