Event

Gender in ELT in Japan (two presentations)

Saturday, January 20th, 2024, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Speaker: Avril Haye-Matsui (Aichi Prefectural University), Yaya Yao (Kyushu University)

Presentation 1: Black Women, Intersectionality & ELT in Japan
In this presentation, Dr. Haye-Matsui will present her research on the lived experiences of nine Black women of the African Diaspora who work in Japan's English language teaching industry. Using intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989, Collins & Bilge, 2016) as a theoretical lens, she will report on how her study sheds light on how Black female teachers' sociocultural identities can impact workplace experiences and self-perceived identities in Japanese educational contexts.

Presentation 2: Am I coming out now? Building inclusive environments through strategic self-disclosure
Coming out as LGBTQIA+ is a lifelong process. As educators, the ways we feel able to express our layered identities impact our relationships with students and colleagues (Simons et al., 2021). This in turn has major implications for our mental health. A number of studies have explored the ways in which LGBTQIA+ educators navigate expressions of their sexual orientation and gender identity in professional settings. Fewer (e.g., Ellis, 2020; Grote, 2020; Mizzi et al., 2021; Moore, 2023; Smith, 2020) have addressed the experiences of foreign teachers in Japan. In this session, Yaya will share stories about these navigations in both international and public school settings in Japan. Interactive discussion will focus on strategic teacher disclosure as a tool for building inclusive environments and centering intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1992).

Organization: Kobe Chapter of the Japan Association for Language Teaching (Kobe JALT)

Cost: JALT Members: free
Non-members: 1,000 yen

Venue: Kobe Gakuin University, 17th floor of the MINT Kobe at Kobe-Sannomiya Station map

Location: Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

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