Intercultural Abilities and Qualities Expected of Japanese Teachers of English : Based on Some Problems in Team-teaching

Abstract

This paper attempts to consider what kinds of abilities and qualities are to be expected of Japanese teachers of English QTE) both in pre-service and in-service teacher development, especially in terms of promoting intercultural education in the field of teaching English as a Foreign Language. First, it is to be pointed out that on both the current pre-service and in-service teacher development programs, the development of JTEs' intercultural competence seems to be absent. Furthermore, there still exist cultural conflicts and misunderstandings in mutual communication between JTEs and Assistant English Teachers (AETs) in team-teaching. Taking these issues into account, this paper implies that part of this problem could result from the lack of the ability to explain (including the willingness to explain) how educational activities are conducted in Japanese middle schools on the part of JTEs. Finally, as one of the means to develop JTEs' ability to explain issues in Japanese school settings, two approaches are proposed: comparing educational culture, and using cultural conflicts and misunderstandings as material for mutual understanding.