The Evolving Dynamics of English Classroom Interactions in a Junior High School: With a Focus on the Division of Roles Between a JTE and an ALT

Abstract

In the second year of a three-year research project aimed at supporting subject teaching by young English teachers working in small rural schools with limited opportunities to learn from experienced teachers of the same subject, this study examines classroom interactions between teachers and students, focusing on the division of roles between a Japanese teacher of English (JTE) and an assistant language teacher (ALT) in team teaching. An analysis of transcriptions from six English lessons conducted over a two-year period revealed developments in the roles of the ALT, which had been identified in the first year as an area requiring improvement during after-class discussions with external educators. The findings indicate that both the quantity and quality of the ALT’s involvement evolved: the number of interactions initiated by the ALT more than tripled from the first class in the first year, and the ALT assumed a greater variety of roles, such as delivering presentations on the main topic of a lesson, while the JTE facilitated interactions between the ALT and students. However, challenges remain in optimizing the use of the ALT, particularly in the JTE’s interventions in the interactions between the ALT and students.