Exploring Japanese University English Teachers' Professional Identity

Diane Hawley Nagatomo has been living and teaching in Japan for more than 30 years. She is an Associate Professor at Ochanomizu University and her research interests include teacher and learner identity, teachers' beliefs, and EFL materials development. She has authored and co-authored numerous EFL textbooks for the Japanese market.

It is rare to encounter a volume in the TESOL field written in a meticulously researched style that, at the same time, presents an introspective, reader-friendly analysis of a very complex situation. Hawley Nagatomo's book is an important addition to the burgeoning use of narrative studies aimed at uncovering the sociopolitical underpinnings of identity constructions of professional ELT educators. Although the primary focus is on female tertiary-level teachers in Japan, readers situated in different contexts will recognize themes that resonate with their own experiences as language instructors.

• Chapter One: IntroductionChapter Two: The Japanese ContextChapter Three: Knowledge, Beliefs, and IdentityChapter Four: Data CollectionChapter Five: Developing Professional IdentityChapter Six: It’s a Man’s WorldChapter Seven: Teaching is What I “Do,” Not Who I AmChapter Eight: Conclusion