“Can-Do” Statements for a Diverse Japanese Teacher Pipeline: Let’s Widen the Funnel!

Authors

  • Jessica Lee Haxhi New Haven Public Schools

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jll.2020.138

Abstract

In order to address the lack of diversity among L2 Japanese educators, we must consider how to give more students with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to study Japanese, become language educators, pursue and attain Japanese teacher certification, and find jobs in the field. The NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements (2018) defined a path to language proficiency.  This article presents a list of “can-do statements” on the path to becoming an L2 Japanese educator.  These statements illustrate the experiences that students must have access to in order to stay on the path to becoming a Japanese educator, beginning in kindergarten through their job search and satisfaction.  Many of these statements may not be “can-dos” for most students in the U.S currently.  If we as a field can change that reality, we have the potential to widen and diversify the pool of potential L2 Japanese educators for years to come.

Author Biography

Jessica Lee Haxhi, New Haven Public Schools

Jessica Haxhi has been the Supervisor of World Languages in New Haven Public Schools, overseeing curriculum, instruction, and assessment for 6 languages and 90 teachers, since 2013. Before that, she taught PreK-5 Japanese for 20 years in Waterbury, CT. She is Past President of NCJLT, Past Co-President of AATJ, served on the Board of NECTFL, and teaches world language methods courses at Southern Connecticut State University.  Jessica is President-Elect of ACTFL for 2021.

References

The Condition of Future Educators. 2015. The Condition of Future Educators 2015. ACT, 2016. http://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/Future-Educators-2015.pdf. Accessed September 20, 2019.

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. 2018. Colleges of Education: A National Portrait, Executive Summary. https://secure.aacte.org/apps/rl/res_get.php?fid=4178&ref=rl. Accessed January 31, 2020.

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 2019. ACTFL Position Statement: Diversity and Including in World Language Teaching & Learning. https://www.actfl.org/news/position-statements/diversity-and-inclusion-world-language-teaching-learning. Accessed September 20, 2019.

Mori, Junko, Atsushi Hasegawa, Jisuk Park, and Kimiko Suzuki. this volume. On Goals of Language Education and Teacher Diversity Beliefs and Experiences of Japanese-Language Educators in North America.

National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Languages and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 2017. NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements 2017. www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-and-manuals/ncssfl-actfl-can-do-statements . Accessed January 31, 2020.

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Policy and Program Studies Service. 2016. The State of Racial Diversity in the Educator Workforce. https://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/highered/racial-diversity/state-racial-diversity-workforce.pdf. Accessed September 20, 2019.

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Published

2020-09-25

Issue

Vol. 54 No. 2 (2020): Japanese Language and Literature

Section

SPECIAL SECTION LANGUAGE AND PEDAGOGY

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