Japanese Native-Speaker Teachers’ Use of English  in JFL Classrooms: A Comparative Study Across  Non-Anglophone Countries Worldwide

Olha Luchenko; Olha Doronina; Lena Králiková Hashimoto

doi:10.31261/TAPSLA.17778

Published: 2026-05-08

2026

Japanese Native-Speaker Teachers’ Use of English in JFL Classrooms: A Comparative Study Across Non-Anglophone Countries Worldwide

Olha Luchenko

, Olha Doronina

, Lena Králiková Hashimoto

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.31261/TAPSLA.17778

Abstract

The article examines the use of English by Japanese native-speaker teachers (NSTs) in their Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) classrooms. A total of 256 Japanese NSTs from 39 countries participated in the research. It also compares English language usage between native and non-native Japanese language teachers (NNSTs) in their teaching practice. The data were collected through a questionnaire distributed globally among Japanese language institutions in non-Anglophone countries, and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data analysis. The findings shed light on the preferences for the primary language of instruction and the varying extent of English language use among NSTs and NNSTs. A global perspective of the study provided an opportunity to draw meaningful conclusions concerning: (1) native-speaker teachers’ strong preference for using direct methods when teaching in Japan and (2) their becoming more flexible in their choices when teaching Japanese abroad. Native speakers teaching abroad tend to use English more frequently during instructional time compared to those teaching in Japan. The research also suggests that both NSTs and NNSTs utilize multilingual practices (translanguaging and code-switching), incorporating Japanese, students’ native languages, and English into their JFL classrooms. The qualitative study of NSTs’ beliefs revealed their flexibility and adaptability in tailoring teaching methods to different students’ unique learning needs and preferences, which is essential for reaching and engaging all learners effectively.

Keywords:

native speaker teacher (NST) , Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) , English as a lingua franca (ELF) , English as a medium of instruction (EMI) , multilingual practices

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Luchenko, O., Doronina, O., & Králiková Hashimoto, L. (2026). Japanese Native-Speaker Teachers’ Use of English in JFL Classrooms: A Comparative Study Across Non-Anglophone Countries Worldwide. Theory and Practice of Second Language Acquisition, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.31261/TAPSLA.17778

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