Faculty Instructor, Japanese Language (Full-time)

Title: Faculty Instructor, Japanese Language (Full-time)
Program: CET Academic Programs, Osaka, Japan (Osaka Gakuin University)
Reports To: Academic Director
Appointment: Beginning January 2022, June 2022, or August 2022

About CET

CET Academic Programs is a study abroad organization that has been developing and operating innovative educational programs abroad since 1982. Originally “China Educational Tours,” CET began operations in Beijing, later expanding to other locations around the world. Today, CET offers a varied portfolio of semester, summer, and customized programs around the world for college, high school, and gap year students.

CET is known for strong academics, professional program management, a nimble and collaborative approach to partnerships, and supportive student services. Through elements such as field-based course components, internships, and housing with local roommates, CET strives to integrate students into the local community and facilitate lasting relationships with hosts. Through its commitment to equity and inclusion, CET seeks and encourages the participation of students from diverse backgrounds and strives to create program environments that foster critical thinking and an appreciation of difference. And as an environmentally conscientious organization, CET aims to adopt sustainable measures across its operations.

CET Japan

CET Japan offers various Japanese language classes from elementary through advanced levels during winter, spring, summer, and fall semesters both virtually and at Osaka Gakuin University. The CET teaching method aims to enhance students’ Japanese language communication skills in a short period, while learning Japanese culture and society in class and through field-based language activities. CET Japan students receive an official transcript jointly issued by CET and Osaka Gakuin University at the end of the term. Students also have the option to request a School of Record transcript from the University of Minnesota.

CET Japan students are very highly motivated learners interested in a term packed with language progress. With an intensive curriculum, commitment to a language pledge, and housing with a local Japanese roommate, language isn’t just in the classroom in Osaka—it’s in everything they do.

Position Overview

Course faculty are expected to take full ownership of their course, with direction from the program’s Academic Director as needed. Faculty are expected to deliver the course according to the highest academic standards, to provide a stimulating and inclusive intellectual environment, and to adhere to CET’s academic policies. In addition – and importantly, given that this is a study abroad program – faculty are asked to make concrete connections between the academic content of the course and Japan as context. This is a primary academic goal for CET as an organization, and a central metric around which course feedback is designed.

About the Course

Course faculty teach Beginning, Intermediate, Pre-Advanced, Advanced, and/or Advanced High Japanese Courses. Each course integrates the study of both formal and informal, written and spoken language, through listening, speaking, and reading exercises. The focus is on communicative competence and the completion of tasks, both in the classroom and the surrounding environment, involving interactions with native speakers of Japanese.

Responsibilities

CET has the following expectations of faculty:

Course Preparation

• Prepare term-specific syllabi for distribution on the first day of class that adheres broadly to the course’s syllabus of record and provides greater detail on class meetings, topics, readings, assignments, grading criteria, and activities.

• Include within the course field-based components that take academic learning outside the classroom and highlights the goals of communicative competence and promotes students’ critical thinking. Attach readings and assignments to those activities, accompany students on each of them, and incorporate them into classroom lectures and discussions.

• Devote a significant amount of time beyond class meetings to the preparation of lesson plans and assessments, student-centered learning activities, creative and engaging assignments, guest lectures, and field-based components.

• Participate in a one-time faculty orientation seminar at the beginning of the semester, led by the Academic Director. Cooperate with other faculty as needed to ensure consistency and coordination across the program curriculum.

Teaching

• Ensure that class time brings together and explores connections between the course content and the local, national, and regional context.
• Introduce content through the method of the communicative approach. Strive to engage students with thought-provoking questions and opportunities for critical analysis of course content.
• Reliably attend all class meetings, beginning and ending the class on time. If faculty cannot teach on a given day, they must give the Academic Director prior notice and arrange for a make-up session.
• If/as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, be willing to teach remotely and migrate the course to Canvas should local conditions preclude in-person instruction. This may include recording of lectures should individual students require a two-week quarantine period.

Academic Excellence

• Maintain a strong commitment to academic excellence and an attitude of flexibility, open-mindedness, and willingness to both receive and provide constructive feedback in the spirit of continuous improvement.
• Commit to CET program goals and work collaboratively with the Academic Director to ensure that course learning outcomes are designed to achieve them.
• Meet with the Academic Director each term review evaluations and discuss any improvements to the course.
• Allow the Academic Director, site visitors, and assessment teams to observe the class in session.

Grading

• Grade fairly and consistently, return graded material to students in a timely manner, and offer students written and/or verbal feedback on their assignments and performance through the duration of the course.
• Maintain set examination times and course due dates, and submit final grades within two weeks of the last class.
• Coordinate compilation of all end-of-term grades for transcripting

Policies & Administration

• Uphold CET’s code of academic integrity, best practices in research ethics, and other academic policies.
• Diligently track student attendance and share with onsite academic staff.
• Support the Academic Director with creation of additional academic documents and teaching materials, coordinating field-based course components, and other tasks as needed.
• Ensure courses are set-up in Canvas, support faculty with Canvas

Student Support

• Accommodate students with documented medical conditions and/or learning disabilities in consultation with the Academic Director and in keeping with CET policies.
• Support the academic and intellectual growth of all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, physical status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, economic status, or other identifying characteristics.
• Be available for consultation outside of classroom hours, whether by regular office hours or electronic communication, as designated with the Academic Director prior to the start of the term, and as delineated in the term syllabus.
• Treat all students (as well as staff and other faculty) with respect and understanding.

Requirements

CET faculty must hold an advanced degree or training in Japanese language, foreign language pedagogy, or related field, have at least one year teaching experience preferably with U.S. undergraduates, and native or near-native Japanese language proficiency.

The candidate must have demonstrated excellence in communicative approach to teaching for beginner to advanced classes, including skill-based language classes at the university or college level.

Beyond what we require of our faculty, however, we hope that those who teach for us bring a sincere commitment to the enterprise of international education, to developing in our students critical thinking, intellectual sophistication, and communication skills, and to instilling in them a strong and lasting engagement both with the intellectual content of the course, and with the program location to which it is intimately connected.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit the following application materials (either in English or in Japanese):

1. A cover letter, including a description of teaching experience and your philosophy on teaching Japanese as a foreign language, and thoughts on how you can contribute to CET Japan.
2. A Curriculum Vitae.
3. A list of Japanese teaching experience including the name of institutions, courses, levels, textbooks, teaching methodologies.
4. Copies of three teaching plans of different language levels.
5. Names and contact information for three professional references.
6. A video of the applicant teaching by URL Link

All materials should be sent to jobs@academic-travel.com