How does experience teaching in Japanese EFL classrooms inform English native-speaker educators classroom practices? The negotiation of face in university classrooms

Abstract Language teachers experience a range of challenges unique to the cultural and social contexts in which they work. To negotiate these challenges and facilitate language acquisition, teachers draw on linguistic and sociocultural knowledge of the L1 and L2. United by a desire to develop and/or maintain positive aspects of face, students and their teachers employ culturally, socially and individually informed communicative strategies and behaviour to demonstrate individual worth and maintain classroom appropriateness. In this study, we analyzed the insights and practices of experienced and less experienced English native-speaker teachers (ENSTs) working with Japanese university students to identify challenges encountered within the classroom. The experienced language teachers (ExTs) identified a diverse array of challenges including student mental health, teacher fatigue and assessment transparency. In contrast, the less experienced teachers (LExTs) agreed that key challenges were student silence, use of the L1, and students sharing information. Focusing on the themes identified by the LExTs, we observed student/teacher interaction during learning activities and isolated the linguistic practices and behaviours employed by both groups of teachers. Through examining classroom exchanges we hope to arrive at a deeper understanding of the linguistic politeness strategies employed by ENSTs and potential implications for the negotiation of face.