Filipino English teachers in Japan: Exploring subject positioning in teaching experiences

This paper focused on the teaching experiences of Filipino English teachers in Japan. It aimed to find out how the Filipino teachers position themselves and establish their own identities as teachers of English as a foreign language. The first research question sought to find out the roles and responsibilities the Filipino English teachers have in the school. The second question wanted to know the achievements and successes that they have had as teachers in Japan. The third question wanted to find out the challenges that the Filipino English teachers have encountered and how they overcame them. Results showed that aside from a more relaxed and less stressful teaching English as a foreign language task, Filipino English teachers in Japan also serve as cultural ambassadors of the Philippines in their respective classrooms. And although they are usually recognized for doing a very good job, Filipino teachers also face some challenges that stem up from their being non-native English speakers.