A Road Less Traveled? A Duoethnography of Two Filipino Scholars in Japan During the COVID-19 Pandemic
摘要
Recent scholarly works on Filipino English language teachers in Japan range from topics on Assistant Language Teachers or ALTs, an organization supporting Filipino English language teachers, Filipino female English teachers in the tertiary level, being an outsider teacher, with recurring themes on native speakerism. However, to date, there is only one study on ALTs’ well-being during COVID-19-related school closures. This chapter aims to contribute to this literature by introducing several themes from broader research on the professional identities of two Filipino migrants teaching English in Japan. It reveals their migrant experiences during the pandemic, relating to issues of gender, race, and identity. Through a duoethnographic research approach, this study highlights how positionality leads to multiple experiences and perspectives of the pandemic. The authors, who do not have linguistic educational backgrounds, engage in a dialogue by revealing their professional experiences as researchers and English language teachers. Through an intersectional lens, this chapter delves into the authors’ reflections during COVID-19; it shows how their migration pathways intersect or are parallel with the trajectories of other teachers in Japan.