Profile

I am a PhD student of Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) in the department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of British Columbia. My research interests, shaped and informed by my experiences as an English teacher in Japanese public high schools, center around pedagogy aimed at fostering critical language awareness (e.g., sociolinguistically-informed ELT with a focus on World Englishes, English as an international language, and Global Englishes; antiracist ELT), language ideology, and teacher identity. Methodologically, I am interested in qualitative research designs such as participatory action research, case study research, and teacher/practitioner research. 

2007年から2021年まで横浜市立・神奈川県立高校で英語教員として働いていました。現在はブリティッシュコロンビア大学、 Language and Literacy Education (TESL）の博士課程に在籍しています。中心的な研究分野は、批判的言語意識を育むための言語教育（例：World Englishes, 国際共通語としての英語、Global Englishesに焦点を当てた、(批判的)社会言語学の知見を反映した英語教育；反人種主義に根ざした英語教育）、言語イデオロギー、さらには英語教員のアイデンティティーなどです。研究手法については、参加型アクションリサーチ、ケーススタディ、教員によるクラスルームリサーチなど、英語教育分野における質的研究法に興味があります。

Publications (Feel free to contact me for a copy of my papers.)

<Refereed Articles>

• Aoyama, R. (2023). World Englishes as pedagogical stance: Principles to consider in ELT. The Language Teacher, 47(2), 19–22. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTTLT47.2-3

• Kubota, R., Aoyama, R., Kajigaya, T., & Deschambault, R. (2022). Illuminating language users in the discourse of linguistic diversity: toward justice-informed language education. Educational Linguistics. https://doi.org/10.1515/eduling-2022-0011

• Aoyama, R., & Denton, L. (2022). Creating space for World Englishes perspectives in the ELT classroom: Voices of high school students in Japan. TESL-EJ, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.26101a5

• Aoyama, R. (2021). Language teacher identity and English education policy in Japan: Competing discourses surrounding “non-native” English-speaking teachers. RELC Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882211032999

• Aoyama, R., & Denton, L. (2020). Language choice of Japanese high school students in intra-national communication: Critical reflection on language use and users in Japan. KATE Journal, 34, 73–85. https://doi.org/10.20806/katejournal.34.0_73

• Aoyama, R. (2020). Exploring Japanese high school students’ L1 use in translanguaging in the communicative EFL classroom. TESL-EJ, 23(4), 1–18.

• Henderson Lee, S., Aoyama, R., Harris-Hoffstrom, C., Maya, A., & Pandey, S. (2019). L2 literacy instruction across global contexts: Reflections of emerging teacher-scholars. MinneTESOL Journal. 35(1). 

<Non-Refereed Articles (Invited)>

• Aoyama, R. (2022). Rethinking English language teaching through a translanguaging lens . The English Teachers' Magazine, 71(10), 22–23.

• Aoyama, R. (2020). Promoting learner autonomy in online English classes. The English Teachers' Magazine, 69(8), 34–35.

• Aoyama, R. (2020). Worksheets for high school integrated skills English classes. The English Teachers' Magazine, 69(2), 14–15.

• Aoyama, R. (2019). Developing L2 spoken interaction skills through an organizational approach. The English Teachers' Magazine, 68(7), 26–27.

• Aoyama, R. (2019). Understanding the connections between everyday teaching practice and the new university entrance exam. GCD Eigo Tsushin, 63, 7.

<Textbooks>

• Ehara, Y., Iwata, J., Murakoshi, R., Flower, Y., & Shaules, J., Aoyama, R., & Miyata, H. (2023). Panorama: English Communication II (Government-authorized textbook for upper secondary English education in Japan). Taishukan Publishing.

• Ehara, Y., Iwata, J., Murakoshi, R., Flower, Y., & Shaules, J., Aoyama, R., & Miyata, H. (2022). Panorama: English Communication I (Government-authorized textbook for upper secondary English education in Japan). Taishukan Publishing.

<Encyclopedia Entry>

• Aoyama, R., Kajigaya, T., Takeda, Y., Kubota, R., & Deschambault, R. (2023). On pedagogical applications of World Englishes: Stumbling blocks, stepping stones, and usefulness of boundaries in ELT. In R. Tierney, F. Rizvi, & K. Ercikan, International Encyclopedia of Education (4th ed., pp. 825–836). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818630-5.07020-2

<Book Review>

• Aoyama, R. (2022) [Review of the book, Language teacher education For Global Englishes: A practical resource book, edited by Ali Fuad Selvi and Bedrettin Yazan.] Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2098915

Presentations

<Refereed Conference Presentations>

• Aoyama, R. (2023, March). Implementing critical content-based instruction in the ELT classroom in Japan: Problems and proposals for change. The American Association for Applied Linguistics: AAAL 2023 Conference, Portland, OR.

• Aoyama, R. (2022, August). Exploring language teacher identity through illuminating discourses surrounding “non-native” English speaking teachers in English education policy in Japan. The Multidisciplinary Approaches in Language Policy and Planning Conference (LPP 2022), Montréal, QC.

• Aoyama, R. (2022, August). (Un)Learning and addressing race in the content-based ELT classroom. The Japan Society of English Language Education: The 47th Annual Convention (Online).

• Kubota, R., Aoyama, R., Kajigaya, T., &  Deschambault, R. (2022, March). Illuminating language users in the discourse of linguistic diversity: Toward justice-informed language education. The American Association for Applied Linguistics: AAAL 2022 Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.

• Aoyama, R. (2019, November). Factors influencing NNESTs’ identity and efficacy. The Japan Association for Language Teaching, Nagoya, Aichi.

• Shibata, M., Aoyama, R., & Denton, L. (2019, November). Academic writing: From high school to university. The Japan Association for Language Teaching, Nagoya, Aichi.

• Aoyama, R. (2019, August). High school students' use of L1 in English communicative classrooms.The Japan Society of English Language Education: The 45th Annual Convention, Hirosaki, Aomori.

• Henderson Lee, S., Aoyama, R., Harris-Hoffstrom, C., Maya, A., & Pandey, S. (2016, September). L2 literacies across global contexts: Applications of emerging teacher-scholars. MIDTESOL, Kansas City, Missouri.

• Homma, Y., Shimomura, A., Yoshikawa, T., Aoyama, R., & Fukushima, R. (2013, October). Three changes we are making in Japanese English education. MIDTESOL, Lawrence, Kansas. 

<Non-Refereed Conference Presentations>

• Aoyama, R. & Denton, L. (2021, December). Teaching World Englishes in Japanese High School: Practices, Pitfalls, and Possibilities. Kanto-Koshinetsu Association of Teachers of English: The 45th Annual Convention (Online).

• Aoyama, R. (2020, December). Intertwined multiple characteristics of NNEST identity: A case study of high school English teachers and a teacher trainer in Japan. Kanto-Koshinetsu Association of Teachers of English: The 44th Annual Convention (Online).

• Aoyama, R., & Denton, L. (2019, August). Language choice of Japanese high school students in intra-national communication: Critical reflection on language use and users in Japan. Kanto-Koshinetsu Association of Teachers of English: The 43rd Annual Convention, Yokohama, Kanagawa.

• Aoyama, R., & Pandey, S. (2017, March). A Japanese L2 writer's use of signposts in expository writing.The Graduate Scholars of English Association, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota.

<Invited Keynotes and Talks>

• Aoyama, R. (2023, February). World Englishes as a pedagogical stance: Toward sociolinguistically informed ELT. Massachusetts Association of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages, Emerging Scholars Circle SIG (Online).

• Aoyama, R., Yoshida, A., & Gonda, M. (2019, August). Collaborative language teaching through shared goals and instructional plans. High School English Teachers' Forum 2019, Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Yokohama, Kanagawa.

• Aoyama, R. (2015, January). The elements that hinder teacher collegiality in schools and the solutions. Action Research Center at Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa.

<Other>

• Aoyama, R. (2022, June). Race and English language teaching in Japan. Our Stories: A Living Library of Antiracist Pedagogy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

• Aoyama, R. (2015, January). JUSTE (Japan-US Training Exchange Program for English Language Teachers) Report. The Kanagawa Board of Education, Kanagawa Prefectural Institute of Language and Culture Studies, Yokohama, Kanagawa.

• Aoyama, R. (2014, October). Action research for the development of paragraph writing skills. Japan Educational Action Research Network, Yamagata, Yamagata.

Funding

• Mary Elizabeth Simpson Scholarship, University of British Columbia (2022)

• Faculty of Education Student EDID Funding Grants, "Our Stories: A Living Library of Antiracist pedagogy", University of British Columbia (2022) 

• LLED Graduate Student Travel Grant, University of British Columbia (2022)

• Joseph Katz Memorial Scholarship, University of British Columbia (2021)

• Four Year Fellowships, University of British Columbia (2021– present)

• Four Year Fellowships Tuition Award, University of British Columbia (2021– present)

• President's Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award, University of British Columbia (2021– present)

• International Tuition Award, University of British Columbia (2021– present)

• JALT2019 Scholarship, The Japan Association for Language Teaching (2019)