Eric K. Ku
Ph.D. in TESOL
Specially Appointed Associate Professor
Research Faculty of Media and Communication
Hokkaido University
Contact: ericku718@gmail.com
New Monograph
Teachers of Multiple Languages
This book argues that teachers of multiple languages (TMLs) form a distinct group of language teachers and that the study of this largely overlooked demographic group can reveal new insights into how we perceive and research language teachers. The book highlights the narratives of three TMLs from diverse global contexts, examining their journeys in navigating their careers as well as traversing multiple worlds and developing additional ways of being through new identities, beliefs and emotions. The author demonstrates that teaching multiple languages is an emerging transnational phenomenon that cuts across age, languages, countries, institutions and career stages. The book offers a new perspective on how language teaching careers are changing in an increasingly globalized, multilingual world.
Book Highlights
— New topic in applied linguistics and language education
— Comphrensive literature review on “teachers of multiple of languages”
— Qualitative methodology: narrative inquiry & photo-elicitation
Purchase
Book Reviews
At last, we hear and learn about teachers of multiple languages (TMLs). This book defines what this concept means, and then brings it to life with wonderfully crafted narratives of TMLs. Something we all know about, but rarely talk about, finally comes out from behind the shadows. An excellent book – well worth a read.
— Gary Barkhuizen, University of Auckland, New Zealand
This book makes a unique and outstanding contribution to teacher education. Ku grounds his investigation in the existing realities of our multilingual world and puts teachers of multiple languages under the spotlight. The creative use of narrative inquiry offers a compelling and brilliant analysis of the complexity of identities, beliefs, and emotions. Ku’s powerful writing, resourceful examples, and rich knowledge make this book an excellent resource for a wide variety of audiences.
— Hayriye Kayi-Aydar, University of Arizona, USA
This book takes a much-needed fresh look at the complex identity work in which teachers of multiple languages engage. Ku examines the intricate relationship between this under-researched group’s teacher identities, beliefs and emotions. Well-grounded in the extant literature, Ku’s study offers robust analyses of rich data sources and makes an outstanding contribution to current conceptualization of language teacher identity.
— Bedrettin Yazan, The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA
Other Publications
Ku, E. K., Furukawa, G., & Hiramoto, M. (2021). “EFL + α”: Attitudes towards English use in Japan around necessity, value, and ability. International Journal of TESOL Studies., 3(3), 153-168. https://doi.org/10.46451/ijts.2021.10.06
Ku, E. K., & Liu, Y-T. (2021). Integrating language teacher identity into competency-based language teacher education. In A. Y. Wang (Ed.), Competency-based teacher education for English as a foreign language: Theory, research and practice (pp. 39-56). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003212805
Ku, E. K. (2020). Dear Eric: An autoethnodrama of exploring professional legitimacy as a transnational EFL instructor. In B. Yazan, S. Canagarajah, & R. Jain (Eds.), Autoethnographies in ELT: Transnational identities, pedagogies, and practices (pp. 88-106). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003001522
Ku, E. K. (2020). “Waiting for my red envelope”: Discourses of sameness in the linguistic landscape of a marriage equality demonstration in Taiwan. Critical Discourse Studies, 17(2), 156-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405904.2019.1656655
Ku, E. K. (2019). “Can we do a not-all-in-English drama for kids?”: Translingual practices in an EFL play. English Teaching & Learning, 43(1), 5-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42321-018-0012-6
Research Interests
Research Interests
- language teacher, language learner identities
- narrative inquiry, narrative analysis
- linguistic landscapes
- multilingualism, translingualism
- multimodal compositions, multimodal pedagogies
Workshop (at JALT Conference 2022)
Multimodal Compositions for Academic Writing
— November 22, 2020 —
Multimodal compositions can be an effective way to teach multiliteracy skills in EFL writing classes. However, designing assignments that address both academic writing and multiliteracy skills can be difficult. To address this problem, this workshop introduces “multimodal remediation-based compositions” (MRCs), in which students convert a composition from one mode to another. Using authentic student examples, the workshop discusses how to design MRCs, apply MRCs to different courses, assess MRCs, and incorporate MRCs into existing curricula.
Eric K. Ku 