Good practices in team teaching in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong

Abstract

Team teaching between native English speaking teachers and local L2 English teachers has become an increasingly common phenomenon in schooling in the East Asia region. The relevant literature reports some positive impacts of team teaching and also highlights some of the challenges or conflicts which arise. The aim of this paper is to focus on reporting and analysing good practices in intercultural team teaching. I draw on interviews and classroom observations from three schemes in which native and non-native speaking English teachers have worked together as part of efforts to improve English language standards of school children. The three initiatives from which qualitative data are drawn are: the Japan Exchange and Teaching programme (JET); the English Program in Korea (EPIK); and the Primary NET scheme in Hong Kong (PNET). The paper concludes by summarising some of the good practices discussed and proposing some characteristics of successful team teaching. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.