One of the most common questions new ALTs ask is if they should use Japanese at work – and if so, when.
Unfortunately, this is also a divisive question in the ALT community. Most of the advice floating around online is emotionally charged. Answers range from “How dare you use Japanese in Japan” to “Who cares if the kids learn English, use Japanese as much as you want.” Neither are particularly helpful for incoming ALTs.
The truth is that using Japanese in your schools is 100% an Every Situation is Different issue. But since just saying “ESID” and leaving it at that isn’t helpful, let’s walk through the issue and help clarify best practice.
Protect Yourself. Obey the Rules.
Every Situation Is Different, and sometimes that means there are explicit rules about language use that ALTs have to follow. If there is a formal policy, 9 times out of 10, the policy is “it’s fine to use Japanese with your JTEs, but not with the students.”
If you are given an explicit rule by your dispatch company, BOE, or JTE, obey it and consider yourself lucky. Unclear expectations are much more difficult to navigate!
More often, however, expectations will be communicated informally. Even if your JTE or vice principle doesn’t want you using Japanese with students, they may have trouble telling you directly.
Japanese culture makes direct confrontation difficult, and that includes asking the ALT not to use Japanese with students. Be on the lookout for “suggestions” or “friendly advice” that are actually commands. Particularly if they’re repeated!
Use Japanese with Coworkers?
In 99% of cases, using Japanese with your coworkers is not just acceptable, it’s greatly appreciated.
ALTs who can use even basic Japanese with coworkers can:
- Reduce friction in daily communication
- Speed up logistics and coordination
- Prevent misunderstandings
- Contribute in more areas than just the classroom
Using Japanese with coworkers (JTEs or not) signals effort and consideration. It shows that you’re trying to meet people halfway instead of expecting English accommodation at all times.
That said, you’re likely to have one or two coworkers who prefer to use English with you. This is usually because they don’t get many other opportunities to use English, or even simply enjoy using English. It doesn’t mean they think you’re bad at Japanese!
You’ll also have coworkers that want to use English, but need to switch back to Japanese frequently. If you follow their lead, using English when they use English and using Japanese when they use Japanese, it helps build a trusting relationship.
Never Use Japanese with Students?
There are good reasons many schools think ALTs should only use English around students, including outside of class.
For most students, interacting with the ALT is their only chance to use and hear real spoken English. If students know the ALT can communicate in Japanese, some won’t even try to use English with them. It can kill their motivation to stretch themselves and grow as language users.
From the school’s perspective, the ALT often serves as a clear signal that “It’s English Time,” particularly in the classroom. When you enter the classroom, they know they need to use English. If they need help in Japanese, they can ask the JTE.
For new ALTs, not using Japanese around students is the safest and simplest approach. It can also protect you from students asking inappropriate questions in Japanese (“Sensei, what’s nakadashi in English?”) or even give you opportunities to eavesdrop on conversations!
Use Japanese Outside the Classroom?
While almost all ALTs and JTEs agree that ALTs should not be using Japanese in the classroom, there is a case to be made for ALTs using Japanese with students in informal situations.
ALTs who use Japanese with their students during downtime aren’t doing it just because they want to practice their Japanese. They’re doing it because it helps them build a relationship with all of their students – not just the ones that are confident enough to use English.
Most of the pro-Japanese-usage arguments boil down to two core points:
- Many students are intimidated by foreign people
- Many students can’t communicate anything in English
For an average 5th grader in rural Japan with limited exposure to the outside world, the idea of interacting with a foreign adult can be intimidating. When you then tell them they also have to use their extremely limited English, it can feel psychologically impossible.
It’s true that some students will be less motivated to use English if they know the ALT speaks Japanese. At the same time, many will feel more comfortable talking to the ALT if they know they can use Japanese as a back-up. Having Japanese as a psychological safety net can make trying to use English less embarrassing.
It’s true students who don’t know you speak Japanese are less likely to ask inappropriate questions (“Sensei, what’s chinchin in English?”). That’s a good thing for ALTs. However, it can also discourage students from asking appropriate questions about English and life in foreign countries. If they don’t have a certain level of confidence in their English abilities, it can prevent organic interaction and learning from happening.
Finally, some students actually get motivated to use English when they see the ALT successfully using Japanese. There’s a sense of, “If they can do it, so can I.”
Many Japanese students are embarrassed to use English because they’re afraid of making mistakes. Seeing ALTs communicate in Japanese successfully despite making mistakes can show students that it’s okay to try.
Use Japanese In the Classroom?
While many schools tolerate (or even support) ALTs using Japanese with students in informal situations, ALTs using Japanese in the classroom is almost always not allowed.
There are good reasons for this.
- The JTE can handle questions in Japanese in the classroom
- Most ALTs aren’t as good at using Japanese as they think
- It harms the English-language atmosphere of the classroom
While JTEs might not be around to support a quick question in the hallway, they will be available in the classroom. That means there’s no risk of discouraging good questions if the ALT sticks to English.
It’s a sad fact that most ALTs drastically overestimate their Japanese language ability. Particularly when it comes to giving instructions for games or explaining grammar points in Japanese, most ALTs are going to cause more harm than good.
Finally, it’s undeniable that when the ALT uses Japanese in English class, it breaks some of the magic of having an English-language space. Students have all of the rest of their classes in Japanese – let them have one in English!
In our opinion, it is almost never appropriate for the ALT to be using Japanese in the classroom. There will be some rare exceptions and fringe cases, but for 99% of ALTs 99% of the time, there’s more value in maintaining an English-only environment than any hypothetical gains from using Japanese.
There will be some ALTs (and prospective ALTs) who will want to argue there are special cases where using Japanese in the classroom is justifiable. These include:
- If the JTE is not present
- Clarifying instructions
- Preventing confusion or panic in an emergency
- Managing behavior issues
Clarifying instructions and preventing panic in an emergency can seem like reasonable exceptions at first glance. However, as we have said, most ALTs are not as good at Japanese as they think.
Particularly in an emergency situation, using Japanese incorrectly can have serious consequences. If you give safety instructions incorrectly, you are more likely to cause harm than to prevent it. It’s much more effective to model correct behavior than to try to give verbal instructions in a language you don’t fully understand in a highly stressful, dangerous situation.
The same logic applies for clarifying instructions in class or managing behavior issues. Unless your Japanese is near-native level, you are more likely to add to the confusion than anything else.
If a class activity requires complex instructions that cannot be communicated with simple English and gesturing, it’s probably level-inappropriate. You and your students will be better served by simplifying the activity.
And if you think a misbehaving student will settle down because you yelled at them in broken Japanese… buddy, your bad grammar and pronunciation are just going to throw oil on the fire. They’re going to find it hilarious that you’re trying to get tough with them.
The Short Version
The question of using Japanese in Japanese schools shouldn’t be about ALT ego or adherence to some abstract teaching ideology. It should be about doing what’s best for the people who are in front of you.
For most students most of the time, that means pushing them to use English even when Japanese would be either for both of you.
For JTEs and other coworkers, do your best to match their expectations. If they ask you something in English, answer in English. If they ask you something in Japanese, answer in Japanese.
There is a case to be made for using Japanese with students outside of the classroom to help build relationships, but it’s almost never appropriate to use Japanese in the classroom. And if there are formal rules or clear instructions regarding language use, your personal theory on what’s the best pedagogical technique will not protect you if you break the rules.
When in doubt, err on the side of humility.
What to Read Next
JTE Collaboration
How language choices affect working relationships.
Demo Lesson Basics
How language use is evaluated in hiring.
Life in the Japanese Workplace
Understanding unspoken expectations.
For deeper discussion of classroom expectations and language use across different placements, these topics are covered in So You Want to Be an ALT.
ALT Roadmap 