Innovation in Language Learning

This paper addresses how Japanese Language teachers in service increased awareness of teaching excellence by supervisory experience of other teacher portfolio.

In the context of developing mentor teachers’ reviewing skills and awareness, two consecutive studies were conducted using stimulated recall and questionnaire. Through focusing on reviewing the mentees’ teacher portfolios, junior mentor teachers emphasize not only their mentees’ needs and improvement as teachers but also reflection on their own performance in the development of their teacher portfolios.

The trials revealed the following three points: (1)mentor teachers could understand mentees’ actual expertise based on their educational philosophy by reviewing and carefully read mentees’ teacher portfolio; (2) through reviewing senior mentees’ personal history, junior teachers teaching overseas could know various career paths as a Japanese language teacher and focus on their own career decision; (3) defining short and long term objectives in their portfolio were effective for both mentees and mentors to plan their research and project for educational improvement.