In this issue’s Teaching Assistance column, the author describes three practical interactions: building relationships, respecting the teacher in charge, and echoing. Working as a head teacher, Bilal Dia (see Figure 1) suggests that assistant language teachers can effectively leverage these actions to build rapport with Japanese teachers of English in staffrooms and classrooms at any junior high or senior high school in Japan.
In Japanese schools, the difference between a lively, engaging lesson and a stiff, silent one often comes down to chemistry—not between students, but between the assistant language teacher (ALT) and the Japanese teacher of English (JTE). One brings rhythm, the other structure. One brings spark, the other stability. When they click, the whole room responds. When they do not, even the best lesson plan can fall flat.
Carless (2006) notes that the success of team teaching depends less on technical strategies and more on the quality of teacher relationships. Drawing on experience of supporting teaching teams across schools, I have come to believe that three quiet moves make the biggest difference: building relationships, respecting the teacher in charge, and echoing. These are not flashy, but when practiced with intention, they change everything.
The first is building relationships. That starts with seeing the job title for what it is. For instance, assistant language teacher, assistant English teacher, and assistant foreign language teacher all share one word: “assistant.” That is not a weakness; it is a signal. Support is the job, and support begins with connection. As Kang and Chen (2024) note, trust often develops not through grand gestures, but through consistent, low-stakes engagement. You cannot assist someone you never talk to, so start simply. Ask your JTE how the last lesson went. Join them during uchi-awase (pre-lesson planning meetings) and actually listen. Mention the lunch menu, the school trip, or the sport or chorus festival students keep talking about. You do not need perfect grammar; you need presence, humility, and curiosity. We are language teachers; that means we model communication, so we should communicate with the JTE and ask questions. Laugh at your own mistakes and keep it warm.
One ALT whom I observed noticed a JTE juggling materials while hurrying down the stairs. Without a word, the ALT stepped in, offered to help carry things, and walked beside them smiling. That moment was not scripted; it was human. Later, that same ALT casually asked how the school trip went. When the JTE mentioned a cake shop the students liked, the ALT actually visited it over the weekend, snapped a photo, and shared it with the school staff on Monday. Trust did not arrive with trumpet fanfare, but it grew quietly. By exam season, the ALT offered to help mark tests. There was no announcement: just steady, human-level support—and it worked.
The second move is respecting the teacher in charge. As Tajino et al. (2016) explained in their framework on team teaching, effective collaboration depends on the mutual recognition of each teacher’s domain. This builds directly on rapport. JTEs have closer relationships with students: They speak the same language, share the same culture, and know the families. That comes with responsibility and authority. In most students’ eyes, the JTE is the leader. The ALT’s job is to make that leader shine. We are not there to steal the spotlight. We are there to show how adults from different backgrounds can cooperate in front of a room full of students. Respecting the JTE’s position models exactly that, and when plans change or tension appears, our response sets the tone.
In one high school, an ALT was leading a production activity planned in advance with the JTE, but the class was not getting along. Students got quiet, and the JTE stepped in and suggested switching to something simpler. It was sudden, and the ALT had not expected it. Instead of freezing or frowning, the ALT smiled and said, “That sounds good. Let’s go for it.” The students refocused, and the JTE looked relieved. The lesson recovered smoothly. Mahoney (2020) observes that these moments, where the ALT defers to the JTE with grace, can demonstrate intercultural cooperation in front of students, modeling exactly what English education often aims to teach. What could have been an awkward moment became a live demo of mutual respect. That is what students remember.
The third move is echoing. It is easy to overlook but surprisingly powerful. Echoing means repeating or rephrasing what someone else says, so the message lands clearly. If the JTE gives an instruction in Japanese, the ALT follows up in English. For example, if the JTE says “futari de onegaishimasu,” then the ALT can say, “Please work in pairs.” It is the same message but provides more clarity. The same works with students. If a learner says, “beach,” the ALT can say, “Oh, you went to the beach? That sounds fun.” Suddenly, the word becomes part of a real conversation.
Butler (2011) emphasizes the importance of responsiveness in language input, noting that confirmation and repetition help students feel understood. In one class, a shy student quietly said “baseball” during a summer vacation activity. The ALT smiled and said, “Baseball? Nice. I like baseball, too. Did you play or watch?” The student answered softly, and the ALT thanked them for sharing. Instead of praising the English, the ALT just kept the tone relaxed. Then the ALT turned to the JTE and asked, “How about you?” The JTE said they prefer basketball. Because the class was paying attention, the ALT suggested, “Let’s do a quick survey. You take half, and I’ll ask the others.” The JTE agreed, and together they gave every student a chance to speak. A whisper became a ripple.
These three moves may look small on paper, but they shift the rhythm of team teaching. They turn awkward silences into shared momentum. They turn polite distance into trust, and they remind us that being an assistant does not mean being passive. It means using timing, empathy, and awareness to make things click. Rapport is not forced. It is earned, one small decision at a time.
References
Butler, Y. G. (2011). The implementation of communicative and task-based language teaching in the Asia-Pacific region. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 31, 36–57. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190511000122
Carless, D. R. (2006). Good practices in team teaching in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. System, 34(3), 341–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2006.02.001
Kang, H., & Chen, H. (2024). Effects of teachers’ rapport-building strategies on EFL learners’ cognitive load and computer-assisted language learning motivation. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 3911–3952. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12961-z
Mahoney, S. (2020). A new era: Non-native English-speaking assistants. JES Journal, 20(1), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.20597/jesjournal.20.01_210
Tajino, A., Stewart, T., & Dalsky, D. (Eds.). (2016). Team teaching and team learning in the language classroom: Collaboration for innovation in ELT. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315718507
