Reference Data:
Kemm, R (2026). Self-publishing as practice-based inquiry in Japanese university EFL. In B. Lacy, M. Swanson, & H. Yoder (Eds.), LanguageS: Learning, Teaching, Assessing – JALT 50 Years – Challenges and Perspectives. JALT. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTPCP2025-27
This paper reports a narrative inquiry into the process of writing, self-publishing, and revising a textbook for first-year Japanese university students studying English as a Foreign Language. Developed in response to dissatisfaction with commercially produced materials, the textbook adopted an approach based on extended collaborative tasks intended to increase student engagement and support authentic communication. Drawing on reflective memos, classroom observations, textbook annotations, and informal feedback from students and colleagues, the study traces the project across stages of design, classroom implementation, and revision. The findings illustrate how self-publishing functioned as a site of teacher agency, iterative reflective practice, and professional learning, while also revealing the often overlooked practical and emotional labour involved in materials production. The paper argues that, despite its challenges, self-publishing represents a viable and contextually responsive alternative to commercial textbooks in university EFL settings.
本研究は、日本の大学における初年次英語学習者向け教材の執筆、自費出版、および改訂の過程をナラティブ・インクワイアリーにより検討したものである。市販教材への不満から開発された本教材は、学習者の参加促進と真正なコミュニケーション支援を目的とした協働的な長期タスクを中心に構成された。省察メモ、授業観察、教材注記、学生および同僚からの非公式なフィードバックを分析した結果、自費出版は教師のエージェンシー、省察的実践、専門的成長の場として機能する一方、教材作成に伴う実務的・感情的負担も明らかとなった。以上より、自費出版は課題を伴うものの、大学EFL教育における文脈に即した市販教材の有力な代替手段となり得ることが示唆された。
