Assistant Professor, Japanese (TE)

The Department of East Asian Studies in the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (SILLC) at the University of Arizona invites applications for an in-person tenure-eligible position at the rank of Assistant Professor to serve as Japanese Language Program Director. This position will begin in August 2026.

We welcome applicants whose area of research specialization engages with theories of language, broadly conceived, especially the social and cultural dimensions of language acquisition and usage. While the area of expertise is open, preference will be given to candidates in Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics or Sociocultural Linguistics, Japanese Language Pedagogy, East Asian Studies, and related fields in an East Asian context.

We seek a candidate who will provide leadership and innovation in our Japanese language program while pursuing a research agenda that compliments our departmental strengths in Japanese literature, religious studies, and history. Demonstrated success in developing online Japanese courses is especially desirable. Native or near-native proficiency in English and Japanese is required, and a Ph.D. in hand is required at the time of appointment.

Application review begins November 15, 2025.

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities and inspire on campus and throughout the world a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; sick leave and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

The successful candidate will direct the Japanese Language
Program, supervising instructors and teaching assistants across all levels of
the language curriculum. Teaching responsibilities will include general
education courses for undergraduates, upper-level undergraduate and graduate
seminars in the candidate's area of expertise, and Japanese-language courses.

The candidate is expected to maintain an active research agenda
with promise of scholarly achievement, contribute to and expand grant-related
projects in Japanese language education, and support recruitment of
undergraduate majors and graduate students in Japanese and East Asian Studies. The successful candidate will also have opportunities to
collaborate with the Center for East Asian Studies, the Center for Educational
Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy, the Graduate Interdisciplinary
Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT), and
numerous initiatives connecting language and culture across the University of
Arizona campus. The new hire will
also have the ability to work effectively with the department head, faculty,
staff, and students.

• Faculty members on
  the tenure-track in the College of Humanities with a regular workload at the University of Arizona
  typically teach two courses each semester. Language program directors
  receive course reductions. The teaching assignments for this position may
  include Japanese language courses, a general education course, and
  upper-level courses related to Japanese or East Asian linguistics or
  language pedagogy, and/or a graduate course for the M.A. and Ph.D.
  programs in East Asian Studies in the candidate's area of specialization.

• Direct the Japanese
  Language Program, including supervision of instructors and teaching assistants.
• Maintain an active research
  agenda and record of publication commensurate with a Research I institution.
• Assist
  in recruiting East Asian Studies majors and graduate students, including
  participating in Departmental and College-wide activities such as East Asian
  Studies Festival, Meet Your Major Fair, Study Abroad Fair, Language Fair,
  Convocation, Welcome Back receptions, Homecoming, study abroad programs,
  Commencement, and the Tucson Humanities Festival.
• Contribute
  to departmental, college, and university
  service priorities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Robust research skills.
• Demonstrated student-centered pedagogical
  knowledge.
• Superior communication and collaboration
  skills in both Japanese and English.
• Ability to teach a variety of
  undergraduate and graduate courses related to Japanese or East Asian
  languages and applied linguistics.
• Ability to
  develop and deliver online and hybrid Japanese language courses.
• Demonstrated interest and potential in
  recruiting undergraduate students in the Japanese language program, East
  Asian Studies majors, and graduate students.
• Demonstrated commitment to best practices in teaching and pedagogical leadership, including an ability to teach in multiple modalities (in person, hybrid, online).
• Demonstrated student-centered pedagogical knowledge; ability to serve the 21st-century educational needs of a student population with a broad range of experiences.

• Ph.D. in hand at time of appointment focusing
  on the social and cultural dimensions of language (e.g. Applied
  Linguistics, Sociolinguistics or Sociocultural Linguistics, Japanese
  Language Pedagogy, East Asian Studies, or related fields in an East Asian
  context).
• Native or near-native proficiency in Japanese
  and English.
• Evidence or promise of scholarly
  achievement aligned with the expectations of a Research I university.

• Experience in innovative Japanese language curriculum development, course design, and program management.
• Experience with contributing to grant projects related to Japanese language education.

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• Writing sample
• Digital teaching portfolio, which will include:
  
  • A teaching philosophy statement; a recruitment of undergraduate majors approach statement; and a research statement (combined into one attachment).
    
  • A lower-division language course syllabus reflecting innovative teaching and a graduate Methods course syllabus both developed by the candidate, lesson plans, formative and summative assessments and feedback; and evidence of professional development (conference attendance, webinar and workshop participation), and a reflective statement on the evidence presented (combined into one attachment).
    
  • Two recently completed (quantitative and qualitative data) teaching evaluations (combined into one attachment).
    
  • Optional but beneficial components may include: awards, recognitions, and certificates, community engagement, and recording of teaching (combined into one attachment).