Project-based language learning with technology: learner collaboration in an EFL classroom in Japan

For other labels, which might be widely understood as different, the writers are searching for what they have in common, as in the duoethnography in Chapter 4 written by a Christian (Hartse) and a Muslim (Nazari). One interesting distinction is made by Kubota (Chapter 5) between the way people view themselves and how this may come across to others. In her case this is illustrated by her impression that her own wish for ‘openness, nonattachment and hyperself-reflexivity’ (70) can be seen by others as ‘naive or unrealistic’ (ibid). In a highly personal account Brown writes in Chapter 6 from the standpoint of a Buddhist who is aware of differences between his beliefs and his practice. His words may comfort readers who feel similarly challenged at the way ‘aspirations exceed […] abilities, as aspirations do’ (79). Then there are the differences within specific religions as explained by Sharma (chapter 7) in relation to Hinduism. So how does all this diversity come together to answer the questions suggested by the book’s title? Thanks to the frankness of some of the entries we have many examples of identity, teaching style and context, the latter including the strong influence of the prescribed materials. One anecdote involved the familiar problem of text book content designed in one part of the world and unsuitable for use in a place with very different values. Some chapters could be useful for teachers moving to teach in a country very different from their own such as Sharma’s with its many practical tips for people setting out to teach in a Hindu-derived society and Shaaban’s detailed analysis of ‘multifaith, multilingual Lebanon’ (132) in Chapter 10. Anyone wanting to explore further the psychology of teachers could turn to a title by Mercer and Kostoulas (2018) also from Multilingual Matters. As those editors say in their introduction, when we reflect on our schooldays we remember especially our teachers, ‘the kind of people they were, the atmosphere they created in their classrooms’ and so on.(1). It would be easy to imagine teachers using this book as the basis for a discussion group with each person reporting on the effect on them of a particular chapter. What did readers find most applicable to themselves, most difficult to accept, most surprising and so on? For people wanting to reflect further on this topic there is no shortage of sources as indicated by the readings lists that follow each chapter.