Preceptor in Japanese

Position Description

The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University seeks applications for a full-time Preceptor in Japanese. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2025. The preceptor will be responsible for acting as instructor in charge of one of the levels of Japanese taught at Harvard, between elementary and advanced (fifth year level), and for training and supervising instructors in the Japanese program.

This is a term appointment of three years, renewable for a term of up to five years (eight years in total), contingent on performance, enrollments, curricular need, position availability, and divisional dean authorization.

Basic Qualifications

The successful applicant should have native or near-native command of modern standard Japanese, both written and spoken, be able to teach modern Japanese at any level, elementary through advanced, to learners whose native language is English, and be well trained in the issues of teaching Japanese as a foreign language.

Additional Qualifications

An M.A. degree or higher in Japanese Linguistics, Japanese Pedagogy, Foreign Language Education, Second Language Acquisition, or a closely related field, and several years of experience teaching modern Japanese at the college level in the United States are preferred. Experience in computer-assisted language teaching is also desirable.

Special Instructions

1. Cover letter, including a description of the candidate’s teaching/advising philosophy and practices as well as their approach to creating a learning environment in which every student is encouraged to ask questions and share their ideas.
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Names and contact information of three to five referees, who will be asked by a system-generated email to upload a letter of recommendation once the candidate’s application has been submitted. Three letters of recommendation are required, and the application is considered complete only when at least three letters have been received.

Contact Information

Jennifer Crist
Language Program Manager
5 Bryant Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

Contact Email

eal@fas.harvard.edu

Equal Opportunity Employer

The health of our community is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

Harvard University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

Minimum Number of References Required: 3

Maximum Number of References Allowed: 5

Required Documents

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover Letter

Optional Documents

1. URL
2. Video