Lecturer - Japanese

Utah State University•Logan, UT

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Department of World Languages & Cultures at Utah State University invites applications for a teaching-centered faculty position at the rank of Lecturer in Japanese. The position is based on the Logan, Utah campus, with an anticipated start date of August 1, 2027. The role is 90% teaching and 10% service, with teaching as the area of excellence. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in Japanese language teaching and a strong commitment to student success. The typical teaching load is 12–13 credit hours per semester. The lecturer will teach undergraduate Japanese language courses at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as content-based courses conducted in Japanese. Possible content areas include Japanese culture, business Japanese, literature, film, and related fields. The role also includes student mentoring and advising, program development, international and industry relationship-building, experiential and community-engaged learning, student club involvement, and department, college, and university service. Applicants must have a relevant master’s degree or higher completed by July 1, 2027; native or near-native Japanese proficiency (ACTFL OPI Distinguished level or equivalent); effective English communication skills; experience teaching undergraduate Japanese in North American higher education; demonstrated teaching excellence; and a commitment to proficiency-oriented language teaching. Preferred qualifications include ability to teach Business Japanese and Japanese culture, course or curriculum development experience, willingness to build industry and community connections, and experience supporting international education initiatives.

Requirements

A master’s degree in Japanese, Japanese language pedagogy, second language teaching, applied linguistics with a specialty in Japanese, education, or a closely related field; a master’s or PhD must be completed and in hand by July 1, 2027.
Native or near-native Japanese proficiency (ACTFL OPI Distinguished level or equivalent).
Effective English communication skills.
Experience teaching undergraduate Japanese courses in the North American higher education context.
Demonstrated excellence in Japanese language teaching.
Commitment to proficiency-oriented language teaching.

Nice To Haves

Ability to teach a Business Japanese course and courses in Japanese culture.
Willingness to build industry connections and community-engaged or experiential learning opportunities for students.
Experience developing new courses or in curriculum development.
Experience supporting study abroad, exchange, or other international education initiatives.

Responsibilities

Teach undergraduate Japanese language courses at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels, typically 12–13 credit hours per semester.
Teach content-based courses conducted in Japanese, potentially including Japanese culture, business Japanese, literature, film, and related fields.
Mentor and advise students inside and outside regular teaching hours.
Contribute to the continued development of the Japanese program.
Support and foster exchange and collaborative relationships with partner institutions in Japan.
Help build industry connections.
Foster community-engaged or experiential learning opportunities for students.
Participate in USU ETE-Center for Empowering Teaching Excellence professional development opportunities.
Participate in and help facilitate the student Japanese Club, including events in the Japanese Cultural Hub and community-engaged activities.
Participate in recruiting, retention, and alumni communication efforts for the Japanese and World Languages & Cultures programs.
Participate in service activities supporting the department, college, and university, and collaborate on activities within the department or with other campus units.