TOKYO-TO--The Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University in Hachioji invites applications for a three-year position as lecturer/associate professor to begin April, 2000.

QUALIFICATIONS: Native-speaker competency in English with an MA or higher degree in a field related to English teaching (TESOL, TEFL, linguistics, literature, etc.), together with a strong commitment to and research interests in language education. Teaching experience in a Japanese university is desired, as is a sufficient level of Japanese for dealing with office procedures. Preference will be given to applications 35 years of age or younger.

DUTIES: Teach six classes per week of freshmean and sophomore English Composition; later, other courses will be included (ELT methodology and thesis writing); partipation in meetings and committee work; teach some classes in evening division.

SALARY AND BENEFITS: Three-year position which is renewable and may become permanent pending the decision of the Humanities faculty; salary dependent on age, qualifications, and experience to Tokyo metropolitan government wage scale; health insurance and pension included.

APPLICATION MATERIALS: Application form (see contact below), six copies of all application materials, including: curriculum vitae with photograph and a list of publications, copies of the three most representative publications with abstracts which show evidence of original research, cover letter of introduction outlining the applicant's approach to teaching in a Japanese university, two letters of recommendation, one of which is from a Japanese, preferably a colleague.

DEADLINE: October 26, 1998.

CONTACT: Eloise P. Hamatani, Department of English, Tokyo Metroplitan University, 1-1 Minami Osawa, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-03.

(Courtesy JALT's The Language Teacher Job Information Center, September 1998, pg 74.)

Comments: With six classes, plus more later, plus evening courses, this is a heavy workload by any standards. Ironic is the stipulation of "a strong commitment to and research interests in language education" under qualifications--there should also be a strong commitment on the employer's part to job security without contracting, to enable the employee's commitment to flower; three years is not enough. Plus, the prospect of a "permanent" position has been a Trojan horse on many a job offer from other universities, and with no specific "up-or-out" deadline stipulated, this may be a perpetually-extendable condition. The stating of an age preference is also discriminatory.

Finally, why must one reference be a Japanese national? Is the word of "a foreigner" not good enough?