Supporting Japanese language teachers in Malaysia: Are we doing enough?

Foreign language education has often been overlooked in terms of space and value and this has impacted the amount of support and professional development that its teachers receive. In Malaysia, Japanese language is among the foreign language offered in schools and universities. As of the year 2021, there are more than 38,129 students learning Japanese language and over 215 institutions offering courses for the language all over the country. Despite the encouraging progress, Malaysia is facing a shortage of Japanese language teachers. While the exact reason behind the attrition of teachers is yet to be identified, research indicates that the lack of support and professional development are among the key factors. While training programs are offered year-round by teacher associations and organisations such as The Japan Foundation and MAJLIS, these programs are largely voluntary and often limited in the number of seats available for participants. This paper is an examination of the current efforts in providing support and development for non-native Japanese language teachers in Malaysia and explores suggestions that can be considered to facilitate teacher development in the country.