An Investigation of Emergency Remote Teaching Conditions and EFL at Japanese Universities

[Abstract] In spring 2020 due to the COVID–19 pandemic there was a sudden shift to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). Although Japan is a technology rich society, the use of technology in education had been limited up until then. This pilot study explores the experiences of Japanese university EFL teachers from spring 2020 until summer 2022. A survey was formulated to investigate: to what extent EFL teachers in Japan are likely to continue using some of the digital tools they started using during ERT, what level of training was provided and if that assistance was found useful by teachers during ERT, and what styles of ERT classes were offered by institutions throughout the three Japanese academic years under investigation and if they indicate any new trends as universities shift away from ERT. This paper will look at the overall results (N=31) of the survey, as well as the voluntary open-ended responses that offer further important insights to the results. Results showed positive attitudes towards continued use of digital tools, but that training and support were lacking during ERT. In concluding the paper, the authors offer suggestions for the future use of technology beyond the pandemic