Beyond The Abstracts: Narrative Journeys – Daniel Hooper (February 2025, Episode 15)

Description

In Episode 15 of Beyond the Abstracts I speak with Daniel Hooper. Daniel is an associate professor in the Department of English Communication at Tokyo Kasei University. He has lived in Japan since 2006 and has taught in conversation schools, elementary and junior high classrooms, and within higher education during that time. He is also passionate about learner autonomy and self-access language learning and has been involved in establishing and managing self-access centers within two different universities. His research interests include communities of practice, educational transitions, learner and teacher identity and wellbeing, critical applied linguistics, and reflective practice in language teaching. In this episode Daniel starts by discussing his experiences as a Brit living in Japan, his journey learning Japanese, and how that connects to his interest in self-access learning. Our conversation focuses on his brand new book, Students’ Narrative Journeys in Learning Communities: Mapping Landscapes of Practice, published in 2025. The discussion explores themes like learner transitions, communities, and the distinction between learner agency and autonomy. Daniel then introduces key case studies from the book, highlighting individuals’ journeys and lessons for language educators in Japan and globally. In closing, Daniel gives us a sneak peek at his upcoming projects. This conversation will be invaluable for those interested in longitudinal or ethnographic methods of researching identity in autonomy and self-access. Learn more: Publications by Daniel: Hooper, D. (2025). Mediating educational transitions with near-peer role models in the language classroom. Teaching English as a Second Language Electronic Journal (TESL-EJ), 28(4). https://doi.org/10.55593/ej.28112a6 Hooper, D. (2025). Students’ narrative journeys in learning communities: Mapping landscapes of practice. Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/36 Hooper, D., Egitim, S., & Hofhuis, J. (2025). Exploring the impact of near-peer role modeling on learners’ basic psychological needs: Insights from English classes in Japanese higher education. International Journal of Educational Research Open, 100429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedro.2024.100429 Watkins, S., & Hooper, D. (2023). From student to community leader: A guide for autonomy-supportive leadership development. Candlin & Mynard. https://doi.org/10.47908/25 Other works discussed: Mynard, J. (2019). Advising and self-access learning: Promoting language learner autonomy beyond the classroom. In H. Reinders, S. Ryan, & S. Nakamura (Eds.), Innovations in language learning and teaching: The case of Japan (pp. 185–209). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12567-7_10 Stenner, P. (2021). Theorising liminality between art and life: The liminal sources of cultural experience. In B. Wagoner & T. Zittoun (Eds.), Experience on the edge: Theorizing liminality (pp. 3–42). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83171-4_1 Stewart, A. & Miyahara, M. (2011). Parallel universes: globalization and identity in English language teaching at a Japanese university. In P. Seargeant (Ed.), English in Japan in the era of globalization (pp. 60–79). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230306196_4 Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932 Zittoun, T. (2008). Learning through transitions: The role of institutions. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 23(2), 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03172743