Abstract

Despite the increase of Filipino ALTs (Assistant Language Teachers) in Shizuoka, Japan, research about these teachers’ lived experiences and their stories of professional development remains quite scarce. Hence, this narrative inquiry investigates the professional development of Filipino ALTs in Japan, focusing on the adjustments they make and the skills they acquire to succeed in an educational and cultural environment so different from their own. From the stories told by two participants, three key themes emerged: adapting to a new educational and cultural landscape, learning through relationships and reflection, and excelling as educators and cultural mediators. The Filipino ALTs’ journeys demonstrate that global education can be relational, intercultural, dialogical, and transformative. Despite the study’s limitations, the findings have implications for educational institutions, policymakers, Japanese and Filipino educators, teacher education, and researchers.