What a Growth Mindset Means to Me

Abstract

As Japan’s population declines, and universities compete for students, the bar has risen for teachers who are now competing for positions at a decreasing number of universities. When I arrived in 1993, a master’s degree was enough to guarantee a contract position. Now a PhD in linguistics or applied linguistics is fast becoming a necessity. One generally non-negotiable item in the present day is a record of publications. In the distant past, gaikokujin kyoshi may have been exempt from the publish-or-perish mindset, but this is no longer true.