The posting
About the role
The English Schools Foundation seeks an exceptional Japanese educator to lead first-language provision for students whose home language is Japanese, from their earliest years in primary school to the award of the IB Bilingual Diploma (Japanese A) in Year 13.
This is not a foreign-language teaching post. The Adviser is a native-level specialist who teaches Japanese literature and academic writing to native and near-native speakers, builds and sustains a community of families and volunteers around the value of bilingualism, and acts as mentor and advocate for young people navigating complex cultural identities within an English-medium international system. The role ensures that Japanese First Language students retain, deepen and formally accredit their home language, and carry it with confidence into universities and careers across the world.
The ESF Bilingual Hub
Founded in 2001 to focus on first-language provision, the Bilingual Hub supports ESF students whose home language is neither English nor Chinese. Its principal languages are Japanese, French and Korean, but it is committed to supporting any language a family requests. At the primary level, the Hub nurtures cultural identity and oral confidence through lunchtime and after-school sessions, typically led by parent volunteers under the Hub's guidance. From Year 7, teacher-led small-group and one-to-one tutorials build the literacy and analytical foundations for IB Language A, delivered as an extended curriculum beyond the school day.
Key responsibilities
Teaching: Year 7 to the Bilingual Diploma
- Design and deliver a coherent, progressive Japanese Language A programme from Year 7 to Year 13, specifically, MYP Language and Literature / DP Japanese A programme bridging the transition from primary and culminating in IB Diploma Language and Literature or Literature
- Teach literary analysis, critical and creative writing and academic discourse to native and near-native speakers, through small-group and one-to-one tutorials across multiple secondary campuses
- Build highly individualised programmes that respond to wide variation in students' language profile and proficiency, and foster the self-direction the bilingual pathway demands
- Fulfil all IB requirements, including teaching and learning for required exam components, comply with each school's reporting requirements, and maintain a strong record of attainment with collaboration with each school.
Primary provision and parents volunteer
- Lead Japanese home-language provision across ESF primary schools, recruiting, inducting, resourcing and quality-assuring parent volunteers
- Adapt delivery models as family circumstances change, and build early awareness of the pathway so a sustainable cohort progresses to secondary and the Diploma
Parent partnership and community
- Act as principal point of contact for Japanese-speaking families, holding one-to-one meetings and delivering workshops that make the case for bilingualism and set realistic expectations
- Navigate with tact the diverse values and aspirations within the Japanese-speaking community
- Cultivate links with the wider Japanese community in Hong Kong, including cultural institutions, visiting authors and artists
- Provide opportunities for the parents to build community around the issues of bilingualism, language acquisition and identity development through workshops, guest speakers and exhibition of students’ work
Advocacy, wellbeing and futures
- Mentor bilingual students over many years, with regular check-ins on progress and wellbeing
- Liaise with subject teachers and school leaders to secure protected timetabling, reasonable workload accommodations and adapted assessment arrangements
- Provide an affirming space for students to explore heritage and "third culture" identity, and advise on university applications in Japan and worldwide, helping students articulate bilingualism as an asset
Strategic contribution
- Collaborate with Hub colleagues in French and Korean to align approaches and share resources, and support the Hub's commitment to any requested language
- Work with others to raise the profile of the Hub and the Bilingual Diploma among leadership teams, staff and families, and contribute evidence and student voice to the Foundation's inclusion agenda
- Monitor participation, progression and attainment, and contribute to Hub planning and review
Person specification
Essential
- Native or native-level written and spoken Japanese, including the literary and academic registers required at IB Diploma level; professional fluency in English
- A degree in Japanese Language, Literature, Linguistics or Education, with a recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, PGDE or equivalent)
- Hong Kong Registered Teacher status, or eligibility to register, and the right to work in Hong Kong or eligibility to obtain it
- Substantial experience teaching Japanese as a first language, or Japanese literature, to secondary-aged students, ideally within IB Language A
- Experience of planning for learners with markedly different starting points, including those educated partly or wholly outside Japan
- Experience of working in partnership with parents from diverse backgrounds
- Sound understanding of heritage-language maintenance, bilingual development and the IB Diploma, specifically IB Japanese A Literature course requirements
- Warmth and commitment to sustain relationships with students over many years; exceptional organisation and self-management within an itinerant, multi-campus model; cultural intelligence and the diplomacy to advocate in schools where you are not permanently based
Desirable
- IB Middle Years Programme / Diploma Programme experience or design of pre-Diploma first-language literacy pathways
- Experience of recruiting, training or coordinating volunteers, or leading community language programmes
- Mentoring students through university applications, particularly to Japanese institutions
- Familiarity with translanguaging pedagogy and with the Hong Kong educational context
- Experience of developing digital or blended resources across dispersed sites
The nature of the role
This is a Centre-based, cross-Foundation position involving regular travel between ESF schools. The working pattern includes lunchtime, after-school and occasional evening or weekend commitments for teaching, parent engagement and cultural events.
The role carries significant professional autonomy: the Adviser is, in effect, the steward of Japanese first-language education across ESF.
For enquiries, please contact Karen Ng @ 37622653 or Email: [email protected]
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and offers may be extended prior to the job closing date. We strongly recommend early applications as we reserve the right to appoint candidates earlier than the closing date.
By applying for this position, your application may be considered for other opportunities (senior-level roles, head of department, etc.) within ESF.
ESF is an Equal Opportunities Employer
The English Schools Foundation (ESF) is fully committed to providing equal employment opportunities. ESF will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, colour, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, religion, veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, creed, citizenship or any other status protected by local laws or regulations.
Personal data provided by job applicants will be used strictly in accordance with the ESF's Personal Data Policy, a copy of which will be provided upon request.
ESF is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students in our care and expects all applicants to uphold this commitment. We adhere to rigorous recruitment practices, with all appointments contingent upon an interview, identity verification, criminal background checks (including ICPC, SCRC, and other international background checks as appropriate), assessment of social media presence, and positive references.
In accordance with the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025 guidelines, ESF may perform online checks for all shortlisted candidates prior to the interview.
About Us
The English Schools Foundation (ESF) is the largest English-medium international school organisation in Hong Kong. Our 22 schools and comprehensive programme of extra-curricular activities bring out the best in every student through a personalised approach to learning and by inspiring curious minds.
There are over 18,000 students from 75 different nationalities in ESF kindergartens, primary, secondary and all-through schools. www.esf.edu.hk
About the Team
The English Schools Foundation (ESF) is a modern, well-managed educational organisation, committed to offering an international education to students drawn from over 70 countries. We are proud to be at the forefront of the educational hub in Hong Kong. We actively take advantage of the opportunities that Hong Kong offers as Asia’s world city and the principal gate-way to China.
The curriculum, leading to the International Baccalaureate, is adapted to Hong Kong, and the Asia Pacific region. ESF’s 1,100 teachers are highly qualified bringing with them experience from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, the UK and many other international school systems. All schools offer a broad range of out-of-school activities in Hong Kong and overseas.
ESF has over 18,000 students. Our culture is one of joy in learning and pride in achievement. The great majority of our students study for the IB Diploma and gain entry to universities all over the world. ESF has a long-standing commitment to children with individual needs and is the principal provider for English-speaking children with special educational needs in Hong Kong. For further details about ESF, please visit our website at https://www.esf.edu.hk/.
