Ben Backwell is a full time teacher at Nagoya City University and previously taught for 9 years in secondary education here in Japan. His M.A. in TESOL and TEFL is from The School of International Training and his research is in learning skills that transcend education into our daily lives and important relationships.

Book list:

The relationships among perceived instructor rapport, student participation, and student learning out- comes Frisby, B. N., & Myers, S. A. (Texas Speech Communication Journal, 33)
First Class Teaching: Building rapport between teachers and students Haynes. L & Backwell. B (JALT Conference Proceedings 2010)
Group dynamics in the language classroom. Murphy, T. & Dornyei Z. (Cambridge)
Teaching languages: A way and ways. Stevick, E. (Heinle & Heinle)

Kim Horne is from the U.S. and has experience in acting, radio and TV. She began teaching English to children and training teachers in Japan in 2000. She currently works at a private kindergarten in Gifu.

Book list:

The Good in Me from A to Z Dottie Lisa Blecker
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes Eric Litwin
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse Kevin Henkes
ABC I Like Me! Nancy L. Carlson
I Like Me! Book & CD Nancy L. Carlson (Puffin Storytime)
I Can Share: A Lift-the-Flap Book Karen Katz
Yo! Yes? Christopher Raschka (Scholastic Bookshelf)

Donald Kinney has been an English instructor at a private kindergarten in Saitama Prefecture since 1996. In addition to very young learners, Mr. Kinney teaches students up through the age of thirteen. He is best known for a series of ESL textbooks created collaboratively with his brothers and published by Kinney Brothers Publishing.

Some of Donald Kinney's work:
Kinney Brothers Publishing
KBP's Facebook page

Kaj Schwermer has been teaching young learners here in Japan for nearly 15 years. He is currently the Educational Director of the Tezukayamagakuin Saturday School program in Osaka and has run numerous teacher training workshops across Japan over the past 7 years. In addition to being a trainer for Osaka City and Nara Prefectural Boards of Education, he is a regular guest presenter on the OUP Kids Club Tour and writes a column for the OUP Kids Club Newsletter, Kaj's Corner.

Book list:

Games for Children Primary Resource Books for Teachers(OUP, Lewis, Bedson)
Longman Children's Picture Dictionary (Longman)
Let's Go (OUP)
New Finding Out (Macmillan)
Magic Time (OUP)
English Time (OUP)
Potato Pals (OUP)

Jeffrey Scott has been teaching English at Japanese public schools in Gifu Prefecture and providing support and training to ALTs for more than five years. He has also been involved in theatre for the past three years. Before coming to Japan, he taught basic reading, math, and cognitive skills to students with learning disabilities for four years in California. At the center of Jeffrey's holistic approach to education is a sense of creativity and artistry and an active engagement between teachers, students, material, and context.

Some of Jeffrey Scott's work can be seen online here.

Book list:

Acting Power Robert Cohen (McGraw-Hill)
The Golden Buddha Changing Masks Mark Olsen (Gateways Publishing)
New Horizon English Course 1 / 2 / 3 (Tokyo Shoseki)
Eigo Noto 1 / 2 (Monbukagakusho, Kairyudo Publishing)

Vick Ssali has been teaching children and adults in and around Nagoya for nearly 14 years. His MA in TESL/TEFL is from the University of Birmingham in the UK. He is currently teaching part-time at Nanzan, NUFS, Chukyo, Shukutoku and Nagoya Women's University.

Book list:

Read to Write Barker, D. & Moore D (BTB Press)
First Steps in Academic Writing, 2nd Edition Hogue, A. (Pearson)
Grammar Dictation Wajnryb, R. (Oxford)

Peter Warner (1953, USA) has taught hundreds of students of all ages at At Home English language school in Nagoya since 1993. He has given presentations on topics ranging from active learning, English literacy, Linguistic Phonics, curriculum and teaching materials design, to Biblical studies. His presentations are educational and active, and include extensive information and handout materials.

Some of Peter Warner's work:
First Principle of Reading
Teaching English in Japan
School website
A-Go Man Products

Book list:

First Pronunciation Handbook (Seido Language Institute Publications, 1974,1978)
Why Our Children Can't ReadDiane McGuinness (Touchstone, 1997)

Mathew White is an associate professor in the Department of English Language Teaching at Nagoya University of Foreign Studies. In addition to other duties, he has the good fortune of being able to teach a seminar class on learning and teaching languages through film. He has an MA in TESOL/TEFL from the University of Birmingham, UK. He is also known to be a ‘drama queen’.

Book list:

Film: Susan Stempleski and Barry Tomlin (OUP)
Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom Jane Sherman (CUP)
Group dynamics in the language classroom Griffiths and Keohane Gail E. Tompkins (Merrill Prentice Hall)
Literacy for the 21st Century Stevick, E. (Heinle & Heinle)
Positive Words, Powerful Results Hal Urban (Simon and Schuster)

For extensive reading, Mat recommends here.