English as a Lingua Franca in Japan: towards multilingual practices (original) (raw)
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The Status of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and Implications for the Teaching of English in Japan
Status Quaestionis, 2020
This article begins with background information on English language attitudes and education in the Japanese context, from both an historical and a present-day perspective. It then considers the value of ELF-informed views for the Japanese context: both from educational and business/professional perspectives. From the educational aspect, existing efforts to promote ELF-informed programs are investigated, with analysis of their success and future prospects for growth. Areas of continued resistance to ELF and other pluralistic paradigms in Japan are also explored. From a professional standpoint, the article will outline the actual need for ELF among Japanese working people, and the extent to which ELF comes into play in actual interactions, both in Japan and overseas. I will conclude with a consideration of challenges which remain to be faced for ELF in Japan. 60
Shounan Eibungaku, 2019
English is perceived as “a common international language” by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (hereafter, MEXT, 2014) and other scholars (e.g. Otsu, 2015, p.105). However, English education within Japan does not live up to the designed expectations of MEXT, educators, and scholars alike (e.g. Otsu, 2015). To reflect this both the TOEFL and IELTS average scores are the second lowest in Asia (ETS, 2016; IELTS, 2015). Japanese English learners also tend to be far less fluent in English communication (Shiozawa, 2016a). Based on these findings it may be that in order to improve the English communication abilities for Japanese people, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) perspective could be one of the essential elements to consider implementing to aid improvement of Japanese English education. This paper will therefore explore the importance of ELF perspective for English education within Japan as well as the issues and challenges of incorporating the ELF perspective into the Japanese education system.
The use of English as a lingua franca in the Japanese second language classroom
Journal of English as a Lingua Franca, 2018
Despite the growing interest surrounding the use and role of the first language in the second language classroom, the vast majority of research in the field has been conducted in classrooms where English is taught as a second language in English-speaking countries. Very little research has investigated the role of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in other language learning environments , such as those in which Japanese is learnt as a second language (JSL) in Japan. This paper investigates the purposes for which ELF is employed, and the perspectives of learners from multilingual and multicultural backgrounds on the use of ELF, in the JSL classroom. The findings show that English is employed to varying degrees in relation to proficiency level, and that learners themselves are generally welcoming of this use. The author suggests that learners seek security and comfort in what they already know, with ELF easing the gap between their L1 and their developing Japanese skills. Keywords: Japanese as a second language, English in JSL, English as a lingua franca, multilingualism in JSL, translanguaging
研究報告 -English as an International Language - Is EIL Natural, Neutral and Beneficial in Japan
This paper explores whether English language teaching and learning is natural, neutral and beneficial in Japan. The paper discusses English Language Teaching (ELT) practices as cultural practices. It describes how the teaching practices themselves represent particular visions of the world and thus make the English language classroom a site of cultural politics, and a place where different versions of how the world is and should be are struggled over. It did not stop, therefore, with an analysis of the wide cultural gaps between North American or European approaches to language teaching and those in Japan. Rather, we explore the understanding of these in relationship to one particular aspect of the discourse of English as an International Language (EIL), namely the view of English language teaching as development aid, a view which often carries with it an unquestioned belief in the innate superiority of Western teaching practices and the innate inferiority of local practices such as the practices in Japan.
"Multilingualism" in the World and Sociolinguistic Study in Japan
Japanese sociolinguists regard the idea of “multilingualism” as a relatively new concept that has been imported from European language policy. In 1997, Fujiwara Shoten released a book entitled What is Multilingualism? This is a collective work of 17 Japanese scholars, including linguists, anthropologists, and political scientists, most of whom specialize in France or the former French colonies, e.g., the Maghrib states in Africa. This work is often introduced as a monograph that introduced the idea of “multilingualism” in Japan. Until today, various articles, monographs, symposiums, and academic projects have been launched in Japan on the concept of “multilingualism,” including “plurilingualism,” which was defined by the Council of Europe at the beginning of the 2000s. Strictly speaking, the two concepts – multilingualism and plurilingualism – are different from each other, but both of them understand affirmatively linguistic or cultural diversity in society. However, we can find similar methods for understanding “diversity” outside of Europe. The idea of “multilingualism” has progressed in Canada and Australia at least since the 1970s, both academically and politically. Despite this, it is relatively rare among Japanese sociolinguists to discuss the Canadian or Australian concepts of “multilingualism,” although the ideas seem to be at various stages of development. In this presentation, I will reveal how Japanese scholars understand the concept of “multilingualism,” referring mainly to journals published in Japanese academic societies, for example, the Language Policy of the Japan Association of Language Policy and The Japanese Journal of Language in Society of the Japanese Association of Sociolinguistic Sciences.
Reflections on translanguaging practices in English education in Japan
Indonesian Journal of English Language Teaching, 2021
This study is a reflection on critical incidents (Tripp, 1993) addressing the use and promotion of a learner's first language (L1) and cultural knowledge as linguistic and cognitive resources for learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in Japan. Translanguaging, which was first introduced by Cen Williams (1994) to refer to the practice of interchanging languages in the classroom for productive use, was investigated to provide a deeper understanding of what seems to be relatively common practice across Japan. This paper outlines to fit with the broader study area of a larger collaborative inquiry involving university-based researchers providing English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in Japan. This paper outlines the background of English education in Japan and considers its current state to study possible additions and changes in the broader curricula.
In 2014, the Centre for English as Lingua Franca (CELF) was established to house Tamagawa University’s new English program and tutor service. In 2015 the English teaching program expanded to serve students campus- wide, with approximately 2,500 students being taught by over 40 instructors from around the globe. Aware of the deep-rooted, native English speaker bias and norms common not only in Japan, a conscious decision was made by Tamagawa University to seek quali ed, professional English language teachers from outside the inner circle (Kachru, 1985) countries. Since the early piloting of the ELF program in 2012, CELF faculty have been working hard to promote initiatives in raising ELF awareness, improving teaching practices and research in language education. The collection of articles in this journal represents the research and work from a handful of those ELF teachers, each of whom come from a different English speaking background (L1 and L2).