The Evolution of English Language Learners in Japan: Crossing Japan, the West, and South East Asia

Description

This book seeks a better understanding of the sociocultural and ideological factors that influence English study in Japan and study-abroad contexts such as university-bound high schools, female-dominant English classes at college, ESL schools in Canada, and private or university-affiliated ESL programs in Singapore and Malaysia. The discussion is based not only on data garnered from Japanese EFL learners and Japanese/overseas educators but also on official English language policies and commercial magazine discourses about English study for Japanese people. The book addresses seemingly incompatible themes that are either entrenched in or beyond Japan’s EFL context such as: Japan’s decades-long poorly-performing English education vs. its equally long-lived status as an economic power; Japanese English learners’ preference for native English speakers/norms in at-home Japanese EFL contexts vs. their friendship with other Asian students in western study-abroad contexts; Japanese female students’ dream of using English to further their careers vs. Japanese working women’s English study for self-enrichment; Japanese society’s obsession with globalization through English study vs. the Japanese economy sustained by monolingual Japanese businessmen; Japanese business magazines’ frequent cover issues on global business English study vs. Japanese working women’s magazines’ less frequent and markedly feminized discourses about English study. Cover Title Copyright Contents List of tables Preface 1 Japan’s English education and students’ notions about English study Japan’s poor English education: unintended result or institutionalized policy? Japanese senior high students’ notions about English study Japanese college students’ notions about English study Japanese government’s notions of higher education’s internationalization References 2 Internationalizing Japan with the help of its Asian neighbors Literature background Cross-cultural friendship in at-home contexts Cross-cultural friendship in study-abroad contexts Japanese-Korean friendship at Canadian ESL schools Humanities programs’ institutional impediments to internationalization References 3 A new alternative of studying English in English-speaking ASEAN nations East Asian students’ English study in English-speaking ASEAN Push factors Pull factors Literature background: Japanese students’ English conversation partners Japanese learners of English in Singapore Japanese learners of English in Malaysia The root cause of Japanese students’ cultural baggage References 4 Japanese female students’ positive attitudes toward language study Literature background Routes left open to Japanese women with language skills The choice of leaving the domestic business world The choice of waiting for opportunities until later in life The choice of studying languages for self-enrichment purposes The role of language professionals in female students’ orientation to English study References 5 Japanese (fe)male learners’ (un)motivation in overseas ESL contexts Japanese female students’ high enrollment in overseas ESL classes Japanese male students’ low enrollment in overseas ESL classes Participants Procedure Limitation Factors behind Japanese male students’ low enrollment and motivation Low demand for English-speaking Japanese male job seekers Japanese men’s perceived social pressure to stay in Japan Japanese men’s masculine pride and fear of making mistakes The mismatch between boys’ preferences and their social responsibilities English-speaking ASEAN nations as a better choice for Japanese male students with ‘why bother to study English’ attitudes? References 6 The mismatch between Japan’s strong economy and poor English education The economy and English investment in South Korea and Japan: how do the two nations differ? The bestselling Japanese book on Japan’s poor English (Suzuki, 1999) Japan’s non-elite English education and semi-monolingual English teachers Japan’s (same-old) poor English and its (more recent) dwindling economy References 7 Japanese business magazines’ special issues on English study methods: a window on the division between Japan’s business world and formal schooling Japanese business magazines’ ideal readers The major business magazines’ special articles about English study Commonalities among the magazines’ cover headlines and subheads Research themes on business magazines’ special issue articles about English study Who are introduced as English models, based on (no) supportive data? The magazines’ dual introduction of native English norms and global English practices The magazines’ nonacademic information about Asian English The magazines’ nonacademic endorsement of nonnative English (How) do the magazines establish Japanese businessmen’s English needs at work? (How) do the magazines address gender discrimination at Japanese companies? Business magazines’ special issues as a window to Japan’s English education References 8 Japanese women’s magazines’ articles about English study: a window on Japanese women’s status in the business world Studies on western women’s magazines’ discourses Japanese working women’s magazines’ cover feature of English study Limitations Headlines and subheads about English study Differences from and similarities to Japanese business magazines Research themes on working women’s magazines’ articles about English study English study as naraigoto [self-enrichment learning] English as one of the certificates [shikaku] English for working women assigned to global job responsibilities Seemingly mixed discourses between English study articles and others Japanese working women’s magazines’ pro-women and uncritical discourses Additional note References Afterword Index