Developing language awareness: A study of Japanese students’ perceptions toward English language education

• Authors: Yamada Mieko
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

In globalized societies where English uses and users are diverse, promoting intercultural communication skills becomes important in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education curricula. Drawing on discussions of language awareness, this article explores how Japanese EFL teacher trainees perceive their own English learning and use and how they plan to structure their future English teaching within a multicultural and multilingual Japan. To elicit actual voices and experiences of EFL teacher candidates, in-depth interviews were conducted with Japanese students who were enrolled in the English language teaching courses at one of Japan’s national universities. The article discusses the findings from interviews, and suggests that as a part of EFL teacher training, both teachers and learners should be encouraged to foster language attitudes in order to establish more egalitarian intercultural relationships among English users.

Keywords

EN

language awareness; English as a Foreign Language (EFL); intercultural communication; Japan

• Publisher: Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej. Language and Society Research Committee
• Journal: Language, Discourse & Society
• Year: 2018
• Volume: 6
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 133-150

Contributors

author

Yamada Mieko

References

• Apple, M. (1999). Power, meaning, and identity: Essays in critical educational studies. New York, NY: Peter Lang
• Armstrong, J. (2010). “Naturalistic inquiry”. In Neil J. Salkind (ed.), Encyclopedia of research design. 1st edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications: 880-885
• Breidbach, S. 2011. “Teaching for ‘Strong Voices’: Reconstructing the Reflexive Dimension in Communicative Language Teaching.” Pp. 97-113 in Language Awareness in Teacher Education: Cultural-Political and Social-Educational Perspectives, edited by S. Breidbach, D. Elsner, and A. Young. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
• Breidbach, S., Elsner, D., & Young, A. (2011). “Language awareness in teacher education: Cultural-political and social-educational dimensions”. In Stephan Breidbach, Daniela Elsner, and Andrea Young (eds.), Language awareness in teacher education: Cultural-political and social-educational perspectives. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang: 11-19.
• Chun, S. Y. (2014). “EFL learners’ beliefs about native and non-native English-speaking teachers: perceived strengths, weaknesses, and preferences”. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 35(6), 563-579.
• Corson, D. (1999). “English only and social justice”. TESOL Journal, 8(3), 18-22.
• Creswell, J. W. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design, 3nd Edition. Sage Publications Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Crystal, D. (2003). “Peace linguistics” in Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Oxford: Blackwell, 355
• Fairclough, N. (1999). Global capitalism and critical awareness of language. Language Awareness 8(2). 71-83.
• Friedrich, P. (2007). “English for peace: toward a framework of Peace Sociolinguistics”. World Englishes, 26(1),72-83.
• Gomes de Matos, F. (2000). “Harmonizing and humanizing political discourse: the contribution of peacelinguistics”. Peace and Conflict, 6, 339-345.
• Gomes de Matos, F. (2002). “Applied peace linguistics: a new frontier for TESOLers”. FIPLV World News, 56, 4-6.
• Gudykunst, B. W. (2003). Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication 1st edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
• Hatano, K. (2009). Voices in EFL education in a Japanese context: Makiguchi’s perspectives in the concept of ‘voices’. Educational Studies 45(2). 165-180
• Houghton, S. A. & Rivers, D. J. (2013). “Introduction: Redefining native-speakerism”. In S. A. Houghton & D. J. Rivers (Eds.), Native-speakerism in Japan: Intergroup dynamics in foreign language education. Bristol, Buffalo, and Toronto: Multilingual Matters: 1-14.
• Kobayashi, Y. (2010). “Discriminatory attitudes toward intercultural communication in domestic and overseas contexts”. Higher Education, 59(3), 323-333.
• Kubota, R. & Lin, A. (2006). “Race and TESOL: introduction to concepts and theories”. TESOL Quarterly, 40 (3), 471-493.
• Kubota, R. & McKay, A. (2009). “Globalization and language learning in rural Japan: the role of English in the local linguistic ecology”. TESOL Quarterly, 43(4), 593-619.
• Lincoln, Y. S. & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
• McKay, S. L. 2012. “Principles of Teaching English as an International Language.” Pp. 28-46 in Principles and Practices for Teaching English as an International Language, edited by L. Alsagoff, S. L. McKay, G. Hu, and W. A. Renandya. New York, NY: Routledge.
• Matsuda, A. (2003). “The ownership of English in Japanese secondary schools”. World Englishes, 22, 483-496.
• Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology [MEXT]. (2003). “Eigo ga tsukaeru nihonjin” no ikusei no tameno kodo keikaku [Action Plan to develop “Japanese who can use English”] http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo3/004/siryo/04031601/005.pdf
• MEXT. (2004). Chugakko gakushu shido yoryo, kaiteiban [The course of study for lower secondary schools]. Rev. ed. Tokyo: Kokuritsu insatsu kyoku.
• MEXT. (2008). Basic Plan for the Promotion of Education. http://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/lawandplan/title01/detail01/1373797.htm
• MEXT. (2013). The second basic plan for the promotion of education. http://www.mext.go.jp/en/policy/education/lawandplan/title01/detail01/1373796.htm
• MEXT. (2014). Report on the future improvement and enhancement of English education (outline): Five recommendations on the English education reform plan responding to the rapid globalization. http://www.mext.go.jp/en/news/topics/detail/1372625.htm
• MEXT. (2016). ALT tou no ninyo, keiyaku keitai ninzu [ALTs’ placement rate and the number of ALTs by employment type]. http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/education/detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2017/04/07/1384236_ 05.pdf
• MEXT. (2017). Chugakko gakushu shido yoryo [The course of study for lower secondary schools]. http://www.mext.go.jp/component/a_menu/education/micro_detail/__icsFiles/afieldfile/2018/05/07/138 4661_5_4.pdf
• MEXT. (2018). Shiryo 3-1: Sho, Chu, Kotogakkou wo tsuujita eigo kyoiku no mokuhyo tou no arikata ni tsuite [Document 3-1: Points for discussing goals and ways of English language education through elementary, junior high, and high school] http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chousa/shotou/102/shiryo/attach/1350344.htm
• Osborn, T. A. (2006). Teaching world languages for social justice: A source of principles and practices. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
• Page, S. (2011). Diversity and Complexity. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Park, J. S. & Wee, L. (2012). Markets of English: Linguistic capital and language policy in a globalizing world. New York and London: Routledge.
• Rivers, D. J. & Ross, A. S. (2013). “Idealized English teachers: The Implicit influence of race in Japan”. Journal of Language, Identity, and Education, 12, 321-339.
• Simon-Maeda, A. (2004). “The Complex Construction of Professional Identities: Female EFL Educators in Japan Speak Out”. TESOL Quarterly, 38(3), 405-436
• Tanabe, Y. (2003). Korekara no gakkou eigo [Japan’s English language curriculum in the present and future]. Tokyo, Japan: Waseda University Press.
• Tokumoto, M. & Shibata, M. (2011). “Asian varieties of English: Attitudes towards pronunciations”. World Englishes, 30(3): 392-408.
• Widdowson, H. G. (1998). “Context, community, and authentic language”. TESOL Quarterly, 32(4), 705-716.
• Yoshimura, M. (2011). Creating a space for language awareness in teacher education in Japan: A project promoting children’s awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. In Stephan Breidbach, Daniela Elsner, and Andrea Young (eds.), Language awareness in teacher education: Cultural-political and social-educational perspectives (p. 137-p. 149). Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Notes

EN