The Idea of English in Japan : Ideology and the Evolution of a Global Language

This book examines the ways in which English is conceptualised as a global language in Japan, and considers how the resultant language ideologies – drawn in part from universal discourses; in part from context-specific trends in social history – inform the relationships that people in Japan have towards the language. The book analyses the specific nature of the language’s symbolic meaning in Japan, and how this meaning is expressed and negotiated in society. It also discusses how the ideologies of English that exist in Japan might have implications for the more general concept of ‘English as a global language’. To this end it considers the question of what constitutes a ‘global’ language, and how, if at all, a balance can be struck between the universal and the historically-contingent when it comes to formulating a theory of English within the world. "This book examines the ways in which English is conceptualised as a global language in Japan, and considers how the resultant language ideologies - drawn in part from universal discourses; in part from context-specific trends in social history - inform the relationships that people in Japan have towards the language." "The book analyses the specific nature of the language's symbolic meaning in Japan, and how this meaning is expressed and negotiated in society. It also discusses how the ideologies of English that exist in Japan might have implications for the more general concept of 'English as a global language'. To this end it considers the question of what constitutes a 'global' language, and how, if at all, a balance can be struck between the universal and the historically-contingent when it comes to formulating a theory of English within the world."--Jacket Contents List of Figures Acknowledgements Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Concept of English as a Global Language 3. Language Ideology and Global English 4. English in Japan: The Current Shape of the Debate 5. Globalization: ‘Enriching Japanese Culture Through Contact with Other Cultures’ 6. Authenticity: ‘More English than England Itself’ 7. Aspiration: ‘Enhancing Lifestyles and Living Out Dreams’ 8. The Unknown Language 9. Rival Ideologies in Applied Linguistics Notes References Index Examines the ways in which English is conceptualised as a global language in Japan. This book considers how the resultant language ideologies - drawn in part from universal discourses; in part from context-specific trends in social history - inform the relationships that people in Japan have towards the language