On Japan's Propensity for Native Speaker English: A Change in Sight

Abstract

AbstractJapan's Anglophile English teaching program has strongly indoctrinated Japanese teachers and students with the concept of English as an American language. Japanese teachers and students underestimate Japanese English, a product of their strenuous learning efforts, simply because it is different from native speakers' varieties, most probably from American English.However, once Japanese teachers and students of English discover what possibilities this international language can give them, they gradually come to understand the concept of English as an international language and develop confidence in Japanese English. They also display increasingly positive attitudes toward other non-native varieties of English.This paper, first, explores some of the theoretical issues involved in recognizing English as a language for international communication in Japan. It, then, reports on the results of a series of lectures and workshops designed to prepare teachers and students for the awareness of English as such and Japanese English as a legitimate variety.