Abstract
There is an originality and dynamism to Philip Seargeant’s work. After being thoroughly impressed by his first (2009) book, The Idea of English in Japan: Ideology and the Evolution of a Global Language, I was very much looking forward to reading his newly edited volume. English in Japan in the Era of Globalization is a theoretically robust and contextually broad collection of innovative chapters that deal with the linguistic, cultural and social issues arising from the use of English in Japan. The book is organized into two parts. Part I canvasses issues pertaining to the teaching and learning of English in the Japanese education system. Part II examines the broader position of English in Japanese society and culture. As the book’s title implies, the overarching theme across both parts of the text is that of globalization. Each contribution consequently critiques language practices in Japan ‘as they occur at the intersection of three fundamental concepts: (1) the Japanese nation state and/or Japanese cultural identity; (2) the English language as it exists in both form and idea; and (3) the processes and promises of globalization’ (p. 2).
In the introductory chapter, Seargeant first offers a concise overview of the history of English in Japan. He notes that ‘Although influential models such as Kachru’s Three Circles of English (1992) offer a way of theorizing the English language and its global spread in toto, the diversity in form, function and attitude to world English is such that it needs now to be analysed as a situated social practice’ (pp. 2–3). Here, Seargeant effectively sets up the underpinning arguments of the book, namely that critical analysis is required ‘both of what is understood by the term ‘English’… [and] of how the concept of Japan and of Japanese culture is constructed in contemporary debates about the English language’ (p. 6).
The first chapter of Part I, by Mai Yamagami and James Tollefson, focuses on discourse of both English and globalization found in the speeches and testimonials of several politicians, as well as the promotional material of tertiary institutions using English as the medium of instruction. The authors identify two competing discourses of globalization in Japanese society: globalization-as-opportunity and globalization-as-threat. They argue that despite the rhetoric advocating the perceived benefits of Japanese acquiring English, the extent to which English proficiency positively affects one’s opportunities in the workforce has been overstated, and that the ‘major beneficiaries of English language ability in Japan have been largely limited to a relatively small elite’ (p. 32).
Following this, Aya Matsuda’s chapter, entitled ‘Not everyone can be a star: Students’ and teachers’ beliefs about teaching English in Japan’, paints a rather pessimistic view of formal English education in Japan. She characterizes the Tokyo high school in which she conducted her study as one in which the students and teachers did not share similar understandings about what the goals of the curriculum should be. Though insightful, the data presented in the chapter were collected over a decade ago, and, given the recent changes that have been taking place regarding Japan’s English education system, one might wonder about the extent to which the attitudes expressed by Matsuda’s participants parallel those of teachers and students in the public school system today.
Next, Yvonne Breckenridge and Elizabeth Erling offer a critical expose of the so-called ‘native speaker teacher’ in the Japanese education system. Based on interviews with foreign Assistant English Teachers (AETs) working in Japanese high schools, the chapter examines how these foreign teachers both resisted and perpetuated discourse about ‘native speaker teachers’. The authors convincingly conclude that because
national educational initiatives rely on essentialized notions of national and ethnic identities of both the home and foreign language culture … [such] teachers are commodified as English language resources in order to promote national objectives focused on advancement in a global economy. (p. 98)
Ryoko Kubota’s chapter, entitled ‘Immigration, diversity, and language education in Japan: Towards a global approach to teaching English’, effectively rounds off Part I of the volume. Reflecting the critical approach for which she has become renowned, Kubota observes that the notion – frequently normalized in academic and policy discussions – that English is a global lingual franca, is problematic for two main reasons: (1) it does not actually reflect the reality of cross-community communication in Japan (p. 113); and (2) it fuels socioeconomic inequality (p. 108).
The first chapter of Part II is ‘English as an international language and “Japanese English”’, by Yasutaka Yano. Yano effectively problematizes the oft-held view in Japan that ‘only native speaker English is real, natural and authentic, and thus worthy of learning’ (p. 131). While Yano does convincingly argue that the Japanese need not be so native speaker norm-dependent in the pursuit of English proficiency, the chapter is marred by several essentialist assumptions about such curiosities as a presumed ‘western way of thinking’ (p. 132), a ‘Japanese way of thinking’ (p. 141) and ‘Japanese modesty’ (p. 141). Yano’s claim that ‘the Japanese language is a highly sophisticated language’ (p. 133) was also somewhat perplexing.
Next, Laurel Kamada’s contribution, entitled ‘The position of English for a new sector of “Japanese” youths: Mixed-ethnic girls’ constructions of linguistic and ethnic identities’, deals with data collected during her doctoral work, dealt with in more detail in her subsequent 2010 book. In this sense, the chapter provides a concise and thought-provoking snapshot of Kamada’s subjects, who are at times shown to be celebrating their linguistic capital as bilingual English–Japanese speakers, while also ‘in other contexts . . . are seen [to be] rejecting the position of English speaker within marginalizing discourses of homogeneity and conformity’ (p. 162).
Andrew Moody and Yuko Matsumoto’s ‘The ideal speaker of Japanese English as portrayed in “language entertainment” television’ is a particularly engaging contribution to the volume. The authors identify three idealized personality characteristics of Japanese speakers of English – yuuki (courage), jigyaku (self-effacement) and genki (enthusiasm) – frequently portrayed in Japanese television programs that ‘attempt to entertain by using a foreign language’ (p. 167). Moody and Matsumoto’s contribution is an illustrative example of cutting-edge sociolinguistic work that will encourage researchers to think outside the box.
Seargeant concludes the book with a chapter called ‘The symbolic meaning of visual English in the social landscape of Japan’. Here, he is concerned with how people in Japan ‘perceive the widespread use of English in the public sphere’ (p. 187). Seargeant employs an eclectic methodology, a hybrid folk linguistics-language ideology approach of sorts (p. 188), to demonstrate that the use of English in Japan ‘has a localized symbolic value which draws upon the conceptual status and implications of English as a global language’ (p. 188). Fittingly, Seargeant concludes the volume by remarking that the presence of English in Japan’s social landscape needs to be
interpreted through the prism of broader discourses about cultural and political identity, and about ways in which life within a global society is altering traditional social structures. In this respect, English can act as a touchstone for the process of globalization, being at once both a symbol to be embraced and an innovation to be negotiated. (p. 203)
English in Japan in the Era of Globalization will appeal to scholars from a wide range of disciplines, including applied linguistics, global studies and Japanese studies. It makes a significant contribution to an emerging body of literature (e.g. Heinrich and Galan, 2010) that more accurately depicts the intricacies and complexities of contemporary Japan’s linguistic ecology. This collection of innovative chapters will therefore force readers to think about the interplay between globalization and language in fresh and dynamic ways. Accordingly, it is highly recommended.