Learning English In Japan

Multiple discourses circulate Japanese society surrounding the relationship between Japanese people and the English language. For example, 'Japanese people are the worst English speakers in Asia, ' 'Japanese women love the English language' and 'learning English leads to increased income and career opportunities.' From a sociological perspective, this book tests the veracity of these discourses, using social statistical data. The aim here is to paint an accurate picture of society to assist the argument for evidence-based policy in English language education, and to challenge the myths about Japanese people and the English language propagated by various interest groups, including the government and the business community. This important book reveals that the English language discourses that exist in Japan today are largely based on misconceptions, pointing to the urgent need to challenge the education policies based on such falsehoods. (Series: Japanese Society Series) [Subject: Japanese Studies, Language Studies, Education, Sociology

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.

Essay from the year 2019 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: A, , language: English, abstract: The paper deals with the English language in Japan, specifically language policies in education. English has become the language through which the citizens of the globalized community of our world communicate and collaborate. The ability for a person to be able to use the English language to communicate with others is now more important than ever even in countries like Japan which in the past had no significant amount of tourists or immigrants and a rather local mentality of businesses so there was no great need for these people to be proficient in English.

The question we hear so often from people who want to live and work in Japan: "Can I make a decent enough wage to live comfortably and save for the future while working in Japan, even if I do not know Japanese?"The answer is YES, and this book will show you how.Japan is not like the West, so it makes sense that there would be a learning curve to figuring out the job market here. The problem for so many people wanting to come to Japan is that the learning curve is so steep that it can seem impossible to start moving up. It isn't, but getting in the mindset that will help you in Japan is hard.If you aren't happy making a sub-par salary with no benefits.If you want to make enough money to do what you want to do, guilt-free.If you want to be treated with respect at your job so you can be proud to be a teacher.If you want to have options for your career, so you can have the confidence to quit a job that isn't working for you.Then this book is for you!We have built a system that will show you how to get from Zero to One, then from One to Ten!ZERO = Living somewhere outside Japan and wondering how to get here.ONE = Living in Japan and loving the life here, but making a pitiful salary and not learning much at work.TEN = Getting the best salary of your career in Japan, loving your job, your life and your free time, with money to spend, save or invest in your future!The Tools you get with the Smart GuideWhich qualifications do you need and which can you do without - how to leverage your qualifications to achieve your goals.Effective strategies that give you a road-map to the best jobs, and show you how to present yourself to be the #1 candidate.Get people to actually read your resume by crafting a narrative.Increase your interview request conversion rate; stop playing the numbers game and get the jobs you choose.Learn the markers that Japanese employers are looking for in a candidate.Templates to construct your resume, cover letters and emails to employers.Unlock the secret jobs market, where the top pay and best working conditions are, but are never advertised.How to use your network to get you jobs without having to compete with other teachers.These are tools that will be useful for your entire life, including resume writing, interview skills and job search tips that will put you head and shoulders above the competition!

This book synthesises current theory and research on L2 motivation in the EFL Japanese context carried out by internationally recognized researchers and upcoming researcher-educators working in various educational contexts in Japan. Topics covered include the issues of cultural identity, demotivation, language communities, positive psychology, possible L2 selves and internationalisation within a key EFL context. The studies in the book utilise a wide variety of research methodologies aiming to narrow the gap between theory and practice and examine L2 motivation in primary, secondary and tertiary education. This volume will be of interest to research/teacher professionals who are currently engaged in active ESL/EFL practice, EFL educators, researchers, and teacher-trainers both inside and outside Japan, who are interested in research on L2 motivation in general and within the Japanese context in particular, as well as graduate and postgraduate researchers.

Interactive. Effective. And FUN! Start speaking Japanese in minutes, and learn key vocabulary, phrases, and grammar in just minutes more with Learn Japanese - Level 3: Lower Beginner, a completely new way to learn Japanese with ease! Learn Japanese - Level 3: Lower Beginner will arm you with Japanese and cultural insight to utterly shock and amaze your Japanese friends and family, teachers, and colleagues. What you get in Learn Japanese - Level 3: Lower Beginner - 230+ pages of Japanese learning material - 25 Japanese lessons: dialog transcripts with translation, vocabulary, sample sentences and a grammar section - 25 Audio Lesson Tracks - 25 Audio Review Tracks (practice new words and phrases) - 25 Audio Dialog Tracks (read along while you listen) This book is the most powerful way to learn Japanese. Guaranteed. You get the two most powerful components of our language learning system: the audio lessons and lesson notes. Why are the audio lessons so effective? - powerful and to the point - syllable-by-syllable breakdown of each word and phrase so that you can say every word and phrase instantly - repeat after the professional teacher to practice proper pronunciation - cultural insight and insider-only tips from our teachers in each lesson - fun and relaxed approach to learning - effortlessly learn from bi-lingual and bi-cultural hosts as they guide you through the pitfalls and pleasures of Japan and Japanese. Why are the lesson notes so effective? - improve listening comprehension and reading comprehension by reading the dialog transcript while listening to the conversation - grasp the exact meaning of phrases and expressions with natural translations - expand your word and phrase usage with the expansion section - master and learn to use Japanese grammar with the grammar section Discover or rediscover how fun learning a language can be with the future of language learning, and start speaking Japanese instantly!

This book focuses on appropriate English for Academic Purposes instructional concepts and methods in the Japanese context. It investigates a variety of pedagogical techniques, addressing the fundamental academic English skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing – as well as assessment and materials development. All the research included was conducted in Japanese university settings, thus shedding new light on the effective implementation of EAP teaching and learning activities with Japanese learners of English. This book is of interest to anyone working in an EAP context at the secondary or tertiary level, especially those which include Japanese learners.