Constrained Agency: Language, Race, and the Paradox of Multiculturalism in English Education in Japan

Abstract

The central goal of this chapter is to present a conceptual frame for the edited volume Multiculturalism, Language, and Race in English Education in Japan. Drawing on concepts from critical realism and raciolinguistics, I explore whether English education in Japan truly represents the language as a tool for multiculturalism and genuine intercultural communication by examining inequities in the state education system and the private language teaching industry. The English language in Japan is still perceived to be the property of White, Inner Circle first-language users, perpetuated by the raciolinguistic ideology of native-speakerism, which subjects educators who do not fit those categories to differential treatment throughout the system, affecting their agency and empowerment. Furthermore, social structures and cultural attitudes towards ownership of English may privilege some educators over others, leading to further stratification and inequity in pedagogical practices. These problems signify more broadly conflicting motivations in Japan’s efforts to “globalize” or “internationalize” through increased engagement with the West and adherence to cultural nationalism, rather than promoting genuine multiculturalism in education at the national level.