Native-Speakerism in Japanese Language Teaching for Foreigners and English Language Teaching for Japanese Nationals 1

Abstract

This chapter examines Japan's native-speakerism from various perspectives—from the languages used to refer to native and non-native speakers of Japanese and English as well as dialects, to government policies on foreign nationals and related government schemes. Japan's sense of native-speakerism is not simply a matter of the superiority of native speakers of Japanese language. It says that Japan's native-speakerism from various perspectives-from the languages used to refer to native and non-native speakers of Japanese and English as well as dialects, to government policies on foreign nationals and related government schemes. The chapter begans with the statement that Japan has had a complex relationship with languages. It examines some of the government schemes, and teaching and assessment practices for Japanese language teaching and English language teaching, in order to demonstrate how particular forms of native-speakerism are embedded in such schemes and practices, and raises some possible future directions for post-native-speakerist practices in Japan.