Understanding the NS/NNS division of labor in the creation and assessment of a Japanese university English entrance exam

Abstract

AbstractThe native speaker (NS) traditionally enjoyed a powerful position in language education. Later, critical applied linguists came to question this situation, arguing for the value of the non-native speaking (NNS) teacher. Despite this, research documents the status retained by the NS in language education in Japan. The present study adds to this discussion through an examination of one case in which NS and NNS work side by side: creating and assessing an entrance exam for one university in Japan. Drawing upon ethnographic methods, I examine differences in the involvement of these two groups in these processes with a focus upon the beliefs about language associated with this division of labor. Rather than indicating a situation in which NS linguistic knowledge simply trumped that held by the Japanese faculty, results reveal a more nuanced situation: The Japanese faculty guided the NS to adapt their language to align with what they – the Japanese faculty – viewed as language appropriate for such an exam. This paper is significant in elaborating upon the relationship between the NS and NNS in language education while also shedding light on practices surrounding university entrance exams.