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Leading scholars in the field examine the role played by the English language in contemporary Japanese society. Their various chapters cover the nature, status, and function of English in Japan, focusing on the ways in which globalization is influencing language practices in the country.

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List of Figures and Tables Acknowledgements Notes on Contributors Introduction; P.Seargeant PART I: ENGLISH IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM Elite Discourses of Globalization in Japan; M.Yamagami & J.W.Tollefson ´Not Everyone Can Be A Star´; A.Matsuda Parallel Universes; A.Stewart & M.Miyahara The Native Speaker English Teacher and the Politics of Globalization in Japan; Y.Breckenridge & E.J.Erling Immigration, Diversity, and Language Education in Japan; R.Kubota PART II: ENGLISH IN SOCIETY AND CULTURE English as an International Language and ´Japanese English´; Y.Yano The Position of English for a New Sector of ´Japanese´ Youths; L.Kamada The Ideal Speaker of Japanese English as Portrayed in ´Language Entertainment´ Television; A.Moody & Y.Matsumoto The Symbolic Meaning of Visual English in the Social Landscape of Japan; P.Seargeant Index

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"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." - Discourse and Society

"This book provides a fascinating range of erudite studies into the status of English in today´s Japan from educational, social and cultural perspectives, employing sophisticated methods of discourse analysis, narrative enquiry, and linguistic ideology. Japan has been described with the famous trope: a riddle, wrapped in mystery, inside an enigma. This volume is a welcome contribution which takes us a small but significant step towards unravelling the carefully folded origami." - English World-Wide

"The contributors of this volume are able to demonstrate the multiplicity of complexities and contradictions that arise when covert and overt language policies and national discourses of identity interact with language ideologies and discourses of globalization. In doing so, these studies provide a valuable corrective to homogenous perceptions of English in Japan that are too often perpetuated." - Language Policy

"This compact and intelligent volume, while overlapping with themes from World Englishes and having contributions from several scholars active in that field, predominantly addresses English in Japan from the perspective of globalization studies and critical discourse analysis." - English World-Wide

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