Japanese Nationalism and the Global Spread of English: An Analysis of Japanese Governmental and Public Discourses on English

摘要

Globalisation has accelerated the spread of English internationally, challenged nationalisms and put nation states in a dilemma in which they have to promote English, a foreign language, in addition to their national languages. Focusing on the proposal in January 2000 to establish English as an official language of Japan, this study attempts to understand and critique how English is represented in relation to Japanese nationalism in government and popular discourses and thereby explores implications for teaching English as a foreign language and intercultural communication.