Abstract
ELT studies in Japan are characterized by their disregard for qualitative approaches. Biased power relation between quantitative and qualitative researches is maintained by academic discourse as "regime of truth." The treatment of evidence and narrative, both as a symbol of quantitative and qualitative researches respectively, is to be examined in comparison with an advanced area of similar inquiry. This paper chose medicine for comparison because of its clinical nature and its inclusion of "Evidence Based Medicine" and "Narrative Based Medicine." The paper compared the features of ELT studies and medicine in terms of practice, quantification, and experimental design. It also introduced "evidence level" and understanding of narrative in medicine. This comparative study concludes that ELT studies in Japan overestimate their evidence and underestimate narrative in general. Reformation of the "regime of truth" is needed to grant legitimate power to narratives of teachers in classroom.
