The prospects of plurilingual education as the cornerstone for comprehensive language education in Japan

[book review] An exploration and practice of plurilingual education edited by Noriyuki Nishiyama and Mayo Oyama

Abstract

This paper is a book review of An exploration and practice of plurilingual education, edited by Noriyuki Nishiyama and Mayo Oyama (2023, Kurosio Publishers), considering the growing prevalence of plurilingual education in Japan. The book compiles theoretical and practical research on plurilingual education in Japan. The book’s foundation lies in the International Research Conference 2020, held online from November 22 to 23, 2020, titled “From monolingual to plurilingual education: Synergies and collaboration in Japanese, English, and other foreign languages from the perspective of CEFR.” The nine essays that make up this book examine plurilingual education from various perspectives and discuss its significance. In this paper, I will introduce each chapter’s content and discuss the book’s achievements and future prospects.