2021 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 52-66
Japanese language education for foreign residents in Japan is being promoted. However, in the overwhelming majority of elementary, middle, and high schools, the only foreign language offered is English. In this paper, we argue that coexistence in language education cannot be achieved by the promotion of Japanese language education and English-only foreign language education alone, but must be viewed as a task of language education as a whole, expanding the scope to include the teaching of mother-tongue languages and other foreign languages. We then present some viewpoints for the reform of the education of mother-tongue and heritage languages, as well as languages other than English, to promote peaceful coexistence in society.
