A Narrative Analysis of a Japanese English Learner’s Images of English: From the Narratives of a University Student Who Has Never Studied Abroad

Abstract

This study analyzes the narratives in English-related interviews of a university student English language learner who has never studied abroad, and aims to clarify the relationship between English education and identity as expressed in the narratives. The narratives of the learner in annual interviews over two years revealed that she was constructing her identity as a person who aspires to communicate with foreigners, while incorporating a pluralistic image of English. This can be considered to reflect the polysemous nature of “communication” and the tendency to emphasize “communication” in the context of English education in Japan.