Recommendation of Plurilingualism in Japanese Educational Settings

Abstract

Globalization brings changes that sometimes force societies and individuals to reform their consciousness regarding other countries and their peoples; that is, they are expected to be interculturally competent. In this context, this article explores the role of foreign language education in Japan where English is the dominant foreign language, and other foreign languages have not gained popularity. Many English language educators at the college level believe that English language education is sufficient for Japanese university students. The author of this study conducted a survey among college English teachers regarding their perceptions about foreign language education in the current globalized society. The results of the survey yielded three research questions. (1) If a student has a good command of the English language, does he or she also have intercultural competence? (2) What problems may arise if English is the only foreign language taught in Japan? (3) What language education is appropriate in today’s globalized society? This paper answers these questions one by one and recommends plurilingualism in Japanese educational settings.