Has socioeconomic development reduced the English divide? A statistical analysis of access to English skills in Japan

Terasawa, Takunori

doi:10.1080/01434632.2016.1221412

Cited by 29 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Self-efficacy effects were strongest for L1 Thai speakers and weakest for L1 Japanese speakers. Given the value of Japanese in the worldwide business market and the socioeconomic developments in Japan (Terasawa, 2017) that have increased access to the L2 (i.e., English), L1 Japanese speakers may be motivated by factors other than self-efficacy and have less urgency to meet achievement objectives than other L1 speakers. In contrast, L1 Thai speakers encounter fewer opportunities and encouragement to use L2 English in Thailand (Anyadubalu, 2010) but, at the same time, may also be more dependent on an L2 in order to enter into global discussions, economics, and business partnerships.…”

Section: Self-efficacy Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is learning really just believing? A meta-analysis of self-efficacy and achievement in SLA

Goetze

Driver²

2022

10.14746/ssllt

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The positive psychology movement (Seligman, 1998) has contributed to the proclamation of a positive turn in second language acquisition (SLA) (MacIntyre et al., 2016). Within the context of individual differences, self-efficacy (Bandura, 1997), an individual’s judgment of their capability to achieve goals, has gained particular interest in language learning (e.g., Lake, 2013). The present study meta-analyzes a body of research that has investigated the relationship between second language (L2) self-efficacy and L2 achievement by exploring 1) reporting practices in this domain, 2) the strength and direction of the relationship, and 3) the effects of moderator variables on the self-efficacy-achievement link. A comprehensive literature search uncovered 37 studies, which contributed to a total of 40 independent samples (N = 23,050). The average observed effect in the sample was r = .46. A moderator analysis showed systematic variations in the effect size for learners’ first language, target language, proficiency level, and both self-efficacy and achievement type. We discuss our findings with respect to theoretical constructs and methodological practices and suggest implications for L2 pedagogy and future research into self-efficacy in SLA.

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Section: Self-efficacy Beliefsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is learning really just believing? A meta-analysis of self-efficacy and achievement in SLA

Goetze

Driver²

2022

10.14746/ssllt

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“…This is the misrecognition of social inequality, and its uneven structural distribution of symbolic and material resources, as individual achievements or merits. Indeed, in relation to English, some have noted how social inequalities which always precede the attainment of linguistic skills and/or credentials, have resulted in an increasing English divide (Terasawa, 2016), where proficiency in English serves as a terrain on which class-based inequality is often constructed, and even exacerbated (Block, 2018). In the sense of structural and social effects appearing as the inherent qualities of individual elements (the merits or worth of individual people), there is much synergy between Bourdieu's notion of misrecognition, Hegel's relation of a King to his subjects, and Marx's notion of commodity fetishism.…”

Section: Language As Propertymentioning

confidence: 99%

Confronting language fetishism in practice

Simpson¹,

O’Regan²

2021

The Commodification of Language

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The notion of language as a fetish imagines languages such as English as bearing all kinds of extralinguistic properties: as a product or service, as a commodity or resource which speakers exchange, as a mythical 'thing' which does this or that to people, and even as a cause of social suffering. In this chapter we offer a critical engagement with the notion of fetishism as it relates to a larger current body of work on language, language policy, and political economy, in respect of language alienated and fetishized in standard forms; the recasting of language not as a social product, but as a form of legal property, owned and traded by individuals; and the necessity of fetishized forms of language in the functioning of the 'free' market. We present the notion of fetishism as consisting in illusions which exist not in theory but in practice and call for greater attention to be given to the fetishism of languages in the practice of the market. We further argue that calls for policy to develop critical reflexive awareness in speakers, while certainly important, are not in themselves sufficient for confronting fetishistic notions of language.

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“…First, this article demonstrates corporate workers’ skepticism about the relationship between test scores and job performance. This indicates that policies and practices that promote test‐oriented education are problematic not only because of pragmatic incongruence, but also because of their washback effects on teaching and learning, including widening of the English divide or the economic gap regarding access to opportunities to learn English and the outcomes of the learning (Terasawa, 2017). Although we do not propose to abolish all language tests, more sensible and radical approaches should be sought.…”

Section: Educational Implications and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although this facet, or border‐crossing communication, signifies communicative qualities of elite neoliberal corporate transnational workers, it challenges the fixed conceptualization of communicative skills and it can be appropriated for the antineoliberal reorientation of language education. Obviously, not all school learners in EFL contexts will become elite workers for multinational corporations or use English for work (Terasawa, 2017). Even elite workers are unlikely to be required to use native‐like English.…”

Section: Educational Implications and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Language‐in‐Education Policies in Japan Versus Transnational Workers’ Voices: Two Faces of Neoliberal Communication Competence

Kubota

Takeda²

2020

TESOL Quarterly

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Foreign language education primarily aims to cultivate learners’ competence to communicate in an additional language. However, the meaning of communication competence is not entirely transparent, especially given the current neoliberal valorization of communication in the knowledge economy. The meaning of communication can be scrutinized in two contradictory trends observed in language education: the exclusive focus on teaching English as a global language, signifying a homogenizing trend, and increased scholarly attention to the heterogeneity of linguistic forms and practices. This article examines how communication competence is differentially understood by policymakers and corporate workers in Japan. The authors examine a government report that evaluated the attainment of educational goals for coping with globalization and contrasting it with interview data drawn from another study on the communicative experiences of Japanese transnational workers in Asia. Political discourse analysis and content analysis reveal the paradoxical nature of what can be called neoliberal communication competence, which on the one hand conflates global communication with use of the four measurable skills in English to transmit information and, on the other hand, challenges linguistic norms, foregrounding plurilingualism and co‐constructed interactional competence. Transformation of policies and pedagogies can be pursued by appropriating neoliberal communication competence for achieving broader educational goals.

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Has socioeconomic development reduced the English divide? A statistical analysis of access to English skills in Japan

Cited by 29 publications

References 19 publications

Is learning really just believing? A meta-analysis of self-efficacy and achievement in SLA

Is learning really just believing? A meta-analysis of self-efficacy and achievement in SLA

Confronting language fetishism in practice

Language‐in‐Education Policies in Japan Versus Transnational Workers’ Voices: Two Faces of Neoliberal Communication Competence

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