Idea of English in Japan

Philip Seargeant is Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics in the Centre for Language and Communication, The Open University. He is author of The Idea of English in Japan (Multilingual Matters, 2009) and Exploring World Englishes (Routledge), and editor of English in Japan in the Era of Globalization (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) and English in the World: History, Diversity, Change (Routledge, 2012, with Joan Swann).

• AcknowledgementsList of FiguresChapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: The Concept of English as a Global LanguageChapter 3: Language Ideology and Global EnglishChapter 4: English in Japan: The Current Shape of the DebateChapter 5: Globalisation – ‘Enriching Japanese Culture Through Contact with Other Cultures’Chapter 6: Authenticity – ‘More English than England Itself’Chapter 7: Aspiration – ‘Enhancing Lifestyles and Living out Dreams’Chapter 8: The Unknown LanguageChapter 9: Rival Ideologies in Applied LinguisticsReferences

The idea of English in Japan is the first book-length treatment of globalization and ideology of English in Japan. Seargeant critically analyzes English both as a language to be communicated in and as a concept to be symbolized and reflected in non-linguistic practices in the society. The book is a must-read not only for scholars of English in Japan but also for anyone who is interested in theorizing English as a global language from linguistic and ideological perspectives.