英語第2公用語論 : 異文化間コミュニケーションの立場から
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概要
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The Prime Minister's Commission on Japan's Goals in the 21st Century published its final report titled "The Frontier Within: Individual Empowerment and Better Governance in the New Millennium" in January, 2000. This has encouraged a broader national debate on the desirable future direction of Japan to which the next generation of Japanese can aspire in the new century. This report, among others, emphasizes the acquisition of English for global literacy, and proposes that Japan should designate English as the second official language in the near future. This proposition has provoked persistent objections for reasons that it undermines the uniqueness of Japanese identity, weakens Japanese culture, lowers ability in the Japanese language, intensifies the rote memorization of English at the primary school level and others. This paper discusses the appropriateness of these objections and supports the commission's proposition from an intercultural perspective. First, the English the objectors generally have in mind is the Queen's English or idealized American standard English, which they treasure as their privilege and use to intimidate learners. The English this author proposes is the one ordinary British or American people use without any sense of social hierarchy or superiority. Second, without acculturation no language learning is successful, as learning another language intrinsically means acquiring another culture and its frame of reference. Japanese should not be afraid of acquiring a broader perspective. Third, Japanese communication style is fundamentally based on the 'high context culture' named by Edward T. Hall, and Japanese people have developed their way of interaction accordingly. However, global contact with people from different cultural backgrounds requires the communication style of the 'low-context culture', for which English is conventionally equipped. Thus, for example, the Japanese should get rid of the 'receiver responsible' style of persuasion and develop a new way of 'sender responsible' communication. They can keep both Japanese and English communication styles by studying English. All in all, from the point of developmental sensitivity to intercultural awareness, most of the objections stand at the level of 'defense,' the second stage in ethnocentrism. In conclusion, the priority and convenience of English as a lingua franca additionally supported by the Engco Model is indisputable. The Japanese people should be provided with a way to open their window to the world through English. This paper proposes that immediate endeavors should be made for English instruction to support English as the 2nd official language in Japan. All institutions, including schools from the primary to the tertiary level, and English teachers' associations, should support such endeavors and promote English language teaching and learning as such without delay.
- 2000-12-20