Mieko Yamada

English as a multicultural language: implications from a study of Japan's junior high schools' English language textbooks

Abstract Applying Kachru and Nelsons model of English spread and their categorisation into Inner/Outer/Expanding Circles, this content analysis of English as a Foreign Language textbooks used in Japanese junior high schools investigates which countries were introduced and further studies how Japans domestic diversity was constructed in those textbooks. Furthermore, to scrutinise representations of Japans domestic diversity, this study examines what types of individual located in Japan were represented in the textbooks. The concepts of race and ethnic relations in a global context will be discussed to understand representations of individuals. Drawing upon the concept of English as a multicultural language, this study suggests that this multicultural perspective would not only promote understanding varieties of English use in Asian contexts but would also help educators and students recognise the internal diversity of Japan where multilingual and multicultural communication takes place.

Awareness of Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Japanese Junior High Schools' English Language Textbooks

This article explores how cultural attitudes about race and ethnicity are taught in the English language textbooks as a part of Japans school curriculum. A content analysis of Japanese junior high school textbooks on English as a foreign language published from 1987 to 2002 was conducted. Four hypotheses were investigated relating to 1) the diversity of countries, 2) the inclusion of Asia, 3) the diversity of individuals, and 4) the portrayal of the United States and Japan. The results suggest that while Japans English language textbooks did represent diverse countries, they did not represent the diversity of racial and ethnic groups. Moreover, although ambiguity about race and ethnicity did exist, there also appeared to be attempts to respond to the changing realities impacted by globalization.

An Evaluation of the Impact of a Faith-Based Volunteer Program

This paper presents a study undertaken to evaluate the impact of a faith-based volunteer program in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and determine how effectively the program serves to connect volunteers, agencies, and the local community. Organizational factors, such as volunteer training, task preparation, and support within the program, affect levels of volunteers’ performance and satisfaction. Based on the volunteers’ and agencies’ input regarding the faith-based volunteer program, we examine how faith-based volunteers perceived their own experiences related to their host program and to what extent they felt satisfied with their assigned work. We discuss survey and interview findings and suggest the need for further research among volunteer organizations.

Internet Accessibility of the Mizuko Kuyo (Water-Child Ritual) in Modern Japan: A Case Study in Weberian Rationality

The mizuko kuyo is a Japanese (Buddhist, Shinto, New Religious, other) memorial service for infants or young children who have died through some misfortune, including disease, miscarriage, and, increasingly, elective abortion. Indeed, abortion is the predominant form of contraception for many Japanese families. Here we consider, in Weberian terms of the rationalization of institutions, how Internet accessibility and its created virtual reality of the mizuko kuyo has driven its popularity along the dimensions of privatization, bureaucratization, and commodification in decisions to perform the ritual by Internet. We utilize a sample of Tokyo mizuko kuyo Web sites and the contexts of their advertisements and available services for mizuko kuyo, including fee structures and other advertising “lures,” to analyze this merging of traditional and modern technological paths of spirituality along Weberian theoretical lines.

Diversity Matters: Japan's Domestic Diversity and the Role of English Language Teaching

This article investigates how Japanese university students perceive Japans domestic diversity and understand the role of English within that context. Surveys and interviews with Japanese students reveal how they reflect on their own experiences with diversity in their past English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes and also help to explore the role of English teaching/learning in multicultural Japan. Insufficient attention to domestic diversity may mislead EFL learners when they encounter their English interlocutors with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds because this misunderstanding can create prejudices about English speakers and may reproduce a racial/ethnic and linguistic hierarchy. Drawing on the survey and interview results, this article suggests possible strategies for promoting successful intercultural communication through English and teaching English as a global language.

Evaluation of an EFL Teacher Training Program in Japan

This article presents a study undertaken to evaluate how effectively an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) training program helps Japanese EFL teacher trainees prepare for their future positions. Data were collected via both interviews and surveys. Interviews were first conducted with Japanese teacher trainees enrolled in the program to identify concerns related to their EFL learning and teacher training. Since the interviews revealed potential areas for a new direction in the EFL curricula, surveys were later conducted to focus on the teacher trainees’ perceptions of Japan’s diversity. This article discusses the findings from interviews and surveys, and offers recommendations for further improvement to the Japanese EFL program.