ERIC Number: EJ1458037
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0965-8416
EISSN: EISSN-1747-7565
The Native Speaker Model in Japan: Constant and Changing Attitudes
Language Awareness, v34 n1 p145-168 2025
This paper describes a mixed methods study of Japanese first-year tertiary learners' attitudes to English language learning models. It outlines the results from a survey comprised of a verbal guise test (measuring respondents' attitudes to both linguistic and personality features) and vocabulary elicitation, which was administered to 87 participants. Following this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 of these learners. Results of both the survey and interviews showed a strong preference for the native speaker model among participants, as well as negative views of localized Englishes. At the same time, participants were more likely to choose Japanese people as their ideal speaking models. In both cases, perceived personality, more than linguistic features, appeared to be a major factor behind participants' attitudes. In addition, the findings showed the potential of Japanese language teachers' use of English as a source of building student confidence, highlighting the importance of developing Japanese teachers' confidence in their own Englishes.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Freshmen, English (Second Language), Student Attitudes, Language Attitudes, Second Language Learning, Modeling (Psychology), Language Variation, Native Speakers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Japan
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A