Language Policy and

Program in Japan
Japan’s government sees new
social factors emerging in the
twenty-first century: an aging
population, cultural
diversification, and continuing
modernist trope of Japan as a
“monolingual” and
“monocultural” nation.
• In national language policy,
the Japanese government
adopted a standard language
(hyojungo). The growth of
non-Japanese nationalities is
an emerging demography.
• There are concerns about a
growing insularity among
young Japanese and to
improve their communication
and problem-solving skills.
• English classes are currently
offered once a week in the final 2
years of elementary school, and
there are government plans to
teach from grade 3 and make
English a formal subject by the
year 2020.
• Korean as a foreign language is the
fastest-growing foreign language of
study in Japan, and there are
Chinese ethnic bilingual schools.
• Deaf sign language (JSL) activity
has intensified in recent years.
Brazilian language maintenance
schools have been established.
• The steady increase in the
number of foreign students
enrolled in educational
institutions impacts the growing
field of the teaching of Japanese
as a foreign language.
 Language
Policy in Japan
Language Policy in Japan

• Policies on Japanese language were

discussed by the Council on the
National Language (the Council),
an advisory body of the
government.
• Kokugo shigi kai,or the
Council on the National
Language, 2000)
recommends promoting
Japanese language, on the
one hand, and changing
Japanese so as to make it
more suitable for
international communication
on the other.
This recommendations consists of three
parts:
1. Promotion of Japanese and support
for learners of Japanese as a foreign
language and second language
2. Suggestions for communicative
competence of Japanese as the first
language
3. Suggestions for dealing with
increasing use of katakana-go, or loan
words other than those written in
Chinese characters, which are mostly
English loan words.
• The reason the Council Report
gave for the promotion of
Japanese language are: the
number of its speakers (the 10th
largest in the world); the
increasing number of learners ;
cultural accessibility through
the language and the
importance of multilingualism
in this English-dominant world.
• Firstly, the need for sending
information to other countries
about the Japanese nation and its
people is suggested by the Council
Report as a basis for international
expansion of the Japanese language.
• Secondly, support for Japanese
education inside and outside Japan
because of increased numbers of
foreigners living in Japan and
learners of Japanese as a foreign
language is mentioned in the report.
• The second set of suggestions
under current policy on language
education in Japan is supported
by the Council’s recognition of
globalization. The report refers
to the traditional features of
Japanese ways of communication
which have valued sasshi, or
understanding without explicit
words, as illustrated in
expressions such as ishindenshin,
or communication without
words.
• However, the Council argues
that sasshi often causes
misunderstanding in an
international society where
Japanese have to communicate
with people from different
cultural and societal
backgrounds
• Thus, the report argues,
Japanese people have to pay
attention to three points in cross-
cultural communication, that is,
to fully verbalize one’s thoughts,
to communicate in such a
manner as to be plain, precise,
and logical, and to be flexible in
expression and comprehension
according to interlocutors’
cultural backgrounds.
• The third point reflects a public
concern with loan words. The
report categorizes the functions
of loan words into three types:
new concepts and goods such as
rajjio (radio), kimuchi (kimchi),
and ankooru (encore); technical
terms such as ozon (ozone),
inhureeshon (inflation); and
utilization of new images relating
to foreign words, such as kyaria-
uuman (career woman).
• Then, problems with the current
flood of these loan words are
stated as: communication
breakdowns caused by
difficulties in understanding of
the new loan words, especially
for senior citizens; difficulties in
understanding for foreign
learners of Japanese; and
impediments for Japanese
learners of foreign languages.
• A statement is made that
these loan words should be
uses with much care,
especially in academic,
governmental, and media
uses as distributors of these
words.
Language Program
in Japan
The Japanese Language Program puts an
emphasis on developing students’
communication skills throughout all levels
of courses. In other words, listening and
speaking skills are given priority, though
those of reading and writing are also
taught to enhance communication ability.
Courses offered by the JLP are divided
in two: the main track courses and the
lightly loaded ones. The main track
consists of Elementary Japanese 1, 2, 3,
Intermediate Japanese 1, 2, 3 (up to mid-
stage Intermediate level) and Advanced
Japanese 1, 2, 3 and Advanced Japanese
4, 5 , 6 (late stage Intermediate to
Advances level.) The “light load” courses
include Basic Japanese 1, 2, 3.
The courses in the “main track” are
designed to develop relatively
comprehensive Japanese skills
including the reading of Kanji
(Chinese characters) and to raise the
proficiency level of students as high
as possible within the limited period
of time available.
• Classes in Elementary Japanese 1, 2, 3 and
Intermediate Japanese 1, 2, 3, meet 4 times a
week respectively, while those in Advanced
Japanese 1, 2, 3 meet 3 times a week, with
tutorials. Advance Japanese 4, 5, 6 meet twice
a week.
• These courses may be felt as intensive, but
students with the intention to use language for
professional purposes such as internship,
research, and business after graduating from
IUJ (International University of Japan) are
strongly advised to stay in this track.
• Many alumni have reported that reported
that the minimum level required by such
students at the time of graduation is
completion of Intermediate 3. Students who
wish to take Elementary Japanese 1 must be
prepared for the qualifying test which asks
some basic linguistic knowledge of Japanese.
• However, those who cannot prepare
themselves in advance could start with a 4-
day Intensive Class but they must be aware
that preparation for the test requires an
enormous amount of effort.
• Courses in the “light load” track, Basic
Japanese 1, 2, 3, have been created to
provide students with more opportunities to
experience Japan by learning Japanese
without threatening their study of content
courses. These classes meet two times a week.
• The major focus will be on developing oral
communication skills. Acquiring basic
grammar and developing vocabulary will
also be stressed to enhance students’
communication ability.
• The following are rough guidelines
concerning what a student can
achieve upon completing Japanese
language courses at IUJ.
Students who have completed Advanced
Japanese 3 with good standing are expected
to:
(a) Be able to pass the N2 level of the New
Japanese-Language Proficiency Test
(NJLPT) in December of the same year as
long as they have strong Kanji background
and study hard prior to the test in
December.
(b) Obtain advanced-low/mid level in the Oral
Proficiency Interview test.
Students who have completed Intermediate
Japanese 3 with good standing are expected
to:
(a)Be able to pass the N3 level of the NJLPT
in December of the same year, if they
continue to study rigorously on their own
until December.
(b)Obtain intermediate-high/advanced-low
level in the Oral Proficiency Interview test.
Students who have completed Elementary
Japanese 3 with good standing are expected
to:
(a)Be able to pass the N4 level of the NJLPT
in December of the same year, if they
continue to study rigorously on their own
until December.
(b)Obtain Intermediate-low or Intermediate-
mid level in the Oral Proficiency Interview
test.
Student who have completed Basic
Japanese 3 with good standing are
expected to:
(a)Pass the N5 level of the NJLPT in
December of the same year, if they
study approximately 100 kanji on
their own
(b)Obtain novice-high level in the Oral
Proficiency Interview test.