Twitter posts on English language learning in Japan: Attitudes towards 'Neitibu'(‘native speakers’)

Journal article


Tsurii, C. 2022. Twitter posts on English language learning in Japan: Attitudes towards 'Neitibu'(‘native speakers’). Journal of Humanities Research. 16, pp. 1-38.
AuthorsTsurii, C.
Abstract

To critically explore the ideological nature of English and English learning/teaching in Japan, this study, as part of a multifaceted project, explores how attitudes towards English (or learning/teaching English) are displayed on the social media platform Twitter. First, I examined the results of the thematic analysis of Twitter discourse with an analytical viewpoint of native-speakerism, illustrating the underlying assumptions and inconsistencies in attitudes towards English learning. Then, I applied van Dijk’s (2004) analytical framework and explored the recreation of the power relationship between ‘native speakers’and ‘non-native speakers’ in the social media discourse. This study argues that hegemonic ideology is recreated by ‘ourselves’ by unintentionally applying inverted ‘ideological squares’. This study focuses on Japanese society as a case study of learning English as a foreign language, revealing a self-defeating attitude towards ‘native-speakers’, which potentially reinforces their own subjugation, in turn having implications for future studies in global contexts.

KeywordsIdeological nature of English (education); Native-speakerism in ELT; Qualitative research; Social media discourse; Self-defeating attitude towards ‘native-speakers’
Year2022
JournalJournal of Humanities Research
Journal citation16, pp. 1-38
PublisherThe Research Institute, St. Andrewʼs University
ISSN2188-9031
Official URLhttp://id.nii.ac.jp/1420/00009423/
Related URLhttps://irdb.nii.ac.jp/en/01180/0005229480
Publication dates
Print23 Feb 2022
Publication process dates
Deposited07 Mar 2022
Accepted author manuscript
License
Output statusPublished
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https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/9092w/twitter-posts-on-english-language-learning-in-japan-attitudes-towards-neitibu-native-speakers

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