He, X.
Juxtaposition of English and Japanese native-speakerism: through the concept of the international university being a heterotopia
(2024) Asian Englishes
DOI: 10.1080/13488678.2024.2350085
Abstract
Research on the native-speakerism ideology of different languages has demonstrated the unbalanced power relation created between those who are labeled as native speaker (NS) and as non-native speaker (NNS). While the research on native-speakerism has expanded beyond the English language, the juxtaposition of native-speakerism of different languages is under-explored. This study applies Foucault’s concept of heterotopia to investigate how international universities in Japan, as a heterotopia, create spatial distinguishments of English and Japanese native-speakerism and how migrant students construct native-speakerist discourses while shuffling among different spaces. The interview result demonstrates that the international university led a Vietnamese migrant to reinforce native-speakerist discourses while providing space for counter-native-speakerist discourse to occur. It also shows that counter-native-speakerist discourses emerge in spaces where native-speakerism decoupled from the neoliberal market. Unveiling the multiplicated function of the juxtaposition of different native-speakerism, this result provides clues for tackling native-speakerism in Asian multilingual contexts. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Author Keywords
English language in Asia; heterotopia; ideology construction; international university; migrants; Native-speakerism
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