Sunday 2:15 - 3:05 PM
Magnolia B
Implications for Ethical Meanings in English Language Education
Yayoi Akagi, Science University of Tokyo, Japan
Yukiko Shima, Science University of Tokyo, Japan
International understanding and peace should be promoted through language
learning as recommended by Linguapax of UNESCO. An efficient communication
with people from different cultural backgrounds requires sincere efforts
in understanding through a knowledge of global perspectives. However materials
for English language learning are said to be a fertile source of prejudices
and stereotypes carried over from colonial times. In fact English language
teaching still provides hindrances to successful communication. For example
illustrations about Japanese, Korean and Chinese in many textbooks are
often still mixed up and do not provide proper contextual information,
but rather present stereotypes. Language teachers in Asia must take responsibilities
for creating non-stereotypical materials with authentic content of those
Asian countries.
In this presentation we will provide explicit implications for ethical
meanings in English language education and show how international understanding
and global perspectives can be developed in the English classroom.
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