ABSTRACT
Countries in East Asia have not always enjoyed positive relations; there have been many historical problems and territorial disputes. Concerning foreign language education in Japan, in most classrooms only the English language is taught. Most English teachers believe that English is enough for college students because it is an established international language and in some circles, it is considered the lingua franca. The author does not think that an English-dominant language education is a proper language education in a globalized world, where empathy and mutual understanding are necessary in addition to verbal and written communication. Therefore, East Asian language teachers should promote plurilingual education because its principle is that every language spoken in a region has equal language value and is an expression of cultural and individual identity. Plurilingualism encourages students to study two or more languages in addition to their mother tongue to establish and maintain good international relationships. Asian students should be encouraged to learn another Asian language to better communicate with people in neighboring countries. Such a policy would allow people to more easily interact with one another, which would, in turn, contribute to intercultural understanding, reduce prejudice, and nurture shared interests among the people of East Asia.
