Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on ways in which teachers, although they are "non-authorized policy actors," become "de facto language planner and policy maker. It discusses teachers develop educational language policy at the micro or local or bottom-up level, exercising agency in their choice of language, activities, or materials. The book addresses the theme of adoption or adaptation of educational language policy by institutions. It examines policy issues in four very diverse contexts: writing centers in Japanese universities, Mandarin as a foreign language in Nepali private schools, international teaching assistants in US universities, and Assistant Language Teachers in Japanese schools. The book offers perspectives from diverse stakeholders on educational language policy and planning. It also focuses on identity and individual and invisible language policy.