ABSTRACT
This chapter problematizes some of the ideas in which English is acknowledged as a dominant language in the world (English as an international language, world language, common language of the world, lingua franca) and examines how these ideas emerged as a result of British colonialism and Anglo-American language promotion strategies. It provides a brief historical survey of the process through which education in Japan outgrew its highly Anglicized system in the early Meiji era, domesticating it by adopting Japanese as the main medium of instruction and took up again some English-medium teaching methodologies in a series of ELT reforms. The chapter also looks at the latest ELT-related policies put forth by the government and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) including 'English Education Reform Plan corresponding to Globalization' and the projects for promoting 'Super-Global' universities and high schools. It further discusses some possible problems that these policies which equate 'globalization' with 'Anglicization' may cause.
