Multidimensional examination of gender in a business Japanese textbook
- Publisher:
- Japan Foundation
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- Japanese-Language Education around the Globe, 2009, 19 (3), pp. 49 - 67
- Issue Date:
- 2009-01
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In Japanese "female language" and "male language" are "language resources" (Nakamura 2007), which people use or avoid using to construct one's gender identities. This study examined a business Japanese textbook from gender perspective. In order to understand the Japanese language teaching and learning practices in terms of gender, the study engaged in the content analysis of the textbook, email interviews of the textbook writers, classroom observations, as well as interviews of the teacher and students. The discussion of data includes how gender was understood, and expressed in the textbook and how it was taught and learned using the textbook. The study found that it is difficult for even the most experienced teacher to critically consume the textbook content; and the events surrounding the textbook are quite complex. It therefore suggests the needs for textbooks to have explicit explanations and tasks that enable learners to use the "language resources" effectively. The paper also advocates the multi-perspective textbook analysis in order to capture the complexity.
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