EFL to ESL status

womblingfree · Post by **womblingfree** » Wed Feb 21, 2007 1:16 pm

fluffyhamster wrote:You could make something of a start by crossing off those countries in which English is most certainly still a foreign language. Here's one right away: Japan.

Actually, what is her (and/or your) definition of an ESL country? Is it one in which e.g. more than half the population know, or speak/use the language at a certain level of competence, and with such and such a frequency, for such purposes as...

Whilst English in Japan is arguably still an EFL country the intention of Japanese language policy was/is certainly for it to become an ESL country.

At various points over the last century English was even proposed to become Japans first language.

As for what constitutes EFL and ESL countries, it's if a language is commonly used within a country to communicate. this often applies to countries formerly under colonial occupation.

In the case of Hawaii and the Philippines it's actually largely displaced the native language altogether.

You could argue that Spanish is the second language of the United States, despite the huge efforts of the English Only movement.

fluffyhamster · Post by **fluffyhamster** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 1:26 am

Hi wombly!

Japan may have had and still have its policies, but one has to ask whether they are successful or not (and for those interested, see e.g. the debates raging on the Japan forum regarding the effectiveness/value for money of the JET programme)...not that the failure of a country to "ESL-ize" should distract the individuals within it from getting on with learning by and for themselves for the time being!

womblingfree · Post by **womblingfree** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 3:19 am

fluffyhamster wrote:Hi wombly!

Japan may have had and still have its policies, but one has to ask whether they are successful or not...

Yeah they're certianly not effective in transforming japan into an ESL country. Not surprising as there's not really any demand or need for it in my opinion.

Who will they use it with? The surrounding countries are all EFL as well and 99.9999999999% of the population are Japanese speakers. I suppose that's why they were so keen to let foreign language instructors in, although as its hard for foreigners to settle there it kind of defeats the object.

On that note I'll take this back to the Japan forums