Yakudoku: The Japanese Approach to Foreign Language Study

Abstract

The teaching of English as a foreign language is often greatly influenced by the sociolinguistic environment of the country in which English is taught. In many countries, English is taught in accordance with indigenous educational traditions. This paper presents a case study of one such example as it affects the teaching of English in Japan. The influence of the traditional Japanese approach to the reading of foreign languages known as yakudoku will be discussed, and its effect on the teaching of English illustrated.