Globalization

     There is a constant struggle to obtain balance between a new emerging culture and the prescience of an older culture especially for the onset emigration and immigration across countries. With this also comes the need for an education reform, however, according to Kubota, "These diversities are not sufficiently reflected in language education." For example, Japan has had an influx of immigrants (as well as emigrants) from 1989-1999. The number of non-Japanese studetns in need of language support has reached, according to Kubota, 46.5 percent.
     It was also suggested that Japan has gone through economical separation from western countries, like the US, after WWII and in order to make up for this Japan has tried to adapt to Western culture in to yield acceptance. This is one of the serious consequences of economic divide, as suggested by McKay and Heng. Kubota further states, "Kokisaika reflects Japans struggle to claim its power in international community through Westernization...to put kokusaika in the three dimensional tension between the promotion of English and nationalism..." There is an internal struggle between self recovery and self discovery.
    After reading the rest of Kubota's article, I thought about the privileges I have as a natural speaker of English, though have also thought why Japan has pushed towards the 'Western' ways of education such as debates, 'logical' and expressive writing. Post WWII, a foreign language has been required by the Japanese curriculum, (pushing towards the learning of English). This is not the push towards pluralism, though a push to fit into the global market.
    Above all, as McKay and Heng state, "there are many benefits to having a global language like English, it is essential that language educators work to ensure that the spread of English proceeds in a manner that supports the integrity and development of other languages."