The Impact of the New National Senior High School English Curriculum on Collaboration Between Japanese Teachers and Native Speakers

Abstract

In this paper I discuss the impact of the Ministry of Education’s new national senior high school Course of Study for Foreign Languages on collaboration between Japanese teachers of English and native speakers of English. In consideration of the new curriculum’s request that classes be conducted in English and its reorganization of all English subjects, I draw upon frameworks in language-in-education policy and planning (Kaplan & Baldauf, 2003; Liddicoat, 2004) and highlight potential issues concerning its implementation at the local level.