Introduction: English as a lingua franca in Japan-towards multilingual practices

Abstract

This is an introductory chapter to this book, which aims to explore English as a lingua franca (ELF) phenomenon in Japanese contexts from the perspectives of multilingualism. This chapter first provides a brief history of ELF research, and a recent shift in sociolinguistics and applied linguistics research from monolingual norms to multilingual norms where translanguaging and transcultural practices are ordinary. Sociocultural rationales of Japanese society are also described: that is becoming multilingual and multicultural by the force of the current globalisation. The chapter then reviews latest studies of ELF interactions in multilingual contexts by summarising key concepts found in descriptive research on ELF and discusses what ELF research from multilingual perspectives can offer to change the monolingual mindset, which is still prevalent in Japanese society. The chapter ends with an overview of existing ELF research in Japanese contexts and a preview of the contributions to this volume.