Then and Now: Review on language policy and practices in Japan and Korea

Abstract

Japan and Korea have unceasingly been promoting English language policy to higher education students. The policy does not merely consider English as a means of communication to create interactions among people but also a new capital that can enable people to get an access to rich flow of information and lead to shift of socioeconomic status and political condition. This perspective is firmly accepted after globalization has been globally widespread. Regarding the aforementioned points, the discourse about English in Japan and Korea is thoughtprovoking since they have made many attempts in language policy-making as well as the practices which obviously affect the future of English use itself in these countries. This paper aims at discussing issues and challenges of English language policy and practices in Japan's and Korea's higher education levels. The author utilized systematic review consisting of literature search, identified the relevant journal articles, and found frequent issues e.g. internationalization and English as Medium of Instruction (EMI). Finally, the result shows that there are similar issues and challenges towards English language policy and practices in Japan's and Korea's higher education levels.