Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy

Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy is a sophisticated and important contribution to our understanding of linguistic capital, language attitudes, and intercultural communication. At a time when language norms in Japan are being vividly discussed, this book adds empirical detail and new insight to what it means to speak Japanese as a second language. * Patrick Heinrich, Ca' Foscari University, Italy * Takeuchi’s study on L2 Japanese speakers’ experience is timely and eye opening, particularly when foreign workers have started returning to Japan in the post-COVID-19 era. Practitioners and policymakers will benefit from her insightful analysis of the role of keigo and dialects that contribute to reinforcing divisions between Japanese and non-Japanese people. * Kayoko Hashimoto, University of Queensland, Australia * Takeuchi’s fascinating new book provides sophisticated and nuanced analyses focused on “speaker legitimacy” and the ownership of language for L2 Japanese speakers in Japan. Her thoughtful suggestion that L2 speakers should be treated simply as speakers rather than targets of judgment rings true for education of any language. A must read. * Neriko Musha Doerr, Ramapo College of New Jersey, USA * As Japan struggles to liberalize its immigration policy to alleviate labor shortages, beliefs shaping national and linguistic identities are becoming increasingly contested. Takeuchi’s sophisticated and engaging examination of how these ideologies intertwine and ultimately occlude L2 speaker legitimacy is therefore particularly timely.  * Elizabeth Hashimura, University of St Andrews, UK, GALE 2024 Vol. 16 *