Plurilingual Education in a Monolingualised Nation - (New Perspectives on Language and Education) by Daniel Roy Pearce (Paperback)

About the Book

This book explores alternative approaches to foreign language education in a context which is traditionally dominated by English-only approaches, and widely viewed as highly monolingual. It examines the practices of teachers and their assistants involved in plurilingual education in the first longitudinal exploration in the Japanese context.

Book Synopsis

This book explores alternative approaches to foreign language education in a context which is traditionally dominated by English-only approaches, and widely viewed as highly monolingual. It examines the grassroots classroom practices of teachers and their assistants involved in plurilingual education in the first longitudinal research of its type in the Japanese context. These practices are grounded in depictions of the practitioners' personal and professional trajectories through explorations of their visual linguistic autobiographies. The holistic ethnography thus deepens understanding of plurilingualism in a hitherto underexplored context, and should be of interest to students and researchers of language teaching, teacher training, language policy, sociolinguistics and plurilingualism.

Review Quotes

...this volume offers a highly relevant and insightful exploration of the evolving role of plurilingualism in FL education in Japan. Well-researched and accessibly presented, it sheds light on plurilingual practices in a context that has received little attention in the literature, highlighting both their potential and their growing implementation.

-- "Blake Turnbull, Otani University, Japan, International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 2025"

[This] is a groundbreaking contribution to language education scholarship. Pearce's fusion of theory, practice, and teacher narratives not only redefines what plurilingualism can look like in a monolingualised context but also offers a hopeful vision for inclusive, interdisciplinary pedagogies. For those invested in challenging linguistic hegemony - in Japan or beyond - this book is an indispensable resource. It reminds us that even in the face of institutional inertia, classrooms can become sites of radical linguistic possibility.

-- "Yueli Lu and Daqiang Zhang, Shenzhen University, China, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 2025"

...for all readers concerned with instructed language education in Japan, Plurilingual Education in a Monolingualised Nation is a thought-provoking monograph examining counter-discursive practices that have the potential to positively influence the future of language teaching here.

-- "Thomas Amundrud, Nara University of Education, Japan, JALT Journal, 47.2, November 2025"

If you thought Japan was monolingual, think again! Daniel Roy Pearce shows how the intricacies of Japanese social and individual multilingualism can be used in the classroom to counter monolingualism and monolingualization. Bringing a unique multisensorial and multimodal approach to research, combining autoethnography and polyethnography, this volume is unsettling and inspiring for researchers and practitioners alike.-- "Sílvia Melo-Pfeifer, University of Hamburg, Germany"

This book presents illuminating cases of practitioners promoting grassroots plurilingual education even in a context traditionally portrayed as being monolingual. Analyzing rich multimodal data, Pearce successfully helps readers see a more diverse reality of the country than is commonly believed and offers educational possibilities that can be explored outside the context as well.-- "Chika Takahashi, Ehime University, Japan"

This stimulating volume, packed with concrete examples and rich reflections, has something for everyone (in-service and pre-service teachers, postgraduate students, teacher trainers and researchers). It is an excellent example of the tangible teaching and learning outcomes that can be achieved through collaborative, participative research. A fascinating window onto progressive language education in Japan which will incite reflection and resonate with all educators, across the globe, seeking to nurture curiosity and openness amongst their learners.-- "Andrea Young, University of Strasbourg, France"

About the Author

Daniel Roy Pearce is a lecturer and teacher trainer in the Faculty of Education, Shitennoji University, Japan. His current research interests include interdisciplinary plurilingual education, teacher collaboration, and plurilingualism and linguistic diversity within primarily monolingual contexts.