The Japanese have a long history of selective borrowing from many other cultures at different times of history. They have done this in accordance with the concept of 'wakon-kansai' and 'wakon-yosai' (i.e. restricted selection) which separates the preservation of the Japanese spirit from the pragmatic adoption of foreign ideas when the need was for Chinese learning or Western learning respectively. The practice of 'restricted selection' was engaged in by the Japanese, especially with respect to the study of foreign languages.
The study was designed to investigate the nature of English as an International Language (EIL) in Japan from both a diachronic and a synchronic point of view, drawing some comparisons with countries in South East Asia and Africa. Using comparative material from socio-historical and sociolinguistic literature from other countries it was possible to examine the use and cultivation of English in Japan and compare it with that in other countries where English fulfils different roles. In addition the diachronic component of the study sought to clarify the relationship of English to the process of modernisation against the background of the wider role of English as an international language.
From the synchronic point of view the study sought indicators as to the success of teaching and learning English as a performance variety in Japan. It has considered how such success or failure is affected by language-in-education planning both on part of the Ministry of Education and other bodies. Furthermore the study sought to understand how the substantial Japanese participation rate in studying English in both educational and business domains contributes to the spread of English worldwide.
Finally, the study tried to formulate a broader definition of EIL, assuming the fact that EIL is not a variety but a status designation of various Englishes in the present world.
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