Motivation to Learn Multiple Languages in Japan

Reviews / Votes

This book is riveting and illuminating! Readers will be fascinated by the nuanced analyses of the ebbs and flows in the multilingual motivational trajectories of two Japanese learners of multiple languages as they successfully but differently negotiate context and agency over nine years. Takahashi's new construct of enduring translingual transcultural orientation truly pushes the boundaries of the field of L2 motivation. * Lourdes Ortega, Georgetown University, USA * A fascinating case study of multiple language learning, this monograph breaks new ground in providing an account of persistence in the pursuit of a multilingual future. Examining motivational trajectories as processes in motion, Takahashi's study will be required reading for anyone interested in L2 perseverance and the long-term dynamics of language learning motivation. * Alastair Henry, Hoegskolan Vaest, Sweden * This book provides a fascinating account of two successful multilingual learners' nine-year learning journeys. It expands our understanding of multilingual motivation by transcending the traditional research site of school settings, and highlights how lifelong language learning and lived experiences co-shape and coordinate over a long term. The endurance and persistence shown by the learners are truly impressive. * Yongyan Zheng, Fudan University, China * English in Japan is mandatory at all levels of education, from elementary school through to undergraduate university and - while languages other than English (LOTEs) are occasionally available at secondary level and undergraduate levels - LOTE courses are generally not required and thus few in number [...] This is one reason why Takahashi's book is such a rarity [...] An even more striking aspect of this book is the length of the study it describes: longitudinal work lasting nine years is highly unusual and, for a study based in Japan, very likely the first of its kind. * Matthew Thomas Apple, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 2023 * Takahashi's research monograph distinguishes itself from many publications on language education by drawing attention to the learning of LOTE in Japan, where explicit policy support is absent [...] The experiences represented in this study undoubtedly echo many language learners' motivations for multilingual learning in the Asia-Pacific region. Its results should encourage readers to reflect on the educational system and identify areas for positive change concerning the learning and teaching of multiple languages in addition to English. * Junyi Gu, Tongji University, China and Xuesong (Andy) Gao, University of New South Wales, Australia, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 2023 *