Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy: Native Speaker Bias in Japan

This book examines dilemmas faced by second language (L2) Japanese speakers as a result of persistent challenges to their legitimacy as speakers of Japanese. Based on an ethnographic interview study with L2—Japanese speakers and their L1—Japanese—speaking friends, co—workers and significant others, the book examines ideologies linked to three core speech styles of Japanese – keigo or polite language, gendered language and regional dialects – to show how such ideologies impact L2—Japanese sp...