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Abstract

This paper underscores the need for a specialised framework in English-as-a-foreign-language education (EFLE) policy research, as existing language policy and planning (LPP) models are too broad to adequately capture the specificities of EFLE. It argues that EFLE shares more foundational assumptions with public and education policy, highlighting the necessity of analytical frameworks specialised for EFLE policy. Drawing on case studies from Japan, the paper advances three recommendations. First, scholars should conceptualise EFLE policy as a form of school-education policy and attend closely to the legal, administrative, and sociohistorical constraints embedded in school systems. Second, they should consider the formalised nature of EFLE policy processes, which involve not only short-term deliberations but also long-term inter- and intra-ministerial dynamics. Third, researchers should recognise the critical role of local-language documents in EFLE policy studies and avoid over-reliance on English-language sources. Based on these recommendations, the paper concludes by discussing the extent to which these Japan-specific insights are transferable to EFLE policies in other non-English-speaking countries, offering a foundation for future research that is theoretically robust, contextually sensitive, and methodologically inclusive.

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2026-05-05
2026-05-11

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/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.25025.ter
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English language education as public and education policies
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/lplp.25025.ter
/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.25025.ter
/content/journals/10.1075/lplp.25025.ter
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: public policy ; theoretical framework ; English-source bias ; education policy ; English as a foreign language

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