Students’ Responses to Content-based Instruction Conducted in Non-native Varieties of English at a Japanese Public High School

Abstract

In 2002, a public high school in Japan provided Home Economics and Politics and Economics in non-native varieties of English. Offering these courses in non-native varieties of English was a significant step in the Japanese education scene since the need for students to be familiar with non-native varieties of English is inarguable, given the fact that the number of non-native speakers surpasses that of native speakers of English in the world. The present study focused on questionnaire data gathered from the students over one semester and analyzed the data in terms of student satisfaction, listening comprehension, teachers’ speech rate, and students’ written comments. Finally, several pedagogical implications were presented based on the findings. It is hoped that this paper will be of use for both researchers and practitioners to critically evaluate the current English teaching programs at high schools in Japan, or elsewhere and to change them to a more “Englishes-conscious” direction.