This book seeks a better understanding of sociocultural and ideological factors that influence English study in Japan and study-abroad contexts. The discussion is based not only on learners' and educators' voices but also on English language policies and commercial magazines that rest on their own representation of 'Japanese learners of English'. The book addresses seemingly incompatible yet theoretically rational findings on Japanese learners of English: (i) native English preference in at-home Japanese EFL contexts vs. Asian-Asian solidary in western study-abroad contexts; (ii) Japanese...