Abstract :
English for Academic Legal Purposes
in
By Hajime Terauchi
Reviewed by
Andrew Reimann, Tokoha Gakuen University
English for Academic Legal Purposes
in Japan is an informative, interesting and essential text for teachers who
want to achieve positive results and provide practical knowledge in English
usage for their students. Hajime Terauchi looks at the history of English,
Legal systems and Japanese education in general, describes in detail the
origins and flaws and provides valuable insights for the future. Hajime also
provides an invaluable source of references and research into practical aspects
of English education which warrant further research. English for Specific
Purposes (ESP), though not a new method of instruction, has not been as practically
applied in Japan as it has in other countries, Hajime effectively shows why
this is so and why the need for efficient ESP instruction is paramount for the
Japanese success on the growing international frontier.
The book is divided into three parts; Introduction:
a look at the history and influence of education and Law in Japan, Conceptual
Frameworks; a critical and constructive analysis of teaching methods at
Japanese Universities, and Research and Evaluation a complete and
concise bibliography and summary of valuable, relevant research. Combined these
three sections form a powerful argument for change in the Japanese education
system and a reevaluation of its goals. Hajime describes the evolution of
Japanese institutions through four main periods; Edo Period, Meiji Era, Pre
World War II and Post World War II as being influenced by foreign ideals
without fully understanding them. The Japanese legal system tried to combine
many incompatible codes ranging from feudal law, civil law and common law,
maintaining some ideals from pre Meiji times and borrowing others mostly from
the Napoleonic and Prussian Codes. This became problematic and after World War
II the Americans forced and adaptation of American Laws. In each case, change
seems to have been made for its own sake without fully understanding the
practical aspects or consequences.
Education particularly language has
gone through similar hurdles.
Traditionally language teaching was a means to learn about a culture
quickly and then translate the ideas into Japanese. There was neither seldom a
chance nor a need for verbal communication so the emphasis was on reading,
writing and translation. This remains largely unchanged today where English
education focuses primarily on structures, translation and reading for entrance
exams. Students graduate from University with some minor knowledge of English
but no communication skills or practical ability. According to Hajime, this is
mirrored in the faculty of Law where most graduates are unable to practice law
in Japan and only two percent of Japanese Graduates pass the Bar exam as oppose
to 70% in Germany. Hajime, citing many examples and sources attributes this
deficiency to the method of instruction and the lack of a practical approach in
Japanese Universities.
“The ideal
programme after the Second World War should have been accomplished through
harmonizing general education and specialized education” Hajime points out that
there still is little or know communication between faculties and as a result
essential interdisciplinary skills are not acquired. Education in Japan is in
need of serious reform particularly in professional disciplines and Language
Education. English for Specific Purposes has been overlooked in Japan or
misconstrued as grammar translation or literary interpretation. Professionals
in the modern world require more than this. From Hajime’s book, it is clear
that ESP plays an essential role in the future of practical learning necessary
for the growing competition on the international stage in Japan. English for
Academic Legal Purposes in Japan is a timely steppingstone and hopefully a
catalyst for a new generation of teachers.