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English as an Official Corporate Language in Japan #699

This research draws on accounts from seven employees working at Japan-based companies that have adopted English as an official corporate language (EOCL), this study demonstrates the gap between the in-house language policies and the participants’ own Japanese-dominated workplace communication. The study also reports employees are nonetheless encouraged to sit for the TOEIC regularly. The study concludes by arguing that EOCL policies can operate as an ideological mechanism that drives employees to study English for self-development.