Embedded in the Soft Power policy of Japan, Japanese language education is promoted to contribute to the expansion of Japan's impacts in Asia. In Vietnam, this program was conducted through a joint project by Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) and Japan's Embassy. Although English is still regarded as a dominant foreign language in this country, Japanese has been drawing more attention in recent years. However, while English education is well-explored and assessed academically from various perspectives, there is still a lack of research in Japanese teaching and learning. Firmly grounded on Spolsky's model of Language Planning Policy (LPP), this study centralizes parents as an influential factor in the language choices. From the LPP and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) perspectives, it examines the impacts of Japan's Soft Power policy on community's ideologies and perceptions, and how it may influence their language choices. Centralizing parents of junior-high-school learners of Japanese, the results revealed that language was an effective medium to exhibit diplomatic influence on another country. Implications are also discussed.
在軟實力政策(Soft Power policy)推進下,日本為擴大在亞洲的影響力而推廣日語教育。此政策在越南的實施是由越南教育和培訓部(MOET)以及日本大使館聯合舉辦。雖然英語在這個國家仍然被認為是主要的外語,但近年來日語越來越受到關注。不過,日語的教與學,從各個角度來看,仍然缺乏研究,即便英語教育已經有了很好的探索和學術評估。本研究以Spolsky的語言規劃政策(LPP, Language Planning Policy)模型為基礎,將父母視為語言選擇的影響因素。從LPP和自我決定理論(SDT, Self-Determination Theory)的角度,它考察了日本的軟實力政策對社區意識形態和觀念的影響,以及它如何影響他們的語言選擇。以國中日語學習者的父母為中心,本研究結果顯示語言是對另一個國家外交影響的有效媒介,還有其他影響亦一併討論。