English Learning, Coloniality, and Racism: Practice and Discourse of Study Abroad in the Philippines in the Japanese ELT Market

ABSTRACT Although the Philippines is gaining growing recognition as an effective site for English learning, especially among Japanese and Korean students, critical attention must be paid to the instrumentalization of Filipino instructors and the country, and the racialized discourse and practice. In light of coloniality, race, and language, this paper examines how the Philippines is constructed as a study‐abroad site in the Japanese market. Data includes online sources (e.g., eBooks, study‐abroad agency websites, and ESL program websites) and interviews with Japanese adults who attended ESL programs in the Philippines. Discourse analysis of the data revealed the racialization of Filipinos. Specifically, constructing the Philippines as a developing country and legitimizing ESL programs through Japanese personnel contributed to framing Filipinos as merely replaceable lesson providers. Furthermore, unlike Western study abroad destinations—which continue to be idealized as objects of longing by Japanese students—the Philippines is deglamorized, positioned instead as a site where Japanese ESL students and service providers enact a colonial gaze on Filipinos through racialized discourse and practices. This study sheds light on the enduring and complex racism in the private ESL sector and concludes by calling for unified efforts between scholars and the private sector toward racial justice.