The purpose of this paper is to critically review the notion which appears in JAPANESE PEDAGOGICAL GRAMMAR FOR COMMUNICATIVE PURPOSES (the notion is hereafter referred to as JPG). JPG is designed to heavily orient itself toward communicative authenticity of language. It claims that process of L2 learning should reflect real communication and that any grammar which is not used in real life or is not acquired by the learner has little value as an entry of syllabus. It is noted that the claim is made very strongly and radically, which is based on the following obsessions: 1)Each learner has different needs, which requires an individual JPG according to the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing necessary to each learner. 2)Japanese grammar which has been studied up to the present is not useful in serving communicative purposes. 3)Japanese grammar which is not used in actual life is not worth studying. 4)Process of learning and practicing L2 should reflect the real use of language in society. 5)Learners has the burden of learning Japanese.
There are some problems in their claims of JPG. First of all, there is a lack of understanding of the properties of language and L2 learning. The properties of language and L2 learning are viewed as a collection of individual entity, but in actuality they are a sequence of entities which are closely associated with each other. Therefore, a focus on one thing and neglecting the other misleads the people. Secondly, JPG tends to put two things which have different levels into one single line of argument. This type of argument has no justification. In this sense, frequency of the use of grammar has nothing to do with the importance of the grammar in L2 learning. The third problem is that JPG lacks in the evidence of the claim. JPG should provide the evidence to justify the claims. At the same time, an understanding of what is actually happening in the scene of Japanese language education is needed. Lastly, JPG needs a concrete planning to show how JPG works in learning Japanese as L2.
All the problems mentioned above are expected to solve in some way or the other. Otherwise JPG becomes an illusion.