English that is “taught in Japan,” and “actually used”

I personally was never really criticized for my Japanese, but when I was an English teacher, I remember being told, “Oh, because you’re a returnee,” by my fellow English teachers. For example, when writing tests, I’d think, “People don’t actually say that in the States.” But many of the other teachers believed, “This English is for their exam, so this is how we have to teach it.” We got into debates. There were also times when I was glared at for speaking English on the train.

So basically, even when it comes to English taught in Japan, there’s a specific, “English that WE teach”?

Exactly, and this was quite a shock to me. In contrast, in Canada, even if I mess up my English grammar, the listener completely ignores it and keeps listening. Their stance is that it’s fine as long as you get the meaning, and I feel this is a bit different from how English is perceived in Japan.