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Plurilingual competency and identity of heritage language speakers in Japan

Research Project

Project/Area Number 23K02189
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 09020:Sociology of education-related
Research InstitutionKanda University of International Studies

Principal Investigator

杉田 めぐみ  神田外語大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (70366938)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) PARK Siwon  神田外語大学, グローバル・リベラルアーツ学部, 教授 (00458639)
Project Period (FY) 2023-04-01 – 2026-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Keywordsplurilingual competency / identity / heritage language / Vietnamese / second generation / diversity
Outline of Research at the Start

This research will explore ways in which people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds can coexist and Japan can further develop as a society of mutual respect.

By looking closely at the plurilingual competency and identity of the second generation immigrants who were born and raised in Japan, this research will help understand the sociolinguistic and sociocultural contexts in which they are situated. It will also enable us to seek ways to appreciate their linguistic and cultural resources, which in turn will lead to promoting plurilingualism and pluriculturalism in Japan.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Our goals were to collect data and to investigate how the plurilingual competency of our participants was related to their identity. Interviews were conducted with two participants, a male and a female individually, who were trilinguals in Japanese, Vietnamese, and English. The male participant was working for a consulting company, and the female participant was nearing graduation from college at the time of the interview.

The results showed that both participants had fewer opportunities to use Vietnamese and English skills than they did while in college. Although they both spend most of their daily lives in Japanese, we observed that speaking Vietnamese and English has continuously influenced their identity formation.

We also gave a presentation of our study at an online research seminar.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

Although we could not meet our participants frequently, we have successfully collected the data for our investigation by conducting both face-to-face and Zoom interviews.

The original plan was to interview more participants, but due to scheduling difficulties, we were only able to hear from two. We would like to continue to contact participants we were unable to meet this year and interview them in the subsequent years.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

We will continue to conduct individual interviews, either in person or via Zoom. We will also explore in depth how their identities have changed over time.

If we have the opportunity next year, we would like to interview people of foreign origin living in Japan who are of an older generation than the participants in this study. By hearing the stories of different generations, we will be able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the second-generation immigrants in Japan.

Report

(1 results)
  • 2023 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (1 results)

All 2023

All Presentation (1 results)

  • [Presentation] 複言語話者の言語使用とアイデンティティーベトナム系移民第二世代の言語レパートリーに着目して2023

    • Author(s)
      杉田めぐみ
    • Organizer
      言語教育研究所 Bag Lunch Seminar
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report

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Published: 2023-04-13   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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