Study on Intercultural Ability in Education of Portuguese as a Heritage Language

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00807
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 02100:Foreign language education-related
• Research Institution: Kanda University of International Studies (2020-2022); Kanagawa University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: Haino Sumiko 神田外語大学, 外国語学部, 准教授 (30747001)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 継承ポルトガル語教育 / 異文化間能力 / 在外ブラジル人 / 継承語の資産性 / 在日ブラジル人

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With the aim of clarifying the influence of heritage languages on the formation of intercultural competence of minority children, I attempted to compare the Portugues as a heritage language(PHL) education of children with Brazilian roots in Japan and Europe.
In Europe, the maintenance of PHL as part of the language repertoire is socially encouraged. In Japan, on the other hand, the heritage language and culture of immigrants are not socially valued, and children do not perceive their roots in a positive light. Brazilian immigrant PHL teachers in Japan are making efforts to connect children to Japanese schools and Japanese society by communicating the value of their roots through PHL education. Heritage language education is also a tool for "connecting with the main society". It was also suggested that self-esteem is the foundation of intercultural competence for minorities.

Free Research Field

異文化間教育、移民研究、ポルトガル語

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本では、欧米に比べて移民の継承言語文化の社会的価値が十分認識されていないため、その教育の当事者性は移民自身に限定される傾向が強い。このような状況において、本研究では、継承語教室で活動する地域の日本人ボランティアが、この活動を通して外国人住民の現状を知ったり、ブラジルやポルトガル語の知識を持つことで地域のブラジル人コミュニティにつながるなど、移民の継承語教育が地域住民の異文化間能力形成にも寄与してことがわかった。
この結果から、移民の継承言語文化が外国人住民と地域住民両者の社会的資産であることが明らかとなり、移民の継承言語文化教育の当事者性を拡大する可能性が開かれた。