A Study on Japanese Literacy of Foreign Residents in Japan and Their Integration into the Local Society

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25580118
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Japanese language education
• Research Institution: Osaka Sangyo University
• Principal Investigator: Shinya Makiko 大阪産業大学, 教養部, 教授 (70389203)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 国際結婚移住女性 / リテラシー（識字） / 外国人の社会参加 / 日本語教育保障 / 公正性 (equity) / 社会正義 (social justice) / 地域コミュニティの受け入れ態勢 / 政策と制度の欠如

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research focuses on immigrant women married to Japanese men in a rural village in Japan where language services are not provided. Using the methods of ethnography and action research, the following questions are explored: 1) How do immigrant women acquire Japanese literacy without any formal instruction? 3) How does mainstream society support them? 4) Is it possible for the local government to provide Japanese language services for the immigrants? The findings show: a) It is difficult for immigrants to acquire Japanese literacy if they don't have formal instruction at an early stage. b) Family, especially husbands, can be a deciding factor in encouraging their spouses to study Japanese and participating in the local society. c) Although the local government did not provide language services, some Japanese residents are active in their support for immigrants.

Free Research Field

日本語教育、成人基礎教育、移民政策