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- Convenors:
-
Shinji Sato
(Princeton University)
Sei Miwa (Tuebingen University)
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- Stream:
- Japanese Language Education
- Location:
- Torre B, Piso 3, T13
- Sessions:
- Thursday 31 August, -
Time zone: Europe/Lisbon
Short Abstract:
This panel discusses why the Critical Content-Based Instruction (Sato et al. 2015) is more important than ever by connecting two panels and providing many concrete examples. In this Panel, we introduce research and teaching practices of Japanese language education to create a peaceful world.
Long Abstract:
Why do we need critical thinking in higher education? Why do we have to think deeply and critically? The Critical Content-Based Instruction (CCBI) (Sato et al. 2015) does not consider critical thinking important simply because it facilitates the in-depth analysis of objects valued in higher education. Instead it holds that critical perspectives push people to question existing frameworks and change them as needed, and are therefore indispensable to building their future and that of their communities. Critical perspectives are also important to create peaceful communities and world.
In our panel, we think that goals of language education are not limited to acquire a target language but create future with the next generation through language education. This point was clearly expressed in CCBI. We would like to discuss why this vision is more important than ever by connecting two panels and providing many concrete examples. In this Panel (2), followed by examples in the Panel (1), we introduce research and teaching practices of Japanese language education to create a peaceful world.
Presentation 1 reports "Political Education (politische Bildung)," which was born in Germany to build a democratic nation after the World War II and then discusses what Language Education can learn from Political Education. It also provides implication with "heritage language" education. Presentation 2 analyzes narratives by junior high school students in Miyako Island in Okinawa Prefecture from theories in language learning and identity (Hosokawa & Miyo 2012). We discuss how reexamining critically the relationship between Miyako language and a standard Japanese (hyojungo) can contribute to create a peaceful Europe or world. In Presentation 3 introduces an advanced-level Japanese course, "War and Peace," which was offered at an Italy university. This course was created based on the critical pedagogy approach (Freire 1968). Finally we reexamine all presented examples from the CCBI point of view and discuss how the CCBI approach is helpful to create peaceful communities and world.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Thursday 31 August, 2017, -Sei Miwa (Tuebingen University)
Paper short abstract:
This presentation proposes educational practices that value and further develop mediation competences and critical thinking of children living with multiple cultures and languages, helping them find meaning in learning Japanese and become active citizens to create peaceful communities and world.
Paper long abstract:
This presentation explores the meaning of learning "Japanese as a heritage language (JHL)" for children who are growing up in a multicultural and multilingual environment. With the influx of refugees, school-aged children in Germany are now living increasingly in their community/school, with pupils of diverse backgrounds, meditating between different cultures and languages. Their competences - not only of language but also to connect people through their awareness and attitudes/ behavior as well as to mediate diversifying values - are exactly what is needed for creating a peaceful community/society. These children can thus be regarded as the very citizens practicing peaceful co-existence that Europe has been pursuing.
One of the tasks given to "heritage language education" is to support children to find meaning in target-language learning (Nakajima 2010). The presenter asserts that such finding can be achieved by shedding light on children's mediation competences and that JHL could be a pedagogy for the next generation with potentials for realizing a social peace.
To propose a new pedagogical approach to JHL, the "politische Bildung (political education)" in post-war Germany will be first introduced. Aiming to rebuild a democratic nation in response to rumination on war, German school education has been reiterating practices of political education. Consequently, the foundation has been built to accept/respect different views and to develop own opinions through dialogues. Further, "Critical Cultural Awareness" (Byram 1997) is observed in the footings of awareness for appreciating plural cultures, consciousness for relative perception and tolerance for diversities. This is also correlated to CCBI (Sato et al., 2015) which questions social and conventional premises subsisting in the present as prima facie and accentuates significance of nurturing awareness, perspectives and attitudes/behavior for active involvement. All these competences indeed are indispensable for creating a peaceful community/society.
Secondly, drafting of practices for JHL education will be proposed by incorporating the above-mentioned viewpoints. In addition, practices that enhance children's mediation competences and critical thinking will be suggested for helping them make their own future and create a peaceful world.
Sachiyo Fujita-Round (Yokohama City University)
Paper short abstract:
This presentation addresses the possibility of language revitalization among children in Miyako Island. Through the modernization, the Miyakoan became situated in Galtung (2006)'s theory of 'cultural violence'. To reverse this process CCBI and relaxed attitudes to bilingual language use can help.
Paper long abstract:
UNESCO announced in 2003 that there are eight endangered languages in Japan. The Miyakoan language discussed in this presentation is one of them. In Japan, 'Japanese' language became the present 'common language (kyotsugo)' during the modernization dating back to the Meiji period, particularly due to the government's language policy of 'a standard language (hyojungo)' and its policy of teaching 'national language (kokugo)' in schools. In the late 20th century, after the social economic boom, English became the 'international language (kokusaigo)'. As a result of these language education policies, some languages on Japan's periphery became endangered languages (Fujita-Round 2016).
In this presentation, the interview data of 40 junior high school students from Miyako Island City will be analyzed, with a focus on language and identity (Hosokawa & Miyo 2012). This data is drawn from longitudinal action research begun in 2013 at a junior high school (12-15 years old). The project included a special class, given once a year in July by a research associate, aimed at raising children's self-esteem. Then half a year later in February a questionnaire survey and semi-structural interviews for 4 focus groups were conducted. In the interview data, the behavior of code-switching was revealed, and from this behavior, I would like to analyze the relationship between this 'automatic' code-switching and the students' sense of identity as native Miyakoans.
'Language standardization policy' during the Meiji period was a euphemism for 'action for exterminating Japanese dialects'. This fits into the category of Galtung (2006)'s theory of 'cultural violence' as conducted by a nation. To enable a shift to 'cultural peace', I would like to point to the potential of this Miyakoan code-switching. Through this bilingual behavior, the school age generation can "rethink their position in society and their traditional assumptions, then take action" (Sato et al 2015). I would like to discuss how their bilingual language use contributes to peace building. This discussion may well overlap with the topic of bilingualism in endangered languages and dominant languages in Europe.
Patrick Heinrich (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
Paper short abstract:
I present my ideas on a new advanced Japanese language course on the topic of "war and peace" to be taught in the second year of the Japanese Master program of Ca' Foscari University. Two are topics addressed, (1) thinking critically about social inequality, and (2) war and peace.
Paper long abstract:
There is no such thing as "just Japanese language", nor is there an activity such as "just teaching Japanese". Saying something implies doing something and taking a stance towards the world and towards others. Communication is loaded with conflict due to clashes of personal and group interests and asymmetrical power relations. Critical pedagogy is aware thereof, and therefore raises crucial questions. What we are actually involved in when we teach Japanese? What are objectives of our Japanese language classes or projects? How do we expect or hope our students to behave? Being critical implies, in my opinion, being self-conscious critical in order to understand and undo aspects of domination and inequality. "War and peace" is an adequate topic to engage in such activities. Teaching a Japanese language course which seeks to foster critical reflection on war and peace has to therefore depart with reflections on one's own position in society.
In this talk, I present my ideas how to design a new advanced Japanese language course on the topic of "war and peace" to be taught in the second year of the Japanese Master program of Ca' Foscari University in the winter semester 2017. Students' language proficiency in this course corresponds at least to JLPT level 2. Two distinct topics will be addressed in the 15 sessions of this course on the basis of Japanese texts. Firstly, thinking critically about social inequality in Japanese and Italian society (4 sessions). Secondly, exploring the topic of war and peace (10 sessions). The course ends with a final discussion (1 sessions). In the third and major part, three events / issues will be studied: (1) Italian support of Japan's racial equality proposal at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, (2) the Tripartite Pact between Italy, Japan and Germany in 1940, and (3) discussions and interpretations of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. In my talk, I present details on the objectives, materials and activities of this course in order to discuss them with other panelists and the plenum.