Paper short abstract:

This paper examines young adults born to Japanese parent(s) in Germany who learned Japanese as children. Comparing their interview data and the data from young adults in a similar situation in Thailand, I discuss these young adults' subjectivities in using their Japanese and plurilingual competence.

Paper long abstract:

The number of Japanese women emigrating from Japan has been increasing since the 1980's. 80 percent of Japanese marriages overseas are international marriages and over 80 percent of these marriages involve Japanese women marrying a non-Japanese spouse (Shibuya, 2014). The recent increase of Japanese women raising children overseas has led to increased discussion and research on Japanese heritage language education for children, particularly in Europe.

Many researches have focused on the views and awareness of parents rather than the views and opinions of children. In many cases a child who has continued learning Japanese is presented as a successful model among parents, and the case of a child who failed to learn Japanese as a negative outcome. However, such views on heritage language learning create uneasy feelings among parents and underestimate the plurilinguistic and pluricultural resources of children.

This paper examines young adults born and raised in Germany to Japanese parent(s) who have learned Japanese since they were children. Their narratives are compared with those of young Japanese adults who grew up and learned Japanese in Thailand. Based on interview data, the meaning of childhood Japanese language learning, self-evaluated language competence and socio-cultural and domestic factors affecting consciousness are analyzed. I also discuss how people who suspended learning Japanese in educational institutions live subjectively using their plurilingual and Japanese language competence. I conclude with a proposal to rethink Japanese heritage language education for children.