Paper short abstract:

In this presentation, we would like to convey what we analyzed focusing on the narratives concerning the possibility of multicultural understanding. The result of this study could be a small step that contributes to the designing of new learning environments for group activities in classes.

Paper long abstract:

In this presentation, we would like to convey what we analyzed and considered focusing on the narratives concerning the possibility of multicultural understanding. These narratives were observed during the post-factum interviews with the cooperating subjects of the data collection under the multi-person, multi-contact daily-conversation situations using Japanese.

We collect the daily conversation data in a dormitory, both Japanese and international students are dwelling. Data is collected diachronically in multi-person, multi-contact situations using Japanese as the common language. We aim to analyze such data multimodally, both from linguistic and nonlinguistic viewpoints. We also intend to visualize relationship-building processes across different languages and cultures and their actual state of change over time.

We collected data from June to August in 2019, nine times, about thirty minutes on each occasion, with two Japanese and four international students. Then we conducted semi-structured interviews (about thirty minutes each). We introduce what each interviewee talked about during the interviews. Scopes include the topics in the data collection, his/her impressions over other members, and the changes of the interviewee him/herself. There, we could observe changes in relationships, the way to address the situations when they expressed conflicting opinions with each other, and the impressions over other members in such timing.

We have conducted some group activities in the Japanese language and multicultural classes. However, sometimes they do not work well. What are the causes of such situations? Due to work balance? We continue to take an active role in and observe such activities, considering the reasons. Present data includes the following narrative.

(Rather than if you can understand each other?) Instead, I think it's OK because our ways of thinking are probably different.

I can't agree, but (Omitted) I can understand them, I couldn't do so before when I came to Japan.

This narrative gave us a different perspective who had previously believed the necessity of understanding each other in multicultural activities.

We believe that the result of this study is a small step that contributes to the designing of new learning environments for group activities conducted in the Japanese language and intercultural co-learning classes.

Paper Download (717 KB)