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Paper short abstract:

In this study, I focused on participants outside the classroom who were involved in Japanese language classes for international students at a university in Japan and clarified their consciousness and awareness. I interviewed a group of people involved in this activity to find out what they realized.

Paper long abstract:

　Japanese language education has the potential to contribute to the development of the "power to coexist," as its educational practice to date has been a practice of learning to "live together" . In recent years, there has been an increase in reports of practical activities using Japanese in connection with society in Japanese language education. Through these activities, it is understood that learners can connect with society and various learning opportunities arise through these interactions. On the other hand, people other than learners are also involved in such classroom activities. It is expected that there are various changes occurring in the participants involved in the activity through this participation with learners. However, there are few surveys on the consciousness or changes of people who participated in classroom activities, and it is not clear how participants are involved in the classroom activities or what impact these activities have on society.

Therefore, in this study, I focused on participants outside the classroom who were involved in Japanese language classes for international students at a university in Japan and clarified their consciousness and awareness. I interviewed a group of people involved in this activity to find out what they realized. From the results of the analysis of the interview survey, it was found that those who were involved in the activity gained new realizations that they would not normally be aware of. It suggested that such activities are useful for the participants and have an impact on the realization of a symbiotic society.

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Paper short abstract:

In Okayama University's Japanese language education minor course, Plurilingualism　/Pluriculturalism was discussed in relation to a symbiotic society. Through a "language portrait" practice, we learned that the students became aware of their own linguistic diversity and the experiences related to it.

Paper long abstract:

Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism in Europe aims to create a society without conflict by fostering the ability and attitude to live together with people with diverse languages and values through language education. In contemporary Japan, as the number of culturally and linguistically diverse people increases with the upsurge of immigrants, it has become an urgent issue that each and every one of us should consider how we can live together.

It is also a challenge for teachers who are involved in the training of Japanese language instructors to introduce the philosophy and values of European Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism into Japanese educational settings where a single language acts as the official language, and to create learning opportunities that will raise the awareness and values of the students.

The authors conducted classes on the theme of Plurilingualism and Pluriculturalism in the Japanese language education minor course at Okayama University in Japan in 2021 and 2022. First, a lecturer introduced basic knowledge about Plurilingualism, Heritage language education, and CEFR on the first day, and then invited a university lecturer from Germany to practice "language portraits" online on the second day. The class review confirmed that in the process of drawing the language portraits, the participants became aware of their own Plurilingual selves, including dialects, and gained self-affirmation of themselves as valuable beings. The participants also confirmed their future language acquisition goals and experienced conflict and acceptance as they recalled episodes in their past. Furthermore, through the practice of the "language portraits", it was evident that there was a change in the students' perception of the idea of Plurilingualism from "something far away in Europe" to "something that is personal".

As a result of this study, we believe that the "language portrait" enriched sensitivity to linguistic diversity and to form open and tolerant approaches, attitudes, and values. These are accomplished through awareness of the diverse languages that form one's "self" and their experiences that support them, as well as through interacting with others in the classroom and learning about diverse ideas. We believe that the "language portrait" could be an effective tool on this topic.

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Paper short abstract:

This presentation aims to contribute to discussion as a class activity for pre-intermediate learners. Four points positively evaluated by the learners who took the pre-intermediate Japanese discussion class and the characteristics of discussion development observed in the class will be shared.

Paper long abstract:

Discussion can play an important role for a society where people live in harmony with each other, as it provides an opportunity to embrace diverse ways of thinking and promote mutual understanding and respect. However, there are a certain number of people who feel that they are not good at discussion and it is a natural phenomenon that they can be passive particularly when a discussion is held in a language other than their first language.

The exploratory survey for the pre-intermediate Japanese discussion class at our institution indicated that half of the learners, 8 out of 16, had a passive view on discussion in Japanese as a class activity. On the other hand, most of them answered, via the survey after 7 Japanese discussion lessons, that discussion was beneficial and should be incorporated even for pre-intermediate class. This poster presentation aims to contribute to discussion as a class activity for pre-intermediate learners, by sharing the points that were positively evaluated by the learners who took the pre-intermediate Japanese discussion class in the academic year of 2022/2023 and the characteristics of discussion development observed among the Japanese pre-intermediate learners.

The questionnaire survey at the end of the course showed that 1) the use of a preparation sheet and a reflection sheet, 2) the practical and collaborative activity form, 3) the atmosphere that respected subjectivity and diversity, and 4) the visualization of the content discussed were positively evaluated. Presumably, these had a positive effect on the changes in the learners’ awareness of discussion in Japanese. In addition, the discussion data recorded at the end of the course was analysed using Patterns of Discussion Unfolding (Maruno, Ikuta & Hori, 2001). As a result, 4 patterns were observed: Redundant Pattern and Stand-still Pattern that discussion lacks depth, Zigzag Pattern that discussion sometimes deepens but gets back to the point before or jumps to another, and Diverging Pattern that each point of view deepens but cannot be converged. Informing learners about these tendencies and causes will be meaningful to improve their discussion skills in Japanese and discussion class for pre-intermediate learners.

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Paper short abstract:

This presentation aims to shed light on the requirements for foreign resident support communication in times of risk. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with staff at foreign resident advisory services within Japan reveals the risk communication requirements for foreign resident support.

Paper long abstract:

A variety of calamities are occurring across the world today, including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and wars. In such times of risk, foreign residents tend to be information-poor and become isolated from wider society. Despite the potential to contribute to the realization of multicultural society, very little research has been undertaken thus far to clarify what is needed in risk communication for the support of foreign residents.

Drawing on interview data, this presentation aims to shed light on the requirements for foreign resident support communication in times of risk. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with staff at foreign resident advisory services and foreign resident support groups within Japan reveals the following risk communication requirements for foreign resident support. These encompass communication not only at the interpersonal level but also at the levels of organization and policy.

Firstly, the following findings were made with regard to communication of policy decisions prior to disasters:

1. At the stage of disaster-related policymaking, there is a need to produce policy recommendations that create a new category of “foreign resident support” in addition to the existing support designed for the general public.

2. Making new proposals in policymaking requires persuasive communication skills.

3. A capacity to communicate explanations in comprehensible terms is needed in order to implement the policies adopted.

A second group of findings relates to communication in the context of foreign resident support during disasters:

4. There is a need for collaboration across multiple organizations. Such collaboration enables the provision of support that would be impossible for any single organization to provide.

5. The presence of mediators is essential in order to accommodate and resolve gaps in collaboration resulting from knowledge and information deficits among the collaborators.

6. A flexible approach is needed to create new roles adapted to the circumstances (such as mediatory roles). There is also a need in times of disaster to adjust the roles themselves flexibly, rather than adhering to them rigidly.

7. There is a need for routine collaboration among multiple organizations, and continuity in their collaboration.

These requirements are thought to be applicable across all countries.