Paper short abstract:

This research problematizes the positioning of “native” and “non-native” speakers from a learner’s perspective in a critical-transformative language education framework beyond proficiency levels, adopting a Japanese language workshop for high school students in Italy as a case study.

Paper long abstract:

This research investigates learners’ perception of native Japanese-speaking facilitators in a Japanese language workshop aimed at high school students in Italy. Qualitative data are to be collected by interviewing and administering a questionnaire to the participants in this workshop to ascertain whether the decision to involve native-speaking facilitators has to be considered essential, structurally or emotionally, to the learners’ needs and objectives for Japanese language education. The workshop was designed for high school students to choose as part of their mandatory curriculum and promoted as an opportunity for active language learning by participating in weekly meetings and an online forum to create a place for dialogue (Hosokawa 2004, Mariotti 2020a), discussing their interests in Japanese with university students and scholars as selected facilitators. Conceptualized as critical-transformative language education beyond proficiency levels (Mariotti 2020b), no prior Japanese language proficiency was required to participate. Considering such “level-free” context and the notion of its participants as aware of their positioning as responsible social actors (Hosokawa, Mariotti & Ichishima 2022), in line with the ideals of social cohesion and citizenship promoted by the Council of Europe (2020), this study discusses the introduction of native Japanese-speaking facilitators to the workshop as well as the reasons for their involvement as such, thus problematizing again the participants’ positioning in their “role” of “native” and “non-native” speakers from a learner’s perspective. In accordance with the objectives of the workshop approach, the results are expected to highlight the irrelevance of such “roles” in relation to this context of Japanese language education, in favor of a place for dialogue in which Japanese is spoken towards the reaching of a shared goal by all participants, for the building of equal relationships and ideology deconstruction.