Interrogating Assimilation: A Study Of Language And Identity Among Non-Native Students In Japan

Abstract

This thesis investigates how the Japanese schools and teachers accommodate to meet the needs of JSL (Japanese as a Second Language) children and their parents and how JSL children and their parents meet the expectations of Japanese schools and teachers. First, it analyzes how Japanese schools and teachers manage JSL children. Second, it investigates what the lives of seven JSL children in Japanese schools through interviews with their parents, language teachers, and homeroom teachers. Lastly, the needs of teachers, JSL children, and their parents are discussed in relation to whether their needs are met respectfully. The data were collected through multiple methods including observation at school, interviews, and documents. Fieldwork was conducted in K city which is located in the southern part of Japan. Chapter 4 presents the case studies and the findings of the fieldwork. Data analysis was conducted through the lens of "accommodation without assimilation" in Chapter 5. Recommendations for the schools, the parents, and the community organizations to achieve the principle of "mutual accommodation" and a key element of "hybrid-diasporic" identity are provided in the final chapter.