Japanese Languages Education Seminar: Children Crossing Borders (CCB) and Language Education

This event has ended.

This seminar invites Professor Ikuo Kawakami, a prominent researcher in the field of Japanese as a heritage language, to discuss how to support children with Japanese backgrounds to learn Japanese.

Firstly, Professor Kawakami will deliver a talk on ‘Children beyond borders and their language education’, based on the experiences of those brought up overseas. This talk will also include cases at Japanese universities, which will be beneficial for children who are thinking of studying at a Japanese university in the future.

After Professor Kawakami’s talk, participants will share their experiences which will be followed by a discussion about how children can be supported to learn Japanese.

Please note that the entire seminar will be held entirely in Japanese.  

Professor Kawakami’s talk: ‘Children Crossing Borders (CCB) and Their Language Education: Case Studies of Young Japanese Heritage Learners in Plurilingual Environments’ (abstract)

With recent globalisation, ‘Children Crossing Borders (CCB)’, who are brought up overseas and go back and forth between Japan and their home or the other countries, have been increasing. This talk will cite examples of CCB with Japanese backgrounds who were brought up overseas and will discuss the process of how ‘moving across borders and language(s)’ influences the reconstruction of children’s identities and even their life. It will focus on their attitudes towards their heritage language (Japanese) and their native language(s), their awareness of their abilities in different languages including Japanese and the factors influencing such awareness. Based on this discussion, suggestions will be offered as to how to foster children’s plurilingual and pluricultural abilities.

* We plan to hold a University tour after the seminar has taken place. Please contact inabam@cardiff.ac.uk directly if you would like to join.

* You are very welcome to participate with your child/children if they are able to listen to the talks in a respectful manner.

* A limited number of car parking spaces at the University and are available upon request. Please contact inabam@cardiff.ac.uk directly before the seminar for a car parking voucher.

Biography of Professor Ikuo Kawakami

Dr Ikuo Kawakami is currently a professor for the Graduate School of Japanese Applied Linguistics at Waseda University Prior to this, he was appointed as professor at Miyagi University of Education, and Japanese language education advisor at the Ministry of Education in Queensland, Australia (as the Japanese language education expert of the Japan Foundation). His research field is Japanese language education for children including both Japanese as a heritage language and for immigrant children. Professor Kawakami coined the term ‘Children Crossing Borders (CCB)’ and has explored issues surrounding the language education for CCB. He has also published a number of books (in Japanese) such as: “I am ‘Children Crossing Borders’ too – life stories of children who were brought up in different language environments’ (Kuroshio Shuppan) and ‘Learning Japanese/Bringing up in plurilingual environments – workbook for thinking about children’s languages’ (co-authored, Kuroshio Shuppan).

Schedule

13:00 – 13:30: Registration

13:30 - 13:45: Welcome & Introduction to the School of Modern Languages, Cardiff University

13:45 - 14:20: ‘Children Crossing Borders (CCB) and Their Language Education: Case Studies of Young Japanese Heritage Learners in Plurilingual Environments’ by Professor Kawakami + Q&A

14:20 - 14:30: Break

14:30 - 15:30: Discussion (to share their experiences)

15:30 – 16:00: Cardiff University tour (Main Building, Student Union, Arts and Humanities Library etc.)

This information is also available in Japanese.