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Japanese as a Community Language

Japanese as Community Language

The Japan Foundation, Sydney’s reference to ‘Japanese as community language’, as opposed to ‘Japanese as a community language’, is deliberate. As borders and boundaries become increasingly blurred in the 21st century, a trend has emerged to dispose of the idea of ‘language’ as separate and countable components, and instead consider it more a fluid and evolving concept as families become increasingly globalised and multicultural.

As part of JPF Sydney’s support of Japanese language education, we support the Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language and run a series of bimonthly Japanese education seminars with UNSW exploring the theme of raising Japanese-speaking children in Australia. These seminars are conducted in Japanese.

We also provide other useful information on this theme.

国際交流基金シドニー日本文化センターでは、 日本語教育支援の一環として、 豪州繋生語研究会を応援しています。
また、「オーストラリアで日本語を使う子どもを育てる」をテーマに、 ニューサウスウェールズ大学と共催 のもと、セミナーシリーズを展開しています。

その他関連情報も以下に掲載しています。ご利用ください。

Next Seminar

<Seminar 18>
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(TBC)

Title: TBC

Presenter: TBC

Past Online Seminars

<Seminar 1>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Oct 2020)

Title: Raising Japanese language speakers: Report from a study of Japanese learners as a heritage language in NSW

Presented by Prof Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, The University of  New South Wales (UNSW), Australia

Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW Dec 2020

<Seminar 2>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Dec 2020)

Title: Children crossing borders (CCB) in Australia

Presented by Prof Ikuo Kawakami, Waseda University, Japan

<Seminar 3>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Feb 2021)

Title: The language of children with connections to Japan living in Australia

Presented by Ms Sei Miwa, University of Tübingen, Germany

JPF UNSW Seminar April 2021

<Seminar 4>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Apr 2021)

Title: Read aloud to nurture children’s own language development: From reading a book TO children to reading WITH children

Presented by Prof Masako Douglas, California State University, United States

<Seminar 5>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Jul 2021)

Title: Supporting Children’s Self-Development: Contemplating The Future Language Of Japanese-Heritage Children

Presented by Prof Kazuko Miyake, Toyo University, Japan

<Seminar 6>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Sep 2021)

Title: Raising Japanese Language Speakers: Results From The National Study Of Learners Of Japanese As Community Language In Australia

Presented by Prof. Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, The University of New South Wales, Australia

<Seminar 7>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Dec 2021)

Title: Watashi-Go Portfolio In Action (Australian Edition)

Presenter: Ms Kaoru Matsuo “Motto Tsunagu (Further Connections)”, Germany

<Seminar 8>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Feb 2022)

Title: Watashi-Go Portfolio For Creating Connections – How To Make The Most Of The Australian Edition –

Presented by Ms Kaoru Matsuo “Motto Tsunagu (Further Connections)”, Germany

<Seminar 9>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(May 2022)

Title: Where Are The Former-Keisho-Go Kids Now?

Presented by Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (ANJCL)

<Seminar 10>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Jul 2022)

Title: Messages from the national interview study: Where to from here?

Presented by Prof. Chihiro Kinoshita Thomson, The University of  New South Wales (UNSW), Australia

<Seminar 11>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Oct 2022)

Title: Roundtable discussion by Australian parents of children of Japanese background:
Thoughts of mothers and fathers whose native language is not Japanese 

Presented by Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (ANJCL) 

<Seminar 12>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Dec 2022)

Title: Getting Together With Keishogo Kids: Small Group Activities, Study Groups, And Classrooms 

Presenter: Ms Toshiko M. Calder, Johns Hopkins University / Heritage Japanese Language Special Interest Group The Japanese Society for Mother Tongue, Heritage Language and Bilingual Education / Princeton Community Japanese Language School, United States

<Seminar 13>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Feb 5, 2023)

Title: Creating Networks of Adults Supporting Keishogo Kids

Presented by Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (ANJCL) 

<Seminar 14>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Feb 25, 2023)

Title: In Pursuit Of Lifelong Enrichment: Challenges In Raising Bilingual Children

Presented by Prof. Mitsuyo Sakamoto, Sophia University, Japan 

<Seminar 15>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(June 2023)

Title: The situation and challenges of children in South Korea who are connected to Japan

Presented by Korea Association of Heritage Japanese Language

<Seminar 16>
VOD Registration:
Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Sep 2023)

Title: Rethinking children’s language education

Presented by Emeritus Prof. Gunei Sato
Executive Director of The Japan Foundation, Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, Japan / Emeritus Professor at Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan

<Special Edition>
VOD Registration:
The International Conference of the Network for Translingual Japanese 2023 (Sep 2023)

Presenter 1:
Kazuko Nakajima, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto, Canada

Presenter 2:
Shinko Fukazawa, President, Japanese Mother tongue and Heritage language
Education and Research Association of Thailand (JMHERAT), Thailand

<Seminar 17>
VOD Registration: Japanese Language Seminar with UNSW
(Feb 2024)

Title: Let’s Start With What We Can Do: Teamwork Between Parents And Teachers To Support Children’s Learning Of Japanese As Community Language

Presented by Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (ANJCL), Victoria Branch

Useful resources

Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language

Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language (ANJCL) aims to support the well-being of Australian KEISHOGO-speaking communities.

Facebook Group: Raising Japanese-speaking children in Australia

The official Facebook page for the Australian Network for Japanese as Community Language  (in Japanese).

Japan-related community organisations in Australia and New Zealand

An interactive map and list of Japan-related organisations including language schools, preschools, consulates, reading groups, interest groups and more.

Library resources on Japanese as community language

A reading list of resources on bilingualism in children and heritage language education available at The Japan Foundation, Sydney Library.

Watashi-Go Portfolio: Australian Edition

The Watashi-go portfolio is a logbook for parents and children working together to develop language skills in the home environment.

Community group: Tsunagu Germany

A community connecting plurilingual families with the aim to support linguistic development in children with cultural links to Japan (in Japanese).

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