2018 Volume 16 Pages 136-156
This research aims to clarify the meaning of the use and learning of multiple languages such as Vietnamese and Japanese for Vietnamese refugees living in a Vietnamese settlement area in Japan. I conducted participation observations and semi-structured interviews in the Vietnamese community and pieced together the life story of a Chinese Vietnamese refugee. When first settling in Japan, he lost his dream because of his lack of Japanese language ability, but he improved his life by using the Vietnamese network. Also, his motivation for learning Japanese increased after he started to work for a company that encouraged him to recognize the value of learning Japanese. Even though he could not do the job that he wanted to, he was able to achieve his dream of establishing a temple of Vietnamese Buddhism and attending a junior high school at night. From his life story, I was able to reconsider the meaning of using and learning Japanese, and the meaning of living in a Vietnamese settlement area from the viewpoint of Vietnamese refugees.
