Regional Dialects and Communication in Times of Disaster

Towards Cooperation between Dialect Studies and Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language

Abstract

When disasters happen, problems that exist in ordinary times can suddenly become more acute. This study focuses on communication in times of disaster, and clarifies issues raised by regional dialects in comparison with Standard Japanese. It introduces some concrete examples of dialect speech that are difficult to understand for non-native speakers who are learning Standard Japanese. It further examines recent trends in dialect research and how they relate to Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language, and suggests possibilites for cooperation between these fields.