The number of foreign residents has increased in Japan in recent years, leading to a growth in the number of foreign nationals settling with their families. For many of these foreign families, Japanese nurseries, kindergartens, and child gardens (hereafter ‘preschools’) are a gateway for joining the local community, as preschools are one of the public spheres where various actors come and interact with each other. While Japanese language support is provided to some extent at the level of elementary schools and junior high schools for foreign families, there is limited support in preschools, which leads to various challenges and miscommunication between the preschool staff members and the parents. This paper reports the processes and results of a Participatory Action Research, implemented in Tsukuba City of Ibaraki Prefecture, focusing on the development of communication tools that encouraged dialogue and mutual involvement between foreign families and the preschool staffs. From the research activities, the paper describes the changes on the “language views” held by various actors involved in this study. We finally discuss the possibility that the “instrumentality” of language is the key to opening up convivial public spaces in our social lives.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a classification of private speech (hereafter PS) by L1 (First Language), based on the form of PS and the context before and after the PS, in order to clarify the function of PS in the L1 in Japanese language classroom from the perspective of sociocultural theory. With this purpose, I collected 22 hours of data on classroom discourse in Japanese language classes for Thai and Vietnamese technical intern trainees, and classified PS by L1. The types of PS in the L1 were classified as follows: direct translation of another's speech, reading out in the L1, translation for confirmation of understanding, translation for understanding, expression of understanding including translation, substitution of target language, expression of thoughts for problem solving, expression of recognition of own errors, expression of thoughts for guiding own speech, expression of thoughts to promote own understanding, expression of thoughts about things and events, expression of feelings about things and events. Finally, I discussed the reasons why the PS was occurred and its impact on learning.

This study explored tutoring activities in Japanese universities, focusing on the practice of asking international students who are learning Japanese, to explain the meanings of Japanese words to their tutors. The analysis focuses on the characteristics of this practice, which unfold in a sequence of interactions, including the linguistic/nonlinguistic resources used, and the responses of the recipients. Furthermore, the study analyzed data from 27 hours of conversations and observed the following: 1. The practice begins with students responding to tutors’ questions, repetition of language, and utterances that show the epistemic status of those who “do not know the language (K-)” or searching for words; 2. International students describe the meanings of words from their own perspective and compare them with Japanese concepts and switch to English for explanations. When students encounter difficulties explaining words, their tutors on the receiving end of this interaction, conduct “collaborative corrections,” which helps students complete their explanations; and 3. While international students demonstrate their expertise in their fields of study and the sociocultural aspects of their home country through the practice of explaining the meanings of Japanese words, tutors support their explanations by actively participating in the activity as the recipients of the explanations. Fluidity is observed in the roles of novice and expert in the practices of international students, indicating a bidirectional nature that enables both language and cultural learning.

This paper presents four observational perspectives for language lessons: “Planned Activity,” “Goal Achievement,” “Incidental Activity,” and “Care.” These perspectives are based on the author’s approximately 100 hours of observation. A series of classroom episodes primarily explain the viewpoints in this paper. Additionally, the theoretical frameworks behind the perspectives are detailed. The suggestion is anticipated to enhance language lesson observation effectively.

Critical Content-Based Instruction (CCBI) for language education is considered to be a critical approach aiming to examine the society in a critical manner and build better societies. This paper addresses an industry-academia collaborative project undertaken by CASIO and Musashino Art University as a CCBI-based Japanese language education practice. For this project, students and the company cooperated to engage in activities aimed at creating an inclusive society and organized online events for solving social issues. The purpose of this paper is to understand what and how the students learned through this project. This analysis revealed that the students perceived the project as “a process of making the topics personal.” This process broadly consisted of two stages: linking past personal experiences with the topic, and then expanding current personal experiences. By discussing this process in detail, this paper will argue that in the context of critical approaches to Japanese language education practices, two design perspectives are needed: (1) a design for encounters with others and (2) the design as a social practice.

The number of international students from non-Kanji Asian countries is rapidly increasing in Japan, as well as the proportion of those who choose to pursue their studies in vocational schools. Studies have suggested that the learner’s low Japanese language proficiency prevent them from preparing for undergraduate courses in due time. In this study, I conducted an interview survey with Vietnamese learners and analyzed why they attended vocational schools by considering the push-pull factors of studying in Japan. There were cases where people had to revise their ideal self after coming to Japan and choose a vocational school instead of a university, and others where this was chosen as a shortcut to career development through work experience in Japan. This qualitative study revealed that not only Japanese language proficiency, but also the process leading up to studying abroad and the social environment are factors that compel students to choose vocational schools.

Amid the diversification of Japanese language learners, Japanese language teachers are required be even more responsive in the language education field, while more emphasis has been put on the significance of career development across different education fields. Additionally, there is a movement to make Japanese language pedagogy open to wider audience including native Japanese speakers by applying the insights from Japanese language education. It is inferred that the application of Japanese language education is expanding. This paper examines a narrative on the transformation of the attitudes and values by a Japanese language teacher, whose experiences in different education fields exposed her to various learners including native Japanese speakers as well as non-native speakers. The narrative has revealed that the acquisition of diverse perspectives on the learners has enabled her to become more flexible and responsive, regardless of education fields and learners. It has also been observed that she has acquired a pragmatic approach to the needs of learners by having a more inclusive attitude, while adhering to her own ideals. She also described how her engagement in open Japanese language education helped her deepen social perspectives and understanding.

This research paper presents the findings of an analysis conducted on the characteristics and qualifications desired in educators working in private Japanese-language institutions in both domestic and international environments. The study was conducted by evaluating employment postings aimed solely at Japanese-language teachers. The survey revealed that 13.8% of the 1,485 job postings included the words “Japanese national,” “native speaker,” and “Japanese” in the application conditions. The results of a quantitative text analysis of the language used indicate that “four-year university degree,” “full-time experience,” and “classroom teaching experience” were more frequently required as conditions for working as full-time instructors at private Japanese-language schools in Japan than overseas. This implies the importance of distinguishing between nationality, native language, and specific attributes such as “Japanese” when evaluating the qualifications of teachers of the Japanese language. Additionally, it is crucial to take into consideration the transition in career paths when assessing qualifications in order to promote the engagement of young individuals in this profession.

In this study, the author interviewed Ms. I, who worked as a Japanese language teacher at an educational institution in Thailand but switched careers to another field after six and a half years in the job. The author analyzed Ms. I’s career development process and changes in her view on Japanese language education during that time. The results of an analysis conducted using the Trajectory Equifinality Approach showed that when Ms. I was teaching adult working students, she felt that she was ignorant about various aspects of society, which led to a sense of inadequacy as an educator. Although her sense of inadequacy prompted her to switch careers, it gradually dissipated while engaging in jobs other than teaching Japanese. As a result, Ms. I began to proactively teach Japanese again within the context of her own life. In other words, a career switch was a necessary phase for her to remain a Japanese language teacher. Furthermore, the fact that Ms. I’s students and their attributes influenced her important life choices, such as switching careers, suggests that teaching Japanese language is a two-way activity, and it may also have a significant impact on the “way of life” of teachers themselves.

This article aims to understand the career as ‘self-construction’ through the narrative identities that emerged in the life story of an EPA care worker. The study drew on “career construction theory.” The following identities were found through the analysis of the participant's life story. “Myself as expected by parents,” “myself living in new relationships,” “myself working in Japan,” “myself striving with the support of peers,” “myself working at Yasuragi-en,” “myself as a care worker of my own volition,” “myself as a mentor with cross-border experiences,” and “myself capable of living freely in both Indonesia and Japan.” Moreover, the participant constructed her own story with the author, suggesting deviation from the model stories of EPA care workers or candidates.

Due to the increasing number of people from diverse ethnicities in Japan, it is expected that regional Japanese language education, which is closely related to people’s lives, will become increasingly important. Therefore, in the future, multi-layered cooperation between the country (macro), administration (meso), and individuals (micro) will be more desirable. This paper focuses on the meso position that connects macro and micro, and aims to clarify the challenges faced by an international exchange association in operating a Japanese language classroom, as well as to examine the important elements for solving these challenges. The results of the analysis of these elements using SCAT suggest that (1) the ability to “clarify” problems, (2) “flexibility” for solving and improving them, (3) “human environmental adjustment” such as building relationships inside and outside the classroom, and (4) “structural environmental adjustment” such as regularly reviewing classroom activities are important for solving these challenges. It is hoped that this paper will raise awareness of multi-layered cooperation for the formation of a multicultural society in the future, and will be a useful hint for the administration (meso) that operates regional Japanese language classrooms.

This paper attempts to redefine the concept of “autonomy” that language education should strive to achieve for learners. Firstly, it points out the issues with how “autonomy” is treated in language education research, and then reflects on what learner “autonomy” entails, considering the evolution of the concept of human nature in the history of Western modern thought. The authors provide their perspective on how to perceive learner “autonomy” and redefine political “autonomy” from the standpoint of “respect for human rights.” The paper discusses the possibility of educational practices to achieve learner “autonomy” based on Narrative Therapy. Furthermore, drawing on examples from the author’s practical experiences involving personal narrative history on the necessity of Japanese language learning and interactive discussions, the paper aims to confirm the validity of this definition and indicate the direction that educational practices to achieve learner “autonomy” should take.

This is an experimental study with the aim of rethinking language teachers’ beliefs through multiple perspectives in the interpretation of visual narratives. Three teachers of different languages individually analyzed the same visual narratives drawn by first-year university students entitled “I am studying English.” Their interpretations were brought together to compare them, thereby relativizing each teacher’s beliefs about language learning and teaching. Different interpretations of the same visual narratives reflect the different beliefs of each teacher in interpreting the “uncoded iconic message” of the visuals. Narrative analysis through the use of questionnaires and interviews is already well known as a method for capturing the beliefs of teachers. However, the co-constructive method, in which different interpretations of the same visual narratives are positively captured in the analysis of visual narratives and the differences in interpretation are compared, is useful for exploring one’s own inner beliefs. This method can be useful in teacher training courses and workshops to discuss interpretations and reinterpretations of beliefs among teachers of different languages.

This paper is a report and analysis of the panel session presented at the Association for Language and Cultural Education 9th Annual Meeting in March 2023. The session title was “Considering collaboration among people and organizations involved in career development support for international students: Case Studies from Japanese Language Schools, Universities, and Graduate Schools.” This panel reported on the actual conditions of career development support for international students and overseas university students at Japanese language schools, universities, graduate schools, and NPOs. Following the reports, problems and issues were discussed among the participants. This paper reports on specific examples of support at various institutions and analyses problems and issues with individual international students, the people around them, educational institutions, supporters, and support organizations. Outside support including companies and regional groups, i.e., members of society, are analyzed herein from the perspective of collaboration among supporters and support organizations.

This paper is a book review of An exploration and practice of plurilingual education, edited by Noriyuki Nishiyama and Mayo Oyama (2023, Kurosio Publishers), considering the growing prevalence of plurilingual education in Japan. The book compiles theoretical and practical research on plurilingual education in Japan. The book’s foundation lies in the International Research Conference 2020, held online from November 22 to 23, 2020, titled “From monolingual to plurilingual education: Synergies and collaboration in Japanese, English, and other foreign languages from the perspective of CEFR.” The nine essays that make up this book examine plurilingual education from various perspectives and discuss its significance. In this paper, I will introduce each chapter’s content and discuss the book’s achievements and future prospects.

In this article, we, five early career researchers serving on the secretariat of the Association of Language and Cultural Education (ALCE), share our accrued knowledge and insights acquired during our in-depth examination and deliberation of the past, present and future of ALCE. As the 2nd and 3rd generations succeeding the founding members in the secretariat, we have resolved to initiate and engage in a continued dialogue to better comprehend ALCE’s past trajectory and current standing, and to envision its path forward. We present critical reflections on our personal journeys and articulate our future with ALCE, with a focus on vital themes which have emerged from our dialogue such as “publicness,” “internationalism,” “careers,” and “sustainability.” At the same time, we provide a portrait of ALCE as an academic association, shedding light on the often-overlooked functions and contributions of its secretariat. Through this article, we aspire to create opportunities to bring ALCE closer to a wider audience, encourage ALCE’s members to reflect on their involvement in its management and activities, and extend an invitation to early career researchers like ourselves to actively partake in discussions on shaping our future with ALCE.