This study analyzed the connection between language environment and bilingual ability in Japanese and the mother tongue(conversational ability, including basic communicative, and cognitive aspects; and reading ability)of foreign children attending Japanese public elementary schools.
The results showed that the more the children engaged with language and the stronger the guardians’ involvement with their children and language environment, the more involved the children and their guardians were in local activities, and the higher the children’s language abilities were. These findings therefore suggest that foreign children and guardians’ positive links to the language environment encourage language learning and that language abilities increase due to this interaction.
In particular, improved language ability in the mother tongue was strongly linked to the language environment at home, suggesting that children’s conversational and reading abilities increase due to the depth of understanding in conversations between children and their families and other settings. Conversely, when it came to Japanese language, children could not engage in conversations with a deep understanding.
To improve Japanese language ability, deep understanding through interaction is essential. The same seems to be true for reading ability. The findings suggested that greater cooperation with Japanese people, interactions for deeper understanding, and aiming to improve the ability to explain using academic language within schools and elsewhere enhance both Japanese language ability and academic ability.
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