<Multilingual Japan>
日本はモノリンガル社会だと思う人が多いが日本も変わりつつある。一例を挙げれば近年、日本の小中学校にCLD児、つまり「文化的言語的に多様な子ども(culturally and linguistically diverse children)」が増えている。彼らは、日本語以外にもポルトガル語や中国語などで生活している。また、日本の過去20年の間の出生数を見ると50児の中の1児の親の一方は外国人である。その子どもたちもバイリンガルになることもある。
私は、日本におけるバイリンガリズムを研究し、ゼミではこの専門分野を教えている。私のゼミに所属する日本人の大学生は、バイリンガルの友達がいたり、外国人が多い地域に住んだりして、国内による国際化を自ら経験しているので、バイリンガリズムに関心を持つ。ゼミでは、「どうやって同時に二言語を身に付ける?」「二言語をどうやって使い分けている?」というような疑問を心理言語学の観点から学生と一緒に考える。
<Multilingual landscapes of Minato Mirai>
2021年からゼミ生と一緒にみなとみらいキャンパスの周辺で多言語景観(multilingual landscapes)の研究をしている。日本では意外に多言語景観は簡単に見つけられる。函館や箱根のような観光地に行けば、以下のような多言語景観が見られる。
学生は、このように多言語表示を写真で記録し、フィールドワークをする。現在のみなとみらいはすでに多くの英語の表示が見られるが、今後はさらにマルチリンガルになるであろう。学生と共に次の5年または10年のみなとみらいの言語景観の変化を観察し、調査していく予定である。この活動は、インターネットやSNSで配信したり大学のイベントで展示したりするので、是非ご覧いただきたい。
ロンドンから1時間半ほどのグレート・ミッセンデンにあるロアルド・ダールミュージアム。近くにはダールの眠る墓地もあり、物語の登場人物からのメッセージを読むことができます。オックスフォードに「ナルニア国ものがたり」を書いたC. S. ルイスが暮らしていた家があり、予約制で訪問することができます。裏手にある大きな池は『魔術師のおい』で別の世界につながる池のインスピレーションになりました。
Esther Lovely ゼミ(Cultural identity, intercultural adaptation and communication)
"Where do you come from?" Have you ever been asked this question? If you go overseas and meet new people, I'm sure this is a question you will be asked. This may seem like a very simple question, but for some people it might actually be difficult to answer. There are many people today who live, study, or work in a country other than the country where they were born. How do they decide the best way to answer this question?
My research is focused on cultural identity and communication. I'm interested in studying how these kinds of people learn to adjust and survive to a new country and a new culture, particularly how communication influences that. Language is an important part of communication, but there are many types of communication. Especially these days, people can communicate in many different ways using the internet. Ten years ago, who could have predicted how advanced smartphones would become?
The experience of living overseas has changed for many people because of these new communication technologies. In my own experience when I went abroad as an exchange student, I had to call my parents from a public pay phone every two weeks (my mother was so worried!). Now I can Whatsapp my family, voice call and video call, and easily send them photos or video of my life in Japan any time. How does that type of communication with people in the home country affect my cultural identity and my adjustment to life in Japan?
This is just an example of the kinds of questions I'm interested in discussing in my classes. So far, my students have been reading about the experiences of people such as Japanese returnee students, Korean international students, immigrant women learning English in Canada, reverse culture shock among young Thai people returning to their home country, biracial Asian-American university students, immigrant youth in Italy, and more.
All of these people have varied and interesting experiences regarding how they learn language, how they use language, how their identity changes over time, and how they feel about their changing identity. Some of my students also studied or lived overseas and apply the concepts learned in class to their own experiences, but this is not the case for all my students. Other students in my classes are Japanese and have lived in Japan their whole lives.
However, it's interesting to see how everyone can understand the experiences of going to a new place or joining a new group, and how you learn to overcome the stress and grow used to it over time. Even an experience like starting university or joining a club can have similarities ? learning new behaviours, new words and ways to speak, and meeting new people, even if you're still in Japan.
Becoming American - Race and culture in the United States
What is American culture? For many people interested in the US, images of fast-food, hip-hop music, the NBA, Hollywood movies, or famous brands come to mind. However, American culture is much more than McDonalds, Justin Bieber, Lebron James, Marvel movies, or Nike. America began as a country of immigrants and is a ‘melting pot’ of cultures and races. People of different backgrounds: Europeans, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians, all continue to influence American culture.
This seminar will introduce students to the field of cultural studies, focusing specifically on the multi-racial and multicultural nature of the United States. Students will have an opportunity to discuss questions such as: What does it mean to be American? How do people of various races experience American culture differently? How have different ethnic groups influenced American culture? How does American culture influence other cultures, such as our culture here in Japan?
Our journey will start by looking at the Asian American experience in Hawaii, my home. Students can learn about the challenges of Japanese and Chinese immigrants face in becoming accepted as American. From there, students will explore broader issues related to the Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities in the United States. Topics such as racial inequality, discrimination, and a positive move to a more inclusive America will be covered. Finally, students will study how American culture has influenced other countries, especially Japan.
Students interested in Hawaii, American culture, racial issues, or multicultural societies are encouraged to join. We will explore these topics through active discussions, case studies, and research projects in this seminar. I look forward to taking this educational journey in American Cultural Studies together with you!