Makiko Shin'ya

This talk is about the experiences of immigrants living in Japan and learning Japanese as a Second Language. I provide an overview of the history of immigration to Japan, issues of immigration policy, Japanese language education for immigrants, and Japanese literacy education for other minorities. The second part focuses on my monographic research on the immigrant women in international marriages with Japanese men in a rural village in Japan where language services are not provided. The findings show a) it is difficult for immigrants to acquire Japanese literacy if they miss the formal instruction at early stage and b) family, especially a husband can be a deciding factor in encouraging their spouses to study Japanese. Lastly, I compare critically the parallels and/or distinctions between migrant literacy education in Japan with that of the U.S., and discuss what language educators/researchers can do to construct a better society at this unsafe and terrifying moment.