Shiga MIKIO (志賀 幹郎)

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 12100000, indirect: 3630000)
This research aims to provide data in order to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education in Japan in accepting students with parents of foreign nationality by making case studies of progressive multicultural classroom environments found in schools inside and outside Japan. For this purpose, we have conducted a study on how Japan and each of the other countries are accepting foreign elementary school children and creating a multicultural school environment in the process of improving its system. The study was successful in grasping the situation in the cities of Isesaki, Hamamatsu and Valencia, as well as in Sweden and Taiwan. Furthermore, the study was also successful in grasping the situation of the curriculum reform conducted by Aichi University of Education in an effort to adopting the multicultural coexistence environment.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 3300000, indirect: 990000)
Following the Participatory Evaluation theory, teachers-in-training both planned and ran their own training programs. Need assessments were also done by the participating teachers, and the training form changed from a lecture-course type to a problem-solving type. Collaboration between colleagues encouraged, a common framework for Japanese language assessment called Nihongo Step, was developed. This enabled teachers to make lesson plans for the Japanese language classroom that were more useful, relevant, and applicable to the foreign student’s main classwork. Analysis of the decision-making processes of teachers and construction of a model for effective management of teacher-training programs have yet to be completed.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 8800000, indirect: 2640000)
Brazil, the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy have compulsory school attendance for all children up to a certain age, regardless of nationality. In Germany and Italy, this system is based on the notion that all resident children should be provided the minimum general education by the state. In Brazil and the Czech Republic the situation concerning the education of migrant children is even more complex. In all four countries the authorities face the common difficulty of identifying non-citizen children. On the contrary, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand as well as Japan, have no system of compulsory school attendance for children of non-citizens. This policy is based on the educational philosophy that the State is responsible for the provision of compulsory education only to country nationals. Each nation has established mechanisms to provide additional local language support, however effective systems to maintain the mother tongue of students are lacking.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 3500000, indirect: 1050000)
I performed a field work of a secondary and higher vocational education in China, first year in Changchun district, second year in Guangzhou district, third year in Amoy district. I investigated relations with the recruitment of students, the qualification for entrance, entrance examination, finding employment, situation of training, relations with local governments, companies & industry groups. I investigated present conditions and problems of the vocational education of China. I also examined the intense competition developed over recruitment of students while declining birthrate in China.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 12800000, indirect: 2610000)
Before a compulsory education system for foreign children is started, we must prepare for such a situation by changing our educational environment to administer the system properly. Based on our related research, we concluded the following, a part of which has already been administered by local governments.
(1) An educational system in which foreign children can learn Japanese language before entering school is indispensable.
(2) Before foreign children and their parents come to Japan, parents should at least understand the Japanese school system to ease preparations to receive children from overseas. Our research group revised the explanatory booklet that was originally published by Ota Asahi Elementary School, Gunma, Japan, and informed the public about it.
(3) In light of the accumulated Japanese language teaching experiences at an elementary school in Sakai, Isesaki, Gunma, our research group published a basic Japanese textbook for children : Yattemiyou! Nihongo Kantan.
(4) When special-needs schools or classes accept foreign children, the schools and classes must be prepared to communicate in the children's native language.
(5) Irrespective of the children's and their parents' expectations of whether they are going to return to their country or stay in Japan permanently, it would be effective for them to be informed during the elementary school years how valuable it is for the children to attend high school.
(6) It is necessary for foreign children's parents who have just come to Japan to receive a clear explanation of differences between Japanese school culture and South American culture, such as the costs of school lunch meals and course materials, and ways to regard their children's athletic events. Furthermore, it is desired that parents receive explanations from principals that a school is not a day-care center for children. In situations when only one foreign child's parent, especially the mother, is foreign and is unable to communicate in Japanese, some problems about the child's language and academic ability might occur. To prevent such cases, we must construct a support system.
(7) Pursuing an ideal program of teacher training for those who are in charge of foreign students, a member of our research group at the Professional School for Teacher Education of Gunma University recorded the graduate courses in multicultural symbiosis and published it in report form. We also attempted a comparison of the contents of such education at the Gunma University with that at the Aichi University of Education.

Offer Organization: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, System Name: Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 3500000, indirect: 270000)
The purpose of this study is the development of on-line educational materials of fundamental subjects of engineering for students who are non-native speakers of Japanese. This was pursued through the following investigations.
1. Investigation of vocabulary and expressions found in mathematics textbooks used in Japanese high schools.
(1) Listing mathematical vocabulary and expressions found in the textbooks Differential, in Mathematics II, and Mathematics III. The complete list contains a total of 3367 vocabulary items, collocations, sentence patterns, and discourse patterns.
(2) Translating the Japanese expressions in this list into Chinese and Korean.
(3) Contrasting these translations in order to analyze differences among the three languages and difficulties for non-native speakers of Japanese.
2. Investigation of mathematic problem solving by Chinese students.
Two studies were conducted : 1) a study of Japanese expressions found in the solutions of differential problems calculated by Chinese students and 2) a study of the relations among Japanese language ability, mathematical ability, and the understanding and solving of mathematic problems by Chinese students. In study 1), it was found that low Japanese proficiency students use only a "noun WA noun" structure and some basic conjunctions. It was also found that it is difficult for both low and high Japanese proficiency students to use Japanese expressions for naming and replacement in the absence of a model. In study 2), it was found that students with low Japanese proficiency but an adequate background in mathematics can solve mathematical problems written in Japanese. It was also found that Japanese proficiency equivalent to grade 2 of the Japanese proficiency test is necessary for solving such mathematical.problems.

Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会, System Name: 科学研究費助成事業, Category: 萌芽的研究, Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 1600000, indirect: -)
前年度に引き続き、日本語教室への参加およびその調査を行った(豊橋市めだかの学校、川崎市高津区民館等)。また、今年度の課題としていた、日本語の授業の録音・録画資料の分析を進めた。また、国内のいくつかの地域における日本語教室の布置に関する資料を得た。
本研究は、組織度研究とクレオール研究の2つを行うものだが、前者に関しては、フォーマルな日本語教育の整備状況とノンフォーマルな日本語教育の取り組みがどのように現在の日本語教育の風景を構成しているかをある程度明快に把握することができた。そして、ノンフォーマルな日本語教室は、制度的にあいまいなために、日本語を教える/学ぶという事件が制度化されていく過程が露骨にあらわれるかと思えば、原初的なコミュニケーションの場として制度化に絶えず失敗していることもある、という考察に重要と思える視点を得ることができた。
クレオール化研究は、上述のノンフォーマルな日本語教室における日本語を教える/学ぶことが持つ事件性の立証に不可欠のものとなった。これは、本研究開始時に予感されていた両研究テーマ(組織度研究、クレオール化研究)のリンクが明確になったということであり、喜ばしく感じている。現在、参与観察資料と録音・録画資料をプロセスすることを通してクレオール化研究を進めている。まだ途次にあるものの、教師のティーチャートーク等の現象が、論じるのに十分なデータを提供してくれると考えている。
本年度中に報告書を出すという当初の計画は先のばしになったが、日本語の授業の録音・録画資料の分析を完遂させて、できるだけ早く成果を公表していと考えている。

Offer Organization: 日本学術振興会, System Name: 科学研究費助成事業, Category: 奨励研究(A), Fund Type: -, Overall Grant Amount: - (direct: 1000000, indirect: -)
中国帰国者、日系ブラジル人、日系ペル-人の言語生活に関して、当人及び関係者に聞き取り調査・アンケート調査を行ってきたが、日本語の重要性は、労働・生活の場では話し言葉、就学時では読み書きに焦点化できる。また、いずれの日本語能力も、その修得・保持は、個人的なつきあいから行政の取り組みに至る周囲のサポートが決定的に重要であるとの認識を得た。ライフコースと日本語の関係をみると、就労者(及び配偶者)に関しては、必要最小限の話し言葉の能力獲得によって就労が果たされた以降は、いわば「制限された安定期」となるようである。つまり、職種の変更、居住地の移動、将来設計などに対して、言語能力は制約としてはたらく。一方、各個の生活を取り巻く経済的状況・文化的事情の方がそれらライフコースの選択に大きく関わっていくのである。これに対して、就学者にとっては、日本語はライフコースに大きな影響を及ぼすといえそうである。職種の選択、居住地の選択、将来設計などは、読み書きの能力獲得次第で大きな幅が出ている。読み書き能力が継続的な学習の所産であることを踏まえると、「不安な不安定期」を送っているとみることができる。また、中国帰国者と日系ブラジル人・日系ペル-人を比べてみると、現在前者は家族の呼び寄せが大きなテーマであり、後者は帰国の可能性の吟味が大きなテーマであるように思われる。特に就学者の場合、中国帰国者にあっては定住を前提にした将来への「不安」が比較的問題のようであり、日系ブラジル人・日系ペル-人にあってはライフコースの先行きの読めなさにまつわる「不安定」が比較的問題となっているようである。
今後は、アンケート調査の統計処理をまとめる作業を終えたあと、調査の過程で集まった日本語教育のユニークな実践を切り口に、外国人定住者への言語のケアをどう展開するかについて論じていきたい。