HuffPost Japan’s article (2024/09/20) describes the importance of “native language education.”
While the increase in the number of foreign residents in Japan is welcomed from the perspective of resolving labor shortages and advancing globalization, there is an increasing need for multilingual and multicultural support in the field of education. Under these circumstances, the importance of Japanese language education is increasing, but at the same time, there is also increasing interest in the need for native language education for the children of foreign residents. Mother tongue education is not just a matter of language learning; it plays a very important role in children’s growth and social integration, so it is necessary to deeply consider its importance.
What is mother tongue education?
Mother tongue education is education that uses the first language that a child learns at home or in the community. The mother tongue is the most natural language for language development from early childhood and is the basis for cognition, emotional expression, and social interaction. Mother tongue education uses children’s mother tongue as a medium for learning, and is carried out as a means for acquiring knowledge and skills while improving their language abilities. Furthermore, mother tongue education not only aims to improve language skills, but also serves as an important process for each child to understand their own cultural background and establish their identity.
2.Current situation of foreign children in Japan
In recent years, the number of foreign residents in Japan has been rapidly increasing. According to statistics from the Ministry of Justice, the number of foreign residents in Japan has reached approximately 3 million as of 2023, including many foreign children and students. Many of these children are forced to attend Japanese schools without fully mastering the Japanese language. According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of foreign children who needed Japanese language instruction in 2022 had reached approximately 54,000, a new record high.
While there is a need to improve Japanese language education, the current situation is that it is difficult to say that sufficient education in their native language is being provided. Japan’s public education system basically focuses on classes taught in Japanese, and foreign children have very few opportunities to learn in their native language. As a result, while learning Japanese, they often face the problem of declining proficiency in their native language. It has been pointed out that this makes it difficult to communicate within the family and with one’s home country, leading to a loss of identity and a decline in self-esteem.
3.Importance of mother tongue education
The importance of mother tongue education is closely related to a child’s overall development and learning ability. The main roles played by mother tongue education are described below.
3.1 Impact on cognitive development
Mother tongue plays an important role in shaping children’s thoughts and feelings. The cognitive and problem-solving skills you develop in your native language during childhood can be of great help when learning another language. Research shows that children who develop strong language skills in their first language are more likely to learn a second language. This is because your mother tongue serves as the foundation for learning, allowing you to acquire new knowledge and skills more efficiently.
If mother tongue education is not provided adequately, children may not be able to fully express their thoughts and this may affect their understanding of what they are learning. In addition, the loss of a mother tongue not only leads to a decline in academic ability, but also delays the development of overall language ability, so mother tongue education is essential for improving the quality of education.
3.2 Identity formation and self-esteem
Mother tongue is an important tool for children to understand themselves and relate to others. By deepening ties with family and community through their mother tongue, children understand their roots and establish their identity. However, if children are placed in an environment where their mother tongue is not given much importance at school and they only learn Japanese, they may feel alienated from their own culture and roots. This is particularly noticeable in second- and third-generation foreign children, and is reported to cause identity confusion and psychological instability.
Through mother tongue education, children can gain confidence in themselves while viewing their own cultural backgrounds positively and respecting their differences. Continuing to learn your native language is an important step in increasing your self-esteem and building bridges with other cultures.
3.3 Maintaining family communication
Many foreign children’s native language is used at home, but if their education at school is biased toward Japanese, their native language proficiency may decline, making it difficult to communicate with their families. In particular, if parents cannot speak Japanese well, communication within the family may not be smooth and problems may arise in the relationship between parents and children. A good mother tongue education will help children strengthen their relationships with their families and maintain cooperation and support within the home.
3.4 Realizing a multicultural society
As Japan aims to become a multicultural society, mother tongue education is becoming even more important. Native language education helps foreign residents maintain their culture and language while contributing to Japanese society. By learning the Japanese language and culture while learning their native language, foreigners will be able to fulfill their roles as members of society while having their own identities respected. Furthermore, in a multicultural society, it is important to understand and respect each other’s cultures and languages. Having opportunities for children to come into contact with different cultures and languages through mother tongue education will form the basis for realizing coexistence in future societies.
4.Challenges of mother tongue education in Japan
1.Institutionalization of mother tongue education: In order to guarantee foreign children the opportunity to learn their mother tongue, it is necessary to develop a mother tongue education curriculum and train specialized teachers.
2.Promoting multicultural education: The importance of multicultural education, including mother tongue education, must be widely recognized and efforts should be made throughout schools and local communities.
3.Strengthening cooperation with families: It is important to encourage the use of the mother tongue at home and to create a system in which families and schools work together to support children’s language development.
5.Conclusion
While the need for Japanese language education is increasing as the number of foreign residents in Japan increases, we cannot overlook the importance of native language education. Mother language education plays an essential role in children’s cognitive development and identity formation, maintaining family communication, and realizing a multicultural society.