Language practices of Japanese mixed heritage youth from an intercultural competence

Employing linguistics ethnography, this paper provides in-depth analysis of fourteen Japanese mixed heritage youths’ daily language experience. The majority of participants exhibit a limited Japanese proficiency, and many are placed in a beginner’s level Japanese as a second language (JSL) class. Linguistically, these students fit in a JSL class; however, they could also be considered as Japanese Heritage Learners (JHL) if Japanese is identified as their heritage language. Their linguistically and culturally undetermined status makes it difficult for researchers to situate JMHY in an appropriate analytical framework. However, in this study, their daily language experiences are investigated from an intercultural competence perspective (Byram 2000, 2012) as this concept allows assessing the impact of cultural aspects of language learning, rather than linguistic proficiency in communication. More importantly, this perspective offers a holistic approach to account for all the language practices JMHY exhibit in daily life particularly in cross-cultural situations. The paper pays particular attention to the participants’ linguistic and cultural home environment and the role of their parents. It discusses details in the development of their intercultural competence. To this end, the paper discusses some implications to L2 education where the development of intercultural competence is emphasized. Byram, M. (2000). Assessing intercultural competence in language teaching. Sprogforum 18.6, 8–13. Retrieved from http:// inet.dpb.dpu.dk/infodok/sprogforum/Espr18/byram.html Byram, M. (2012). Language Awareness and (Critical) Cultural Awareness--Relationships, Comparisons and Contrasts, Language Awareness, 21(1-2), 5-13.