Teacher Workshop 2: Exploring Heritage Language Education Through Documentary Screening and Discussion

In Between—Overlapping Japanese Language Education and Japanese Studies

Japanese Language Teachers’ Workshop in Scotland

As part of the ongoing BATJ Project, which explores the development of Japanese language education in the UK—particularly in Scotland—through teacher networking activities, this workshop was designed to address emerging needs identified through our fieldwork. Over recent years, we have travelled to different parts of Scotland, including the Orkney Islands, conducting interviews and gathering insights into local provision of Japanese language education. From this work, the need to consider Japanese as a heritage language has become increasingly evident, and this event provided a timely opportunity to reflect on that question in greater depth.

On Saturday, 25 February 2025, we hosted a film screening under the theme “In Between—Overlapping Japanese Language Education and Japanese Studies".  This event took place the day after the JF/BAJS PhD Workshop 2025, ‘Career Development in Japanese Studies’, at The University of Edinburgh. It was particularly encouraging and meaningful to see several of the PhD students continue their engagement by participating in this workshop, bridging their interests in both Japanese Studies and Japanese language education. The BATJ event focused on heritage language education, particularly the experiences of immigrant children in Japan and children of Japanese heritage in the UK. With the number of such children continuing to grow in both countries, the question of how to sustain and safeguard their mother tongue has become an increasingly urgent issue.

Film Screening and Discussion

The morning began with a screening of Kiho Park’s documentary In Between – In Search of Native Language Spaces. The film explores policies on heritage language education in Japan while also shedding light on the evolving place of foreign residents in Japanese society. To enable wide participation, the screening was held simultaneously at the University of Edinburgh’s Old College (MacLaren Stuart Room, G.159), King’s College London (Franklin-Wilkins Building, 1.67), and online.

The screening was framed by two short lectures. Dr Holly Stephen (Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh) provided a historical overview with “The Korean Population in Japan: Some Historical Context.” After the film, participants engaged in a lively Q&A session with the director, followed by a lecture from Ms Sakie Chiba-Mooney (Asian Studies, University of Edinburgh), “Who are Heritage Language Learners?—Educational Transformation and Potential at a Japanese Complementary School in Scotland.” The session concluded with a report from the BATJ Heritage Japanese Language Special Interest Group, outlining their recent activities, followed by a closing speech from the BATJ Chair, Dr Kaoru Umezawa, who emphasised the importance of fostering heritage language education and encouraged ongoing collaboration between educators, researchers, and community members in both the UK and Japan..

Reflections

By bringing together perspectives from both Japanese studies and language education, this workshop created a valuable space to reflect on the challenges and possibilities of heritage language education. It underscored the importance of ensuring linguistic and cultural rights for children in increasingly diverse societies, while also demonstrating the potential of education to promote greater inclusion and mutual understanding.

This workshop also offered us, within the framework of the BATJ Project, a timely opportunity to consider more deeply the emerging need for Japanese language education as a heritage language in the UK—particularly in Scotland. Through our fieldwork, which has taken us to various parts of Scotland, including the Orkney Islands, we have been listening to local voices and gathering insights on the current state of Japanese language education. These experiences have made clear the growing importance of heritage language provision, and this event enabled us to take a further step in reflecting on how best to respond to that need.

Acknowledgement of Organisation

The success of the workshop was due to the collective efforts of the BATJ Project 2 team. The workshop was chaired by the Project 2 Leader, Dr Atsuko Moriyama (The University of Edinburgh).  The Edinburgh venue was led by Ms Fumiko Narumi-Munro with support from other members, and the London session was coordinated by Ms Yuko Matsuoka. Online participation was facilitated by Ms Narumi-Munro together with Ms Mihoko Pooley, ensuring that the hybrid format ran smoothly across all locations. Report by BATJ Project 2 Leader