5^th International Encounter of Early Childhood and Preschool Education ���

Prof. Masako Kamijo
Kanagawa University, Japan

Bilingualism of Early and Pre-school Children and Bilingual Education

- The Case of Japan -

Summary

With the policy of 1974 Internationalization of Japan, raising international bilingual persons was focused in education.� Since then Japanese children were encouraged to learn foreign languages, especially English.� At present, English education and bilingual education for preschool children are carried out in many nurseries, kindergartens and business schools.

This study researches on bilingual education and bilingualism of Japanese preschool children in view of social and educational situations, which affect greatly on their bilingual education and bilingualism.

Subordinate category of bilingualism as the theory of bilingualism is presented to analyze the children’s bilingualism.� It is necessary to locate the bilinguals into the subordinate category of bilingualism in order to see their degree of bilingualism.� Subordinate category of bilingualism defines how a bilingual experienced the learning process and how is the bilingual’s language competence of the two languages.� There are 3 categories in the Subordinate category of bilingualism. 1) Simultaneous bilingualism and Sequential bilingualism are to see bilingualism from the standpoint of time how two languages are mastered when and in what order.� 2) Compound bilingualism and Coordinate bilingualism are to see bilingualism from the standpoint of that stimulus words considered to be synonym in two languages, each of which arouses what content of meaning in bilingual.� 3)� Equilingualism, Ambilingualism and Dominant bilingualism are seen from the view that if there is superiority or inferiority between two languages in comparison to the bilingual’s language competence of two languages.

The study examines 1. Social and educational situations for bilinguals in Japan in view of policies and official guides.� 2. Bilingual education for preschool children in practice.� 1) Practice: educational institutions where English and bilingual are carried out for preschool children, their curriculums, teaching methods and teachers.� 2) Teacher education.� 3) Evaluation of the practice.� 3. Bilingualism of preschool children in practice by the theory of bilingualism for analysis.� 4. Prospects of bilingualism and bilingual education in Japan.　

The result of the examination of the above was found as follows.

1. The model of bringing up international bilingual persons was Japanese children returnee, which affected bilingual education. Nurseries and kindergartens could give bilingual education as the official Guides do not refer to the bilingual education.

2. Bilingual education for early and preschool children are carried out in public and private nurseries, kindergartens and day care centers, also business English and bilingual schools and International kindergartens. Their curriculums commonly focus on games, songs, reading children’s stories, outside activities, parties and using computers.� Teaching methods for bilingual vary such as teaching experiences, methods of teacher education in Japan and foreign countries.� Japanese teachers of nurseries and kindergartens are required teaching certificate, which is obtained by universities, special schools and correspondent courses.� The practice of bilingualism seems to be working well, although it is difficult to evaluate the children’s bilingualism in view of their after-school bilingual education.

3. Bilingualism of preschool children are Sequential bilingualism as most children begin learning the second language from at least 3 years old, Coordinate bilingualism as Japan is a monolingual country and Dominant bilingualism as a foreign language competence is inferiority.

4. Social and educational situations for bilinguals in Japan are improving, such as progressing Internationalization of Japan and IT education in society and JET program, introductions of English in “Synthetic learning subject” of Elementary schools and “Teaching English to preschool children” subject in universities, which will affect on the bilingual education.

As the result of the study, an ideal bilingual education and bilinguals are proposed as follows.� 1. Bilingual education should begin at least from 3 years old.� 2. Effective teacher education and teachers are indispensable.� 3. Parents’ corporation with their children and teachers is indispensable.� 4. �Continuous bilingual education to maintain and to advance the education is indispensable. �5. To create the social climate for bilinguals is necessary.