南米の日系移民社会における言語能力意識の変容

Abstract

This paper analyses the situation of language contact between Japanese and Portuguese and between Japanese and Spanish adopting a dynamic approach. The analysis considers the historical and social background of the speakers. It aims to show the particularities of language contact of Japanese immigrant communities in South America and highlights the first generation who immigrated in an early age and also the Okinawan immigrants. Concerning the subjects’ language awareness of Japanese and the local language, the analysis was divided into three parts: spoken language (including listening skill) and written language (reading and writing skills). Concerning the Okinawan community’s spoken language, the object of analysis included the language competence in Japanese as well as in Okinawan dialect and in the local language. The analysis made clear the following points. First, “family immigration” and the great number of first generation speakers who immigrated in an early age are the main features of Japanese immigration in South America. For this reason, 1.5 generation immigrants must be considered the “typical bilingual speakers” and not the second generation as it has been said throughout the years. Second, the Okinawan immigrant community has always been considered as part of the Japanese immigration, and researchers have studied it in a situation of language contact between two languages. However, the mother language of Okinawan immigrants is the Okinawan dialect and, for instance, the language contact occurs among three languages, Okinawan dialect, Japanese and the local language. The characteristics of language contact and language change in this community are different from those of the Japanese immigrant community.

This paper analyses the situation of language contact between Japanese and Portuguese and between Japanese and Spanish adopting a dynamic approach. The analysis considers the historical and social background of the speakers. It aims to show the particularities of language contact of Japanese immigrant communities in South America and highlights the first generation who immigrated in an early age and also the Okinawan immigrants. Concerning the subjects’ language awareness of Japanese and the local language, the analysis was divided into three parts: spoken language (including listening skill) and written language (reading and writing skills). Concerning the Okinawan community’s spoken language, the object of analysis included the language competence in Japanese as well as in Okinawan dialect and in the local language. The analysis made clear the following points. First, “family immigration” and the great number of first generation speakers who immigrated in an early age are the main features of Japanese immigration in South America. For this reason, 1.5 generation immigrants must be considered the “typical bilingual speakers” and not the second generation as it has been said throughout the years. Second, the Okinawan immigrant community has always been considered as part of the Japanese immigration, and researchers have studied it in a situation of language contact between two languages. However, the mother language of Okinawan immigrants is the Okinawan dialect and, for instance, the language contact occurs among three languages, Okinawan dialect, Japanese and the local language. The characteristics of language contact and language change in this community are different from those of the Japanese immigrant community.