Constructions Of Heritage In Japanese As A Heritage Language Schools In England

Abstract

This paper presents data from interviews conducted with head administrators of 10 Japanese as a Heritage Language (JHL) schools in England and examines their emic perspectives on ‘heritage’. ‘Heritage’ is defined as “elements of past experience that a group deliberately sets out to preserve and pass on to the next generation” (Blackledge & Creese, 2010, p. 164). The interview transcripts are interrogated for their constructions of heritage in relation to the curriculum. A range of perspectives on heritage can be seen and these differences may affect the programme and approach each school chooses. In the era of globalisation, ‘heritage’ can involve connections to the future as well as connections to the past. Kokugo textbooks are selected because of the way they construct a Japanese ‘authenticity’. This paper presents phase one of a larger project aiming to shed light on the curriculum of JHL schools in England.