Purpose of establishment
The RheinMain heritage Japanese language class opened in April 2024 as a successor to the Frankfurt heritage Japanese language classes called "Hidamari" and is led by the volunteer parents of "Hidamari".
We maintain a small class size and aim to help children learn Japanese as a heritage language and deepen their familiarity with Japanese culture.
Our class is preparing to become a publicly registered association so that children with Japanese roots living in the RheinMain area can continue learning Japanese for a long time.
Everyday Japanese, developing independence, experiencing Japanese culture
School philosophy
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A classroom where children learn everyday Japanese as a heritage language.
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A classroom that develops student’s independence in thinking, learning, and behaviour.
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A classroom to learn Japanese and experience Japanese culture.
Teaching Principles
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In the early elementary grades, children use textbooks to solidify the basics of Japanese, and in the upper grades, they begin learning Japanese as a heritage language.
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Provide an environment where children can learn in a fun and motivating way while incorporating themes that interest children, valuing the feeling of “I want to learn Japanese” rather than “I have to learn Japanese.”
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Effectively incorporate the four skills of speaking, writing, listening and reading, as well as teach living Japanese language and culture through the five senses.
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Incorporate opportunities for students to become familiar with Japanese culture through experiencing traditional seasonal events.
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Create an environment where children can freely and actively exchange opinions with each other, guiding them to use Japanese with confidence.
1. Definition of the term “heritage language”
The heritage language is not the main language of the region or education system of the country, but the language used by the family and the community to which it belongs, the language of the family roots. In terms of the language of family roots, an inherited language may be described as a second mother tongue. The language of a child who is undergoing language formation in a different linguistic environment is better described by the concept of 'inherited' and 'local' languages, rather than by the division into mother tongue and foreign language.
Heritage language: Language inherited from parents
Local language: The language used every day in the child’s upbringing.
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In some cases, a child may have more than one inherited language, e.g. if the mother tongue of the parents is different from the local language.
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Various languages are learned as inherited languages throughout the world.
2. Differences between national and foreign language education
Acquisition of the national language
The language is acquired through a constant shower of words at home, at school and in society.
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The basic sentence patterns are acquired from infancy to school age.
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The use of language in different situation is learned at home and in society.
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Reading, writing and applying language skills as an adult are acquired in school.
Acquisition of foreign languages
Minimal to no knowledge of the language at the beginning of acquisition.
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Pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and culture are systematically learned in classroom.
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Limited opportunities for natural language acquisition.
3. Educational significance and objectives of heritage language education
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To communicate with parents and relatives. Also, if the parents are not fluent in the local language, it plays an essential role in communication between parents and children and with society.
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Pride in family roots and preservation of the heritage culture.
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It is of great educational significance as it is deeply related to children's emotional stability and identity formation during their development.
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Parents wishing to have their language passed on, as it is the language of their wider family.
4. Heritage language challenges
The priority of heritage language in life:
The valuing of the heritage language as a language depends on its social recognition. The greater the social gap between the heritage language and the main language, the lower the priority given to the heritage language, as the main language is always prioritised in life. The challenge for heritage education is how to make the learning of the heritage language worthwhile for the learner.
Parental choice:
Heritage language education starts with the parental choice. It is the language that parents want their children to learn, and the challenge is how to motivate them to learn it. In the classroom, the skills and thoughtfulness of the teacher are needed, and active learning support of the native speaking parent at home is essential.
Imbalanced language skills:
Heritage languages, which are based on home use only, develop the interactive aspects of speaking and listening, but lag behind in the language aspects of reading and writing, which require cognitive skills. Heritage language education creates balance across all four language skills.