Opening a Japanese Saturday school in a small town in the United States: Community collaboration to teach Japanese as a heritage language

Bilingual Research Journal, Fall 2000 by Shibata, Setsue

In conclusion, there are several points that parents should consider when they raise their children to be bilingual. Of utmost importance is the fostering of their children's inner motivation to learn the heritage language and the enlisting of support from the schools and the community. A child does not become bilingual spontaneously. Children need parents who want them to become bilingual and who give their effort and patience toward that goal. Saturday school is an example of what parents can do to pass their language on to their children in lower ethnolinguistic vitality areas.

It is also becoming increasingly necessary to gather community support. The community is the place to promote both instrumental and integral motivations to develop the language through utilization and participation in cultural activities, and to foster the family's ethnic identity and value. A child who has positive attitudes toward his/her own ethnic group also has more positive attitudes toward other ethnic groups (Soh, 1992).

Heritage language learners are valuable linguistic resources who will contribute not only to the country's prosperity but also to mutual understanding and respect among diverse ethnic communities, which is a factor that is becoming increasingly important in our society. The importance of promoting heritage and community language learners should be recognized, and we should make an effort to ensure that our children's heritage languages are not lost; this can only be possible with the cooperation of educators, parents, and the community.

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