Fumiya Hirataka: Toward a Multilingual Society

2019/02/20

Discussions regarding the acceptance of foreign human resources are becoming more active. It has become common to see foreigners working at convenience stores and restaurants. Additionally, it is said that the number of foreign visitors to Japan exceeded 30 million last year. With the Tokyo Olympics being held next year, a further increase is expected.

In this context, "multilingualization" is frequently discussed. In Japanese society, where "language" almost exclusively refers to Japanese and English, this could even be called a rare occurrence. In the "Comprehensive Measures for Acceptance and Coexistence of Foreign Human Resources (Summary)" announced by the Ministry of Justice at the end of last year, the term "multilingual" appears prominently in phrases such as "Promotion of multilingual support at Hello Work (11 languages)," "Multilingual support for driver's license academic exams," and "Multilingual support for information provision and consultation based on the situation of foreign residents in each region."

While I am concerned about whether these plans can be realized, what worries me more is whether the awareness of native Japanese speakers will truly shift toward multilingualism. Perhaps it will only result in a few involved parties—specifically, native speakers of other languages rather than Japanese—handling things as interpreters or translators. Or perhaps it will end with short-term foreign tourists simply using ICT-based translation software and apps. In other words, I wonder if any change will occur in the awareness and attitudes of the majority of native Japanese speakers toward diverse languages.

In 2017, I published "Toward a Multilingual Society" (co-edited with Goro Christoph Kimura, Kurosio Publishers). I included my hope to grasp the actual state of Japanese society, where multilingualization is progressing—such as multilingual education in elementary schools, high schools, universities, and broadcast media; language use and native language maintenance among immigrants; and multilingual situations in tourism—and to share the philosophy of multilingualism, which recognizes and respects diversity, heterogeneity, and otherness.

Of course, multilingualization to facilitate convenience for foreign residents and tourists should proceed. However, what is more important is for the majority in this society—native Japanese speakers—to turn their attention to the existence of various languages, to begin learning those languages, and to stand by people who speak different languages. In that sense, I want to keep a close eye on the future progress of multilingualization. Our role as those involved in language education will undoubtedly become even greater.