Speaker
Niko Catharine Watanabe Schultz
(Sophia University)
Description
Japan's linguistic diversity is growing, with over 69.000 students needing Japanese as a second language (JSL) instruction in 2023. JSL students face significant disadvantages: significant dropout rates, lower advancement rates, and unequal access to support. One underexplored factor is Japan's test-centric system, where exams designed for native speakers may misrepresent multilingual learners' abilities. This forum examines a critical translanguaging assessment approach and proposes qualitative research on multilingual teenagers applying to high schools in Kanagawa Prefecture.