Constructing, Reconstructing and Reclaiming Learner Identities - (New Perspectives on Language and Education) by Ellen Preston Motohashi (Hardcover)

About the Book

This book focuses on the experiences of 1.5 generation Filipinos in Japan, charting their educational experiences in both the Philippines and Japan. The participants use their educational histories and learner identities as an intangible resource to help overcome the differences in the teaching-learning environments they encountered in Japan.

Book Synopsis

This book focuses on the experiences of 1.5 generation Filipinos in Japan, charting their life histories and educational experiences in both the Philippines and Japan. Against a background of transnational migrations between both countries, and varying levels of Japanese as a Second Language and educational support for immigrant/non-Japanese speaking children in Japanese schools, the author uses a narrative, life history approach to consider how the participants use their educational histories and learner identities as intangible resources upon which they drew to overcome the structural and cultural differences in the teaching-learning environments they encountered in Japanese schools. The book ends by recounting the participants' regained sense of confidence as learners upon entering university, where they reclaim their learner identities as active participants in the classroom, with several receiving awards for academic excellence.

Review Quotes

Contextually situated and empirically grounded, this book sheds a much-needed light on the schooling experiences of 1.5-generation Filipino and Filipino-Japanese youth in Japan. Using narrative portraits, it brilliantly demonstrates how these children succeed in their new socio-cultural and educational settings, revealing their vulnerability but also their academic resilience and learner agency.-- "Asuncion Fresnoza-Flot, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium"

This book provides an excellent overview of the current status of immigrants entering Japan, particularly with regards to the Filipino population. The subjective views of the participants highlighted in the book provide good examples of the intra-diversity of experiences among Filipino transnational youth in Japan. It is an important contribution to immigration studies in Japan.-- "Shingo Ashizawa, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan"

Ellen Preston Motohashi, as a researcher, professor, and caring mentor, has produced agentic portrayals of her Filipino students in Japan who (re)construct learner identities while navigating hardships growing up transnationally. This beautifully written book models a humanizing approach to research and inspires educators to foster inclusive and culturally responsive learning spaces where immigrant students can shine.-- "Tomoko Tokunaga, University of Tsukuba, Japan"

About the Author

Ellen Preston Motohashi is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Dokkyo University, Japan. Her research focuses on education for immigrant students and students from linguistic and cultural minorities.