This study focuses on the changes in educational concept for the descendent generations of immigrants. Until now, changes to educational concepts in Japanese language teaching to Brazilian-Japanese have only been observed through the perspective of the educators. The purpose of this study is to clarify these changes through the perspectives of two sides: That of the educators, and that of the learners, who accepted these changes.
Japanese-language teaching in Brazil has been changed by Japanese immigrants in past 100 years. At First, it was changed from education for young Japanese immigrants to heritage language teaching for Brazilian-Japanese after World War II. Secondly, the teaching concept was changed from Japanese teaching as a heritage language to Japanese teaching as a foreign language.
Research results show that Brazilian-Japanese who experienced learning Japanese prior to the changes were hoping for the same changes mentioned in the two stages above. This study clarified that Brazilian-Japanese in Brazil also had the awareness of the issues on the educator's side before the changes of educational concepts.
At the present time, many Brazilian-Japanese live with their families in Japan. They also have the same problems about learning language as their former generations.