재일동포의 계승어교육 인식에 대한 재검토 -학부모의 담화를 중심으로-

Reexamining Korean Residents in Japan’s Perceptions of Heritage Language Education: Focusing on Parents’ Narratives

This study aims to reconceptualize heritage language education for children with Korean roots by exploring how parents understand and invest in Korean as a heritage language. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents residing in the Kanto and Kansai regions of Japan between August 2024 and June 2025. The analysis reveals three major findings. First, for longtime resident families, the Korean language functions not only as a practical tool but also as a symbolic resource linked to ethnic identity. Second, heritage language learning enables access to particular linguistic and cultural communities, shaping children’s sense of belonging. Third, engagement with the heritage language is a strategic and selective practice influenced by imagined communities and aligned with individual life trajectories. These findings highlight that heritage language education should move beyond a singular ethnic framework to embrace learner diversity, multiple belongings, and reflexive identity negotiation, thereby contributing to more inclusive and dialogic approaches to language education.