Historiography of linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Language planning and language politics, Language ideology, Foreign language didactics, Discourse analysis, Minority languages.

Five of Japan’s nine indigenous languages are located in the Ryukyu Islands. All of the Ryukyuan languages are highly endangered. In the current research project, questionnaire surveys have been conducted for the five languages Amami-Ryukyuan, Okinawa-Ryukyuan, Miyako-Ryukyuan, Yaeyama-Ryukyuan and Yonaguni-Ryukyuan in 2005-2006. Furthermore, interviews with local language teachers, local language learners, language activists, musicians, historians, bureaucrats and film makers have been conducted. Further interviews are planned for 2007. Research results so far show that the linguistic situations differ considerably between the five languages. The language varieties of Yaeyama and Yonaguni are most severely endangered while Miyako is the most vital Ryukyuan language. Awareness of language endangerment, language attitudes and uses of hybrid language forms also differ fundamentally between the language communities. It is the aim of this research project to provide for a pioneering depiction of the linguistic situation in the Ryukyu Islands which is pivotal for planned attempts to revitalize the local languages.

Research is to be concluded by 2007. Preliminary research results are in press.

Japan’s modernization at the end of the 19th century provided for a vastly different experience from that of the West. Due to the forced opening of the country to the outside world, Japan faced the double task of establishing unity in Japan while restoring Japanese self-esteem vis-à-vis the West. Raising the Japanese language to a level equivalent to that of standardized Western national languages took more than half a century to complete. The thesis reports in detail on the creation and the effects of modern Japanese language ideology in the context of Japan’s modernization.

The structure of the thesis is largely determined by its definition of language ideology: “Language ideology studies the origin and effect of beliefs about language structure and use, as well as the way in which these beliefs are (a) promoted and (b) spread beyond the social groups whose interests they serve.” Ensuing from this definition, a broad differentiation is made between (a) language ideology brokers and (b) the linguistic margin. The first half of the book reports on the work of language modernizers who shaped the language ideological ideas into which Modern Japanese was moulded. The second half focuses on the effects of language modernization on the linguistic margin.

The thesis illustrates how language ideology always includes the emancipative and empowering background from which it emerged as well as its oppressive aspects. It depicts how language ideology shapes linguistic realities which, to come back full circle, confirms the validity of language ideology. In so doing the results presented unsettle many commonsensical beliefs about the Japanese language and elucidate the workings of language ideologies.

To be published in 2007

The thesis treats about 120 years of linguistic study in Japan. It is divided into two larger parts, linguistics in the pre- and the post-war period. Both parts are introduced by a chapter treating the broader historical developments that have influenced and shaped Japanese linguistics. The post-war period is further subdivided into sections devoted to historical and structural linguistics on one hand, and post-structural linguistics on the other. The characterizations of Japanese linguistics as given in the dissertation are sustained with the help of empirical data on various matters such as the establishment of academic institutions, societies and journals, the total output and the content of linguistic journals and monographs, international academic exchange, the number of works written in Western languages on Japanese, and the number and content of linguistic monographs translated from Western languages into Japanese.

It is argued that the development of Japanese linguistics can be subdivided into three larger periods. According to this development a growing convergence between the study of linguistics in Japan and the West can be recognized: 1. from the 1890s convergence with regards to the institutional setting, academic training and publishing practices: Linguistics became fully established as an independent academic discipline relying on institutional settings and research practices adopted from the West. 2. from the 1930s convergence with regards of views towards the object of research: The Japanese language became to be seen as an autonomous and structured totality. The shift from a preoccupation with isolated linguistic phenomena was at first limited to theoretical considerations and only gained more influence on the concrete study of Japanese in the 1950s. 3. from the 1970s convergence with regards to the methodology: Japanese was increasingly studied along the lines of universal approaches seeking insight into language through the study of Japanese. This resulted in an increasingly internationalized research practice based on internationally shared methodological frameworks.

Published as: Heinrich, Patrick (2002). Die Rezeption der westlichen Linguistik im modernen Japan bis zum Ende der Shōwa-Zeit. München Iudicium. (ISBN: 3-89129-678-9)