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“Those Anime Students”: Foreign Language Literacy Development Through Japanese Popular Culture
Author(s) -
Fukunaga Natsuki
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of adolescent and adult literacy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1936-2706
pISSN - 1081-3004
DOI - 10.1598/jaal.50.3.5
Subject(s) - anime , pronunciation , literacy , sociocultural evolution , foreign language , media literacy , popular culture , ethnography , psychology , active listening , pedagogy , sociology , linguistics , media studies , communication , anthropology , philosophy
Using multiliteracies and sociocultural perspectives on language and literacy learning, this article describes three Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) students' literacy development through involvement with Japanese popular culture. As part of a larger qualitative ethnographic study, the author interviewed JFL learners who have a particular interest in Japanese popular culture. Analysis suggests that JFL learners develop literacy skills such as word recognition, listening, and pronunciation in the social contexts provided by anime, or Japanese animation. It appears that “anime students” are simultaneously developing foreign language literacy skills, taking up a critical stance toward media, and constructing identities within anime culture.