JS-45.1
‘Native Language Education and Adaptation of Chinese Immigrants Second Generation in Italy’

Wednesday, 18 July 2018: 10:30
Location: 718A (MTCC SOUTH BUILDING)
Oral Presentation
Junko TAJIMA, Faculty of Social Sciences,Hosei University, Japan
The purpose of this report is to clarify the actual situation of mother-tongue

education experience and adaptation of Chinese immigrants second generation

in Italy based on survey results. The survey results used in this report were conducted from July to August 2017 at six Chinese-language supplementary schools in Italy.

The survey informants were 264 of second generation Chinese immigrants.

The author’s analysis of the results clarifies the following points. First of all, half of the children attending the Chinese supplementary school have some

experience of being educated in their home country. This shows certain effects

on maintaining their mother tongue. In addition, more than 90% of families

mainly speak Chinese; the households that mainly speak Italian are few. However, that is causing new problems in terms of their Italian language ability. In Italy,

limitations on Italian language ability (especially literacy) have a major influence

on the education process leading to high school graduation, when the second

generation Chinese immigrant advances his or her academic background. Most

children will inherit their parent's business and become self-employed, rather

than going on to study at a university. Therefore, while a relationship with one’s ‘home country’ is maintained, he or she can only fully experience life within the

ethnic community. Such a tendency is also similar in the business owners who are strongly upwardly-mobile; in that case, in order to strengthen one’s skills in

English, which is the third language, it is creating a new demand for English

schools or international schools from the stage of primary school or junior high

school. Along with the actual situation of the ethnic community in Italy,

the author thinks that these issues will be heavily involved in the future of ethnic Chinese communities. The author would like to clarify this problem by means of this report.