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Language Learning and Revitalization through the Martial Arts

Uchinaaguchi, Karate and Kobudo in Okinawa and Abroad

Samantha May, Doctoral Candidate, Comparative Regional Cultures, University of the Ryukyus, Japan

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Language Learning …and Martial Arts? International Okinawan Martial Arts Community

= Point of Entry, Intersection Okinawan Language Revitalization Effort

Language Learning Effort

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Uchinaaguchi Today Origin: Main island of Okinawa, Japan

Okinawan communities worldwide(Brazil, Peru, Canada, Hawaii)

6 Ryukyuan languages on UNESCO endangered language list (Moseley, 2010)

Not taught in Okinawan schools Most fluent speakers: 60s +

Transmission of Okinawan Martial Arts

50 Million Okinawan Martial Arts Practitioners Worldwide

(Okinawa Prefecture, 2012)

沖沖

Martial Arts Transmit Okinawan

Culture & History沖沖 sai

沖沖沖沖沖 nunchaku

沖沖沖沖 tunfa 沖沖

bo

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Theory3 Main Approaches

1. Language Acquisition

2. “Post”, Plus Feminism

3. Language Revitalization

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1. Language Acquisition Motivation (Gardner, 1985; Csizér and Dörnyei, 2005)

Total Physical Response (TPR) (Asher, 1969) Community of Practice, Social LearningTheory (Etienne Wenger, 1998, 2006)

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2. “Post”, Plus Feminism Postmodernism (Pennycook, 2006) Post Colonialism: Decolonization of Mind (Thiong'o, 1986; Fanon, 1965)

Black Feminism (hooks, 1984; Ware, 1970)

Feminism: Situated Knowledge (Haraway, 1988) Language Web (May, unpublished)

Language Hierarchy vs. Language Web

Language Hierarchy

EnglishJapaneseOther World Languages

Indigenous/Regional Languages

Language Web

Uchinaaguchi

English Japanes

e

Other Languages

Only One Top

Top Is Centre

No TopMultiple Centres

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3. Language RevitalizationKey Components:1) inclusion of cultural activities2) immersion3) government support4) community support5) parental involvement 6) content-language integrated learning (CLIL) 7) funding8) appropriate language learning materials9) involvement/ training of linguists/teachers 10) domain(s) in which to use the language (ex. school)

(Canadian First Peoples' Heritage, Language & Culture Council, undated; Haynes, 2011; Hong, 2010; Hinton and Hale, 2001;Te Khanga Reo National Trust Board, 2011)

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Previous Research

Hawaiian Baseball League (Warner, 2001) Canadian First Nations Culture Camps (First Peoples' Culture Council website, 2012)

Others - Soccerlingua (Lingo, 2005), Welsh Rugby Camps (Debighshire Visitor website, 2009)

Uchinaaguchi Martial Arts Encyclopedia ( 高高高高 高高高高高 高高高高、、 (2008) 高高高高高高高高高高高高 高高高高高高高、「」 )

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Research Question and HypothesisWhat are the effects of using Uchinaaguchi in Okinawan martial arts classes?

Interest in the following will increase:learning/using Uchinaaguchi learning about Okinawan culturetravel to Okinawa

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Methods and Procedure1. Preliminary Interviews 2. Development of Word Sheets3. Survey - Round One4. Interviews/ participant observation

5. Distribution of Word Sheets6. Survey - Round Two7. Interviews/ participant observation

8. Adjustment of Word Sheets9. Follow Up Interviews

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Uchinaaguchi Martial Arts Lexicon

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Uchinaaguchi Word Sheets

4 Types: Martial Arts-Based*

1. Technique2. Cultural Background3. Place Name4. Proverb

*Developed with the Uchinaaguchi-speaking and martial arts community

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1. Technique

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2. Cultural Background

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3. Place

Names

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4. Proverbs

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Interviews and Correspondence Most Uchinaaguchi speakers punished for using language as children

Uchinaaguchi not taught to children Okinawan Martial Arts and Uchinaaguchi-speaking community support this project

Some Uchinaaguchi in Okinawan, Canadian and UK karate dojo

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Surveys1. Martial Arts Travel and Language Canadians, Okinawans, Internationals: 166 responses

Most Okinawans wish to learn Uchinaaguchi 67% Canadian martial arts visitors to Okinawa- want to learn/use Uchinaaguchi

2. Round One (English): Survey Face 22 responses, goal 250 International Martial Artists: Lack of knowledge of Uchinaaguchi

Okinawan cultural concepts ≠ Uchinaaguchi?

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Closing Remarks

Uchinaaguchi-speaker/ martial arts community interest =more than anticipated

not only solution, part of larger language maintenance and teaching effort

partnership w/ existing in-school martial arts programs?

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ReferencesAsher, J. J. (1969). The Total Physical Response Approach to Second Language Learning. The Modern Language Journal,

53(1), 3-17. .doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4781.1969.tb04552.x Blackwell Publishing.

Canada's First Peoples’Heritage, Language & Culture Council. (undated). Language and Culture Immersion Programs: Handbook. Brentwood Bay: British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconcilliation, New Relationship Trust.

Csizér, K., & Dörnyei, Z. (2005). Language Learners’ Motivational Profiles and Their Motivated Learning Behaviour. Language Learning, 55(4), 613-659. doi:10.1111/j.0023.8333.2005.00319.x

Denbighshire Visitor website, http://www.denbighshirevisitor.com/news/where-i-live/corwen-news/2008/07/24/corwen-rugby-skills-camp-through-welsh-language-105722-21397118/, accessed Novemer 11, 2012.

Fanon, F. (1965). A Dying Colonialism. New York: Grove Publishing.

First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council (undated). Culture Camps for Language Learning: An Immersion Handbook. Brentwood Bay: British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconcilliation, New Relationship Trust.

Gardner, R. C (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London: Edward Arnold.

Haraway, D. (1988). “Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective.” in Feminist Studies, p. 575-599.

Haynes, E. F. (2011) When support for language revitalization is not enough: The End of indigenous language classes at Warm Springs Elementary School. International Journal of Society and Language 209, pp. 141–155

Hinton, L. and Hale, K. (eds.), (2001). The Green Book of Language Revitalization in Practice. Scarborough: Emerald Publishing Group.

Hong, J. (2010). An Overview of Bilingual Education. Summary of Successful Immersion and Bilingual Education Models/Programs by Pacific Policy Research Centre. Honolulu: Kameha Schools Research & Evaluation.

hooks, b. (1984). Feminist Theory: From Margin to Centre. Cambridge: South End Press.

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ReferencesLingo Study, (2005). 50 Ways to Motivate Language Learners. EU Commission: Lingo. accessed from

ec.europa.eu/languages/documents/doc439_en.pdf, December 12, 2012.

May, S. K. (2013)b. Language Web: Application of Situated Knowledge to Uchinaaguchi. University of the Ryukyus: unpublished.

Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. Paris, UNESCO Publishing. Online version: http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas, accessed July 1, 2013.

Okinawa Prefecture Website. (2012) http://www.okinawastory.jp/en/why/culture/karate.html (accessed July 3, 2012).

Pennycook, A. (2006). Postmodernism in Language Policy. In T. Ricento (Ed.), An Introduction to Language Policy: Theory and Method (60-76). Blackwell Publishing.

高高高高 高高高高高 高高高高、、 (2008) 高高高高高高高高高高高高 高高高高高高高、「」

Te Kouhanga Reo National Trust Board. (2011). Report of External Evaluation and Review. New Zealand Qualifications Authority.

Thiongo'o, W. (1986). Decolonising the Mind: The Politics of Language n African Literature. Nairobi: East African Educational Publishers.

Ware, C. (1970). Women Power. As quoted in bell hooks (2000). Feminist Theory: From Margin to Centre, South End Press.

Warner, S. N. (2001). The Movement to Revitalize Hawaiian Language and Culture. In L. Hinton and K. Hale (Eds.), The Green Book of Language Revitalization (133-144). Emerald Publishing Group.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of practice: A Brief introduction. online article acessible at http://www.ewenger.com/theory/ (accessed 2011).