Language Learning in the Process of Refugee Resettlement: A Case Study Comparing Conditions in Germany and Japan

Abstract

Abstract The difficulties encountered in the resettling of refugees in a host country arise from the following sources. The first source of difficulty involves so‐called personal factors which stem from the character and experience of the individual refugee. For example, these include past experiences or experiences encountered during flight from the home country, family‐background, religion, age, sex, educational level, occupation, etc. The second source pertains to the circumstances surrounding the process of resettlement (e.g. level of assistance offered by the host country, cultural differences between the home and host country, etc.). The third sorce of differences arise from the level of communication between the refugee and the new social environment (for example, the possibility of establishing social contacts, access to various kinds of information, etc.). In this article some characteristics of the language‐learning process are discussed with the inclusion of several case‐studies from Germany and Japan. It is noted that Germany appears to provide better assistance in language‐learning. On the other hand, from the point of view of Indochinese refugees, Japan is more similar culturally and socially. The questions of how language‐acquisition can best be achieved, as well as the ways in which the situation of refugees in Germany and Japan can best be improved are discussed.