Christie Provenzano, Chris Flynn

Multilingual child raising: Looking into both past and future

One only needs to take a stroll through Tenjin, Ohori Park or Dazaifu to see clear evidence that much more of the world is coming to visit Japan these days. Statistics show that many are looking to stay a while, too. A report last year the local Fukuoka Now publication noted that while the total population of Fukuoka Prefecture (combining both Japanese and non-Japanese) declined slightly in 2023, the number of foreign residents rose by over 10,000. Even so, as we know, support for multilingualism in the Japanese school system and in the community is still lacking.

This means that, more than ever, families with at least one non-Japanese parent may be looking to help their children to build cultural and linguistic bridges between Japan and their non-Japanese heritage culture(s). As a non-Japanese parent who raised multilingual children in Japan, and as a former researcher in multilingual child raising, the presenter will reflect on her personal experience and outcomes. She will also touch on case studies of families with children more recently in the process. Attendees will be invited to contribute their experiences and observations in an open discussion centered on second (and third or fourth!) language education in particular, but also on making space for non-Japanese cultures in the context of this historically monocultural country.

By sharing our stories, we can learn from each other as we work to give our children greater access to the world.

Presenter Bio Data:
Christie Provenzano’s interest in children’s bilingual development is both personal and academic, as she has launched two Japanese/English bilingual daughters into the world and taught active university seminar classrooms full of student researchers in bilingualism over many years.

Navigating the Maze that is the Japanese Pension System – as a Foreigner

When I was told I had to join the Japanese employees pension system in 1995, I protested vehemently. Now 30 years later and a year away from retirement, I am so glad that my college followed the law and enrolled me. But closing in on pension eligibility, I am faced with a maze of options and questions. How much pension will I get? Which pension scheme am I enrolled in? What happens if I keep working after 65? Will I have to keep working to make ends meet?

In this presentation I hope to unravel the maze and give people an idea of how they can find out what they will be entitled to and some information for younger people whose retirement is in the distant future.

This presentation is strictly about the social and national pension with absolutely no connection to any private investment schemes/advice

​Presenter Bio Data:
Chris Flynn is a Professor at the Kyushu Institute of Information Sciences in Dazaifu, Fukuoka, Japan. He has a Master of Arts in Advanced Japanese Studies from the University of Sheffield and has the NAATI certification as a professional translator and interpreter (Japanese/English), and is the author of Faces of Fukuoka. For over 23 years, Flynn has been involved in union activities representing language teachers in Japan including fighting cases (and winning) district and high court, Prefectural Labour Commission, and even assisting English teachers “escape” from employers because they feared for their safety if they quit. Flynn represented Fukuoka in the over 60s Nenlympic national rugby tournament.