“Those Anime Students”: Foreign Language Literacy Development Through Japanese Popular Culture

Abstract

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.

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