The Possibility of Intercultural Citizenship Education:A Case Study of Multicultural Group Work in a Japanese University*

LI Xiaoyan

Abstract:There are various views as to how to develop world-class human resources,and the possibility of intercultural citizenship education at universities has been subject to debate.While the Japanese government has identified three essential components of global human resources,there is no agreed approach to their development.Here we report and examine multicultural group work in class-share,an approach conceived in the course of our educational practice.We argue that multicultural group work in class-share is an effective and efficient approach.Based on the author’s previous research,we have constructed a process model (called the ASCI model) of multi-cultural group work.Since 2014,the author has been conducting a learner-agency course at Kyushu University offered to both Japanese and international students.Since each student comes from a different cultural and environmental background and since the students have a variety of majors,we characterize their activity as multicultural group work.In the course,students acquire awareness of language and culture through a cycle of group discussion,interviews,and essay writing.The students report having renewed both their linguistic and their cultural knowledge.This acquisition and development of knowledge is referred to as self-renewal.We argue that the progress of self-renewal is also knowledge creation.We observe that self-renewal reflects MEXT’s three components of global human resources.Furthermore,following Byram (2008),we argue that the learner self-renewal observed in this case study also fosters supranational citizenship and human resources that have the potential to contribute to world peace.

Keywords:multicultural group work;intercultural citizenship education;collaborative learning;knowledge creation;self-renewal

1.Introduction

In today’s global era,where people,goods,money,information,and much more come and go on a global scale at unprecedented speed,there is a strong demand for global-class human resources(hereafter global human resources) who can play active roles in the global arena.For example,some Japanese companies,including Panasonic and Rakuten,employ numerous valuable foreigners by means of a “global adoption frame.” At the same time,many Japanese domestic companies experience communication problems in their multi-cultural working environments.Also,in the field of education,most universities are striving to attract international students.Japan’s Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology (MEXT) is also focusing on developing global human resources,through efforts such as its

Global Human Resources Development Promotion Project

,established in 2012.According to MEXT’s

Interim Summary of the Global Human Resources Development Promotion Council

,the three highly valuable attributes of Japanese global human resources are:

1) strong language and communication skills in English and a first language;

2) independence,a positive attitude,readiness to take on challenges,cooperation,flexibility;sense of responsibility,sense of mission;and

3) understanding of different cultures and confident identity as a Japanese.

MEXT founded its

Top Global University Project

in 2014 and selected thirty-seven universities for the project—all to promote the globalization of Japanese university education.

That policy was aimed at improving the international competitiveness of Japanese universities and attracting world-class human resources who can play active roles in the global arena.In response to the current situation and in line with MEXT policy,universities must develop a more multicultural environment.Moreover,it is clearly important to improve the English language skills of these global resources as part of their development.However,traditional second language education and intercultural understanding in education are insufficient for fostering the muchneeded global human resources.Not only that;even if such education could increase students’language skills,communication skills,and intercultural understanding,there remains the difficulty of developing the second element,independence,and readiness to take on challenges.At present,no model has been established for developing global human resources by fostering the development of the above three elements in a balanced manner.

Specifically,universities are proceeding with implementation of MEXT policy in the following three actions:1) sending Japanese students overseas;2) accepting foreign faculty and researchers and international students;and 3) increasing the number of courses delivered in English.In order to overcome the labor shortage in Japan,universities are actively accepting international students and offering those students career support.However,even though 65% of all international students express a desire to work in Japan,fewer than half of them succeed in finding a job;the others end up returning to their home countries—and even among those international students who do find jobs,the turnover rate is high in the first few months or years.

Internationalization of Japanese universities and development of global human resources are not just problems of “Englishization.” Japanese students also need to develop the ability to take part in discussions and negotiations in global society,as well as to think logically and make presentations that can contribute to prompt problem solving,far beyond the simplistic goal of improving their English proficiency.

As for international students who wish to work in Japan,it is necessary for them to develop respect for the diversity of each region of Japan and acquire not only Japanese language ability,but also the know-how needed for life in Japanese society.In other words,although international students do not have to become Japanese citizens,they must become “members” of Japanese society.Of course,Japanese students also need to be “members” of Japanese society.However,in the current higher education scenario,citizenship education is not addressed in curricula.It can be said that the underlying cause of this citizenship deficit is that Japanese society as a whole is lacking in tolerance for diversity.

Byram (2008) argues that successful language learners do not only possess high language proficiency,but are also effective and thoughtful communicators or “mediators” with high intercultural competence.M.Byram, (Bristol:Multilingual Matters,2008),71−76.The Council of Europe positions intercultural competence as essential for different groups to deepen intercultural understanding.Learning foreign languages offers the opportunity to come into contact with other cultures,which in turn provides a basis for respect for and tolerance of others and deepens learners’ thinking and sense of cultural belonging.In short,learning languages leads to understanding of other cultures and others.This notion is the foundation of European language policy,which governs European citizenship education.Byram(2008) advocates the importance of “foreign language education as citizenship education” and places political education and critical cultural awareness at the center of intercultural competence.The “European citizen” developed through the acquisition of intercultural competence is inseparable from the social background of Europe.However,there is no supranational organization in Asia that is equivalent to the European Union or the Council of Europe.Compared to European nations,Asian countries welcome fewer immigrants,and there is almost no free cross-border traffic such as is found in the Schengen zone.In addition,Asian countries such as Japan,China,and South Korea have each endeavored to disseminate their own languages abroad,but we did not find any indication that they are interested in supranational citizenship education.

In this study we examine the mechanism of multicultural group work,discuss the

self-renewal

is a concept created by students in my class.It means self-development by creating new knowledge through multicultural group work.They felt that this created something new for them.of Japanese and international students,and explore possible new directions for Japanese citizenship education.In recent years,practice of and research on group work have been active in educational practice in universities.Group work fosters notions of equality and helps develop understanding of diverse realities and truths.G.De Vita,“Fostering Intercultural Learning through Multicultural Group Work,” in ,eds.Jude Carroll and Janette Ryan (London &New York:2005),75-83.In addition,studies have confirmed that group work plays an important role in promoting self-other exchange,self-understanding,and self-development.（日）佐々木由利子：『カウンセリングの体験学習のために開発された四つのグループワークの研究』，『日本橋学館大学紀要』8,2009年，第89—90 頁。［Sasaki Yuriko,“Kaunseringu no taikengakushū no tameni kaihatsu sareta yottu no gurūpuwāku no kenkyu” (Study of Four Group Works Developed for Experiential Learning of Counseling),() 8 (2009):89−90.]Multicultural groups,defined by Li (2017) as groups of individuals from different cultural backgrounds,are environments in which global human resources are actually working.李暁燕：『多文化グループワークによる言語と文化の創造学習—知識科学の視点から見るアクティブ·ラーニング—』，東京：ココ出版，2017年，第163 頁。[LI Xiaoyan, (Multicultural Group Work in Creative Learning on Language and Culture:Active Learning from a Knowledge Science Perspective),Tokyo:Koko Shuppan,2017,163.]However,few studies have examined multicultural group work,especially in Japan.What are the qualities of multi-cultural group work that make it suitable as an environment where global human resources can work together? What role can multicultural group work play in the development of global human resources? These and many other questions remain unanswered as yet.

This case study examines the effectiveness of group work in the context of a comprehensive course,“Communication for Knowledge Creation,” conducted at Kyushu University in Japan,with consideration of MEXT’s three elements of global human resource development.

2.Multicultural Group Work:Processes and Characteristics

Language and culture are closely related;they have been referred to as “two sides of the same coin.”C.Kramsch, (New York:Oxford University Press,1998),3.According to Kramsch (1998),language expresses culture as a way of thinking in the real world,and conversational accents and gestures also embody culture,symbolizing culture such as value and social identity.The expression “two sides of the same coin” refers to the inseparability of language and culture.The two are integrated within each individual as self-knowledge(knowledge about oneself,consisting of linguistic and cultural knowledge components).The metaphorical “coin” in “language and culture are two sides of the same coin” corresponds to“self-knowledge.” Linguistic knowledge includes cultural knowledge as an implicit element;implicit cultural knowledge is manifested by linguistic knowledge and shared efficiently and effectively.Members of a multicultural group will acquire language culture as an integrated whole,at the same time enriching their self-knowledge.李暁燕：『多文化グループワークによる言語と文化の創造学習—知識科学の視点から見るアクティブ·ラーニング—』，第153-167 頁。[LI Xiaoyan, (Multicultural Group Work in Creative Learning on Language and Culture:Active Learning from a Knowledge Science Perspective),153-67.]

How much learners can enrich their self-knowledge depends largely on the functioning of the group.A group is a “place where people gather and share knowledge,experience,and feelings,”（日）ホスピスケア研究会編：『がん患者と家族のサポートプログラム』，東京：青海社，2005年，第95 頁。[Hospice Care Study Group, (Support Program for Cancer Patients and Family),Tokyo:Aomisha Press,2005,95.]and the fundamental process of group work is interaction.Interactions include not only words and gesture patterns,but also thought processes and emotions that are not expressed in speech or actions.Furthermore,the foundational concept of a group is the idea of “sharing.” When sharing knowledge,people together in a given context are empowered to feel close to each other and accept the experiences of others as if they were their own.T.Douglas, (London:Routledge,2000),86.

Ba

is a mechanism of situations in which people participate,consciously and unconsciously observe each other,communicate with each other,understand each other,work with each other,and have a common experience.（日）伊丹敬之·西口敏宏·野中郁次郎：『場のダイナミズムと企業』 ，東京：東洋経済新報社，2000年，第196 頁。[Itami Hiroyuki,Nishiguchi Toshihiro,and Nonaka Ikujiro, (Dynamics of the Place and Companies),Tokyo:Toyo Keizai Shiposha,2000,196.]A

ba

is necessary for interaction in group work.Knowledge leadership must create a

ba

for knowledge creation,activate and sustain it,and cooperate with other

ba

to lead and promote the knowledge conversion process.

Working from the above perspectives,we explored the effects of group work involving people from a number of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (i.e.,multicultural group work) and constructed an ASCI model of multicultural group work (see Figure 1).In multicultural group work,the group members share implicit/tacit cultural knowledge at the individual level through verbalization;group-level knowledge is created by integration among members and internalized by introspection to create a new culture,which will be experienced at the personal level again.In other words,multicultural group work,promoted by teachers and facilitators,embodies the process Articulation → Socialization → Consolidation → Internalization,which takes the form of a spiral of knowledge creation.李暁燕：『多文化グループワークによる言語と文化の創造学習—知識科学の視点から見るアクティブ·ラーニング—』，第161 頁。[LI Xiaoyan, (Multicultural Group Work in Creative Learning on Language and Culture:Active Learning from a Knowledge Science Perspective),161.]

Figure 1:ASCI model for multi-cultural group work

Multicultural group work requires higher-level language skills and communication skills than regular group work,so there is a need to foster participant independence,cooperation,and a challenging spirit.Such multicultural communication deepens the participants’ awareness of their own cultures and identities.LI Xiaoyan &Umemoto Katsuhiro,“Knowledge Creation through Inter-Cultural Communication in Multi-Cultural Groupwork,” 21−1 (2013):238−39.In addition,multicultural group work as practiced in the field of education simulates a social community and can bridge the gap between the classroom and society;at the same time,it can also enrich self-knowledge such as language ability,self-recognition,social recognition,and sense of belonging.李暁燕：『多文化グループワークによる言語と文化の創造学習—知識科学の視点から見るアクティブ·ラーニング—』，第155-156 頁。[LI Xiaoyan, (Multicultural Group Work in Creative Learning on Language and Culture:Active Learning from a Knowledge Science Perspective),155-56.]In that sense,multicultural group work not only leads to the development of language skills and communication skills,but also to the development of elements 2 and 3 proposed by MEXT as necessary attributes of global human resources.

3.Case Study:Kyushu University

3.1 An Overview of the Case Study

As mentioned in the previous section,multicultural group work is an effective way of developing global human resources from the perspective of knowledge.In this study,we considered multicultural group work in the field of university education from the perspective of the creation,sharing,and utilization of knowledge.We examined (1) the transformation of the group members in terms of linguistic and cultural knowledge and (2) the roles of teachers and facilitators.Furthermore,applying the ASCI model (see Figure 1),we designed a classroom for multicultural group work in a class-share scenario (classes with both international students and local Japanese students).This case study observed the comprehensive “Communication for Knowledge Creation”course at Kyushu University.

The course syllabus states that “Everyone accumulates knowledge to connect with this world and responds to changes in the environment by repeating reproduction.The process is knowledge creation.Communication supports knowledge creation.” Since the students were mostly first-year undergraduate students,we thought that suddenly initiating an activity that was strikingly different from the typical instructional style centered on preparation for entrance exams might have some undesirable effects,so we instituted a combination of lectures and activities.For the first five lectures,we reviewed the concepts of “language,” “culture,” and “communication” and the relationships among them from the viewpoint of knowledge;and discussed the conduct of active lessons and ways of learning autonomously.The instructional aims were to familiarize the students with “problems without correct answers” and to warm up the discussion.

From the sixth to the fifteenth lecture,we decided two options for the title of the class:“Connection with the world” and “What are global human resources?” Then,applying the ASCI model,we designed group work to be conducted in line with the flow shown in Figure 2.Firstly,the students decided which title they would discuss,and arrived at a meaning of the title;each group found its own activity theme (this corresponds to “articulation” and “socialization” in the ASCI model).Secondly,each group addressed the question “What should we do to connect to the world?” They clarified some points using survey methods such as interviews and questionnaires(“articulation” and “socialization” in the ASCI model).After the students had their survey results,we asked them to think about the results and about how they perceived them.At that stage they integrated their original thoughts,the results of the group research,and the content of their discussion (this corresponds to “consolidation” in the ASCI model).Finally,we asked the students to reflect on what “self-renewal” had been achieved through the process of the class(“internalization” in the ASCI model) (see Figure 2).

Figure 2:Flow of class activities

The class examined here was conducted in 2017.The twenty-two students (twelve Japanese,eight Chinese,and two Korean) were divided into four groups according to nationality,major,and gender.Each of the four groups performed activities in the following configuration.

Group A considers the questions “What is the world?” And “When do you feel that you are most connected?” and discusses the question “What is a suitable way to connect with the world?” A questionnaire was administered to solicit answers to the question from fifty Kyushu University students.The answers were (1) SNS (social networking services),(2) art,(3) talking,and (4) books,in order of frequency.

Group B discusses the meaning of “the world” and brainstorms some differences between “the world” and “global society.” The results of the discussion were summed up as“If two or more people gather and connect with each other,that will be the world.” The conclusion was drawn that “communication” is necessary for connecting to the world.The students created a survey question:“What kind of topic would you choose to get closer to a person that you met for the first time?”

Based on the content of the group discussions,Group C argued that we can best connect to the world through SNS;using the various popular SNS platforms,such as LINE,Facebook,and WeChat,we can easily get the latest information.Group C investigated the relationship between SNS and the world.

Group D considered the questions “What are global human resources?” and “What lies beyond language and language?” Since the responses came from members from different backgrounds,there was no unanimity,so the students decided to ask the question of people who could be considered to be working as global human resources.The questions were asked of two people:a member’s sister,who is working in Africa as a staff member of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency);and the leader of a center for human rights in a local city.

All questionnaire surveys and interviews were conducted as extracurricular activities,and the lessons were devoted to group discussions and reporting to the class.Given the large number of extracurricular activities,I created a Facebook community for this topic to enable the class to share information,and I asked them to report their progress at each meeting.In addition,after each class,the students were asked to complete a questionnaire about their “awareness.” Interim and term-end reports were required,along with a group presentation.The course instructor (the author) obtained the permission of all the students to use the data.

3.2 Self-renewal of Members in Class-share

Regarding class-share involving Japanese students and international students,in conventional studies,the international students improve their Japanese proficiency and understanding of Japanese culture through collaborative activities,while the Japanese students act as assistants providing support for the international students.（日）高濱愛·田中共子：『短期留学生と日本人学生を対象とした混合クラスにおける異文化間ソーシャル·スキル学習セッションの 実践』，『留学生教育』12,2007年，第75—76 頁。[Takahama Ai,and Tanaka Tomoko,“Tanki ryūgakusei to nihonjingakusei toshita kongō kurasu niokeru ibunkakan sōsharu sukiru gakushū sesshon no jissen”(Practice of Intercultural Social Skills Learning Sessions in Mixed Classes for Short-term International Students and Japanese Students), () 12 (2007):75−76.]；（日）園田博文·奥村圭子·内海由美子·黒沢晶子：『留学生と日本人学生の交流活動実践から見えてくるもの—「気付き」を通した異文化間コミュニケーション能力の養成に向けて』，『山形大学紀 要·教育科学』14（1）,2006年，第11—12 頁。[Sonoda Hirofumi,Okumura Keiko,Utsumi Yumiko,and Kurosawa Akiko,“ryūgakusei to nihonjin gakusei no kōryūkatudō kara mietekuru mono:kiduki wo tōshita ibunkakan komyunikēshon nōryoku no yōsei ni mukete” (What You Can See from the Practice of Exchange Activities between International Students and Japanese Students-toward the Development of Intercultural Communication Skills through Awareness),” () 14-1 (2006):11−12.]However,we position the Japanese students as not just assistants,but as active participants with the same roles as international students.Subsequently,we consider what the Japanese students learned through group work in class-share,and we analyze the self-renewal of all students,including the Japanese ones.

As expected,almost all of the international students stated in their reports that their Japanese proficiency had improved,especially their vocabulary and conversation skills.On the other hand,the Japanese students made some unexpected comments regarding their self-renewal,as follows:

“When I first chose this small-group seminar,I didn’t think it would be that interesting,just a lot of discussion,judging by the title...But when I took part in the activities,I found that each person had a special personality.I was blessed to have members like that in my group and it was a very meaningful small-group seminar activity.” (From a report by Member I of Group C)

First,the Japanese students were impressed by the intense eagerness of the international students to work on the classes,and from that point transformation of “self-awareness” was observed:

“The Chinese students can speak Japanese to some extent,but they are not fluent.However,they eagerly engage in discussions and work hard in Japanese to convey their thoughts to us.I am moved by that impression every time.I think that kind of endeavor is important in the present age of what is called the global society.I will follow them and word harder to study foreign languages.” (Member F of Group A,final report)

“At first,it seemed that I made fewer comments than anyone else,but as I talked every week,the number of my remarks gradually increased.Thanks to this course,I think I’m less selfconscious about my speaking weaknesses than before.” (Member M of Group C,final report)

Moreover,many students wrote in the questionnaire survey that the purpose of the course was to improve their communication skills,but no theoretical explanation of communication skills was given in this class:the intention was to make the participants think about communication and acquire skills by completing tasks collaboratively:

“Cultural differences and language differences definitely exist,so I think that was a point of concern.Now that the course is over,I don’t feel that way.I participated in the class several times,and the more opportunities I had to interact with the others,the less I felt differences in culture and language.” (Member K of Group D,final report)

“Now I start to speak after listening to and thinking about people’s opinions.” (Member K of Group D,interim report)

“By rephrasing,or communicating with gestures,I was able to consciously wait for others to finish talking and think about how to improve our communication.” (Member F of Group A,interim report)

“In addition,this course was refreshing for me,even though I didn’t do much to tackle problems that had no correct answer.” (Member K of Group B,final report)

“I thought about many habits and behaviors that had seemed common sense to me until now,but when I tried to talk with the international students,I found that those habits were unique.”(Year-end report of Member K of Group D)

To determine the self-renewal of all the class members and the self-renewal of the student in terms of self-knowledge,the qualitative data obtained in this class were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA).Firstly,we open-coded the text data,and the concepts were generated by coding and summarized in categories such as “linguistic ability,”“language transmission,” “social recognition,” “self-recognition,” “reconsidering one’s idea of common sense,” “communication skills,” and “learning survey methods” (see Table 1).These concepts are transformations of self-knowledge that all students,including the Japanese students,experienced through the collaborative activities.

Table 1:Student self-renewal (J:Japanese students,I:international students)

4.The Possibility of Intercultural Citizenship Education

Porto

et al

(2017) suggest that foreign language education can make a specific contribution to citizenship education through the concept of “intercultural citizenship education” (ICE) because ICE provides a perspective which breaks through the nationalism underlying most citizenship education today.M.Porto,S.Houghton,and M.Byram,“Intercultural Citizenship in the Foreign Classroom,” (2017):14−15.This is even more important in the current era where jingoism is dominating current political and world affairs.Byram (2008) frames the educational and political duties inherent in the ICE concept of “education for intercultural citizenship in the foreign language classroom,” and proposes that intercultural citizenship education consists of five levels,two prepolitical and three political.At the pre-political levels,the learner reflects on his/herself and others critically and proposes alternatives.At the political levels,the learner takes action to instigate change in his/her own society.M.Byram,,212−17.In this course,although we did not include any sensitive topics such as politics,the learners improved in terms of intercultural competence:1) I didn’t have a very good image of the Chinese.Media such as television and radio often address the Senkaku IslandsSenkaku islands in Japanese, in Chinese.issue,the bad manners of Chinese tourists,and the yellow sand flying to Japan from China.As a kid,I remember thinking that there are scary people on the continent beyond the sea,and feeling glad I was born in Japan.However,while interacting with students from China in this class,we laughed together about things in common,exchanged opinions,made jokes,and thought and worried together about our task.2)

I realized how shallow and childish my thoughts were.The Chinese students were people who were not different from Japanese

.In the words of Mr.Shin,the director of the Itoshima Human Rights Center,the relationship between countries and the relationship between people should not be confused.Whether their skin color is black or white,when people die,they become bones and become indistinguishable from each other.

We must not judge people by prejudice,because they are the same humans,even if they look different and speak different languages.

One day,the topic of “the relationship between Japan and China” came up.I thought the discussion was done,but it was a good opportunity,so I decided to continue talking spontaneously.However,a Chinese student said something like,“I was very worried that Japanese people would show bad feelings towards me.” I was very surprised.The students were trying to get closer to each other,beyond the differences between countries.In other words,everyone,whether Japanese or Chinese,was worried about their relationships.In other words,3)

if both sides come closer to each other,they would surely get along with each other

.

Mr.Shin,the director of the Itoshima City Human Rights Center,talked about the time he went to Nanjing.There are various sayings about Nanjing,but it is said to be the place where Japanese soldiers killed many Chinese people during the Second World War.At this point,Mr.Shin shed tears and apologized to the government of Nanjing,but the government representative of Nanjing took Mr.Shin’s hand and said,“We should remember this and make friends from now on.” The Chinese students who heard that seemed to feel deep sympathy,and we in the class became able to speak normally too.After all,“relationship between countries” and “relationship between people” are different things.We confirmed this with our team.

4)

That was the moment when I confirmed that my main political beliefs and subjective thoughts had changed 180 degrees

.5)

No matter how bad the relationship between nations or groups,people can understand each other;I hadn’t realized that until now

.This time,in the class “Communication for Knowledge Creation,” I had probably the first experience in my life of communicating with foreigners.And I was able to acquire“knowledge” that requires mutual understanding,although it seems obvious that “people can understand each other regardless of their affiliation.” This knowledge will always stay with me in the future;it was special knowledge that 6)

I definitely want to share with the people around me

.

We anglicized the final report using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA):we open-coded the text data,and generated the concepts by coding them and summarizing them in categories such as “self-awareness” (see underlined text 1);“confronting of the hostility towards other countries” (see underlined text 2);“new action pattern about communication between people coming from different countries” (see underlined text 3);“changes in political beliefs” (see underlined text 4);“critical thinking (awareness of country,government,and people)” (see underlined text 5);and “way to influence others” (see underlined text 6).According to Byram(2008),intercultural citizenship education occurs at two levels:pre-political and political.At the political level,the learners take action to instigate change in their own society.In the case of our class,we were very happy to observe that we achieved both pre-political and political education goals,though we did not intend to set up political topics and content (see Figure 3).The students were expected to take action to instigate change in their own society in line with their self-renewal as “changes in political beliefs,” “upsetting of hostility towards other countries” and “way to influence others.”

Figure 3:Pre-political and political aspects of students’ self-renewal through multicultural group work

5.Conclusion

As mentioned in Section 3,in ICE the Japanese students have traditionally been designated as assistants to international students in their learning,but observation of the actual activities of the class suggests that the international students were participating equally as members of the group.The international students reported that they had become aware of their language skills and of their own culture.On the other hand,the Japanese students have gained substantial awareness in terms of self-knowledge and social recognition;the relationship between themselves and others;and metacognition,leading to self-renewal.In the previous section,students’ self-renewal is summarized in four categories:1) individual-level linguistic knowledge,2) group-level linguistic knowledge,3) individual-level cultural knowledge,and 4) group-level cultural knowledge (see Table 1).

Li (2017) characterizes linguistic knowledge as a combination of the grammar of a language;the meaning of the vocabulary;knowledge of the usage the vocabulary;the ability to read,write,speak,and listen in the language;and the ability to express and remember knowledge.Cultural knowledge is a combination of one’s self-perception,one’s worldview,and one’s knowledge of customs and social norms which influence one’s behavior patterns.李暁燕：『多文化グループワークによる言語と文化の創造学習—知識科学の視点から見るアクティブ·ラーニング—』，第x 頁。[LI Xiaoyan, (Multicultural Group Work in Creative Learning on Language and Culture:Active Learning from a Knowledge Science Perspective),x.]In this case,regarding selfrenewal in linguistic knowledge,not only did the international students improve their Japanese language ability;the Japanese students also reexamined their knowledge of Japanese language,reporting that “Japanese is difficult,” because when they expressed their opinions in language,even though they are Japanese native speakers,they found it difficult.From the perspective of language transmission,class discussion deepened their approach to using language to convey information about it.As for self-renewal in terms of cultural knowledge,evidence was seen of the subjects taking pride in their own cultures and respecting other cultures,and of improvement in their communication skills.This has bearing on “understanding of different cultures and identity as a Japanese,” the third of MEXT’s dimensions of global human resources.

The analysis of the minutes by means of the M-GTA method enabled evaluation of the content of the multicultural group work in terms of the pre-political and political levels proposed by Byram(2008)M.Byram,,212−17.(see Figure 3).The class discussed here became a matrix for nurturing citizenship education,as the elements of “political education and critical cultural awareness” were in place to some extent,a key element of what Byram (2008) calls “intercultural competence.”We believe that citizenship education can be effectively practiced in educational settings that are focused on collaborative education involving local students and international students.This approach promotes not only the self-development of the students,but also supranational citizenship,and can foster global-class human resources that contribute to efforts toward world peace.