Multilingualism and the use of Mobile Translation Apps to overcome Language Barriers in the Context of Vietnamese Labor Migration in Japan

• Applicant: Privatdozentin Dr. Stefanie Siebenhütter
• Subject Area: Applied Linguistics, Computational Linguistics ; Asian Studies
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 565497962

This project examines how mobile translation apps are used by Vietnamese migrant workers (VAM) in Japan to communicate and overcome language barriers. The aim is to research the handling and acceptance as well as the affordances associated with the technology for this user group. Since Japanese society - which has been dependent on labor migration for several decades - recruits the majority of migrant workers from Southeast Asia from Vietnam, along with Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, the aim is to study VAM who live and work in Japan with more or less good Japanese skills. One way to address the language barriers that arise is mobile translation apps. However, these seemingly ideal technical companions are not accepted in all areas of life and in some cases are not used at all, although they could produce good results. Their use in everyday and institutional contact situations and in informal, uncontrolled language learning has so far been little researched, although they are now available on end devices worldwide. The research gap to be closed is the knowledge about the contexts and purposes in which VAM in Japan use mobile translation AI. This should clarify the handling and acceptance - also by the majority society - as well as the affordances associated with the technology (in the sense of Hutchby 2001) for this user group. Previous research identified limitations in particular in the potential loss of subtle cultural nuances and inaccuracies in context-sensitive translations and points to the cultural barrier in addition to the language barrier. This leads to the hypothesis that translation aids, although they offer undeniable advantages in facilitating communication between Japanese and Vietnamese, can only be of limited help in certain situations. It is therefore necessary to investigate the reasons that stand in the way of the use of translation apps. Methodically, the research questions are approached from an ethnographic-sociolinguistic perspective: 1) self-assessment questionnaire, 2) structured ethnographic interviews and 3) participant observation on the use of mobile translation AI. The data collected are analyzed both statistically and qualitatively. When the project is completed, the way VAM deals with language barriers in Japan can be recorded, with particular attention to the use of mobile translation AI. Social and societal conditions that are required for the use and acceptance of translation apps can be identified and the question of which technical, financial, psychological, social and cultural factors may stand in the way of the use of mobile translation tools can be answered.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Bernd Meyer