Learning English in Japan as a "half" person is not an easy thing. If one is "half"--that is, of mixed nationalities--as the author is, one is aware of the differences between oneself and other children even from a very young age, and it is often a struggle to find where one belongs. But this is not only an issue for people…

Discusses the patterns of language usage in international families in which the native language of one parent is Japanese and the other English. Using data from several surveys of such families, this article analyzes patterns of language use between spouses, parents and children, and among siblings. Also discussed are the problems that…