© 2023 Turnbull The Japan Journal of Multilingualism and Multiculturalism, 29(1) 2023, pp. 39-53 What Does the Research Really Say? Debunking the Myths of Raising Bilingual Children in Japan Blake TURNBULL Otani University This article attempts to dispel the myths surrounding the raising of bilingual children that been prevalent in many contexts throughout Japan. I first discuss the typical patterns of bilingual family interaction and the effects these have on children’s language development. I then examine the extensive research on bilingualism from infancy and the need for parents to familiarize themselves with this literature to ensure the success of their child’s bilingual development. Next, I discuss the role of parents’ discourse strategies, and explain some of the perceived issues in bilingual development, including language delay, language mixing, and language loss. Finally, I examine the Japanese education system and the stigma and issues that children developing their bilingualism often face within this environment. It is hoped that the points raised in this article will allow parents of bilingual children in Japan to understand the reality of dual language development so that they can dismiss the uninformed, erroneous opinions of those in professional positions that might otherwise damage their child’s chance of developing successful bilingualism. 本論文は、日本中に広がっている、バイリンガルの子供に関する俗説 を払拭するものである。まず、バイリンガル家庭の典型的なパターン と、それが子どもの言語発達に与える影響について説明する。次に、 乳幼児期からのバイリンガリズムに関する広範な研究と、子どものバ イリンガルの発達を成功させるために親がこの研究に精通する必要性 について検討する。続いて、親の談話方略の役割について述べ、言葉 の遅れ・混合・消失など、バイリンガル発達の問題点として認識され ている事柄ついて説明する。最後に、日本の教育制度と、その中でバ イリンガルとして育てられる子どもたちがよく直面するスティグマと 問題について考察する。この論文で指摘することが、日本でバイリン ガルの子供を育てる親に二言語発達の現実を理解させ、子供がバイリ ンガルになる可能性を損なうような専門職の無教養で誤った意見を退 けることができるようになればと願っている。 Keywords: bilingualism, bilingual myths, bilingual children, parent discourse strategies The development of bilingualism in children is often shrouded with myths and misunderstanding: “Learning two languages will confuse the child”; “Bilingualism results in language delays”; “Children will develop only partial competence in their languages”; “Dual language acquisition will affect children’s national identity.” Rumors such as these are abundant, but few are actually grounded in research or empirical evidence. Like many countries, Japan suffers from an over-reliance on these erroneous beliefs and on outdated