Professional Documents
Culture Documents
10
February
1998
No.
Feature:
Teaching Culture
in the Language Classroom
Pathways to Understanding
Teaching Culture
in the Language
Classroom
Pathways to Understanding
I owe my idea of teaching about Japanese rice the rich history of rice, for example, and show
to my Mexican roots. I’ve always loved cook- the correspondences to the tortilla of Mexico,
ing, and my father owns a couple of Mexican the bread of France, the pasta of Italy.
restaurants, so our family was always involved In teaching you have to plant the seed of en-
with food, preparation of dishes, and other thusiasm, and for this purpose I think that cul-
things to do with eating. I knew how impor- ture is crucial. It is impossible to separate
tant tortillas and chiles are to Mexican cooking. language from culture. If you do not incorpo-
In Mexico, the different Mexican tribes have rate culture into language instruction, you may
special ceremonies in which corn and cornmeal find that students grow fluent to a certain ex-
is used, for example, in rituals for the dead. tent and become very knowledgeable, but they
Sandra Lopez-Richter Then again, the Mayan culture has a cuisine don’t become really enthusiastic. It is important
Teaches Japanese and
Spanish at Crestwood
very different from that of the Aztecs. When I to develop linguistic proficiency in Japanese,
Middle School, Royal Palm learned about the role of rice in Japan, I real- but if you don’t have a love of the culture, it’s
Beach, Florida. Her lesson ized that there are many similarities to the role not going to be contagious. In our society
plan “History of Japanese
Rice” won the grand prize of corn in these cultures. today, I think people are finally coming to un-
at the secondary school So I dedicate one entire week to teaching derstand that Japanese is a unique language
level in the 1995
TJF lesson plan contest. about Japanese rice and related foods. The first and Japan has a unique culture. They are real-
thing I have to do is get rid of the misnomers izing that Japan is different and distinct from
the children have acquired—that Japanese eat Thailand and China, and are learning to ap-
“dogs and cats,” or “chow-mein”—so that they preciate it. This can be accomplished through
will begin to see that each Asian culture has its teaching about food and other aspects of cul-
own particular foods and customs. And, rather ture. While each culture is unique, there are
than talking about how “weird” these foods also many universalities and features shared
are, I try to give them the background, show among different cultures.
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
It is quite a joy, I must say, to go to a sushi an Asian food store that sells umeboshi—which
restaurant in my community and find children I love myself—and we make proper onigiri.
from my classes there, enjoying the food. They About two weeks ago we had a lesson on
go regularly, the sushi maker tells me, and the Japanese breakfast. I got fish, nattō, tsukemono,
kids themselves tell me they are going to study and made tamagoyaki and misoshiru, and the
Japanese in college. This gives me a real thrill. kids had quite a time. It was wonderful. And
I have found that the longer I teach, whether it now the children are saying, “Is there a tradi-
be Spanish or Japanese, the more I realize both tional Japanese lunch we can have?” So this
the unique qualities of each culture and the year we will have a little bōnen-kai in the class-
similarities among them. room, learn about the ingredients for sukiyaki
My program begins with telling the children and try it out. In that connection I think I’ll tell
about the different words for rice in Japanese them about the differences between Kansai
—kome, gohan, raisu—and so on. The seventh and Kanto.
graders know how to write “raisu” in katakana. There is a great deal you can teach about cul-
I explain how this food is called “raisu” when ture in the Japanese classroom. For example
eaten with Western food and “gohan” when it good table manners: they have learned that
comes with Japanese-style food. I tell them one does not point with one’s o-hashi. You
about the different types of rice—related cere- should not suck on your chopsticks, put them
monial foods including sekihan and o-mochi for in the bowl or stick them upright in your rice.
O-shōgatsu. Right before Christmas break I buy We note the differences between Chinese and
frozen o-mochi and this year we will grill them Japanese chopsticks. I have also done a lesson
on grills that I brought back from Japan. We’ll on noodles and slurping, telling them how it’s
wrap them in nori and dunk them in shōyu, and all right to slurp Japanese noodles and the
explore some of the other customs that go with louder you slurp the more you express how
O-shōgatsu. good it is, but that they shouldn’t slurp their
I tell them about shinmai, about how rice was chicken noodle soup.
once used in place of money, and why it is so I can feel the children developing a fascination
important to eat every little grain of rice in your in Japanese language through this kind of cul-
bowl. We learn about onigiri. I have access to tural experience and I know that it will foster
in them a desire to learn
more and perhaps to go
Gohan Bentō
to Japan. I love teaching.
It is priceless to be able to
touch the hearts of young
children who at one time
perhaps viewed Japanese
as people with “slanted
eyes” or other stereo-
types, but who become
Mochi Onigiri really interested in this
different culture. And I
have found that teaching
about the culture of food
is a very effective ap-
proach for drawing out
students’ interest and en-
thusiasm. ❧
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
At the very beginning of the school year, first I encourage the students to be observant, and
level, on the very first days of class—when en- to exercise insight and understanding about
rollment has settled down—I start teaching about things that may initially strike them as strange
Japanese language and behavior in the culture. or different. Observing others perceptively also
I take due advantage of myself as a native helps students think about their own character.
speaker, because for many of them I am the They may think it odd to see Japanese bowing
only Japanese they have ever come into contact into the telephone, but when they think about
with. Although I have been living in the it, Americans, too, use hand gestures and ex-
United States for seven years and have become pressions as if the person on the other end
rather Americanized in many ways, in the could see them. Behavior may be displayed in
KanōYōko classroom I try to be “Japanese,” to go back to different forms, but it plays essentially the same
Former Japanese-language my roots. For example, instead of pointing to role. Students don’t have to start acting like
teacher at John T. Hoggard
High School, Wilmington, my chest, as Americans do, to indicate myself, Japanese themselves, but they need to become
North Carolina. Kanō now I point to my nose, as Japanese do. If I have an aware of different gestures used in other cultures
teaches Japanese at the
University of North Carolina. assistant teacher who has just come from and that some gestures mean different things in
Her lesson plan “Body Japan, I tell the students to notice the typically other cultures.
Language” won a prize
in the 1995 TJF lesson plan
Japanese character of their hand gestures. For One aspect of learning Japanese—learning
contest. example, when they are embarrassed, their any foreign language—that is particularly valu-
hands go to their mouth. It is an ideal oppor- able is that it is an opportunity to acquire dif-
tunity for students to see how Japanese behave ferent characteristics. The American friends I
and interact with each other. They can eaves- came to know as foreign students in Japan,
drop on what we are saying in Japanese. They whom I met later here in the United States, be-
can see us bowing to each other and saying haved quite differently in Japan from the way
“Onegaishimasu,” and so on. they do here in their own country. Obviously
they adopted some characteristics in Japan as
Americans speaking Japanese. I always tell my
students that they will acquire something dif-
ferent in the course of studying Japanese.
These are young people who are still learning
social expectations, rules, and manners. It is a
good chance for them to become more aware
of what they are doing and how they look.
At the very beginning stage, I introduce
bowing and nodding (aizuchi) during conver-
sation. I emphasize that nodding means “I
see,” “I’m listening,” not necessarily, “I agree.”
I explain how, depending on your relationship
to the other person, the way you bow or nod
will be different. We also talk about smiling
and laughter. They sometimes think that Japa-
nese laugh at the strangest times. In Japan, if
you step on somebody’s foot, you might grin
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
Passing on Passion
Peggy Hagmann
Interest in culture in the classroom often begins ning well ahead of time, sometimes on the spur
as an expression of curiosity by the teacher. A of the moment. I don’t attempt to do a Kyō no
teacher who is interested in things—differ- Bunka culture point every day. I don’t let it be-
ences, similarities, characteristics—can be the come a burden. I chose when to present some-
driving force in learning. It puts us in the pow- thing—occasioned perhaps by a day that falls
erful position to pass on our passion. Teaching on one of Japan’s annual events (like Setsubun),
culture can be a vehicle not only for learning by the visit of a guest from Japan, by a gift I’ve
about another way of life but for encouraging received from Japan or a question that comes
students to seek and pursue things about which up in the classroom. I always include language
they feel passionately, no matter what it is. It with culture.
Peggy Hagmann can affirm that curiosity is good and important, The teaching time for Kyō no Bunka is from
Japanese-language teacher now and throughout their lives. 5 minutes to 5 days; I like it to be flexible, but
at North High School,
Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I approach the teaching of culture through organized. It can be adapted to any level, K
Prize winner in the foreign- what I call “Kyō no Bunka” (“Today’s Culture” through 12. Terms and expressions can be in-
language education division
of the 1995 American or “Culture for the Day”). I have a sign hanging troduced as appropriate to the level, and the
Teacher Awards presented up in one corner of my classroom over the materials used include anything and every-
by the Walt Disney Com-
pany and McDonald’s.
blackboard, and under this sign I write the thing Japanese, a ramune bottle, a mimikaki, or
Former Spanish-language word and various notes when introducing Kyō a Daruma figure. Or sometimes nothing, noth-
teacher no Bunka. It is part of the way I keep my pro- ing tangible, that is. It can be simply to explain
gram organized. I introduce a wide variety of a particular topic, like “Shōgatsu” or “haiku.”
topics from broad conceptual themes to very I write the term on the board, at the very first
specific, concrete things—from morning greet- only in romaji, and after that in hiragana or
ings to mimikaki (ear picks)—sometimes plan- kanji. The students are expected to be account-
able for the information I tell them about each
Kyō no Bunka topic, so when they need to, they
take notes. I have them repeat the word over
and over, and this repetition is important for
unfamiliar terms. Then I demonstrate or tell a
story. Since I am usually working in a team with
a Japanese assistant, we may present a little
dialogue, with myself as the curious American
and the assistant as the Japanese, responding to
my questions. Or, I may have a guest speaker
who has brought a gift for the classroom or for
me, and we talk about it and I ask questions
about it. I always give the kids plenty of time to
write what they hear in their notebooks.
The items used for Kyō no Bunka, which we
keep in what I call the Bunka Bag, can be
brought out and used over and over. For ex-
The souvenir Daruma Ms. Hagmann brought from Japan for her students
ample, I started out one year with a Norakuro
with the explanatory note she always provides for Kyō no Bunka items alarm clock. The alarm chimes with voice of
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
A student’s notes
on Kyō no Bunka
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
Many, if not most, Americans are unconvinced that lan- nese (NCSTJ), are joined in this effort by founders as well
guages other than English are relevant to their lives. If they as by other national voices concerned with the language in
have thought about language at all, they basically believe the United States.
that the learning of another language is unnecessary (“the In the United States, a new vision on the future of language
world speaks English”), impossible (“no one really learns learning in the new world of global communication is
a foreign language”), or irrelevant (“most language courses emerging. This vision assumes that language programming
fail to address my real world communications needs”). has to do “more with less”: more languages, more students,
These attitudes result in the current situation in the more tasks, more competencies; and it has to do all of this
United States, where only one third of students enroll in a with steady or even diminishing resources. This new system
language course at any level in the educational system. Of (termed “System III”) assumes that the language-learning
these, only approximately ten percent attempt a language programs of the future will “customize language learning”
other than French or Spanish, the only languages generally to enable students, whatever their interests and schedules,
available at most schools and universities in the United to select additional learning opportunities from an on-line
States. Of the students who even attempt the “harder lan- menu of modules and tutorials, as well as learning com-
guages” (like Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Rus- munities.
sian), only a small proportion ever reach even a basic level This vision depends on full advantage being taken of the
of functional proficiency. incredible advances in modern communications and infor-
The study of Japanese in the United States has to be con- mation technology, particularly the WWW. It also assumes
sidered against this broader context as well as in light of its that language fields, and their representative organizations,
difficulty for English-speaking Americans. Studies have will play a much stronger role in school and campus pro-
shown that it takes approximately three times as long to gramming than they have in the past. In addition to pro-
reach a basic functional proficiency in Japanese as it does viding services to individual members through conferences
in French or Spanish. This situation is exacerbated by the and journals, field-wide organizations will have to support
fact that study abroad in Japan, the prerequisite for any de- the establishment and enhancement of programs in schools
gree of language mastery, is not generally accessible to and on campuses. This will require that founders broaden
most students, given the high cost for Americans to live their focus from strengthening individual programs to
and study there. building strong language field architecture.
In spite of these obstacles, enrollments in Japanese lan- The Japanese-language field in the United States is par-
guage expanded significantly through the 1980s,* produc- ticularly well positioned to implement a new vision of lan-
ing a spate of new programs at the school and college guage learning, one more capable of addressing the changing
levels. This growth was supported by school systems, col- Japanese language needs of the twenty-first century. The
leges and universities, as well as by private foundations leadership of the field has begun the process. With great an-
and governmental agencies in the United States and in ticipation, we all await the results of their efforts.
Japan.
There are now signs, however, that the situation of con- * Draper and Hicks of ACTFL report that between 1982 and 1990 Japa-
stantly expanding enrollments is over and that public and nese enrollments in public high schools grew from 6,246 to 25,123 and
that “The fastest growing language continues to be Japanese, which
private sector resources supporting Japanese-language pro-
almost doubled its secondary school enrollment between 1990 and
gramming are shrinking. Now, as never before, strategic 1994.” The Modern Language Association reports that Japanese lan-
planning is required to ensure that future investment of re- guage enrollments between 1968 and 1990 grew tenfold, from 4,324
sources will support the building of a strong field architec- to 45,717.
ture capable of sustaining Japanese-language learning in
the most effective and cost-efficient manner for the fore-
seeable future.
In response to this new reality, the Japanese-language
field currently is engaged in a field-wide process which is
unprecedented in American language education. The goal
is to develop mechanisms to guarantee the health of Japa-
nese language programming in the United States for the
foreseeable future. The major Japanese language teachers‘
organizations, the Association of Teachers of Japanese
(ATJ) and National Council of Secondary Teachers of Japa-
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
Tsutsumu Gift-giving
(Wrapping)
Although the many very specific ways once used for wrap-
ping things are not as widely known today as in the past, the
spirit of those traditions is still prized. Even young people
When giving gifts or sending presents, it is customary in are particular about the color and type of ribbons and paper
Japan to accord special care not only to the contents but to used to wrap birthday or anniversary presents and bouquets
the way a gift is wrapped and the wrapping itself. So, when or flowers sent to others. Often the wrapping is done very
a Japanese gives someone a present, they may feel taken simply with a minimum of paper and tape, making the gift
aback if the recipient tears the package apart without easy to unwrap. It is sometimes said that Japanese gifts are
thought for the wrapping, even when they know the person over-wrapped, with various inner layers and very compli-
does not mean to be rude. In Japan the polite way to open a cated folds, but people do prize and reuse good paper in
present, especially in the presence of the giver, is to undo it which they have received gifts.
carefully, without tearing the paper, and some people neatly The main occasions of gift-giving in Japan are what are
fold the paper, saving it for reuse. known as “seasonal greetings,” the chief of which are chūgen
“Wrapping” things is more than a convenience in Japan. 中元 and seibo 歳暮 gifts. Chūgen gifts are given in the hot
It is something to which people give special thought and months of summer, mainly July, while seibo are winter, year-
care. Let us consider the meaning of wrapping in Japanese end presents. Both kinds are sent in order to express grati-
culture, looking at how it is a part of daily life. tude for kindness, help, or consideration the giver has
benefited from over the preceding months. It is customary
Tsutsumu to give such gifts mainly to persons of higher standing, such
Wrapping (tsutsumu 包む) or tying/binding (musubu 結ぶ) as one’s employer or boss, or the nakōdo 仲人 or formal “go-
things has special meaning in the context of Japanese ritual between” presiding over one’s marriage. Once it was com-
and belief, signifying not only enveloping something with a mon to carry such presents directly to the person at their
A seibo 歳暮 gift
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
home, but today the normal pattern is to have them deliv- tremely handy and can be folded up after use and used to
ered by a department store. wrap or carry something else.
During the chūgen and seibo seasons, department stores and The simplicity and flexibility of the furoshiki wrapping cloth
other shops cancel their usual holidays and hold sales of gifts is similar to that of kimono. Kimono are made in such a way
especially designed for this purpose. While seasonal gift-giving that they will neatly fit the body of the wearer by adjustment
is becoming less common among the younger generations, who of length and breadth using sashes and cords. When taken
tend to think of the practice as empty and old-fashioned, it is off, however, a kimono folds up neatly into the simple shape
still vigorously continued throughout Japan. of the original strips of cloth from which it was made.
For all gifts, including chūgen and seibo, there are many Since the end of World War II, most people have opted
detailed rules and customs of wrapping, pertaining to the to use modern-style bags, briefcases and satchels, so furo-
types and patterns of the paper, the direction of the paper’s shiki are not seen as commonly as they once were, except at
motif, ways of wrapping, use of traditional mizuhiki 水引 tradition-centered events such as weddings and funerals.
string or noshi のし, many of which have implications for Furoshiki today are made not only of silk and cotton, but syn-
the auspiciousness and message of the gift. When carrying thetic fibers, and are printed with traditional as well as more
a special gift to give to someone, moreover, sometimes it is modern designs.
first put in an attractively decorated box and then the box
wrapped in a furoshiki 風呂敷 until it is presented directly to Gifts of Money
the person. Gifts of cash continue to be common in Japan, but they must
be presented in a wrapping, appropriate to the occasion. The
Furoshiki type and decoration of the wrapping varies for wedding gifts
A furoshiki is a square of cloth used for wrapping up things, (shūgi 祝 儀 ), condolence gifts (kōden 香 典 ) at funerals or
either for storage or carrying. Furoshiki come in various sizes, wakes, or other purposes. Such gifts are a feature mainly of
from about 70 centimeters square to larger ones 220 centi- adult society, but children, too, often receive gifts of cash, es-
meters square (approx. 30 to 90 inches square). pecially in the form of otoshidama お年玉 or “New Year’s pre-
The kanji used to write the word 風呂敷 evoke the urban sents” from their parents and relatives. Some children
lifestyle of the Edo period (1603-1867) when people made surrounded by generous grown-ups have the good fortune
frequent use of the public bathhouses (sentō 銭湯) that were to receive quite large sums in the form of otoshidama. These
a fixture of every community. People would bundle their children may buy toys or other coveted items with the
towel and washbasin in the furoshiki when setting out for the money, but many thriftily put it away in savings accounts.
bath, and then use it to wrap up their clothing while in the Otoshidama are also handed over in specially designed en-
bath, as well as a kind of bathmat: 風呂 furo (“bath”) and 敷 velopes. The characters printed on the envelope in the photo-
shiki (“spread”). graph below are a simplified form of the decoration on the
A furoshiki can be used, by simply tying the ends together, traditional wrapping, which would have been festooned
to wrap up things of almost any size and shape. Unlike a with a noshi strip of folded paper. ❧
briefcase or bag, which has a predetermined form, it is ex-
Shūgi 祝儀 envelope
and kōden 香典 envelope
Way to fold paper for wrapping cash gifts for auspicious occasions (shūgi tsutsumi). This is useful when giving cash that includes coins.
w Align point A with point B. Then fold point A over to align with point C.
e-r Open the upper flap of the small triangle (X) along the crease and fold by aligning point A with point D, forming a pocket.
t After placing a coin in the pocket, close the pocket by folding over the corners marked A and D to point E.
y Adjusting the length of the envelope to the size of currency enclosed, fold up bottom corner of envelope.
u Close envelope by folding along long side and lapping corner over back.
i These envelopes can also be used when presenting honorariums or other remunerations.
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
Japan Foundation
Japanese-language Education Around the World
Noppawan Boonsom hours of study, six hours a week and the number of schools where Japanese
Prapa Sangthongsuk extending over three years. Japanese is is taught is steadily increasing, there is
Teaching Program Officers a required subject at about 25 percent a severe shortage of teachers. One rea-
Japan Foundation of schools where it is taught. Free elec- son for the shortage is that students
Japanese Language Center, Bangkok tives consist of about 200 hours of who have majored in Japanese in uni-
● study, three hours a week and extend- versity tend to seek out jobs in private
According to the National Education De- ing over two years, and about 60 per- industry, where employment condi-
velopment Plan instituted in Thailand cent of schools where Japanese is tions are favorable, rather than pursue
in 1977, education is divided into four taught offer it as an elective. Japanese careers in teaching.
stages: preschool (kindergarten), ele- is also taught as an extracurricular ac- In many cases instructors of Japa-
mentary, secondary (first phase: junior tivity at about 15 percent of these nese have not had adequate training
high school; second phase: senior high schools, usually one hour a week for in teaching methods and are not
school), and higher (junior college and one year. equipped with sufficient proficiency in
university) education, with six years Japanese themselves. The average
for elementary school, six years for Why Japanese? Japanese-language teacher is responsi-
secondary school (three and three), What kinds of interests prompt Thai ble for 20 (and some even 25) hours of
and four years for higher education. students to learn Japanese? There are instruction per week, and some must
two main reasons: One is that the trap- teach other subjects as well. Consider-
Japanese Language in the Schools pings of popular Japanese culture are ing the routine administrative tasks
In Thai senior high schools (approxi- a familiar presence. Not only Japan- they also have to perform, they are in-
mately 1,500 throughout the country), made automobiles and household ap- ordinately busy.
the primary foreign language taught is pliances but instant noodles and other These circumstances force Japanese
English. French as a second foreign- foods, as well as many other items of teachers to rely heavily on textbooks,
language is taught in about 250 schools daily use from Japan abound in Thai but there are fewer textbooks available
and German in about 40 schools. Only markets. in Thai than in other languages for
a very few schools are believed to pro- People wait in long lines to purchase high-school-level students. Recently
vide instruction in Chinese and Korean. popular Japanese toys such as Tamago- Thai and Japanese publishers have
As shown in the table below, the num- tchi. Video games and children’s comic begun to translate language texts
ber of schools where Japanese is taught books from Japan as well as CDs by available in Japan with commentary
as a second foreign language, the num- trendy groups such as X JAPAN and for Thai students as well as produce
ber of instructors, as well as students SMAP also sell well. Children’s car- original texts specifically suited to
enrolled in Japanese classes have in- toon series like Sailor Moon, Doraemon, Thailand, but they are still very few in
creased annually, a trend that is ex- and Crayon Shinchan as well as drama number. Budget resources for Japanese-
pected to continue for the time being. programs such as Ie naki ko [Girl With- language teaching, moreover, are far
In Thai senior high schools today, out a Home] and Ai shite iru to itte kure from adequate, as Japanese is simply
Japanese is generally offered as a re- [Say You Love Me] are regular fea- one of several foreign languages being
quired subject, an elective subject, or tures on Thai TV. Kero-kero Keroppi, taught. Many teachers find that they
an extracurricular activity. A required BADBADTZ-MARU and other Sanrio- have to pay out of their own pockets
subject consists of approximately 600 brand character goods are among the for copying and other costs of pro-
bags and stationery goods popular ducing instructional materials.
Japanese-language Education among school children. Plans are in the works to change
in Thai High Schools (between 1994 and 1997) The other main reason for interest in Thailand’s university entrance exami-
1994 1995 1997 Japanese is that it can be an advantage nation system, and reportedly Japanese
in seeking employment. In the case of is being considered as one of the sub-
Schools 18 41 65 senior high schools in areas where jects to be included on the entrance
Teachers 32 60 105 Japanese factories are clustered, there examinations. If this should happen,
is a strong tendency for students to the emphasis in Japanese-language
Students 1,022 2,300 3,700 take jobs in Japanese corporations as education in Thai high schools is bound
Note: 1997 figures are as of July. No. of schools soon as they graduate. to shift from an emphasis on quantity
does not include vocational or technical high to greater stress on quality. ❧
schools. No. of students is calculated on the basis Difficulties for Teachers
of the increase rate in the number of schools.
Source: Japan Foundation Japanese Language While interest in Japan and Japanese
Center, Bangkok. language is quite high in Thailand and
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
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The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
Chinese-language Education
Photo Contest:
This link introduces information on Daily Lives of Japanese
Chinese-language education at senior High School Students
high schools in Japan. TJF promotes TJF, which aims to promote cultural
the education of Asian languages in Students study- understanding among elementary and
Japanese senior high schools. ing Japanese out- secondary school students overseas,
It is TJF’s hope that this link will side Japan are arranged for a forum in the city of
promote networking by providing interested in how Boulder, Colorado in November 1997
information to teachers and students young Japanese in order to find out what Japan-related
of Chinese language. A guideline of their own age information is needed in Japanese-
senior-high-school Chinese-language live, how they language and social studies classes.
education, data on Chinese-language spend their time, The meeting was attended by teachers
education, how it is actually taught in and what they of Japanese and social studies teachers
the classroom, and ideas for lessons are think on various with an interest in Japan, who would
also introduced. Teachers of Chinese issues. Because there is little informa- be unlikely to meet otherwise, to ex-
and other languages outside Japan tion available about the way Japanese change information or ideas and to
may also find helpful information here. really live and think today, however, make use of the fruits of such exchange
they have a hard time forming images for further activities.
Chinese-language Miscellany of their counterparts in this country. The thirteen participants included
TJF sponsored a photo contest teachers at the high school level, spe-
aimed at Japanese senior high school cialists in university-level Japanese-
students, featuring scenes and mo- language education, and officials of the
ments from their daily lives. The con- Colorado State Department of Educa-
test invited entrants to submit a set of tion in charge of foreign language and
five photos showing how a high social studies education. The forum
school student—the applicant him- or was realized with the cooperation of
herself or a friend—spends a day. The Laurel Rodd (Professor, University of
process of preparing such photos can be Colorado, President of Association of
a valuable opportunity for the photo- Teachers of Japanese) and Lynn Parisi
grapher and/or the subject to pause (Social Science Education Consortium,
and rethink their daily lives. We chose Inc.; leader of the Rocky Mountain Re-
This window, with its red Chinese the medium of photography not only gion Japan Project, a project for instruc-
motif, brings you tidbits of informa- because it is familiar to young people, tion about Japan in social studies classes
tion for a better understanding of Chi- but because it can effectively capture at the elementary- and secondary-
nese culture. The “photo studio” offers images of Japanese as individuals, re- school level).
glimpses of the daily lives of three placing the stereotypes that prevail in At the five-hour meeting divided by
high school students in Beijing and the minds of many people overseas. a luncheon break, participants pointed
Dalian, vividly described in both Chi- The winners of the contest will be se- out specific needs pertaining to teach-
nese and Japanese. This corner is lected by a screening committee in ing materials, instructor training, and
equipped with sound, making possi- February 1998, and the prize-winning information and networking. The dis-
ble simple pronunciation practice for photographs will be made available cussion revealed the little-known ob-
interested users. One link introduces on the TJF Web site and introduced in servation that materials on Japanese
characters used differently in Japan TJF publications. culture used by social-studies teachers
and China as well as Chinese expres- can be very useful for Japanese-language
sions of special interest. Linking Japanese teachers. Moreover, regular supply of
to Social Studies Curricula good-quality information about present-
Japan-related Books day Japan of interest to young people
This section, mainly dealing with is badly needed by teachers in both
Japan-related books, introduces TJF’s Japanese-language education overseas, areas. High school social-studies
book-donation program and invites especially at the elementary and sec- teachers also pointed out their need
persons or organizations to apply for ondary level, lacks adequate resources for more detailed resources about
the books available, as well as journals for introducing Japanese society and Japanese high school students’ per-
on Japan and further information on culture to students. Information about ceptions and attitudes concerning reli-
related books. Japan and its language is taught not gion, economic issues, and other
only in language classes, but frequently topics, including their personal con-
Related Web Site by teachers in history, geography, and cerns and anxieties.
Links to organizations either related social studies classes as well. Starting with this first step, TJF
14
The Japan Forum Newsletter No.10 February 1998
hopes to develop the information year text was completed, and its use
obtained at the meeting to further by new first-year students began in
amplify beneficial links between September.
Japanese-language study and other The revisions, geared for the needs
subjects. TJF is planning successive of the twenty-first century, include the
programs to furnish Japan-related in- following innovations.
formation and create teaching re-
sources not only for instruction about (1) Conversation: Conversational
Japan and its language but for the en- language is introduced with the pur-
hancement of the quality of education pose of enhancing communication
in the broad sense. skills. Lessons are arranged in order to
The teacher carefully corrects each student’s help students speak naturally in con-
Training for Japanese pronunciation versational language in the various sit-
Teachers in China 1997 uations students encounter in their
cation, it was pointed out, should not daily lives.
be confined to simply teaching the lan- (2) Topic columns: To link Japanese-
More than 100,000 students are learn- guage itself, but stress understanding language learning to better under-
ing Japanese at the secondary level in of the culture that lies behind it, broad- standing of Japan, topic columns have
China today, but there are serious ening students’ perspectives and vi- been inserted to introduce the matters
shortages not only in teaching materi- sion of world, and sensitizing them to related to lifestyle, traditional culture,
als but in opportunities for teacher differences in culture. and fundamental aspects of Japanese
training. To meet these needs, TJF held society.
its Second Study Seminar for Junior Links to Chinese-language Education (3) New readings: A variety of topics
and Senior High School Teachers of in Japanese High Schools are chosen for the readings, aimed at
Japanese in China, co-organized by Part of the seminar schedule included broadening students’ international per-
Dalian Education College and other an exchange meeting between Chinese spectives and interest in global issues,
organizations. (The first seminar was teachers and four Japanese high- that touch not only on Japanese and
held in Changchun, Jilin Province, in school teachers of Chinese. It is hoped Chinese cultures but also on issues
August 1996.) The training seminar that the friendship and rapport estab- confronting the entire world, includ-
was attended by Japanese-language lished at this meeting will lead to con- ing the environment, resources, peace,
teachers from 42 schools from the three tinued personal contacts among the and the space exploration, as well as
northeastern provinces (Heilongjiang, participants that will further invigo- themes shared by people everywhere,
Jilin, and Liaoning) and the Inner rate their language-teaching activities. like friendship and love.
Mongolia Autonomous Region, where
more than 90 percent of the secondary The Third Study Seminar will be held
schools where Japanese is taught are at Heilongjiang Educational Institute
located, as well as 6 Japanese-language in Harbin. TJF will continue its pro-
specialists from educational institutes grams promoting the teaching of Japa-
in those areas. Building on the experi- nese in China until these training
This newsletter is published and
ence of the first seminar, the content of seminars are taken over as an on- distributed by
the second seminar was as follows: going activity by the Chinese side.
Compilation of Training and Broader Perspective Shinjuku Dai-ichi Seimei Bldg. 26F
Teaching Resource Materials for Japanese-language 2-7-1 Nishishinjuku
An original set of teaching materials Texts in China Shinjuku-ku,
was compiled, designed expressly to Tokyo 163-0726, JAPAN
be useful not only for the training ses- In China, revi-
sion but as resources in the classroom sion of high ISSN 1342-4238
15
What Is the Japan Forum?
both the individuality and the universality of every culture. 51/15-17 Herbert Street,
To date, these efforts have focused primarily on Japanese lan- St. Leonards, NSW 2065, AUSTRALIA
guage education in elementary and secondary schools in the Phone/Fax: 61-2-9439-6920
Asian-Pacific region and Chinese language instruction in Japanese
high schools and we are planning to expand our program to
include information on the teaching of other Asian languages in
Japan. Our next issue will include a new column, “Reader Forum.”
TJF also works to disseminate vital information related to lan- Please write to the TJF newsletter with your comments on TJF
guage and culture through its publishing activities and book programs and publications at the address given on this page.
donation program, and now through the use of the Internet as well.