Conference Abstracts

Conference Abstracts
The potential for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approaches inJapanese programs in Australian schools
Russell Cross, Margaret Gearon, Nicholas Creed, Naomi Mori‐Hanazono, Junko Nichols
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approaches to the teaching andlearning of additional languages (in Victoria, called Languages Other Than English,
and in the Australian Curriculum, Languages) has recently been promoted by the
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a key means of better
engaging learners in both primary and secondary schools. This approach, which
is producing successful outcomes in languages programs in European countries,
especially in addressing issues of the crowded curriculum and the promotion ofhigher levels of achievement in foreign languages programs, is now being examined in
Victorian schools. The presentation will commence with an overview of the backgroundto CLIL approaches and their conceptual framework. It will then focus on the trial
implementations of a CLIL program in a range of primary and secondary schools in
Melbourne. The panel members will present the details of their involvement in thisinnovative approach to languages teaching and learning in Japanese in their schools. The
presentation will conclude with a number of implications for the teaching and learningof languages, in particular Japanese in Victorian primary and secondary schools whichelect to introduce a CLIL program.

Exploiting the potential of the Ultranet and eBookboxes to support effective
learning in Japanese
Madeline Jenkins, Jennifer Swanton, Jacalyn Tossol, Maree Boliancu
The Ultranet is an initiative of the Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development whereby students, parents and teachers can access information aboutteaching and learning on a state-wide, secure online system.
eBookboxes are a key component of the Department’s commitment to provide highquality digital content and support high quality blended teaching and learning using thecurriculum planning capabilities of the Ultranet. eBookboxes bring together relevant
research, background information and quality digital content that can be readily adapted
and modified to meet the needs of individual students. Three Japanese eBookboxes thatare aligned with VELS Levels 5 and 6 are currently available on the Ultranet.
147

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

This session will introduce aspects of the Ultranet, including features of the JapaneseeBookboxes. Teachers who have worked on the elaboration phase of the eBookboxes will also
share their experience in creating complete learning sequences from standard eBookboxes.

Flipping the classroom: adventures in student-controlled learning
Julie Devine, Eri Tomita
Eri Tomita and Julie Devine have been trialling the use of video to present grammar
structures to Years 9, 11 and 12 over 2011 and 2012. The theory is based on the idea offlipping the classroom, where students study new concepts at home in their own time, anduse time in class to do consolidation and practice activities. This session will present thefinding of the trial: the advantages and disadvantages, the challenges of implementing the
program and how they were overcome, student feedback and future directions.

Using ICT to effectively engage and retain students
Noburo Hagiwara
This session will showcase how Japanese Language classes at Kolbe Catholic College
have successfully transformed into 21st century learning. The college offers Italian andJapanese where compulsory status is only for Years 7 and 8. Currently, more than 40% of
the entire student cohort (approximately 1000) is enrolled in Japanese and engaging invarious language learning experiences with innovative and dynamic ICT-rich pedagogy
based on a one-to-one device program. Participants will be provided with the corephilosophy as well as practical classroom ideas and solutions. For more information,
see www.hagipod.com.

Everyday Languages Program Years K-2: the benefits of less more often and how it
was implemented with success
Karen Gorrie
In an effort to address two recurring themes in recommendations for (Japanese) language
education—reform of programs in primary schools; and the idea that successful language
learning requires appropriate time, regularity and continuity—our school this year
completely changed our languages program offered to primary school students.
148

Conference Abstracts

With funding from the Asia Education Foundation, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School
has established an Everyday Languages Program for students in Years K-2. Thiseffectively means that all students in these year levels experience language classes (atthis stage in either Chinese or Japanese) for 20 minutes each day. Already we are seeing
huge success with this new way of programming languages in the curriculum, and areplanning to extend this to Year 3 next year.
This presentation will look at reasons behind this radical change for our school in theway we program languages, how it can be done, why it should be done, and the benefits
that students gain from learning languages in this way.

Quality and quantity: the ACT Education and Training Directorate’s multifaceted
approach to providing languages pathways and increasing students learning
languages
Kristina Collins
The ACT Education and Training Directorate has developed a multifaceted approachto both developing system capacity to teach languages and increasing the numberof students engaging in languages programs. A combination of policy requirements,
development of languages pathways K–12, provision of teacher professional learning andstudent engagement activities has more than doubled the number of students learning
languages in the last five years. Enrolments in Japanese programs have increased by
235% in five years. This presentation will discuss some of the strategies employed by the
Directorate in developing language capacity as well as current findings relating to timeon task and student retention in elective years programs.

Making Japanese learning engaging and personal by developing intercultural skills
Yoshie Burrows, Yoko Nishimura‐Parke
Making language learning engaging and relevant for all students has always been
paramount for languages teachers. This session will explore how students’ engagement
can be maximised by applying intercultural pedagogy into the teaching of Japanese
language in junior and middle secondary.

149

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Intercultural language learning (IcLL) is a pedagogy that has proved to be very successful
in making language learning dynamic, personal and relevant to each student. With
IcLL, students are constantly involved in a process of noticing, comparing, reflecting
and interacting with the new language and culture. They play an active role in theirlearning, thus experiencing a much more personal engagement with the new language
and culture.
Yoshie Burrows has applied Intercultural language learning into her Japanese curriculum
for the past three years, noticing a significant increase in her students’ engagement andmotivation. She will present examples of units of work she developed around the IcLL
principles, drawn from authentic materials and the recently-published Japanese series
iiTomo. The examples will also offer ideas about how to incorporate digital resources in
the Japanese classroom. Samples of students’ reflections will be also presented, giving theopportunity to discuss and compare differences between IcLL and non-IcLL tasks. There
will also be scope for discussion about how to track evidence of intercultural learning.
At the end of their presentation, Yoshie and Yoko will review the key benefits of thispedagogy outlining the potential that IcLL offers to make the learning more engaging andto consolidate, at the same time, the profile of Japanese language learning in Australia.

What can we do to encourage young Australians to embrace Japanese: strategies
to extend high school students’ Japanese competency and enhance student
engagement in the classroom
Sally Mizoshiri
In this presentation, I aim to share my strategies to extend high school students’ Japanesecompetency. These activities and strategies are enhancing student engagement in myclassrooms. The three strategies that I will focus on in this presentation are: criticalhigher-order thinking and cross-curricular learning; language to extend communicativeand linguistic competence; and authentic real-world opportunities for Japanese use.
Our language classrooms must provide challenge matched with requisite support for
students to succeed. Our students need to see that learning a second language is a skill
that can be applied to real-life scenarios one hundred percent of the time.
We need to enable students to draw on their experiences and find ways for them tocreate a personal affinity with Japanese. The experience of learning a language needs tobe enriching and holistic and must be designed so that articulation is seamless and that150

Conference Abstracts

there are clear pathways for our learners to follow. Our students must feel that Japaneselearning is an advantage—something that makes them stand out from the crowd!

Drama in the classroom to improve language outcomes and engagement
Yuko Fujimitsu, Melissa Luyke, Shingo Usami, Yoko Nishimura‐Parke, Junko Nichols,
Tomoko Shimbo, Mari Nobuoka
This panel session will demonstrate how teachers can bring a little drama into theclassroom to get students speaking and responding, collaborating, and having fun,
while experiencing meaningful learning.

Presentation 1 (Mari Nobuoka, Melissa Luyke, Shingo Usami)
By commencing the session on translation skills for beginners with a short skit, thispresentation will demonstrate the effectiveness of drama and humour in highlighting
common pitfalls in translation. Audience members will deepen their understandingof the complexities involved in translation by identifying the essential elements andcomparing translation theory with their own experiences.

Presentation 2 (Yoko Nishimura-Parke)
Yoko will share a sample activity from her Heritage Japanese classroom. The activity isdesigned for students to express their ideas and opinions from a bilingual and bicultural
perspective. In developing their understanding of the chosen artist and her lyrics,
students imagine what the artist’s childhood was like as haafu, and share their feelings
about discrimination. By acting out the interview, students experience deeper empathy.
The resulting interviews are vivid evidence of students’ engagement, creative thinking,and intercultural understanding.

Presentation 3 (Junko Nichols)
This presentation explains how a drama technique known as “hotseat” can be appliedin a language teaching context. It presents experience from a Japanese immersion classheld at Central Queensland University. The lesson plan was developed by a drama
lecturer and a Japanese teacher, and deliberately uses a controversial topic, whaling, toengage students and stimulate their use of grammar, vocabulary and different language
registers. The technique can be applied to a range of topics and contexts.
151

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Presentation 4 (Melissa Luyke, Shingo Usami, Yuko Fujimitsu, Tomoko Shimbo)
A series of innovative, drama-based Japanese Immersion Workshops in WA is having
a direct impact on motivational levels resulting in increased numbers in upper school.
Workshop survey responses collated from the anonymous and therefore honest voicesof participating Year 6–10 students and their teachers have proven beyond a doubt that
language classrooms are in desperate need of more energy, more excitement, morecreativity, more interaction, more exposure to Japanese realia, and more drama!

Pieces of the puzzle: interrelated factors that have enhanced the teaching andlearning of Japanese at our secondary school
Les Mullins, Nicholas Creed, Peter Jackson, Ayako Yasunaga
Mount Waverley Secondary College Junior Campus has recently been redeveloped,with its state-of-the-art facilities setting a new standard in school architecture andeducational philosophy. The major feature of this school building is the Purposeful
Learning Spaces or more colloquially “open plan spaces”. Teaching and learning at
MWSC-Junior Campus is not confined within four walls. Purposeful Learning Spaces
support an educational philosophy that emphasises engagement, differentiation, andcollaboration in learning and the maximising of the teaching team’s combined talents.
The timetable supports this educational philosophy by blocking the Year 7 and 8 Japaneseclasses into groups of three classes, which are timetabled together into Purposeful
Learning Spaces.
MWSC is also part of an Innovative Language Provision In Clusters (ILPIC) program
operating with the support of government funding in a cluster of local primary andsecondary schools. This program aims to improve the quality of language teaching
and learning through the provision of funds to purchase state of the art software andhardware with communication capabilities, and the trial of Content Language Integrated
Learning (CLIL).
This funding has allowed the college to purchase 27 iPads, and a starting set of apps.
Regional funding has also supplied us with a Polycom electroboard. This HTMLcompatible TV monitor allows us to video conference student expositions with otherschools within the cluster. A further technological initiative is the use of Apple TV.
Through use of this facility, teaching material and student work produced on the iPads
may be displayed to groups of various sizes, also opening a range of possibilities forinteractive learning with the technology available on-line.
152Conference Abstracts

In the teaching of Japanese at MWSC we have been convinced of the value of making
intercultural understanding an integral and significant part language teaching andlearning. From Year 7 to Year 10, intercultural understanding is written into the Japanese
language teaching syllabi.

The State of Asian Languages in Tasmania
John Kertesz
The State of Asian Languages in Tasmania is a NALSSP-sponsored research report on
the views of Asian language teachers and continuing pre-tertiary college students. It
provides a unique profile of teacher demography, career stages and intentions, as well
as classroom and external professional factors influencing student Asian responses
to language learning and their retention, particularly in the significant high school
years. Convergence of student motivation factors with teacher perceptions of school
appreciation and support for their efforts provide warnings for teachers as well as
schools for the future success of this learning area. Concurrently, variations in student
motivations and future aspirations, as well as continuing perceptions of Asian language
difficulty, provide critical focus areas for both retention and recruitment.
We can consider neither the future of language learning, nor LOTE as part of thenational curriculum, without understanding and responding to the most significant
cause of variations in student performance, the teacher. Amidst federal LOTE
promotion programs, statements about language relevance, and public references to theimportance of teacher quality, the reality in Tasmania is that expenditure on professional
development has failed to even maintain student numbers, suggesting that teacher
practices may be contributing to the decline, or at the very least failing to acknowledge
and respond to real causes of student withdrawal. It is imperative that policymakers,
learning leaders and Japanese teachers themselves facilitate professional behaviours
that overcome isolation, yield genuine ongoing improvements in pedagogy, overcome acargo-cult mentality in professional development, establish connections with Japanesecommunities locally and in Japan, and, above all else, engage with students to understandand maintain their motivation to learn Japanese.

153

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

A window into the views and perceptions of teachers and secondary students oflanguages
May Kwan
The findings of two reports undertaken by Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ):
National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP): Languages in
Independent Schools in Queensland (2009); and Secondary students views and perceptions
on languages other than English in Independent Schools Queensland (2011), provided
perspectives from the curriculum managers and teachers and students.
National Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP): Languages in
Independent Schools in Queensland Report looked at the characteristics of the workforce,
identification of issues surrounding retention of staff, qualification to teach the NALSSP
languages, issues surrounding transition from primary to secondary and reasons schools
are not offering a NALSSP language.
Secondary students views and perceptions on languages other than English in Independent
Schools Queensland (2011) was an endeavour to find out from secondary students what
they think of their language learning experiences and which of these experiences would
they like more or less of. The findings provided essential information for teachers inassisting them to reflect, plan and improve practice but more importantly to engage
students in learning languages beyond the compulsory years in secondary schools.
The above projects were funded through the Australian Government under the National
Asian Languages and Studies in Schools Program (NALSSP) and School Languages
Program (SLP).

Making links, making progress in the primary school
Therese Sakamoto
Over the past 30 years, the citizens of Frankston, Victoria and Susono, Japan haveshared a close friendship through their sister city relationship. Based on this strong
link, Derinya Primary School in Frankston commenced a connection with Susono
Nishi Primary in 2010 to promote friendship between children through the Language
Discovery (Palaygo) email exchange program. This program has proven to be a mostsatisfying and successful venture for students, schools and local communities.

154

Conference Abstracts

Through Language Discovery, students are able to communicate in meaningful exchanges
of information, ask questions and gain an understanding of grammar structure with thePhrase Palette tool which enables prompt creation and exchange of email messages,
stories and quizzes in the receiver’s language. Through regular implementation of theLanguage Discovery program in Years 4–6 Japanese classes, students have also gainedintercultural understanding in addition to new language learning and their motivation
has increased. Students have also enjoyed using the program at home and duringcomputer time in their classrooms to interact on a more frequent basis than solely inJapanese lesson time.
The success of this program has led to reciprocal visits between student and staff
representatives from each school and enabled students, school families and whole staff
to directly experience intercultural exchange through school visits and homestays. In
2011, a delegation from Derinya Primary visited Susono to mark the 30th anniversaryof the sister city relationship and to establish a sister school arrangement with Susono
Nishi Primary. It is most exciting that our link through Language Discovery has
blossomed into a formal connection between our school communities. Other schools
in Frankston and Susono are also joining Language Discovery to provide their students
and school communities with real, fast and meaningful connections to expand theirlanguage programs and to investigate potential sister school ties.

Wiki wonderland: a tool for learning and advocacy
Wendy Venning
The Junior Primary sector (4–8 year olds) is under-represented in the LOTE literature.
This age group has particular needs: the students are often pre-literate, are still developing
fine motor skills and social skills, have a high need for routine and repetition, highteacher dependence, and an interactive play-based learning style that thrives on handson activities. These learning parameters are largely ignored in LOTE research. Yet
creating the future starts here: this is the time when foundations can be laid for soundlanguage learning skills, and above all, the time when a love of language learning canbe instilled.
This paper will discuss the use of a wiki in a Junior Primary Japanese program. The
wiki was originally designed as a communication tool for parents and the wider schoolcommunity, to showcase the Junior Primary language learning in an outer metropolitan
school. This use of technology then became a tool of advocacy for language learning.
Parents who could clearly see how the above learning parameters translate to the155

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Japanese classroom, and who could then clearly see the benefits of learning Japanese atJunior Primary level, then became advocates themselves, sharing the wiki with friends
and relatives all over Australia and indeed all over the world.
In addition to showcasing student learning and becoming a tool for advocacy, the wiki
also became a learning tool in itself. Pages on the wiki could be re-used time and again
to review targeted language, using the interactive whiteboard to pinpoint or extend the
linguistic focus. Furthermore, students became so keen to feature on the wiki that they
put extra effort into producing fantastic work that would be showcased.
Discussion may include large-screen presentation of numerous pages from the wiki.
The paper will finish with hands-on advice and tips for setting up a wiki.

Constructing transnational spaces and identities: exploring the potentials of aJapanese language course for ‘background speakers’
Kenta KoshibaWith an increase in the number of so-called “heritage learners” or “background speakers”
enrolling in language classes, the potentials and effectiveness of ‘heritage language
courses’ have become a widely debated issue both nationally and internationally.
However, empirical studies that examine such courses, especially those at the seniorsecondary and tertiary level, are only beginning to emerge. Thus, this case study aims
to contribute to this field by examining the language learning experiences and identity
construction of Year 12 and tertiary level background speakers who were enrolled ina special “Japanese for background speakers” course that was offered by an Australian
university. The data utilised in this study is derived from a series of semi-structured
interviews conducted with eight students who were enrolled in this course, as well asfrom audio-recordings of naturally occurring classroom interactions. These data sets
will be analysed in depth using the notion of “theory of practice” (Bourdieu 1977) and inlight of recent theoretical developments in the area of sociolinguistics and globalisation(Blommaert 2010). This paper will argue that the Japanese background speakers’ course
may have provided a space in which the students could discursively and collaboratively
construct transnational identities that challenged what it means to be “Japanese” or“Australian”. At the same time, this study will also highlight how power, legitimacy
and essentialist identity categories may exert powerful influences on how the students
position themselves and how they are positioned by others within the classroom.

156

Conference Abstracts

Japanese heritage language learners and the NSW high school curriculum:
eligibility and other hurdles
Noriko Shimada, Paul Moore
This paper explores issues related to the development and implementation of “heritage
Japanese” courses in the NSW high school curriculum. We first provide a definitionof the ‘heritage language learner’ and a historical overview of the development of the
NSW courses. We then draw on local research into heritage learners (Oriyama 2001)
and recent case study research (Oguro and Moloney 2010) to highlight issues andchallenges in providing appropriate educational choices to such a diverse group oflearners. Major issues relate to the implementation of so-called “eligibility criteria” forentry into the various Japanese courses, and limited opportunities (both in schools andin the community) for heritage Japanese learners to explore and develop their uniquelinguistic and cultural skills, awareness and identities. We conclude by discussing how
different states have addressed similar issues, and implications for a national curriculum.

Australian Curriculum Languages: design, development and opportunities forengagement
Suzanne Bradshaw
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) is anindependent authority responsible for the development of an Australian curriculumthat supports 21st century learning for all Australian students.
ACARA’s work is carried out in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders,
including teachers, principals, students, academics, governments, State and Territory
education authorities, professional education associations, community groups and thegeneral public.
This presentation will introduce the major design features of the Australian Curriculum
and provide an update of the curriculum development process at ACARA in relation to
the Languages learning area and discuss opportunities for engagement.

157

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Using inking technology in the teaching of Japanese
Sarah Pasfield‐Neofitou, Mari Morofushi, Masae Uekusa
An established body of research on tablet PCs (a laptop with screen that can be writtenon, called “inking”) has demonstrated that the use of inking can be highly beneficial ina wide range of educational situations; however, research on the ways in which language
teaching may be enhanced via the use of tablet PCs is still emerging. The teaching ofJapanese in particular, and other languages which employ a non-alphabet writing system,
has a huge potential to benefit from the ability of teachers to demonstrate the live andauthentic use of the written language. Teaching the many different characters required
for active use and recognition in Japanese has long been a challenge, and in this paper,
we explore innovative uses of inking on tablet PCs as one solution. Drawing on surveys
with students and teacher journals, we describe the benefits for teaching hiragana,katakana and kanji characters, as well as quizzing, modelling reading and handwritten
genres, responding to student questions, facilitating revision between classes and forspecific purposes such as examinations, providing answers to class activities, teaching
vocabulary and grammar, in particular, abstract vocabulary items that are difficult torepresent through flashcards, annotating difficulty content and challenging students by
reducing L1 content, and constructing knowledge collaboratively with students. The
presentation will conclude with a discussion of students’ reactions to these innovations,the potential drawbacks associated with both the physical and virtual environment, anda vision for future applications of technology.

Expressing oneself through digital storytelling: ANU student-centred Japaneselearning project
Carol Hayes, Yuki Itani‐Adams
Digital stories that combine image, narrative and sound, provide a powerful way ofdeveloping student communicative skills. The process of creating a digital story
addresses the goals of 21st century student-centered learning expectations, by focusing
on creative thinking, risk-taking and effective communication with the added advantage
of developing effective technical literacy.
Is it possible to include “impact” within an assessment rubric for intermediate languagelearners’ oral production? By presenting the results of the Digital Story Telling Projectthat has been running as part of the ANU second-year Intermediate Japanese language
course for the past three years, this paper will demonstrate that the answer to this158

Conference Abstracts

question is yes. The project aimed to assess the value of using digital stories in Japanese
language teaching as an alternative to the individual oral presentations or tests, andsecondly to examine methods of encouraging students to become more proactive andto better express their own personal emotions, beliefs and ideas—beyond a superficial“it was fun” level.
This paper will firstly introduce our project focusing on the teaching delivery methods wehave developed over the course of the project, including analysis of student evaluations.
Secondly, by presenting a detailed linguistic analysis of a number of digital stories, it will
demonstrate how students tried to express their emotions, beliefs and thoughts.

Should foreign languages be taught at university?
Yuko Kinoshita, Yanyin Zhang
The most obvious reason for taking a language course is to gain language skills. We
know that younger children learn foreign languages more efficiently, so some say that
allocating resources to schools, not universities, will yield maximum return. Perhaps theTAFE sector is a more suitable place for language training for adult than universities,
given its focus on vocational and skill-based training. And an intensive delivery withimmersion is known to be efficient for acquiring linguistic competency, but is difficult
within the current university system.
Anecdotal evidence about public opinion—perhaps now categorised as market opinion—
is not encouraging for us. Small enrolments in many language courses seem to indicate thatfew students or their parents value them. And university administrations are pressuring
language courses to reduce assessment standards and contact hours. So why teach foreign
languages in this relatively expensive educational setting, the university?
We argue that language studies at university level should not be considered as justprofessional, vocational or technical skill training. Rather, it is a liberal art, contributing
to the intellectual and cultural development—and employability—of the student beyond
simple language facility. This does not mean that we replace linguistic curriculum with
cultural studies or cultural exposure. On the contrary, the framework of language
learning achieves these results through implicit learning, more effectively than explicit
studies. This is what makes it unique and valuable.

159

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Immersion versus non-immersion: what the data tells us
Noriko Iwashita, Robyn Spence‐Brown
The paper reports on the findings of a study which attempts to identify characteristics
of performance of learners in two different programs (immersion vs. non-immersion).
A number of immersion programs have been mounted in Australia, and in most cases,
where the principles of this approach are adhered to, the outcomes for language learning
are positive both in attitudes to the target language and culture and in language gains.
Although the proportion of the school curriculum allocated to the target language
may vary, such an approach has been shown to have significant advantages over the
traditional language classroom setting in terms of the levels of fluency acquired in thetarget language. This is due in part to the fact that the language is used for meaningful
purposes rather than simply being studied for its own sake, and also to the richer
and more intensive exposure to the target language that such an approach affords.
However, as Elder points out, there are currently no norms or benchmarks available
indicating the nature or extent of language proficiency that can be achieved under suchconditions, a lacuna that this study will attempt to address at least to some extent by
profiling characteristics of performance under typical and more time-intensive learning
conditions. The paper provides further insights into the complex issues of learnerbackground, and suggests implications for pedagogy and assessment.

Japanese immersion program in secondary school: the Robina High School
experience
Sellina McClusky
Robina High School has always been a vibrant language learning environment. Whenmany state schools were phasing out compulsory Year 8 language learning, Robina HighSchool was one of the few state secondary schools in south-east Queensland to maintaina compulsory one-year language program. In 2007, when Robina High discussed
increasing its academic excellence curriculum, Japanese immersion became an obvious
option. The school had motivated students, supportive parents and capable curriculum
managers, so in 2008 the Robina State High School Japanese Immersion Program(RSHSJIP) was born. The Japanese Immersion Program at Robina High School is the
only secondary Japanese immersion program in Australia.

160

Conference Abstracts

The JIP is a three year course which runs from Year 8 to Year 10. Students study maths,
science and business in Japanese. The maths and science course is based on the Extension
Maths and Extension Science curriculum. The business course covers general computer
applications in Years 8 and 9, and becomes Asian Business Studies in Year 10.
In 2011 our graduates achieved amazing successes and our school community isalready delighted with the positive outcomes of the program. Each year we improve
our practices and attract a wider enrolment area as the news of our program spreads
throughout our community. We are happy to share our trials and successes with otherinterested language teachers and community members.

Language immersion camps: engaging the hearts and minds of secondary school
students
Kaori Okano, Teresa Castelvetere, Jennifer Swanton, Andrea Sampson
Language Immersion Camps are an application of classroom language learning in a(more) real life context and present a number of benefits for students (e.g. fluency,
listening comprehension skills, spontaneity of speech, expansion of vocabulary,heightened motivation, and enhancement of cultural knowledge). The relative valueof different aspects depends on the ages and proficiency levels of learners, as well as
the social context where language learning occurs. In Victoria, one such context isthat the majority of students cease studying languages by the time they start Year 11(only one in ten VCE students study languages); this number is even smaller in theregions. These students are a select specialist group in their own schools. Against thisbackdrop, this panel discusses what sense high school students make of their Japanese
language immersion camp experiences, and how best we can enhance the benefits ofimmersion camp for Year 9 and 10 students before the camp, during the camp and once
they return to their schools by building a community of practice with an interest in
language learning. The panel presenters have been involved in designing, implementing
and evaluating Japanese language immersion camps for secondary school students.
Successful language immersion camps activate affective as well as the cognitive areas ofstudent engagement and this can revitalise or even spur student interest in the language
and culture.

161

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Successful models for learning Japanese via distance education
Hilary Hughes, Jean Laffan, Darren Ball, Justine Daly, Anne Becker
This panel will present several successful models of students learning Japanese via
distance education. Schools are using online learning management systems, connectedclassrooms with video-conferencing and shared desktop as well as using Adobe Connect
and traditional paper based models. Presenters will share their successful stories andinvite discussion of the issues for schools using these methods.

Moving away from traditional languages methodology to literacy based language
teaching: finding best practice
Monica Scully, Kate Spithill, Naomi Mori‐Hanazono
The teaching and learning of Japanese language and literacy is underpinned by our
vision of how we inspire our students to be able to use Japanese language as adults
and for our students to authentically learn in two languages and through two cultures.
With the introduction of the Early Years Strategy in Victorian schools in the 1990s,
there was a distinct move from the teaching of English to the teaching of literacy, theteaching of mathematics to the teaching of numeracy. This significant pedagogical shift
was underpinned by research into how adults ultimately used English and mathematics
in their daily lives and workplaces. Similarly, in our move away from traditional LOTE
methodology to literacy–based language teaching, we aspire for our students as adults
to be able to move effortlessly in and out of Japanese and English as the situation arises.
Over the past five years, the staff at Huntingdale have engaged in a number of projects
and grants to research best practice in this area both here and overseas and synthesis
this research into our pedagogy.

A multilingual literacy: linking literacy across languages (Japanese)
Kate Chandler
In this session I will highlight the research behind a multilingual literacy approach toprimary languages education and the inquiry process used to implement this approachacross South Australian government primary schools. I will make significant reference
to the literacy general capability in the Australia Curriculum and I will share literacy
and language teaching strategies suitable for Japanese language teaching and learning.
162

Conference Abstracts

The Multilingual Literacy approach, based on research, theory and practice, engages
primary languages teachers together with classroom teachers in reflective practice andthe sharing of effective literacy strategies across languages. Initially the Multilingual
Literacy approach focussed on second language programs (L2) from Reception to Year
2. However, the approach is now spreading across the primary years (3–7) and acrosscomplementary languages programs (such as first language programs and English as
an additional language or dialect) with some schools including the approach in theirwhole-school literacy program.
School based evidence demonstrates improved learning outcomes for students,
increased interest and engagement in language learning activities and a renewed focus
for language learning.

Supporting student demand
Anne Fisher
The ongoing, though gradual, decline in the number of students undertaking Japanese
language study in schools poses ongoing concerns about the future of Japanese language
study in Australia. Anne Fisher draws on the work she undertook at the Asia Education
Foundation on building demand for Asian languages in Australian schools, by taking a“student’s eye view” to look at where solutions might or might not be found to address
this decline. In this brief session, she will:• run through the factors that impact on the ability of students to continue with
their study of Japanese language throughout their school life
• examine reasonable expectations and measures of success for students, teachers,
programs and systems• contextualise the role of curriculum and teacher quality in the student language
learning experience• stimulate discussion on areas for action and responsibility.

163

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Using the Japanese-specific annotations of the Professional Standards for
Accomplished Teaching of Languages and Culture to address the AITSL standards
Kylie Farmer
Professional Standards help us reflect on and plan for improvements in our teachingpractice. This session will support teachers in addressing the AITSL Standards
through the use of the Japanese-specific annotations of the Professional Standards for
Accomplished Teaching of Languages & Cultures (AFMLTA), and through viewing someshort film clips to demonstrate these in action in Japanese classrooms.

Japanese education in the global era: process and case-based approach for business
communication
Aya Kondoh, Hyogyung Kim
What is the role of language teaching in the global era? In this panel session, we discussbusiness communication in Japanese language learning, together with the results of ourresearch and Japanese teaching materials we have developed.
Firstly, we show qualitative research which indicated that current Japanese businesslanguage education in Japan, India, and China does not cater for learners’ needs andcompetencies effectively. To improve this situation, further qualitative and quantitative
research investigated the problems in Japan-India and Japan-China business interactions.
Based on the nature of the problems identified, language resources necessary for effective
business communication were developed.
We then introduce resources comprising a syllabus, educational resource lists, “Can-doStatements,” and two textbooks, a “business process” type and a “case method” type. In
the business process type textbook SWOT analysis, a tool used in the MBA and marketingdomain, is effective for developing competencies. The case method type textbook isremarkably useful for solving problems and conflicts. Moreover, according to learners’
self-assessment and interviews, it makes it easier to work in heterogeneous groups.
Finally, we discuss Japanese language teaching focusing on the learners’ inner growth
and their practical language skills. Although our data doesn’t include Australiancommunication, we suggest these resources as tools for fostering “flexible and analyticalthinking, a capacity to work with others and an ability to move across subject disciplines
to develop new expertise”.
164Conference Abstracts

JF Standards for Japanese Language Education 2010: a tool for planning oflearning, teaching and assessment
Cathy JonakThe development of intercultural communicative competence has become increasingly
important in our global society, and both intercultural and language skills/
understandings are essential in order to develop this competence. In recognition of this,
The Japan Foundation has developed The JF Standard for Japanese Language Education
2010, which focuses on “Japanese language for mutual understanding”. The JF Standard
is based on can-do statements, and is a useful tool for the planning of learning, teaching
and assessment. In this session three major aspects of the JF Standard will be highlighted:
1) The JF Can-do Statements are based on CEFR (Common European Frameworkof Reference for Languages), but have been reframed to be applicable to a Japanese
language setting; 2) There is a useful “Minna no can-do” website where teachers cansearch for can-do statements and make their own statements tailored to their learners’
needs; and 3) The portfolio is recommended as an evaluation tool for use with the JF
Standard, and samples of portfolios are showcased on the JF Standard website.
Participants in this session will familiarise themselves with the JF Standard, and consider
ways in which it can be a useful tool for Japanese teachers in Australia.

Changing teacher practice: the impact of ICT on languages education
Naoko Araki‐Metcalfe, Carol Egan, Melissa Hughes, Glenn Voss
The use of ICT in everyday life is a necessity, and this is no different in languages education.
The choice of whether or not a teacher incorporates ICT in the classroom is no longer
available. Web 2.0 technologies, on-line language resources, interactive digital resources,
applications and software programs are available for teaching and learning Japanese
language. The choices are wide but are language teachers fully utilising the range of ICT
tools available to them? Are they feeling limited by the specific programs they choosewith a move back towards drill and practice and away from more creative ICT?
This panel discussion session provides an opportunity to discuss the effective use of
ICT in Japanese language classrooms by presenting examples from both primary andsecondary school teachers. Japanese teachers will present their action research based
project, using their own digi-stories from the NALSSP ICT Professional Learning
Project. This project aimed to increase the proficiency of teachers in using Web 2.0
165

NSJLE Proceedings 2012technologies in the targeted Asian languages classes and ultimately expand the use of
these technologies as a teaching and learning tool within languages education. The panel
discussion will focus on the following points: the characteristics of action research cycle
in language education, the journey of individual teachers incorporating ICT into theirlanguages education programs, the outcomes of their journey from their perspectives
and their students’ responses, and where to go from here.

Global articulation, local articulation
Yasu‐Hiko Tohsaku, Chihiro Thomson, Robyn Spence‐Brown
This panel introduces the Japanese Global Articulation Project (J-GAP). This project
was launched in 2010 by the Japanese Language Education Global Network, whichis affiliated with Nihongo Kyoiku Gakkai (Society for Teaching Japanese as a Foreign
Language). The word articulation is used within language education to indicate coherent
linkages among programs or courses in terms of course content and educational
structures, and the degree to which learners at one level can make a smooth transition to
the next. J-GAP aims to achieve articulation in Japanese language education worldwide,both within and across countries.
The project is led by Professor Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku, who will introduce some of theinternational projects taking place under this banner, many of which will be of interest
to Australian educators. Professor Chihiro Thomson will discuss the activities of theAustralian arm of the project. Professor Thomson and Dr Robyn Spence-Brown will
present on the topic of Encouraging learners to continue their studies to higher levels
within and across levels of education: the role of motivation and educational structures.
There will be ample time for audience discussion of the major issues in articulation inAustralia, and the ways in which they can be addressed.

166

Conference Abstracts

Australian Curriculum, current curruculum
Anne Fisher
As Australian Curriculum Strategy Manager at the AEF 2010–2012, Anne Fisher
worked with ACARA to provide input into the development of the learning areas,
general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities in the Australian Curriculum. In
this session she will draw on the insights gained through this work and relate them toJapanese language learning in the Australian context. She will do this by providing abrief overview of:• the Australian Curriculum in development• highlights and issues with the Australian Curriculum as a whole• the particular role of intercultural understanding in the Australian Curriculum• comparisons with current practice in States and Territories, time permitting.
The session aims to equip Japanese language teachers with knowledge and understandingof the Australian Curriculum, including languages curriculum, to enable them toparticipate confidently in discussions in their schools or jurisdictions as the Australian
Curriculum develops.

Factors influencing languages teacher retention
Shannon Mason
In 2001, 19 Central Queensland University students graduated from the Bachelor of
Education (LOTE) program, an immersion degree designed specifically to train teachersof Japanese. The following year, 17 of the students were engaged in Japanese educationin Queensland. Eight years later, it was found that only five graduates continued to teachJapanese, and of those, two had taken extended periods of leave to pursue other interests.
In order for languages to become an integrated, respected and accepted part of theeducational experience of students in Australia, there must be sufficient numbers ofqualified, quality teachers. Evidence suggests that appropriately staffing Language
programs is a challenge for many sectors and states, and a review of the literature reveals
that this can be attributed to a large extent to teacher attrition.

167

NSJLE Proceedings 2012

Research currently underway by the author seeks to find what factors influence
Queensland Languages teachers’ decisions to continue or leave the profession. Drawing
on the themes that emerged from the literature review, the study aims to determine what
impact demographics, motivations, education background, employment background,language experience and proficiency, teaching efficacy, school environment, support andprofessional development, and the promotion of languages have on teacher attrition. It is
hoped that the study will give stakeholders further vital information on how to prepare
for and support teachers’ long and satisfying careers in Languages education. This paper
will give insights into both the existing research, and the preliminary findings of theauthor’s PhD study.

Using the notion of Gross National Cool to engage students
Chris Graham
Japanese popular culture has developed a universal appeal in recent years and Japan has
emerged as a genuine cultural superpower in the twenty-first century. It has been suggested
that Japan’s influence as a cultural superpower is greater than as an economic superpowerin the 1980s. It has been exactly a decade since an American journalist, Douglas McGray,coined the phrase Japan’s Gross National Cool. It is useful for Japanese language teachingprofessionals to harness this appeal in school-based curriculum development. The
pervasive influence of Japanese culture in Australia makes Japanese second language
acquisition more relevant than many other regional second language choices.
In the classroom, there are abundant opportunities where unique aspects of Japaneseculture, fashion, music, entertainment, design, sport and of course, food can be thespringboard for engaging teaching and learning opportunities.
Using the GNC idea, this paper will suggest that Japanese language teachers reflect on
their programming and actively incorporate and focus on “cool” elements of Japaneseculture in their lessons. In particular, viewing texts provide interesting learning
opportunities to engage students and highlight the appeal of Japanese culture. Thisapproach is designed to maintain and reinforce the intrinsic motivation students enjoy
when studying a distinctive language and culture.

168

Conference Abstracts

Is using manga and anime to engage students ethical?
William Armour
Using my attendance at the annual SMASH! (Sydney Manga and Anime Show) as aspringboard, this presentation begins to reflect on the ethical implications of using
Japanese mass culture products such as “manga” and anime in the Japanese language
and studies classrooms. I problematise how uncritical Japanese language educators
have been in using Japanese popular culture as a kind of neo-Orientalist “hook” to lurepotential students into learning Japanese language and culture. Drawing on my own
experiences of using “manga” and anime and other ostensibly commercial products in
my Japanese language and cultural studies classes, I argue that as a Japanese language/
studies teacher I am in a significant way assisting a range of companies to advertise
their products under the guise of using “authentic materials” to facilitate learning. I
attempt to account for the ethical dilemma I am now faced with. In this presentation
I ask three questions—How ethical was it of me as a university academic to ostensibly
advertise to students the SMASH event, which could be construed as an event withovert commercial purposes? To what extent am I condoning events that, while they
have relevance to my teaching, are nevertheless sites of commercial transaction? Have
I become a pimp for big business that mass produces Japanese soft power and, perhaps
more pointedly, Japan Inc. itself?

169