Nihongojin Connect!
Issue No.3, March 2022

coined from NIHONGO (Japanese language) and JIN (person)- refers to native/non-native individuals involved in Japanese Language Education

Dekimasu!

Scan to watch themusic video!

Official Music Video by Reese Lansangan
MY Profile

The Japan Foundation, Manila(JFM) announces the release of the theme
song for Japanese Learners written andperformed by Ms. Reese Lansangan. Entitled“DEKIMASU”, which means “I CAN DO IT”.
The song with a cheerful tone is tailored for
those who are studying Japanese and those
who are aspiring to study Japanese. Also, it
perfectly reflects Ms. Lansangan’s experiencein learning Japanese, her struggle with thechallenging nature of the language, and herlove for the language and the culture.

The objectives of the theme song are
to promote the Japanese language to people
in the Philippines and to encourage Japaneselearners to achieve their goals such as passing
Japanese tests to work or study in Japan andto enjoy learning the language. Additionally,
the song is a great invitation to a wonderfulexperience of learning Japanese for those
who have not started studying the language.
The theme song’s music video is available to the
public on the JFM’s YouTube channel. Please checkit out now!

I’m in the official music
video. Look for me there!
みつけてね!

CAN YOU FIND THESE JAPANESE WORDS IN THE SONG?
ありがとう Thank you | ごめんなさい Sorry | だいじょうぶ There’s nothing to worry about | おねがいします Please? |できるかな Can you do it? | しつれいします Excuse me
おひさしぶり Long time, No see |じゃまた/またね See you again | もっとべんきょうしよう Let’s study more | がんばります I will do my best!

1

もっと知ろう JFT-Basic

The JFT-Basic Team
Looking back at 2021
The JFT-Basic (Japan Foundation Test for BasicJapanese) team supports Japanese-language education for
those who wish to work in Japan under the “Specified
Skilled Worker (i)” visa and disseminates information
regarding the JFT-Basic and its corresponding teachingmaterial, Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan.
The “Irodori A1 Teacher Training Course” wasconducted from September to December 2021 with the goalof assisting Japanese language teachers in using Irodori for
their classes.
In the same month of September 2021, the JFM
published the Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan: Filipino

Edition (Elementary 1) and released a music video entitled“Dekimasu” featuring Filipino singer Reese Lansangan. In
the video, she sings about her Japanese language learningjourney through colorful self-expression and playful visuals.
The music video debuted in the seminar entitled “CasedBased Learning for Business Japanese Communication’’ byProfessor Dr. Hyogyung Kim, Ph.D.(October, 2021).
This year, the JFT-Basic team hopes to be able tovisit various organizations in the Philippines and is planningto hold an Irodori Teacher Training seminar in Davao in
March 2022.

Irodori Elementary 1:
Filipino (Tagalog) edition released!
Several months after the
release of the three Irodori Coursebooks(Starter, Elementary 1, and Elementary2), the Japan Foundation Manila
published the Irodori Elementary 1
in Filipino (Tagalog) last September
2021.
Everythingfrom the Can-Do’s
instructions to thedetailed and lengthy
Grammar
Notes
and Culture Tips
have been fullytranslated. Irodori
covers several topics
and social situations
found in daily life
in Japan, from themundane to moreformal encounters.
Learning a language
not only means
memorizing words
and phrases, but also understanding
culture and being able to express oneself
in that language. Filipinos who wish tolearn practical Japanese will hopefully
be able to apply what they learn fromthis coursebook in Japan.

The translation proved to
be a very difficult challenge when
considering the various nuances anddifferences between the two languages.
This led to many interesting discussions
and exchanges about Japanese andFilipino
culturewhich allowed us tofurther
appreciate
the intricacies of theFilipino
languages.
The Japan Foundation,
Manila would like toexpress their deepest
gratitude for Junilo
Espiritu’s
invaluablerole as supervisor
for the translation of
Irodori.
We
hope
that
those who read thistranslation will also
have similar discoveries
and realizations, and that this resource
will be of assistance to language
learners who wish to learn Japaneseusing Filipino (Tagalog).

Irodori can be downloaded for free. Scan the code or visit theofficial Irodori website: https://www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/2Case-Based Learning for BusinessJapanese Communication
Online Seminar on Japanese Language Education“What is the best way to teach students about
Japanese business communication?” If you ever had thisquestion, you are not alone.
Nihongo teachers from all over the Philippines
participated in the Online Seminar on Japanese Language
Education entitled “Case-Based Learning for BusinessJapanese Communication” on November 8th, 2021. In theseminar, Dr. Hyogyung Kim of Reitaku University gave alecture on the communication issues non-Japanese workers
commonly face in the Japanese workplace and shared useful
resources to learn more about the topic, such as “EasyJapanese For Work” by NHK World.
(https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/
program/video/easyjapaneseforwork/?type=tvEpisode&)

The lecture was very informative and helpful, but
the fun did not end there.
After the lecture, Dr. Kim, who is an expert
in intercultural communication, facilitated the group
work for participants to discuss a case study depicting a
miscommunication between a non-Japanese worker anda Japanese supervisor. It was a great opportunity for theparticipants to learn a wide variety of perspectives fromeach other. Additionally, it must have been a breath of fresh
air for the participants, since they have not had enoughopportunity to talk with fellow Nihongo teachers since thebeginning of the pandemic.
Thanks to Dr. Kim and all the participants, thisseminar ended successfully.

3もっと知ろう JFT-BasicJapanese Teaching Methods
Program, Face-to-face once again!
The Japanese Teaching Methods Program is a program forthose who teach Japanese language to Specified Skilled Workers.
This program helps deepen their understanding of the JapanFoundation Standard and helps improve their teaching of Japanesefor daily life and work in Japan.
In 2021 the program was conducted online so thatparticipants could participate from the safety of their house dueto the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the third out of the fourannual sessions (November 15-December 15, 2021) was conducted
face-to-face at The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute,
Urawa. Among the 13 teachers from various countries, twoJapanese language teachers from the Philippines participated in thissession, deepening their knowledge of Japanese language teaching
methods.
“I was fortunate to have been part of this program in spite of the pandemic. During the quarantine period, our training sessions
were conducted online then the rest of the training period was a hybrid of face-to-face and online sessions. The program covered topics
such as: JFT-Basic, CEFR, Irodori, Mental Health, and Workplace Communication.
For online sessions, we used various communication software and the Face-to-face classes consisted of lectures and group
discussion, each ending with a wrap-up session. Trainees focused on conducting mock classes for two days using the Irodori. Two of us
conducted our sessions online, while others opted for face-to-face demos. Some demos had teaching aids such as origami balls or writing
messages to be more interactive.
We exchanged notes after our Interview-a-Worker assignment and came to understand the accepting side’s perspective,
fostering mutual understanding. The module was not just for foreign interns; but also, for Japanese nationals to elaborate on differencesin expectations, habits, and mindsets.
The staffs’ hands-on approach and attention to detail made us feel at home. It was a blessing in disguise to have experienced
both online and face-to-face modes of instruction during this program. “Priscilla F. Hallare(最上国際研修センター, INC / Saijou International Training Center, INC）

4

Hello and Goodbye

Hello!
Hello!
FUJIMITSU Yuko
みなさん、
こんにちは！ 藤光由子(ふじみつ ゆうこ)といいます。
わたしは、2003年から2006
年まで、JF Manila Officeで働いていました。
Balikbayang アドバイザーです。また、
このような機会をいただいたことが本当にうれしくて
なつかしい先生方との再会や新しい出会いに
毎日ワクワクしています。どうぞよろしくお願いします。

ATAGI Junko
みなさん、はじめまして。2022年3月にフィリピンに到着したばかりの安宅 純子（あたぎ じゅんこ）と申します。
フィリピ
ンの美しい自然や文化にふれられるのを楽しみにしています。旅行が大好きなので、みなさんのおすすめの場所や食べ物をぜひ教えてください！どうぞよろしく
お願いします。

Goodbye!
Goodbye!
FURUKAWA Yoshiko
みなさん、大好きなフィリピンを去るのはつらいです。パンデミックの中でも先生たちや生徒・学生たちと出会えたり、話せたりしたことは何よりの思い出です。
どうぞお元気で！Hanggang sa muli!

55

TAKEI Yasujiro
みなさん、5年半の長い間、大変お世話になりました。最後の2年間は、コロナの影響でとても大変でしたが、フィリピンのみなさんの助けがあって、乗り切ることができました。
またどこかで会いましょう！

もっと知ろう JFT-BasicThe Irodori A1 Pilot Course:
Successfully completed!
The Irodori A1 Pilot Course was based on the“Irodori Marathon,” a study session for teachers to learn
about Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan that took place from
April 2020 to April 2021. In the “Irodori Marathon,” since
A1 had not yet been released to the public at that time, amock class was conducted with the A2-1 textbook for one
hour each day, and participants exchanged opinions about
the content after the class. On the grounds that grammar
might not be firmly established if solely the textbook were
to be used, it was recommended to bolster grammaticalunderstanding when conducting actual classes to make theconversation smooth.
The Pilot Course was held online from 10:00-11:30
a.m. every week from Monday to Thursday. In addition
to the classes, there was a test after every six lessons and a
final exam after all the 18 lessons. Individual sessions wereconducted with each student after each test and before thefinal exam. Participants commented that the class content
was so informative that they were able to learn basic Japaneseskills such as speaking and reading, and that they enjoyed the
speaking activities.

The first teacher training for“Irodori” has been conducted online.
The training was conducted with the aim of learning
the background of Irodori’s concept and to develop teachers
who can understand teaching methods, organize teachingplans and curriculum, manage classes, and prepare andimplement evaluations. It was held ten times every Saturday
morning for three hours from September to December
2021. The instructors were Filipino Japanese teachers
from Baguio, Manila, Cebu, and Davao. The purpose ofthis training was to enable the participants to conduct the“Irodori Teacher Training” in each region of the Philippines
after they complete the training sessions. Eight Filipino
Japanese teachers (JLPT N3 or higher) had participated inthis training. The content of the training was based on the“Irodori A1 Pilot Course”, conducted from May to August2021.
The training required more time and effort thanin-person training for both instructors and participants,
as there were many pre and post-training tasks andcommunication difficulties unique to online training. In
particular, the online mock classes were difficult to prepare

and teach. However, thanks to the enthusiasm of bothparties, they were able to finish without any problems. On
the bright side, online training allowed participants andinstructors living in provinces to join the training–which
was an advantage. What happens in the future will dependon the COVID situation, but based on this training, we
would like to progress to training sessions being conductedin each region.

6

“I’m grateful to be part of the Irodori course. We learned from the best teachers, our classes
were engaging, and the Irodori course inspired me to learn more about Japanese culture. “- Ms. Monica Borlain Sunga

Irodori A1 Pilot Course“Joining the Irodori A1 Teacher Training Course, opens a lot of opportunities for Japanese
language teachers/instructors to learn and share various teaching techniques, not only for those
who use Irodori in their class but also for those who use other textbooks. This training encourages
us ‘teachers’’ to make our class more fun, and interesting for our students, by letting them develop
their own study habits, and build confidence to communicate more, which is essential in learning
other foreign languages. It also equips us to prepare our students for their next journey.”- Ms.Jennifer G. Diones

Irodori A1 Teacher Training Course7こんにちは JLE: Japanese Language Education

About Nihongojin Support Team
Under JFM’s Japanese Language Education (JLE)
section, the Nihongojin Support Team spearheads the
preparation and execution of the JFM Language Courses
and Teacher Training Courses. These courses are targeted
towards Nihongo learners and teachers respectively.
Language Courses are intended for learners who wish to
study Japanese, with or without prior knowledge, and are
centered on using the Marugoto Coursebooks, which are
based on the JF Standard for Japanese Language Education.
Learners can avail of a range of courses from the beginnerlevel A1 up to the intermediate level B1. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, Marugoto courses are currently held
online via Zoom and utilize the self-study courses available
at the JF Japanese e-Learning Minato website. The highest

course level being offered so far is the MARUGOTO
Conversational Japanese for Everyone A2-1 Module 2
Online Course. Meanwhile, Teacher Training Courses
aim to present insightful pedagogical methods in teaching
Marugoto and Irodori: Japanese for Life in Japan to apprise thelocal Nihongo teachers on up-to-date teaching materials.
The Nihongojin Support Team also conducts related events
such as the “Philippine Nihongo Teachers’ Forum” andthe “Sensei no Wa”, which provide a venue for teachers toshare their ideas and learn about current trends in Nihongo
teaching. Last but not the least, it is also in charge of theannual Nihongo Speech Contest under the Nihongo Fiesta.

Nihongo Fiesta Online 2022
Since its inception 15 years ago, the Nihongo Fiesta
has been conducted annually to locally promote Japanese
language and culture. Various events and presentations
are held to showcase the talents of Japanese learners in thePhilippines.
As in the previous year, it went online and all thecomponents of the event were live streamed on Facebook
on February 19. For the 49th Nihongo Speech Contest, nine
contestants who were selected from 54 applicants from allover the Philippines joined the final round. Their speeches
clearly showed their passion and great effort to put to use theJapanese that they have learned. Audiences were impressed
and inspired with their stories which included their personal
struggles, and their learnings and resolutions through these
difficult times. Ms. Marilene Perez (UP Diliman & ISI
Language School), who made a speech titled “うつ病薬に学んだこと (What I Learned from Antidepressants)”, won theGrand Champion Award.
At the 3rd Nihongo Video Contest (NiViCon), thevideos of 12 finalists of high school students were showcasedwith the theme “My favorite food”. In the afternoon, there
was an online performance by the renowned Japanese taiko
drum ensemble YAMATO. The archive of the event, which
includes the SpeCon and NiViCon, is available on JFM’s
YouTube account. The YAMATO performance is alsoavailable for viewing on online.

8こんにちは JLE: Japanese Language Education

49th Nihongo Speech Contest Results

Student Division
1st Place
Mr. Mark Anthony S. Obaob(Bulacan State University / Navotas City)
What do I know?
何を知っているのか？

2nd Place
Mr. Aldrin G. Juaneza II(Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International
School)Summer is the best!
サマーは最高！
3rd Place
Ms. Daniella L. Estelloso(Cebu Technological University - Danao
Campus)The Season After Winter
冬の次の季節Non-Student Division
1st Place / Grand Champion
Ms. Marilene Perez(UP Diliman & ISI Language School)
What I Learned from Antidepressants
うつ病薬に学んだこと

2nd Place
Ms. Jenny Vee F. Villaver(Unosphere Laboratory Specialists, Inc.)
What Odette Left Behind
オデットが残したこと
3rd Place / Special Jury Award
Ms. Danna A. Sescon(D-Rawrite Inc.)
What is outside your window?
窓の外に何がありますかOpen Division
1st Place / Outstanding Performance Award
Ms. Ricci Loise R. Lapong(Mindanao Kokusai Daigaku)
Hardships of Multilinguals
マルチリンガルの苦労

2nd Place
Mr. Wilbert James C. Futalan(Accenture Philippines)
3 Things I Learned from an Old Recorder
古いレコーダーが教えてくれた３つのこと3rd Place
Ms. Jesse Leigh G. Morales(University of the Philippines Diliman)
Man was Born for Reading
人間は読書のために生れて来たのだ

Yamato: From Japan to Philippines
A SPECIAL TAIKO PERFORMANCE DEDICATED TO THEIR FILIPINO FANS

Yamato’s Nihongo Fiesta performance is available to view on the JFM Youtube.
learn more about YAMATO: Drummers of japan! visit their website www.yamatodrummers.com

9Struggling to seek sustainable Japanese
language education throughout the pandemic
The 34th Philippine Nihongo Teachers’ Forum (International)

第34回フィリピン日本語教師フォーラム
The 34th Philippine Nihongo Teachers’ Forum was
successfully held on November 13, 2021. It was hosted by the
Association of Filipino Nihongo Teachers (AFINITE) andsponsored by JFM. Similar to last year, the forum was held
again via Zoom. More than 150 Japanese language teachers,
not only from all over the Philippines, but from many othercountries, joined in this event. In the morning session, Mr.
Kenjiro Ogata, Academic Adviser of the Nihongo Center

Foundation, Inc. and the Philippine Institute of Japanese
Language and Culture, gave a significant lecture on Japanese
expressions including the background cultural differences
between the Philippines and Japan. In the afternoon, after
an introductory lecture on the teacher’s reflection by Ms.
Lanie Garcia, presentations by 15 teachers from Cambodia,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and thePhilippines were conducted in breakout sessions.

10こんにちは JLE: Japanese Language Education

The 34th Philippine Nihongo
Teachers’ Forum (International)
Program - 13 November 2021 (Saturday) via Zoom
AM Session: 10:00-11:30 a.m.
Lecture 1 Serious Japanese, Relaxed Filipinos 真面目な日本人、
おおらかなフィリピン人
尾形健二郎氏（Academic Adviser, Nihongo Center Foundation; Philippine Institute ofJapanese Language and Culture)
PM Session: 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Lecture 2
Reflections on Teaching: From Surviving to Thriving
Ms. Lanie Garcia (CEO, LVG Institute for Foreign Languages)
Presentations in 5 breakout sessions<ASEAN countries>•
Leaksmy, Loch (Cambodia, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Vice Dean of Foreign Languages Institute, NC研修参加者)「コミュニカティブアプロッチ法の
•
•
•
•
•

授業例 (Kizuna Talk by online)」

Santiar, Lea (Indonesia, Universitas Indonesia, Faculty of Humanities, Japanese Studies Program Lecturer)「Teaching Kana to Freshmen - an online
collaboration course with senior students-」

Noor, Aizah Abas (Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Senior Lecturer Japanese)「Language ODL Using TAMANEGI Teaching Kit 401 throughTelegram」

Chuu, Me Me Khanig (Myanmar, Chuu’s Japanese Class, CEO and Japanese Language Teacher)「オンライン授業でコミュニケーションの取り方」
Nguyen, Hong Anh (Vietnam, Hanoi University, Lecturer）「パーソナルコーチング型アプ ローチ」
Thirat, Lomsri (Thailand, Yupparaj Wittayarai School, Chiangmai, Thailand, Professional Level Teachers (K 2 Teachers)「日本事情と観光日本語のクラス

におけるPUI’S + モデルでコースデザインを開発した結果」<The Philippines>•
Cruz, Camille (SHiN Japanese Language and Training Center Head Representative/Founder)「Teaching Japanese Language to Corporate Employees」•
Dona, Marites (Nihongo Kyoiku, Manager)「Understanding Vocabulary Words 」•
Minas, Priscilla (De la Salle University - Dasmariñas, Part-time Faculty)「Using Role Play as a Homework 」•
Rafael, Ria (University of the Philippines Diliman, Assistant Professor)「Logging Your Reading: Exploring Tadoku 」•
Sarmiento, Charry (Pitogo High School, DepEd City Schools Division of Makati, Teacher)「Use of Video Lesson in Junior High School’s New Normal••••

Class 」

Zordilla, Mary Carl (Department of Education - SDO Baguio, Irisan National High School Nihongo Teacher)「Use of Digitized Learning Material ifor
High School 」

Aguilar, Zashi (LVG Institute of Foreign Languages, Nihongo Teacher)「Kanji Interactive designs for Japanese Learners」
Gabines, Noemi (2012NC研修参加、Rockbridge Language Center, Inc., Japanese Language Teacher)「Employing Keyboard Shortcut Keys and Zoom
Annotation Tools in Online Teaching 」

Chua, Josie Mae & Calunsag, Dan Billy (Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School in Davao), Nihongo Teacher)「Using Zoom Breakout Rooms
in class to encourage students to speak in Nihongo」

The main theme of the forum was Sharing is Caring: Teachers Exchange
Ideas on Teaching Japanese Language, reflecting on the challenging
times for Japanese language teachers in conducting lessons during the pandemic.
More than 150 participants actively joined the forum. The forum was concluded
successfully by the closing remarks of the outgoing president of AFINITE, Ms.
Bernadette Hieida. The comments from participants such as “everything wasworth listening” and “very informative and a great reminder to be resilient andcreative in dealing with our classes online” proves the efficacy of the forum for
all the Japanese language teachers in the COVID era.

11

ひろがれ！ CJH: Course on Japan for High School

About CJH TeamThe Course on Japan for High School (CJH)
program was created by the Japan Foundation, Manila
in response to the Department of Education, Bureau ofSecondary Education Memorandum No. 560, s. 2008, for
the implementation of the Special Program in Foreign
Language (SPFL), where Nihongo is one of the languages
being offered in the program. The CJH program has two

distinct features which are the various teacher trainings
for high school teachers and creation of “enTree - Halina
Be a Nihongojin!!-”, a set of teaching materials exclusively
designed for Filipino high school students. There are
currently 57 high schools offering Nihongo all over thePhilippines.

Japanese Speakers’ Forum Online in the Philippines 2022
Strengthening Collaborative Positivity: Let’s Move Forward
あかるい みらいを つくろう
The Japanese Speakers’ Forum in the Philippines(JSFP) is a mutual exchange event for “Nihongojin” who
aim to “use Japanese to achieve something”. It has been held
every year since 2013 with the Kamenori Foundation to
encourage Japanese language learning. Due to the effects ofthe pandemic from 2020, it is no longer possible to conduct
face-to-face JSFP. In May 2021, the first online JSFP washeld in order to provide an opportunity for students who
were studying at home and teachers who supported themto connect with each other. And based on that experience, a
2nd online forum was conducted in January 2022. JSFP 2022
was held with the participation of five Japanese secondary
school students from Japan, with the aim of connecting evenmore Nihongojin.
The theme for JSFP 2022, “Strengthening
Collaborative Positivity: Let’s Move Forward”, wassuggested by the core member teachers. It means that evenin the new normal situation, we should try new things andmove forward into the future with a positive attitude.
18 Filipino students and 5 Japanese students

were divided into small groups and led by a Filipino coreteacher, they shared their thoughts on “Positivity” using
English and Japanese. Then they made their own slogans
and hashtags# and presented them in Japanese and English.
They collaborated online to create posters or slides for theirpresentations.
At first the students were a little nervous, but began
to speak and discuss actively under the lead of the coreteachers. It was difficult to communicate in Japanese andEnglish online, but everyone was able to actively engage.
As the teachers observed the students’ activities, they
wondered if there were any ideas they could apply to theirown classes. The teachers also made their own reflection
sheet for students to reflect on their activities.
The event was highly successful. The participants
collaborated with their group mates and made wonderfulpresentations as a final output. We were surprised at how
much they learned through this event and we hope they willcontinue to study positively and work on their own goals
and targets.

12

ひろがれ！ CJH: Course on Japan for High School

What’s your favorite food?
-NiViCon 2022Nihongo Video Contest for Nihongojin, or
NiViCon for short, is a competition that aims to encourage
Filipino students to continue learning Nihongo, to develop
and practice their Information and Communications
Technology skills, and to demonstrate their creativity.
This competition, which started in 2020, is in its
third year. Every year, there is a unique theme. For 2022,
the theme was “好きなたべもの” or My Favorite Food. We
asked the applicants to show us their favorite foods, dishes
or snacks they like to eat and what it is made of. The JFM
received 88 entries from students all over the Philippines.
And from those 88 submissions, the entries were trimmed

down to 12 finalists, and then after the final screening, the 3
winners were finally selected.
The third place winner, Gabrielle san, made bakedsushi with crab, mango, and cucumber etc. The second placewinner, Kassandra san, introduced “Creamy Mushroom
Torikatsu (fried chicken cutlet)”, a combination of Japaneseand Western food. And the first place winner, Edith san,made and introduced “Tuna Mayonnaise Onigiri (rice ball)”and “Furikake (seasoning) Onigiri”.
Their videos are not only tasteful but also full ofideas. They will surely whet your appetite! Please checkthem out! https://bit.ly/jfm-nivicon-2022

1st Place Edith Ibrahim-Uy (Lourdes National High School)
Tuna Mayo & Furikake Onigiri

2nd Place Kassandra Yamamoto (FEU High School)
Creamy Mushroom Torikatsu

Special Jury Awardees

3rd Place Gabrielle Abad

(Lyceum of the Philippines University - Laguna International School)

Mary Frando (Paradise Farms National High School)
Noreen Saluntao (Abellana National High School)
Generous Fernandez (Buanoy National High School)
Matthew Natano (Valenzuela City School of Mathematics & Science)
Thea Avila (MSU-Gen San City Senior High School)
Juliana Rodenas (LPU-Laguna International School)
Audrey Alcaraz (Valenzuela City School of Mathematics & Science)
Carla Rebujio (Cordillera Regional Science High School)

Baked Kani Sushi

1313

ひろがれ！ CJH: Course on Japan for High School

CJH teachers keep on studying
how to teach Nihongo!
We conduct a biannual seminar on teaching methods
for all CJH Japanese language teachers (July and November)to improve their Japanese language and teaching skills. In
2021, as in the previous year, we conducted online seminars,
including the May seminar to promote the enTree Language
Session, which focused on the language aspect of the
traditional enTree, and how to use it in conjunction with the
new curriculum released by DepEd in 2020.
The November seminar focused on assessment andtest creation, analyzing the patterns of questions from the
Nihongo Review Quiz and applying the patterns to create an
original quiz.

夢に向かって JPEPA

About EPA TeamThe Japan Foundation, Manila handles a 6-monthspecial intensive Japanese language course for nurse andcare worker candidates who will work in Japan and aim
to pass national examinations there as professionals under
the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement(JPEPA). It has been designed especially for the purposeof enabling the learners to use Japanese language at theirworkplaces such as hospitals and care giving facilities inJapan, and also for them to learn how to adapt to new culture
and society which is different from their own. To teach andsupport 250 candidates for this batch, approximately 50 staff,
e.g. Japanese language advisors, Japanese lecturers, Filipino
lecturers, and coordinators, are involved.
Since 2021, this course has been shifted to online
mode due to the pandemic of COVID-19. For candidates
and lecturers, it is difficult to communicate with peers
since everything is done via online. To encourage them tomake connections, we hold online conversation sessions forthe candidates and create a virtual teacher’s room for thelecturers.

14

夢に向かって JPEPA

Preparatory Japanese
Language Training
under EPA

Thanks for reading
Nihongojin Connect!

ありがとうございます!

Message from Filipino lecturers

What’s the current situation in the 14th batch JPEPA program?
Many candidates were affected by typhoon “Odette” lastDecember, making it difficult to take online classes. Even in sucha difficult situation, they continue to study very hard. We have 9
Filipino lectures who support, encourage, and motivate candidates.
Here are messages from two Filipino Full-time lecturers working as
members of the JPEPA Team.
Working with EPA I learned a lot from the methods andapproaches to how to manage student assignments. I also learn a
lot from the human aspect. This Batch 14 is the second time thetraining is done online, and you can see everyone pitching in andhelping each other out. There are not so techie people and thosestruggling with the new environment. We support each other andshare resources that we can. This spirit of helping is also alive among
the candidates where you will also find people struggling with their
online lessons. They support each other in any way that they can. I
salute the candidates and the teachers who are giving their best andsupporting each other to make this the best possible training.
				- Charisma Pimentel Coloma

If you are interested in Japan and love teaching, working in
JPEPA will surely be an exciting and rewarding experience. Being
a Japanese lecturer for the JPEPA program has given me plenty ofopportunities to not only be part of the community but also to beable to develop and expand my general knowledge about Japaneseculture and language.  
Currently because of the Covid-19 pandemic, all JPEPA
Candidates are taking their lessons online using Zoom. At first,
there were a lot of challenges like adjustment to E-learning andpoor internet connection that was experienced by many of thecandidates, but they managed to overcome and still challenged
themselves to enhance their Japanese efficiency. Each candidate acts
as a role model that cares about his or her fellow candidates andwants them to do well academically, physically, and emotionally.
Filipino values of helping others and being passionate about their
dreams are always felt.  
				- Kristofer Masahito B. Katsumata

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See you soon!
またね!

Greetings from the
Director

JFM Courses
and events

After the long tunnel with thestrict behavioral restrictions, the exit isfinally in view and coming to light. We
are now entering an era of coexistencewith uncertainty by an unseen enemy.
But I believe that we can overcome it. We
conducted various experiments in Japanese
language education during the pandemic.
Based on these valuable experiences, wewill continue our challenges to pave theway for further development of Japanese
language education in the Philippines
and to walk along with those who are
dedicating their lives as Nihongo-Jin.
SUZUKI Ben
Director
The Japan Foundation, Manila

MARUGOTO ONLINE COURSE

For application details, please check our Facebook
and homepage one month before the class.
Marugoto A1 Module 2 (Katsudoo & Rikai)
May 24 - August 5, 2022
Tuesdays & Fridays 6:00 - 7:00 pm (20 hrs.)
Tuition fee: P 3,800
Marugoto A2-1 Module 2 (Katsudoo & Rikai)
June 7 - August 30, 2022
Every Tuesday 6:00 - 8:00 pm (25 hrs.)
Tuition fee: P 4,400

Published by The Japan Foundation,
Manila (JFM)
23F Pacific Star Building, Sen. Gil Puyat
Ave., Cor. Makati Ave., Makati City ,Philippines 1226

THE 35TH PHILIPPINE NIHONGOTEACHERS’ FORUM

m (632) 8811-6155 to 58

May 21, 2022 (tentative) online(632) 8811-6153
k email@jfmo.org.ph
K www.jfmo.org.ph
Q E JFManila

Watch out for details!

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