The

Spring Issue 2006 / Number 32

Biannually
T H E J A PA N
FOUNDATION
Los Angeles

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The 2nd Annual Symposium on Japanese Language Education in the US,
by The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles

15 - 16

Awards in the US for Fiscal Year 2005/06:
Japanese-Language Education Grants

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Fiscal Year 2006/07: Japanese-Language Education Grants

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Fiscal Year 2007/08: Japanese-Language Education Grants

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The Japanese Language Proficiency Test

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New to the Japan Foundation

*** Please note the changes in our staff lineup ***MASAO ITO, Director

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YUKO SUSA, Deputy Director

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YASUKO YOKOTA, Office Supervisor

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MAKI WATANABE, Academic Specialist

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MAMIKO NAKAI, Program Associate (Language)110

MIKE JAFFE, Academic Associate

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MEIKO KANEZUKA, JLPT Coordinator

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YOSHIHIRO NIHEI, Program Coordinator (Arts &Culture) 109
ETSUKO YAMADA, Librarian107

TOMOKO LIBERTUS, Office Assistant100

Office Hours :Library Hours :Address :9:30am-5:30pm
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333 South Grand Ave., Suite 2250
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Telephone :(213) 621-2267
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General E-mail:jflainfo@jflalc.org
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O F F I C E

M A P

Driving Directions to The Japan Foundation:
Wells Fargo Center is located on South Grand Avenue
at 3rd Street in Downtown Los Angeles.
The parking entrance is located on Hope Street.
The closest freeway exits are as follows:
110 Freeway: 4 th St. exit (from both North and South)
101 Freeway: Temple St. exit (from West),
Grand Avenue exit (from East)

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The 2nd Annual Symposium on Japanese Language
Education in the US, by The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
November 20th, 2005 in Baltimore
In Preparation for the 2nd Annual Symposium on Japanese
Language Education in the US, by The Japan Foundation, Los
Angeles, “VISIONS FOR THE FUTURE: Don't Let Our Ship
Sink,” held on November 20th, 2005, JFLA distributed a series of
8 questions related to current issues in Japanese language education in the US to attending representatives of national andstate/regional Japanese teachers' organizations. These representatives then discussed the topics at the Symposium. Below
are the responses to the questions the representatives wereasked, listed first by national organizations, then by state/regionalorganizations.

NATIONAL
AATJ (Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese - Susan Schmidt)
ATJ (Association of Teachers of Japanese - Naomi McGloin)
NCJLT (National Council of Japanese Language Teachers - Laura Koga)

1) How are Japanese language teachers in the US affected by NCLB, and what are thebiggest obstacles for teachers to overcome in passing the NCLB's requirements?
AATJ
It appears to me that there has been something of a backlash
against NCLB on the part of teachers, parents, and school districts in some parts of the country. In my view, this will continue,
and the result will be to moderate some of the excesses in the
program. Still, the looming requirement that all teachers become"highly qualified" poses challenges for teachers of foreign languages like Japanese, especially when National Board
Certification (one way to demonstrate that one is "highly qualified") is not available to us. Some people in our field have beenworking very hard to persuade the National Board forProfessional Standards to modify the procedure for teachers ofless commonly taught foreign languages by using a common
rubric for some of the testing, which would allow certification to
be offered to smaller numbers of applicants each year. Perhaps
this will happen in the near future. But our field should work todevelop and publicize alternate ways of showing high qualifications -- for example, taking courses and workshops, developing
materials, and completing mentoring programs.

other hand, who wish to keep federal funding, are affected, but it
depends on the local situation of the public school. Suburban
public schools or schools in affluent areas tend to already be
doing well on public mandated tests are not yet affected financially. However, needing to be taught by “highly-qualified” teachers has made an impact on the hiring practices of schools. No
matter their experience, teachers without licensure or credentials
in their field are almost always turned down for those with licensure or credentials. This is a problem for Japanese teachers
because in most states there are few to no licensure/credentials
programs for Japanese. The schools hit the hardest tend to be
the inner city schools and schools that are already struggling tomeet state requirements. They are put on lists and warned they
will lose funding. If improvements are still not shown, theseschools must provide supplemental services for their students,
which come at a high cost to schools. All of this impacts
Japanese programs in public schools around the US, because
the already tightly squeezed school budgets are pulled eventighter and this often pushes out electives, such as foreign language. Schools are needing to focus more and more financial
resources into helping students read and do math since that iswhat is tested to show “adequate yearly progress.” NCLB
expects 100% of all students to be proficient by 2013-2014. With
the large number of immigrants and transient students in many
areas, it is impossible for schools to reach that goal, putting all
schools at risk of losing federal funding. Although the purpose to“close achievement gaps” and teach all students, is very valid,
since foreign language is not on the list of subjects tested we
may need to fight to keep our programs off the cutting block.

ATJ(no answer)
NCJLT
Depending upon the location and education level of the local
community, schools are affected differently. Japanese programsin private schools seem to have little to no need to change for
NCLB. Since they are not funded by the federal government, thisregulation does not seem to affect them. Public schools on the2) Do you think AP Japanese will boost Japanese language education in the US?
If not, why?
AATJ
I think it will take some time to develop, but the AP program has
the potential to boost Japanese language education in a majorway, both in high school and at the college level. For high school
teachers and programs, the rigor of the AP curriculum (especiallyin reading and kanji use) will be extremely beneficial in the longrun, enabling high school program to produce students who, if

they continue in college, can advance to become highly proficientJapanese language users. For college programs, the availabilityof AP Japanese will mean a larger group of students who havethe skills and motivation to continue studying at the advanced
level; the pattern of large enrollments in first-year courses withsteep drops in enrollment later may finally change as an effect of
the AP program.
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The fact that the AP test will be administered electronically will
mean that more students -- and teachers --will become proficientin mediating the Japanese online world and at producing
Japanese on the computer -- important skills in today's world.

ers of Japanese. The ATJ is committed to disseminate information and educate college teachers of Japanese on the importance of the AP program, and we hope that the College Board
and/or Japan Foundation cooperate with us in this outreacheffort.

In addition, the professional training offered by the AP program
will be very beneficial for teachers in our field. Our professionalorganizations, the Japan Foundation, and other institutions havebeen doing their best to promote and provide quality professional
development; but more training is always needed, and now it will
be available to a new group of teachers.

NCJLT
AP Japanese may boost Japanese programs of some schools.
Schools where students take courses just so they can get AP
credit and do well on the AP test may be helped. On the other
hand, it may be harmful if students who do not wish to take AP
and just wish to continue taking Japanese. These students may
feel a need to drop out since they may not be able to keep up
with a more rigorous curriculum. This seems to be the reason
why many schools are choosing not to label the class AP, butinstead in the class description state that students will have theopportunity to take the AP Japanese exam. Teachers need totalk with their local community to find what is best for their own
school.

ATJ
It is difficult to assess whether AP Japanese will boost Japanese
language education in the U.S. Nonetheless, AP Japanese is aconcrete step toward better articulation between pre-college andcollege programs, and in this sense, it is a very important undertaking. While it is important to train and to educate pre-college
teachers about AP Japanese, successful implementation of the
AP program also depends on how it is received by college teach-3) Is the US ready for AP Japanese? If not, which levels (primary,secondary,post-secondary, etc.) are not ready and why?
AATJ
(see answer for question #2)

US, most programs are not yet ready to provide students withsuccess on the AP test. However, with the arrival of the AP test,
many Japanese programs are taking a new look at their curriculum and seeing how they can help students prepare better for it. I
believe it is helping our programs get stronger and helps teachers push students even further. It may take several years before
we reach the desired results we want with the AP test.

ATJ(see answer for question #2)
NCJLT
From what I have heard from high schools teachers around the4) Do you feel Chinese language is getting more popular in the US?
If yes, do you think students are more attracted to Chinese languagethan Japanese?
AATJ
With the importance of China in the world economy and on thepolitical scene in Asia, and with the availability of AP Chinese in
the near future, there will certainly be growth in Chinese language programs all over the U.S., especially at the K-12 level,
just as there was growth in Japanese language programs during
the 1980s and 1990s. I very strongly believe that we in theJapanese field should not see this as a danger or a threat, butrather as an opportunity. Although there may be some changes
in some locations in which languages are offered, and in which
language is more "popular" with students, education and language study are not a "zero-sum games" (in which, when one
sector gains, it is as the expense of another sector). There isroom for growth in all languages, and we should be delighted tosee interest in Asian languages, in difficult languages, in challenging languages. It will benefit us all in the long run.

ATJJapanese language enrollment still seems very strong. In the
Midwest, the region I am familiar with, major universities arereporting record enrollment in their Japanese language classes.
However, given the current economic and political climate, it islikely that Chinese language enrollment will continue to grow andcould surpass Japanese. The ATJ, NCJLT, and The JapanFoundation have to think strategically about the future ofJapanese language education in the U.S. In this regard, moreaggressive and meaningful integration of Japanese popular culture seems essential. It would also be good to have a wider world
perspective on these issues.
In this regard, the 2006 International Conference on Japanese
Language Education that the ATJ and NCJLT are hosting might
be able to offer a place where such worldwide discussions could
take place. The conference will be held at Columbia University,
August 5-6, 2006. The conference will feature two keynote
speakers, one invited speaker, ten invited panels and more than
100 paper/panel/poster presentations. There will also be a panel
discussion by representatives of many of the world associationsof Japanese language teachers. This might prove to be a good
opportunity to discuss issues and challenges related to the futureof Japanese language education in the world. The ATJ is very
pleased to be able to contribute to the field in this way, and wehope that this summer's conference will be well attended.

I believe Japanese language study will continue to be popularwith students. Interest among students of all ages in Japan's
popular culture, society, literature, and history has never been
higher, and shows no signs of decreasing. Increased interest in
Chinese language study can, in the long run, only help us, bymaking more young Americans aware of Asia and its importancein the world.

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NCJLT
It seems that the interest in Chinese language is growing aroundthe US. Yet at which levels? Many teachers around the US haveheard a colleague, parent or administrator mention Chinese witha hint of wanting it to be one of the languages offered at theirschools. However, few have heard students make the same
request. It may be a different type of students who takes Chinesethan Japanese and because of this, even if a Chinese program
opens at your school, it may not harm our Japanese programs.

The problem occurs when the administration will only support
one Asian language program. I am sure some of us will be directly affected by those decisions as well. Personally, I believe thateven if a Chinese program opens at our school, it may not hurt
our programs as long as they are strong. It is the time now morethan ever to solidify our programs and remind the public whyteaching Japanese is so important in today's society.

5) Are there any problems with Japanese language education in the US? What are thebiggest issues?
AATJ(no answer)

NCJLT
It seems that one of the challenges in many areas of the country
is leadership. How to be a good leader and pull in the cooperation of your local affiliate members? With more efficiently runorganizations we can be stronger, more powerful and more effective at reaching our goals.

ATJ(no answer)6) Has there been an increase in enrollment in Japanese programs in your state/region
due to the recent hurricanes, Katrina and Rita? (This question is not applicablenationally)
7) Have programs throughout the US been affected (directly or indirectly) by the recent
hurricanes, Katrina and Rita?
AATJ
I would like to say a word about our field's response to the students and teachers in the Gulf Coast area who were affected by
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Our national organizations appealed
for support for them, and many students, teachers, and scholars
responded. Not only was money donated and sent to schools
and victims in New Orleans and elsewhere in the region; a number of institutions and individuals sent teaching materials, textbooks, and equipment to replace those that had been lost. We
stand ready to help the Japanese language programs in theregion in whatever way we can.

ATJ
(no answer)
NCJLT
As you may know our New Orleans Japanese programs were
devastated by Katrina. Many schools around the US haveworked to provide financial support for teachers and their programs. It will take years before they have enough textbooks andsupplies to reach their pre-Katrina level.

8) What kind of support do you think is needed for Japanese language education in the
US?
AATJ
I would like to say a word about our field's response to the students and teachers in the Gulf Coast area who were affected by
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Our national organizations appealed
for support for them, and many students, teachers, and scholars
responded. Not only was money donated and sent to schools
and victims in New Orleans and elsewhere in the region; a number of institutions and individuals sent teaching materials, textbooks, and equipment to replace those that had been lost. We
stand ready to help the Japanese language programs in theregion in whatever way we can.

ATJ
(no answer)
NCJLT
As you may know our New Orleans Japanese programs were
devastated by Katrina. Many schools around the US haveworked to provide financial support for teachers and their programs. It will take years before they have enough textbooks andsupplies to reach their pre-Katrina level.

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STATE / REGIONAL
AFTJ (Association of Florida Teachers of Japanese - William Collazo)
AKATJ (Alaska Association of Teachers of Japanese - Yoko Collier)
ATJO (Association of Teachers of Japanese in Oregon - Sandra Garcia)
CAJLT (California Association of Japanese Language Teachers - Akiko Soda)
CJLEA (Colorado Japanese Language Education Association - Kathleen Ajisaka)
DVTJ (Delaware Valley Teachers of Japanese - Yukino Tanaka)
GATJ (Georgia Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese - Chiaki Johnson)
IATJ (Illinois Association of Teachers of Japanese - Shingo Satsutani)
IMATJ (Inter-Mountain Association of Teachers of Japanese - Atsuko Neely)
LATJ (Louisiana Association of Teachers of Japanese - Akiko Kamo)
MAATJ (Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese - Mamiya Worland)
NECTJ (Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese - Kazuo Tsuda)
OATJ (Ohio Association of Teachers of Japanese - Mari Noda)
WATJ (Washington Association of Teachers of Japanese - Anita Bieker)

1) How are Japanese language teachers in your area affected by NCLB, and what are
the biggest obstacles for teachers to overcome in passing the NCLB's requirements
in your area?
AFTJ
For Florida Teachers of Japanese, NCLB is not perceived ashaving a direct impact on what we are doing. We are more directly affected by and concerned with school-specific or district-specific endeavors to improve scores on the Florida Comprehensive
Achievement Test (FCAT). In most cases, we are directed toincorporate Reading, Math, and Writing benchmark-oriented
practices & assessments in our courses in preparation for the
FCAT.

they have to have a new kind of certificate. If a teacher alreadyhad a basic or standard (the new ones in Oregon are initial andcontinuing) one, then they just need to remain certified.
CAJLT
I don't think the impact from NCLB is big in California because
most teachers who are currently teaching in Public High Schools
already have the teaching credential. But some teachers who
don't have the teaching credential, but majored in Japanese mayneed to pass the NCLB requirements.

AKATJ
The biggest obstacle is to ensure financial and human resources
to tutor students in need. As most high schools have only one
Japanese language teacher who often has to teach multiple levels together in one class, it is difficult to accommodate the needsof students. This problem is not specific to NCLB, however it
intensifies the needs. In the case of K-12 immersion programs,
NCLB affects mostly elementary school teachers. As the students at higher levels have already studied Japanese for many
years, those who have survived have achieved a high level ofcompetence and are not likely to be affected by NCLB. However,the differences among students are greater at elementary
schools, especially at upper levels, and some students require
individualized tutoring to meet NCLB requirements. As there are
no or little funds available to hire tutors, elementary-school teachers need to volunteer more time than before to tutor their students outside of class hours. To reduce their teachers' burden,schools have come to accept increasing numbers of private“interns” from Japan and depend more heavily on their help.

CJLEA
We, as an organization, have not addressed the affects of the
NCLB law to Japanese language teaching in our area. This may
be due to the fact that most of our members teach at the postsecondary level.
DVTJ
Not particularly, although some teachers who teach with emergency certification commented that they are feeling more pressure to complete the certification program more quickly.
GATJ
The biggest obstacle would be the teacher's workload increasedby NCLB. NCLB requires a frequent attendance in workshops
and observations of classes in GA in order to fulfill the requirement for the certification. It is hard to complete the requirements
on top of the workload we have as a full-time teacher at K-12
level. There is no influence in post-secondary level caused by
NCLB.

ATJO
Many Teachers in Oregon have had to go back to school full time
to be able to renew their teaching certificate. The certificate thatthey had been using was called an “accomplishment," but now

IATJ
The biggest obstacle for teachers here seems to be passing thebasic skill test for teachers since it was re-written after NCLB.
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Illinois has just begun state certification for Japanese language
teaching. Therefore, in order to be qualified under this new licensure, existing teachers have been asked to fulfill new requirement which seems to be a burden.

teaching more productive.
NECTJ
Some of schools are affected in the Northeast area by NCLB.
However, most of Japanese teachers at public schools havealready been certified by the board of education in the Northeast.

IMATJ
Since foreign languages are NOT core subjects and most of theJapanese language teachers are hired to teach some other subjects as well, many of the Japanese teachers are facing the decision of their program being cut as the result of NCLB. No apparent effort has been made to help teachers meet the NCLB's
requirements from school districts' part.

OATJ
At least two Japanese programs in Ohio were either canceled or
had their staff reduced.
WATJ
The biggest challenge for Japanese teachers in Washington withNCLB is the strong emphasis on core subjects. Many schools
have changed to a house system to get students' 4 subjects
taught together with the same peer group. This creates problems

LATJ
We have very few Japanese programs in our area. NCLB does
not seem to affect Japanese programs in Louisiana.
MAATJ
I am not affected by NCLB and don't know anyone in my area
who is affected by this. They may be asked to obtain anadvanced degree, but most teachers already have it. Most
Japanese language teachers teach more than three levels daily
and do not have extra time for additional work, whereas otherteachers only need to teach one or two lesson plans a day. I
enrolled in the workshop to prepare for NCLB three years ago
but I found out on the fourth day that Japanese is not available.
The biggest obstacle is having no mentor around this area inJapanese. This process may take time to prepare but it will definitely help me to improve my teaching skills and it may make mymatching electives against each other, and languages have tocompete with music programs. Also, language programs havebeen getting cut back due to an increased need for low-level
math and reading specialists in the schools (this requires extra
funding). Language teachers already have four levels ofJapanese to teach, which requires a lot of planning. We are also
being required to take on more responsibility to follow extra students to meet graduation requirements through homeroom concepts. Not to mention all the meetings that go along with theadded work load.

2) Do you think AP Japanese will boost Japanese language education in your area? If
not, why?
AFTJ
We believe the answer to this question is a resounding YES!
Many of us teach at schools where AP classes are par for thecourse for the curriculum of our high-achieving students. AP
Japanese gives the top students one more option for foreign language study. We also believe that the AP exam will encourage
greater use of technology in Japanese language study generally,
even beyond preparation for the test itself.

CAJLT
Schools where students have high motivation to continue on tohigher education will gain benefits from the AP Japanese program.
CJLEA
We have not addressed the AP Japanese program as an organization. There are a couple of high school teachers in our areathat are interested in training for the AP program, but because
instructors have to have a full-time position before evenapproaching the possibility of an AP program this is a difficult
proposition. Most of the K-12 Japanese language teachers in ourarea teach Japanese on a part-time basis.

AKATJ
We do not expect much change in enrollment as Japanese has
already attracted many students, especially since anime has
become popular. However, AP may help motivate K-12 students
or allow their teachers to encourage them for further study. AP
will have little effect at the university level as high-school students in Alaska are allowed to take university Japanese courses
for both high-school and university credits at the same time. In
addition, university students will be given “bonus” credits for preceding courses without actually taking them if they successfullycomplete higher level courses. Therefore, credits that students
achieve through AP will have little meaning as far as university
credits are concerned.

DVTJ
Yes, it will in the future. However, high schools in our area doneed strong support from the government level to pursue school
districts to extend the Japanese language program. Five highschools currently offer Japanese language courses in the
Philadelphia area, but only one school has a 4-year course. In
the other schools, there are only two-level courses for honor students. For the high schools to be prepared for AP Japanese, theymust have a solid 4-year language course and curriculum. All
high school teachers are hoping that the implementation of AP
Japanese will help them to talk to school board for support of thedevelopment of the Japanese programs in their districts.

ATJO
Many Oregon teachers stated, “yes,” as it will hopefully help keep
the high level students in class. Currently, many students opt outof 4th or 5th year to take a different subject that does offer AP.
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GATJ
The answer is probably, “yes,” but there may not be many highschools in GA that would actually consider setting up AP classes
for Japanese. It is probably because they do not offer advanced
level Japanese courses at the high school level, which discourages them from considering the AP course, which requires
advanced skills/knowledge.

NECTJ
In the Northeast area:✔ Some Japanese programs in public schools in the Northeast
are impacted seriously. They have already taken Advanced
Placement of other subjects.
✔ Some Japanese programs in public schools in the Northeast
have not been boosted seriously. They do not have morethan 3 levels.
✔ Some of Japanese programs in private schools in the
Northeast have been boosted seriously. They have alreadytaken Advanced Placement in other subjects.
✔ Some of Japanese programs in private schools in the
Northeast are not affected seriously. They have already taken
other honor programs.
✔ Some of Japanese programs in Japanese heritage schools in
the Northeast are boosted seriously. They are looking for real
AP Exams.

IATJ
There may be some schools beginning Japanese language as
one of foreign language classes. To boost Japanese language
education in general, IT support is indispensable. Most highschools are facing not only software problems but also hardware
problems. In order for students to be ready to take AP
Japanese, they must be familiar with IT before entering highschool. So there is a long way to go before really boosting it.
IMATJ
At the moment in Utah, no Japanese program is considering
starting AP Japanese.

OATJ
Yes and No. AP Japanese will encourage schools to provide amore stable Japanese program. At the same time, on the face offiscal needs placed by NCLB, few schools can afford to put more
into Japanese than before. The AP possibilities may in fact frighten some administrators of keeping the Japanese program, muchless create any anew.

LATJ
Episcopal High School is the only high school in our area which
will start AP Japanese next year. Students in the Episcopal
Japanese program started Japanese either in lower or middle
school. They have been waiting for AP Japanese to start. The
administrators of Episcopal School are enthusiastic and very
supportive. Episcopal School expects more students takeJapanese IV (AP Japanese) class next year than this year. Allother high school Japanese programs in the area are based on
Irasshai - the satellite program. The proficiency level of students
learning with Irasshai doesn't reach the AP Japanese level.

WATJ
In some schools it will help validate the Japanese program as
being college prep. This will prevent it from being cut back. Somestudents may take Japanese because of the AP status. Although
in Washington we have a program that works with the Universityof Washington that helps the students earn 5 college quarter
credits for 3 years of Japanese study. The students are also
allowed to enter college at second year Japanese level.

MAATJ
Yes, in the secondary school level. Some students will benefit
and the enrollment may increase slightly, but not big enough toboost the Japanese language program because small enrollment
makes AP Japanese very difficult to establish considering the
combination classes of upper levels. For the teacher, it means
more work with the same salary. There is very little incentive forteachers to increase their work volume for AP Japanese.

3) Is your area ready for AP Japanese? If not, which levels (primary, secondary, postsecondary, etc.) are not ready and why?
AFTJ
For AFTJ, it depends on the teacher at each school & theschool's facilities as to whether or not we are ready for AP
Japanese in the coming year. To support our members, AFTJ
hosted the Japan Foundation Summer Institute at Florida
International University, and we additionally sponsored a workshop on AP Japanese at the Florida Foreign Language
Association Conference in October 2005.

ricula around it to achieve better AP results. The down side ofthis, if it happens, is that passing AP becomes a goal of instruction and study, limiting the freedom and creativity in teaching andlearning.
ATJO
It is hard to say as there is not enough out there about the levelof AP or what the test will look like. The teachers had heardsome information at their state conference, but still had questions. Several teachers thought they would be ready as they are
currently working with IB and thought there would not be a lot ofchange. Most teachers teach all levels but where there are multiple teachers, vertical training might be necessary.

AKATJ
Alaska has K-12 Japanese Immersion programs and dedicatedteachers. Therefore, the quality of Japanese teaching in generalis quite high, and most of the schools are ready for AP. On theother hand, AP might encourage schools to reorganize their cur8

CAJLT
I don't think our area is ready for AP Japanese at any level yet.

MAATJ
Yes, in some or most secondary levels. I'm not sure in the post
secondary level if they have plans for how to accommodate
those AP students. I think we are okay. The teachers are planning to attend the AP workshop. Our county does not have aJapanese language program at the primary school level. For thesecondary school, we have four schools offering Japanese language programs taught by four teachers and only one will start
AP Japanese. The University of Maryland does not show any
interest in the secondary level Japanese language programs. We
have been ready for a while. AP Japanese will promote more
Japanese language enrollment at the high school level as well as
maintain enrollment numbers at the middle school level of
Immersion students from elementary school.

CJLEA
What do we mean by "ready?" Since most high school teachers
are not teaching Japanese full-time, this is very difficult to ascertain.
DVTJ
We are not ready yet.
GATJ
It seems primary and secondary level schools are not quite readyfor AP Japanese in GA. It is hard to develop schools' and/or students' interest in AP Japanese without the advanced level
Japanese courses offered in school.

NECTJ
Some Japanese programs in Japanese heritage schools in the
Northeast are ready for real AP Exams. They have established
one research group at New York and developed reading materials for heritage learners including AP level.

At college level, there should not be a problem to accept students from AP Japanese courses. The only matter would be thepolicy of placing those students in the appropriate classes (howto/where to place those students in the college curriculum)
In Georgia State University in the past, it has been the issue ofplacing those who studied Japanese in high school. Because college uses different materials and goal settings (more focused ongrammatical accuracy) from high school, those students are usually to be placed in the beginning level courses despite of theirexperience in high school. However, academic advisers tend torecommend them to take advanced level Japanese courses onlyby the names of the courses they have taken in the past without
consulting the requirements at college. Besides, students themselves also tend to take the advanced level courses based on thelearning experience in high school, which does not necessarily
meet the requirements in college. In the result, they are struggling in those courses without possessing enough skills to follow
the course requirements.

Some of the Japanese programs in high schools in the Northeast
are not ready for real AP exams. They have established two
study groups, one in Boston and one in New York, and studied
new AP projects.
Some of Japanese programs in high schools in the Northeast are
ready for other honor programs like AP. They have established amaterials development educational group, and developed materials (e.g. “Kisetsu” series) and curriculums (International
Baccalaureate Japanese) for advanced learners, including AP
Japanese students.
OATJ
Most secondary schools that offer multiple levels of Japanese
appear to be ready and are eager to get any information they canget. Not much action can be seen in the primary level, or the
post-secondary level.

For college level, they need to create a concrete placement policy, and for high school level, they need to create the standards
that should meet the requirements in college.

WATJ
I believe some high schools will be ready to start AP Japanese in
the high schools as soon as teachers are trained. I am not sure
how many will be involved in the beginning. Schools may notwant to do both University of Washington Japanese and AP.
Students probably will not want to do both or have the funds forboth programs. I don't know of any primary or post-secondary
schools interested in AP.

IATJMost schools are NOT ready because of IT requirements for AP.
Nevertheless, several schools will teach Japanese aiming at AP
down the road.
IMATJ
There are no primary or middle school level Japanese programs
currently existing in Utah. Even at the high school level, instructors' proficiency level is not yet high enough to teach AP
Japanese classes.
LATJ(see answer for question #2)

94) Do you feel Chinese language is getting more popular in your area? If yes, do you
think students are more attracted to Chinese language than Japanese?
AFTJ
As a group, we do not believe Chinese is more popular thanJapanese in our region. Interest in pop culture has been the force
that has sustained interest in Japanese, and we believe this willcontinue to be so, especially at the high school level. We areconcerned though, as there is increasing interest in the possibilityof offering Chinese as an alternative to Japanese in schools andcolleges looking to expand their language programs.

GATJ
At the K-12 level, no. K-12 students in GA may have been more
influenced by Chinese culture, such as people...restaurants,
school-related events, etc., instead of the language itself. It's notthat they are more attracted to Chinese than Japanese, but they
don't know much about Asian cultures including Chinese andJapanese.
At the college level, it is obvious that the enrollment in Chinese
courses has rapidly increased in recent years. It has not yet
reached the size of Japanese, but it is possible that the size ofChinese enrollment will become similar or the same as that ofJapanese in the near future.

AKATJ
Yes, Chinese has become more popular. However, there is nocompetition between Chinese and Japanese. Rather, many students try to learn both languages as they share the kanji characters. Currently, the primary language that seems to be drawing
students away from Japanese is Arabic, which has become quite
popular in recent years. Since Arabic, like Japanese, is quite adifficult language to learn for American students, many quit
Japanese to concentrate on Arabic.

Since China gets more attention with rapid economic growthnow, it is natural that students at the college level are attracted toChinese. However, it is not reasonable to try to be competitive
with each other. Instead, the two languages should complement
each other (hokan teki) to draw attention toward East Asia. I thinkthat language study is a part of the area studies. This means if
the students are interested in Chinese, they cannot ignore Japan.
If students want to understand Japan and Japanese, they needto study China. The most important thing here is that language
study should be tied to the area studies. Language cannot betaught independently away from other academic disciplines.

ATJO
Yes, Chinese seems to be getting more popular in Oregon.
Portland Public schools also just received a large grant. A lot ofstudents are attracted to Chinese because of their heritage, andalso because it is something new. Are they attracted to Chinese
over Japanese? It is hard to answer this question. A lot of students take Japanese because of the culture and especially
Anime and Manga.

IATJ
Chinese language is getting more popular in our area. Yet
Japanese continues to be popular as well. There are more
schools beginning Chinese classes in our area but it will boost
other languages like Japanese. Students seem to be attracted
more to Japanese despite the political, economical attractivenessof Chinese in general.

CAJLT
Yes, because of big Chinese population in California, I feel a big
impact from Chinese language programs. Some schools had toclose their Japanese programs after opening a Chinese program.
CJLEA
Chinese language is getting popular, but not necessarily morethan Japanese. This trend is seen in some universities, but not
many offer both Chinese and Japanese. Almost all of the highschools in our area do not teach both Chinese and Japanese,
only one or the other.

IMATJ
Not yet. However, our Governor expressed his interests in promoting Chinese language education at the press conference.
LATJ
We haven't seen any increase in Chinese programs in both secondary and post secondary programs in Louisiana.

DVTJ
Yes, in some school districts. In fact, one school district has conducted a survey among parents about the options of foreign language courses last year and found out that many parents
showed strong interest in Chinese. While many students are still
more interested in Japanese than Chinese because of anime,
parents seem to have different perspectives and desires.
According to some high school teachers, tight budgets in school
districts make it hard for schools to offer both Chinese andJapanese, and many schools are now leaning toward theChinese program. The chance of starting a new Japanese program or developing an existing program will get harder and harder in our area, unless we can get strong support from the government.

MAATJ
At my school, Chinese is the new course this year. At my school,
there are many Chinese descendent students. Chinese language
promoters have the advantage of using its big market to appeal
Chinese language's marketability. There is a huge, rich and organized Chinese community in the US to promote the language inthe public schools for educating Chinese heritage speakers. Withpublic money, Chinese heritage learners are taught not only to
speak, but to read and write as well; just like Spanish heritage
students are getting an education in Spanish for reading and writing and passing AP Spanish. Chinese parents want thesame/equal treatment for their children. It will gain more popularity. I don't think regular students will be more attracted to Chinese

10

OATJ
Yes, Chinese is getting huge media attention. With President
Bush's announcement of 114 million dollars in part to enhancecertain critical languages that includes Chinese, Chinese is sure
to become very popular in our state. However, the adverse effectof NCLB remains quite strong, and unless new money is funneled into public school districts, it will be difficult to start up new
Chinese programs or enhance the existing ones.

than to Japanese, especially at the beginning levels.
At the elementary school level in Fairfax County, VA, Chinese
FLES was implemented in two schools for the 2005-2006 school
year. I happened to meet with the teachers last summer to develop the curriculum and work as a mentor, but I know it is going to
be a long way for students to acquire and develop Chinese language learning abilities. I strongly feel that Japanese language in
our area is far more popular than Chinese language.

WATJ
There are still few Chinese programs opening up in Washington.
There are few qualified, certified Chinese teachers to fill positions. The Japanese anime and J-pop keeps our students interested in Japanese. Many of my students are Chinese and like to
study an Asian language.

NECTJ
Yes, Chinese language is getting more popular in our area. Eachschool has very different enrollment situation between Japaneseand Chinese.
Educators in America should recognize that Japanese language
is not any more/less a commonly taught language and right now
one of commonly taught language like Spanish, French andGerman. Right now Chinese Language is one of the major criticallanguages for the American government. The Japan Foundation
should announce this as a major change for the Japanese language situation in America.

5) Are there any problems with Japanese language education in your area? What are
the biggest issues?
AFTJ
The biggest problem in our area is getting teachers to join andkeep them active in AFTJ. There is a lack of professional development opportunities in our immediate area. Hosting the JapanFoundation Summer Institute this year was a huge help to us thisyear. For non-native teachers of Japanese, there is a lack ofopportunities in our area to maintain or improve language ability.

to take Spanish as a foreign language over any other language.
This is one of the main reasons that Japanese teachers have adifficult time finding full-time positions teaching Japanese in our
region.
DVTJ
The competition with Chinese language programs and the budget issues in the school districts are the biggest issues.

AKATJ
Our biggest concern is the lack and high cost of resources. It ismuch more expensive to have items shipped to Alaska, andthere are few Japanese in town to allow teachers to arrange, forexample, a day home stay with a Japanese family. There are no
Japanese restaurants run by Japanese outside of Anchorage,
and few Japanese items are available in town.

GATJ✔ Budget cuts...especially trying to cut the early education programs in my county (Fulton)✔ Lack of the number of teachers compared to the number ofstudents in a class (large class with only one teacher)✔ Lack of skills/knowledge/workshops for computer technology(it is unavoidable to use computer technology, but there is ahuge gap between what you can do and what you do)

ATJO
Some programs stop if a teacher quits teaching. Sometimes it ishard to find a replacement other times the school thinks justteaching one language would be easier. It is hard for someteachers to keep up to date, lots of teachers are the only
Japanese teacher in the district and thus it takes effort to meetwith other Japanese teachers.

IATJ
N/A
IMATJ
There are no state-supported teacher education programs to produce Japanese language teachers. Brigham Young University
has discontinued their Japanese teaching program last year.

CAJLT
The biggest issue in our area is that the number of schools
where Japanese programs are offered is not stable. In someareas the number of programs is increasing but in some areas it
is decreasing due to a lack of enrollment, or lack of support fromthe district and school.

LATJ(no answer)
MAATJ
Not especially. There is a lack of interest among administrators
who make decisions on the program in the school system. The
Japan Foundation should invite as many school administrators toJapan every year just like the YFU program has been doing for

CJLEA
There is no particular problem per se, but because of theincreasing Hispanic population in our region more students tend
11

such major international conference to be held outside of East
Asia. The main theme of the conference will be "Japanese
Language Education: Entering a New Age." The conference aims
to provide a forum for Japanese language educators from aroundthe world to share and discuss new challenges they are facing aswell as to propose solutions. The conference will highlight issues
that will be of interest across levels (college and pre-college) anddisciplines (language, literature, and culture). It will provide aforum where researchers and practitioners alike can present theirresearch findings and new pedagogical ideas.

students. There are generally too many courses for a single
teacher (nothing new). In a Japanese immersion program, one ofthree schools is facing being phased out starting in the 20062007 school year due to budget cuts.
NECTJ
International Conference on Japanese Language Education, AP
Japanese, Japan Bowl, Spring Festival, Japanese SpeechContest, Exchange program and material developments forJapanese as Foreign Language and Japanese as Heritage
Language learners

OATJ
The dwindling fiscal support in each district is a salient problem.

On August 3rd through 8th, 2006 at New York City International
Conference on Japanese Language Education will be held. The
pre-, main- and post- (ICJLE) conference will be hosted by the
Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ), in cooperation with
the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers (NCJLT)at Columbia University United Nations International School andJapan Society of New York in New York City. This will be the first

WATJ
WATJ is a great association, but I think there are still few opportunities to work with other Japanese teachers and collaborate on
materials and professional development.

6) Has there been an increase in enrollment in Japanese programs in your state/region
due to the recent hurricanes, Katrina and Rita?
AFTJ
No, not even the recent Hurricane Wilma had an effect on ourenrollments. Actually, enrollment in college and high school programs has steadily increased over the last few years.

IATJ
N/A
IMATJ
No.

AKATJ
No.

LATJ
(N/A - see question #7)

ATJO
Not that anyone reported. It was reported that there were several
new students in the school but not in the Japanese program.

MAATJ
Not in my area

CAJLT
N/A

NECTJ
N/A

CJLEA
There has been no effect in enrollment in Japanese programs
due to the recent hurricanes.

OATJ
OSU accepted one student from Dillard after Katrina who
enrolled in our Japanese program.

DVTJ
No.

WATJ
We have not noticed any increase in the Japanese departments.
The students that arrived in our school would have been too lateto enroll in the first year classes. There may have been someJapanese students accepted at the universities.

GATJ
In the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, the hurricanes did not affect much in the way of enrollment in Japanese
programs. However, it seems students are struggling to adjust
themselves (life and academic performance) in the new environment. Although they are trying, it is hard to reach the expected
performance in college level.

127) Have programs in your state/region been affected (directly or indirectly) by the
recent hurricanes, Katrina and Rita?
University, Loyola University, Dillard University, and University of
New Orleans were all affected. Dillard University, in particular,
was devastated with enormous physical damage. Some
Japanese instructors of those universities lost their jobs or wereforced to take salary cuts. These universities have just resumed
their classes in January 2006. All Japanese classes are resumed
but it will take a long time to recover the number of students we
had prior to Katrina.

AFTJ
They have forced interruptions in instruction. Hurricane Wilma
forced the closing of schools for two weeks in Broward, MiamiDade, and Palm Beach Counties.
For this reason, we are generally behind in our curriculum pacing. Student motivation has been affected, since students areconcerned with problems related to storm damage.
AKATJ
There was little effect to Alaska as only a small number of students came to the University of Alaska as an alternative to their
original plan to study in Louisiana and Texas. Those who registered from the affected areas were waived their non-resident
tuition, if applicable, and late registration fees.

For secondary Japanese programs, McCain Magnet High School
in New Orleans is still closed. All public schools in New Orleans
were said to be closed until next summer. Moss Point HighSchool in MS received minor physical damages and resumed theclasses in a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina, but many students and teachers in Moss Point had hurricane damages at theirhomes.

ATJO
Not that anyone reported.

It's been very long and stressful months for these Japaneseteachers and students. The members of LATJ are very gratefulfor much support from the fellow Japanese language teachers ofother states.

CAJLT
N/A
CJLEA
We have not been affected by the recent hurricanes.

As Vice-President of Katrina/Rita Aid for Japanese, I also want toexpress my profound gratitude for those who gave generous
donations to Katrina/Rita Aid for Japanese. Before Christmas, wedelivered the checks to around 100 families who applied for theassistance. The operation of Katrina/Rita Aid for Japanese willcontinue until May 2006. (See www.katrinajapan.org)

DVTJ
No.
GATJ
(see question #6)

MAATJ
No

IATJ
N/A

NECTJ
None

IMATJ
No.

OATJ
Not directly.

LATJ
Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans and the Mississippi
coast in August 2005, left immeasurable damages in our area. Alluniversities and schools in New Orleans area were forced toclose for the rest of 2005. Japanese programs at Tulane

WATJ(see question #6)

8) What kind of support do you think is needed for Japanese language education inyour area?
AFTJ
Better networking and communication among teachers in ourstate is essential. We would like to establish more professional
development workshops, as well as to increase opportunities for
non-native teachers of Japanese to maintain or improve their language ability.

and conferences outside of the state as well as to invite lecturers
to Alaska. In addition, the population in Alaska is sparse andwidespread, and it is difficult and costly for Japanese teachers in
Alaska to gather together. Therefore, financial support for organizing workshops and conferences in Alaska as well as travel
support to participate in workshops and conferences in otherareas are crucial.

AKATJ
Due to its isolation from the contiguous 48 states, it is costly andtime consuming to travel to/from Alaska. Therefore, it is much
more difficult for teachers in Alaska to participate in workshops

ATJO
Technology is always changing and it is difficult to keep up withall the new changes and to learn how to use the technology in
13

MAATJ
More chances for teachers to collaborate and exchange ideas
concerns and opinions. The Japanese government should
demonstrate their strong interest in the public school system tooffer support for Japanese language programs for the feeding
elementary and middle schools for the area's high schools thatoffer a Japanese language program (just like the Italian andSpanish governments have been promoting their language program to their feeding schools).

class. Also, many Oregon teachers teach combined classes such
as Japanese 3 and 4. They wonder if there is some training tohelp learn how to teach these multiple level classes. Training forteaching AP is also needed, as well as support for teachingassistants from Japan such as was the JALEX program.
CAJLT
The biggest support we need is always money contributions sothat we can have workshops, computer updates, material
updates etc.

Our immersion program students feed into middle schools andhigh schools, but there seems to be little constructive articulation,
especially from elementary school immersion to middle school
Japanese language transition. We would like to have more support at the middle school and from this year, a REX teacher is
helping the class since the 7th and 8th grade class is combined.
He can actually help both elementary and middle school teachers
since he can see both levels' students' ability of Japanese andtheir progress.

CJLEA
We need budgets and students for more full-time positions.
Because of budget cuts in our education, fewer full-time positions
are offered and fewer students are exposed to less commonly
taught languages such as Japanese.
DVTJ✔ Support from outside of school districts✔ More opportunities of internships and short-term exchange
programs in Japan for college students✔ Job/internship forums for students who study Japanese

NECTJ✔ The Japanese government and private sectors should help
Japanese language education flourish in United States ofAmerica.
✔ The Japanese government should develop a long term strategic goal and also a short term effective and useful goal.
✔ Educators in America should recognize that Japanese
Language is no longer a less commonly taught language, andright now is one of the commonly taught languages like
Spanish French and German. Right now Chinese language is
one of the major critical languages for American government.
The Japan Foundation has to announce that major changes
in the Japanese language situation in America.

GATJ✔ More materials and resources✔ Training/workshops for Japanese teachers in my area
✔ Better communications and stronger working relationship withThe Japan Foundation
IATJ
Teacher training on various aspects including AP, New
Methodology, Assessment, Child Development, Curriculum
Development.
IMATJ
Before Japanese language education can be improved in thestate, the governmental and institutional support towards foreign
language education in general must be improved. We are toldthat the State World Language Specialist position will be eliminated this year. Even at the college level, small programs such
as Japanese are constantly facing the threats of class cancellation in the name of productivity.

OATJ
Close connection with Chinese programs so that we can work
together to strengthen both Chinese and Japanese. There isgoing to be a Chinese boom, with a shortage of qualified teachers, much like the teacher shortage that Japanese programs
experienced in the bubble economy. There are some lessons
that could be shared from that experience.
WATJ
Seminars to help us prove Japanese is a valid “Core Curriculum”.
We need to prove that our work improves students' reading skills,
math skills, world issues, problem solving, communication, andwriting skills. We do these things, but administrators don't see
how the language activities translate to skills used in other classes.

LATJ(no answer)

14

Awards in the US for Fiscal Year 2005/06:
Japanese-Language Education Grants
1. Grant Program for Japanese-Language
Courses Abroad <Salary Assistance>

Hyojung Kim, New York University, Steinhardt Schools of
Education (NY)

1 award went to:
University of Cincinnati (OH)

7. Japanese-Language Education Fellowship
Program

2. Grant Program for Japanese-Language
Courses Abroad <Support for Courses>

No grants of this category were awarded in Fiscal 2005/06

1 award went to:
Murray State University (KY)

8. Grant Program for Japanese-Language
Teaching Materials

3. Japanese Speech Contest Support Program

1 award went to:Columbia University Press (NY) for Haruo Shirane

15 awards went to:
Alaska Association of Teachers of Japanese (AK)Arizona Association of Teachers of Japanese (AZ)
Association of Florida Teachers of Japanese (FL)
Brigham Young University (UT)
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers (CA)California State University, Los Angeles (CA)Hokka Nichibei Kai (CA)Hyogo Business & Cultural Center (WA)Japanese Language Teachers Association of Guam (GU)Louisiana Association of Teachers of Japanese (LA)The Japan America Society of Central Ohio (OH)The Japan America Society of Georgia (GA)The Japan America Society in Texas (TX)
United Japanese Society of Hawaii (HI)
University of Colorado, Boulder (CO)9. Program for the Donation of JapaneseLanguage Teaching Materials
A total of 55 awards went to:<Pre-Collegiate>
Ballard High School (KY)
Bella Vista High School (CA)
Bothell High School (WA)Burr Elementary School (IL)
Davis Senior High School (CA)Deer Valley High School (CA)
Dodea - Guam High School (GU)Eden Prairie High School (MN)
Elk Grove High School (CA)Elkhart Memorial High School (IN)
Felix Varela Sr. High School (FL)
Florin High School (CA)Katy Independent School District (TX)
Marcus Whitman Middle School (WA)Menlo School (CA)Monterey Trail High School (CA)Moss Point High School (MS)Odyssey Middle School (CA)Phillip and Sala Burton Academic High School (CA)Puyallup High School (WA)
Rutgers Preparatory School (NJ)
Simon Sanchez High School (GU)Sunset High School (OR)The Harvey School (NY)Valley High School (CA)Westchester Magnet Academy (NY)
William G. Enloe High School (NC)

4. Grant Program for Developing Networks ofJapanese-Language Teachers and Institutions
1 award went to:
AATJ - Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (CO)5. Training Programs for Japanese-Language
Teachers Abroad
Short-Term Training Program
1 award went to:
Wasilla High School (AK) for Carla Williams
Advanced Training Program
Long-Term Training Program
Training Program for Japanese Abroad
No grants were awarded in Fiscal 2005/06<Collegiate Level>
American University (DC)Asheville - Buncombe Technical Community College (NC)Brookhaven College (Dallas County Community College) (TX)
Carnegie Mellon University (PA)Diablo Valley College (CA)
Florida International University (FL)
Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)Intensive Training Program for Teachers from the
U.S./Canada/the U.K.
Not implemented in Fiscal 2005/06

6. Japanese-Language Program for Specialists<Researchers and Postgraduate Students>
2 awards went to:
Chad Douglas Nilep, University of Colorado, Boulder (CO)15

University of Alaska Fairbanks (AK)University of Montana (MT)
Vanderbilt University (TN)Western Washington University (WA)Wichita State University (KS)Johnson County Community College (KS)Hollins University (VA)
Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis (IN)
Lehman College of the City University of New York (NY)
Macalester College (MN)
Portland State University (OR)
Rochester Institute of Technology (NY)Southern Methodist University (TX)
Southwestern College (CA)Texas A & M International University (TX)The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (NC)The University of Oklahoma (OK)The University of Texas at Austin (TX)

<Other Public Organizations >Orenji Gun Nihongo Gakko (CA)Princeton Community Japanese Language School (NJ)
Sakura Gakuen Japanese Language School (CA)Fiscal Year 2006/07: Japanese-Language Education Grants
The application period for Fiscal Year 2006/07 grant programs
closed on December 1, 2005 (Grant Results will be given in April2006). Only the “Donation of Japanese-Language Teaching
Materials (for the U.S.)" program offers different deadlines of
2/1/2006, 6/1/2006, and 11/1/2006. Please visit our website(http://www.jflalc.org/?act=tpt&id=243) for the details. Pleasefeel free to contact our Program Associate, Mamiko Nakai(mamiko_nakai@jflalc.org) anytime if you have any questions orcomments regarding the Japanese-language grant programs.

Fiscal Year 2007/08: Japanese-Language Education Grants
Application materials for the next fiscal year (2007-08) will
become available on our website(http://www.jflalc.org/?act=tpt&id=229) in Mid-September 2006.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2006 (Arrival Deadline)
Meanwhile, please refer to the following program guidelines as
examples.

1. Promotion of Japanese-Language Education(1) Grant Programs for Japanese-Language Courses Abroad

expected that teaching programs supported with thesegrants will demonstrate the ability and commitment tobecome self-supporting in the near future.

<Salary Assistance>
This program is designed to assist in the creation of full-timeteaching positions (excluding part-time positions and thosethat involve the teaching of other subjects) at universities,
colleges, or other educational institutions offering instructionin the Japanese-language. The Program provides salaryassistance for up to an initial three-year period for the purpose of establishing local Japanese-language instructors
and expanding Japanese-language courses. The aim is thatthe recipient organization will be able to maintain positions /courses without assistance after the initial assistance period
is completed.

(2) Japanese Speech Contest Support Program
The purpose of this program is to develop a network ofJapanese-language learners, teachers, and institutions throughspeech contests as well as to advance the level of Japanese-language learning. Partial support for prizes and expenses is provided to organizations holding Japanese-language speech contests
overseas.
(3) Grant Program for Developing Networks of Japanese
Language Teachers and Institutions
This program provides partial assistance for seminars, workshops, training courses, and academic meetings concerning
Japanese-language education carried out by overseas teachers'
associations, academic societies, and higher educational andresearch institutions, for the purpose of developing networks ofJapanese-language teachers and institutions abroad.

<Support for Courses>
This program is intended to assist the maintenance or
expansion of teaching staff in institutions abroad that offer
instruction in the Japanese-language but lack funds. Grant
assistance is provided in the form of instructional salaries
paid on an hourly scale for the purpose of strengthening theestablishment of overseas Japanese-language courses. It is
16

2. Japanese-Language Teacher Training Programs
・Short-Term Training Program
An intensive two-month course in the Japanese-language andteaching methods will be conducted for foreign teachers of theJapanese-language who have at least two years of experience inteaching the Japanese-language.
・Training Program for Japanese Abroad
This is a program intended for teachers who are Japanesenationals and have been residing overseas for extended periodsof time. Curriculum emphasis is on consolidating and expandingknowledge of Japanese-language teaching methods through lectures and workshops. The course also provides the participants
with an opportunity to exchange ideas and information, discuss
issues they confront and to explore the role of native-speaking
Japanese-language teachers.
・Intensive Training Program
An intensive four-week course in the Japanese-language, Japaneselanguage teaching methods and Japanese culture will be conducted
for non-native teachers of the Japanese-language at primary andsecondary schools in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Note: This program will not be implemented in FY 2007. It isscheduled for implementation in FY 2008 (implemented bi-yearly).

(1) Training Program for Leading Teachers of the Japanese
Language・Advanced Training Program
After completing training at the Japan Foundation JapaneseLanguage Institute, Urawa, a further two-month period of training
is available. The Advanced Program is designed for individuals
who:· require more advanced expertise and skills as teachers ofJapanese, and· have specific challenges they wish to address, or· have issues they want to resolve in the teaching of theJapanese language.
Applications for this course can be accepted either from native or
non-native speakers of Japanese.
(2)Training Programs for Teachers of the Japanese-Language
・Long-Term Training ProgramThis program is intended for foreign teachers who are early intheir career in teaching the Japanese language. A training
course in the Japanese-language and basic teaching methods
will be conducted.

3. Japanese-Language Program for Specialists
・Japanese-Language Program for Researchers andPostgraduate Students
This program is an intensive training course in Japanese-language for scholars, researchers and postgraduate students who

major in the fields of the social sciences or humanities, who wish
to be engaged in jobs related to Japanese-studies in future, andneed to learn Japanese-language for their academic research
activities.

4. Support for Production and Donation of Japanese-Language Teaching Materials(1) Japanese-Language Education Fellowship Program
Fellowship grants are extended to overseas educational institutions and publishers who wish to send Japanese-language specialists to conduct a survey or research in Japan for the development of Japanese-language teaching materials, teaching methods, or curriculums based upon well defined themes and teaching materials.

cially assisting publishers and educational institutions interested
in launching such material onto the market. The production of
new original materials is encouraged.
(3) Program for the Donation of Japanese-Language
Teaching Materials (for the U.S.)
This program donates a variety of teaching materials to educational institutions in the U.S. offering regular Japanese language
courses. The donations are to become the property of the recipient institutions, and are not to be owned privately by teachers or
students.

(2) Grant Program for Japanese-Language Teaching Materials
This program is designed to encourage the production of
resource materials for Japanese-language education in various
media (e.g. textbooks, dictionaries, tapes, discs, etc) by finan-

17

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test
JLPT Overview and Contents

2005 JLPT and Test Results

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is an internationally accredited language examination, offered in four different
levels, designed to measure a persons Japanese skills. The
number of applicants is closing in on 400,000 in 39 countries
around the world. Those who pass the JLPT receive a
Certificate of Proficiency and, as a result, are better able to market their Japanese skills in order to further their careers and educational pursuits. Additionally, taking on the JLPT challenges
students of Japanese to strive for excellence. The test has four
different skill levels; the examinee should choose the level thatbest corresponds to his or her ability and training. Each test iscomprised of three sections: Writing & Vocabulary; Listening;
Reading and Grammar.

The 2005 JLPT was held on December 4th at 8 test sites aroundthe US:
Atlanta - Georgia Institute of Technology
Chicago - De Paul University
Honolulu - University of Hawaii at Manoa
New York - Columbia University
Los Angeles - University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)San Francisco - San Francisco State University
Seattle - University of Washington
Washington DC - Georgetown University
The test results were sent to the test takers in late February,
2006, ahead of schedule.

The 2006 JLPTThe 2006 JLPT will be held on December 3rd in the same 8
cities in the US (note that actual testing sites may vary). The
registration period will span August and September (exact dates
are TBA), at which time applicants can register by paper or
online, quickly and easily.

More Information

Contact Information for Canada
The Japan Foundation, Toronto
Attn: Ms. Noriko Saito
131 Bloor Street West, Suite 213
Toronto, Ontario M5S 1R1
Phone: (416) 966-1600
Fax: (416) 966-9773
E-mail: nsaito@jftor.org
Web: http://www.jftor.org/language/proficiency.php

More information is available on the Japan Foundation, Los
Angeles website at http://www.jflalc.org/?act=tpt&id=8. Details
on the JLPT will be posted as they become available, starting
summer, 2006.For further inquiries, please contact the JLPT
Administration Committee at:
JLPT Administration Committee
The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles
333 S. Grand Ave., Ste 2250
Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 621-2267 (M-F 9:30-5:30 PT)
Fax: (213) 621-2590
E-mail: noryoku@jflalc.org
Web: www.jflalc.org

New to the Japan Foundation
Three new faces have appeared at the Japan Foundation overthe past year. In April, 2005 we received our new Director, Mr.
Masao Ito. Director Ito has served in many branches of theJapan Foundation, including holding executive positions in boththe Sydney and New York offices. Most recently he was the
Deputy Executive Director for the Japan Foundation Center for
Global Partnership in Tokyo. The new Program Coordinator for
Arts & Culture is Mr. Yoshihiro Nihei. Mr. Nihei previously
worked as an executive producer for Japan America Televisionin Los Angeles. Etsuko Yamada is the new Librarian for the
Nihongo Library. She worked at several libraries in Japan andhas taken over librarian duties for Meiko Kanezuka. MeikoKanezuka is now the JLPT Coordinator.

Yoshihiro Nihei & Etsuko Yamada(L to R)

18

Masao Ito, Director