The Japan Foundation Language Center, Quarterly Newsletter
Number Two, May 1993

Japanese Language in U.S. High Schools: A New Initiative
Ronald A. Walton
The National Foreign Language Center at Johns Hopkins University

For a number of years, Japanese has had thehighest enrollment growth of any foreign
language in the United States. The last decade
has seen an increasing portion of this growth inJapanese language programs at the K- 12 level,
especially the secondary level. While this interest inJapanese language is long overdue and welcome,such rapid expansion is straining the capacity of thesecondary education system to deliver instruction
given the paucity of trained teachers, the lack ofteacher training programs, the lack of appropriate
instructional materials, and the absence ofstandardized tests to measure student progress andachievement.
The movement of Japanese language instruction into
the high schools represents an historically
unprecedented effort to bring a non-European language into a U.S. educational system traditionallydominated by the teaching of three European languages, French, German and Spanish. As such, it
represents a new and exciting experiment in foreign
language education at the secondary level, but it also
brings both structural and pedagogical challenges forwhich there is no precedent. There is at present a lackof trained teachers, few states with teacher certification standards and procedures, few training
programs, and little planning on how to integrate highschool instruction with its continuation at the college
level. There is a paucity of quality instructional
materials designed exclusively for high school
students, little national experience in designing curriculum at the high school level, no historical tradition of teaching methods at the high school level forsuch a difficult, non-European language, and no
standardized assessment procedures to judge thequality of student mastery of the language nor of theeffectiveness of programs. The Japanese writing
system presents very special learning problems tonative English-speaking students and there is a persistent concern that the difficulty of Japanese grammatical structures and the writing system will occupy
so much of the teacher's time and efforts that
instruction in the cultural facets of communication
between members of such different cultures will notreceive adequate attention.
In the fall of 1991, the National Foreign Language
Center (NFLC) at Johns Hopkins University, and theCollege Board were awarded a two-year grant by the
National Endowment for the Humanities to develop an4ional curricular framework and a College Board
Achievement Test for the teaching of Japanese in U.S.
high schools to assist Japanese language teachers andprograms in this era of explosive and rather chaotic
growth. The NFLC also conducted a national surveyof Japanese language instruction in the U.S.,
sponsored by the U.S.-Japan Foundation and theJapan-United States Friendship Commission, now
published and entitled:"Japanese Language Instruction in the United States:
Resources, Practice, and Investment Strategy." Thesurvey data clearly revealed a national need for amore coherent, uniform design of instructional programs as well as the need for a national, standardized
assessment instrument that would allow students,
educators and parents to evaluate the effectiveness ofJapanese language instruction. The College Board
had been planning to develop national achievement
tests in a number of non-European languages andthus was eager to begin development of a national
College Board Achievement Test in Japanese.
The curricular framework project has now been
completed with the publication and national dissemination of the document entitled "A Framework for
Introductory Japanese Language Curricula in
American High Schools and Colleges," available

from the NFLC. This framework was developed by afour-member Task Force in consultation with atwelve-member national Advisory Board. The
Advisory Board was made up of outstanding teachersand scholars from around the country and was evenly
divided between high school and college teachers aswell as between native Japanese and native English
speakers. The Task Force was comprised of two highschool teachers of Japanese; one a native speaker ofJapanese, the other of English, and two college
teachers, again one a native speaker of Japanese, theother of English. Jim Unger of the University of
Hawaii served as Chair of the Task Force. The Task
Force members were Fred Lorish of South Eugene
High School in Eugene, Oregon, Mari Noda of Ohio
State University, and Yasuko Wada of Charles
Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington.
For the College Board Achievement Test portion of
the project, Akiko Hirota of the California State
University, Northridge and Kazuo Tsuda of theUnited Nations International School in New Yorkjoined the four Task Force members to form a test
Development Committee. The project was co-directed by Gretchen Rigol, Executive Director of Access
Services at the College Board and Ronald Walton,
Deputy Director of the National Foreign Language
Center. Eleanor Jorden served as project consultant.
The purpose of developing a national curricular
framework is to arrive at a uniform core of agreement
on realistic goals and the instructional design andteaching approaches necessary to reach these goals.
Ideally, this framework will assist teachers,
particularly new teachers, and administrators indeveloping programs by giving focus and uniformity
to curricular design, syllabus development, teacher
training, the development of instructional materials,
and the articulation of secondary Japanese language
programs with their college-level counterparts. The
framework is not intended to provide a national syllabus but rather to provide principled advice on how
to develop syllabi according to the needs and capacities of individual programs around the country. At thesame time, adoption of the framework by given
programs is purely voluntary since they are intended
only to be helpful to the secondary education field.
The College Board Achievement Test, for thoseschools which elect to utilize it, will provide anational metric to inform students, teachers, administrators and college-level programs on the learner's
language competency in Japanese. Equally important,the development of such a test by the renowned
College Board lends national credibility and academic integrity to the study of Japanese at the highschool level, putting it on par with French, German
and Spanish as a mainstream language. The test will
include a listening section, a reading section, and asection on general capability in Japanese.
The National Endowment for the Humanities has lentits vigorous support to this project not only inproviding the much needed funds but in its on-going
encouragement of the project. The project began witha planning conference held at Stanford University in
February 1991. Since that time, the first version of
the test has been developed and piloted in various
programs around the country. The results of this pilot
test are now being analyzed and will serve as a guidein developing the final version which is expected to
be available in the Spring of
1993.
Just as the entry of Japanese language instruction into
the secondary schools represents a new and hitherto
unattempted endeavor, the development of a national
curricular framework and a national achievement test
represents an innovative attempt to assist language
educators and strengthen the field. No doubt, much is
yet to be learned in this new enterprise, but the NEHfunded project ushers in the early steps of what will
ideally become a carefully structured planning
process to ensure the success of both learners andprograms in Japanese language instruction in U.S.
secondary schools.
Address of NFLC:The National Foreign Language Center at
the Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Fourth Floor
Washington, D.C. 20036
Queries about the College Board Achievement
Test:
College Board ATP
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, NJ 08541-6200
Tel:(609) 771-7600

Activities in Japanese Fiscal Year 1992

T

he Foundation officially opened its Language
Center on August 1, 1992. The Center is
responsible forJapanese language-related programs in the UnitedStates.
The prograrms executed by The Center are twofold:
first, the original language-related activities
established by The Foundation will continue underauthority of The Center. Second, programs originatedby The Center are as follows:a) Consulting Services/Training Seminarsb) Grant Programs and Other Servicesa) Consulting Services/Training Seminars
The Center has dispatched lecturers to Washington,
Wisconsin, Georgia, San Francisco and Greater
Washington to conduct seminars or training courses
on Japanese language teaching methods. Beginningfiscal year 1993-4, The Center will conduct summer
workshops for teachers of Japanese. This year, two
10-day courses are offered for secondary school
teachers.
b) Grants Programs and Other Services
The Center has assisted in conducting the following
workshops by offering grants through "Workshops
and Conferences Grant Program":- Seminar for Japanese Teachers in Wisconsin

conducted by the Department of Public Instruction- Spring and Fall Workshops of Teachers of Japanesein Southern California
The Center assisted in the formation of the following
associations of teachers of Japanese by offering
grants through "Association Grant Program":- National Council of Secondary Teachers ofJapanese- Northeast Association of Secondary Teachers ofJapanese-Southwestern Secondary Teachers of Japanese
The Center also offers "Travel Grant Program(Abroad)" and "Travel Grant Program (Within the
United States)" to facilitate participation inworkshops and conferences by Japanese language
teachers.
The Center participated in the AASIATJ and ACTFL
annual meetings. The Center hosted the Associationof Teachers of Japanese (ATJ) mid-year board
meeting and National Council of Secondary Teachersof Japanese (NCSTJ) planning committees. The
Center assisted "Total Immersion Japanese Language
and Culture Camp for High School Students"
conducted by the Japan-America Society of the stateof Washington and "Japanese Language Teachers
Network Newsletter" issued by the Center for
Improvement of Teaching of Japanese Language &Culture.

How to Conduct Effective Classroom Instruction-- For Japanese Language
Teachers
Mr. Akira Murasawa
Senior Specialist of Japanese Language
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JPCA)

I

n North American there is a diversification ofJapanese language learners. More and morelearners of Japanese descent do not speak
Japanese at home. This is very disheartening to thoseparents and teachers who would like to see Japanese
as an "inherited language"" to be passed on to thesechildren. Furthermore there are also instances where
there are non-Japanese Americans who are even moreeager to study the Japanese language, making thetasks of the teachers more challenging.
No matter what the setting may be, such as the
Immersion School or Japanese language schools thatmeet once or twice a week, what is important inJapanese language education is motivation -- having
a reason for studying the language in the first place -and continued and sustained efforts. In order toachieve these, there must be a relationship of mutual
trust between teacher and learner. I would therefore
like to share with you my thoughts on what Japanese
language teachers ought to bear in mind.
1. Understanding the needs of the learners
The first step towards being a ""good teacher"" is toknow your students. We first have to recognize that
there is a great deal of difference between Japanese
language teachers and students who have chosen tostudy Japanese in the classroom. In other words,
unless you understand your students, it is not possible
to hold a class in the true sense of the word. Anotherthing that we should not forget is that teachers
themselves are a linguistic environment in Japanese
language education.
So, what do we have to know about the learners?
A) The level of their competence in the Japanese
language There are learners with absolutely nobackground in the language as well as those whohave had some experience at Japanese language
schools, at home, or their local school, for example.
The teacher’s task is to figure out the best way tostart their learning process based on the learner’s
initial language skills and to devise a method bywhich to maintain their level of interest.
B) The needs of the learners
There is a variety of needs arising from the different
objectives of the learners. These include building
reading skills, writing skills, speaking skills,
vocabulary, etc. We must consider the steps
necessary to provide a sense of fulfillment throughclass work, adjusting to the needs and levels of thelearners. By so doing, we bring about instruction
responsive to individual needs. Even in those cases
where the learners are forced to attend class becauseof their parents' wishes, we must seek the best
method of instruction so as to offer the learners asense of objectives. And, we must also work on theway we provide a sense of motivation to the learners.
2. Classes should be hold at ""the children’s eyelevel"
The following took place during an observation visit
to a certain school. Having children from level 1
through 2 sit on the floor, the teacher conducteddialogue (greetings) practice, showing the children
visual materials. A little boy sitting at the very front
muttered. ""My neck is tired."" but the teacher didn’t
notice and kept on with the lesson. The enthusiasm of
the teacher was felt, but s/he had become so involvedin the lesson that the learners were forgotten.
We must not forget ""the children’s eye level"" notonly with respect to the form of the class, thepresentation of materials and writing on theblackboard, but also in the case of creation of acurriculum and instruction plan. Lessons are forlearners. If we forget "the children's eye level," nomatter how ingenious and wonderful your ideas may
be for making the learning more effective, they will
come to nothing.
If the teacher does not come down to the eye level ofthe learners by doing things like bending at the waist,or sitting down, the class will be unenjoyable for the
students. By sitting on the floor, the teacher is able tonotice what previously could not have been seen -"the sparkle in the children's eyes."
3. Instructions on Row to Learn RatherThan Row to
Teach (Teaching Method)

Perceptions about the Japanese language and studentsof the language are changing. Therefore, it is only
natural that teaching methods must respond to thesechanges. The communicative approach, which aims
at the internationalization of the Japanese language,
has recently been given considerable attention over
the academic method of the audio-lingual approach.
There are a variety of methods now being advocated,
but it is the teacher's responsibility to make choices
regarding the method based on the actual conditionsof their current students and to put them into practice.
Teachers can also combine several methods in theclassroom. In short, the teachers must establish theirown teaching methods.
The important things are:what is the right method of making the learners
study?
what is the right method to have learners
internalize what they have learned?
what is the right method of making learners
able to put this knowledge to actual use?
In order to answer these questions, we must firstconsider the appropriate "right methods." Theanswers will serve as a basis for establishing ameaningful class.
Actual condition of the students Preparation by
the instructor and methods of instruction(motivation, level of efforts, comprehensive ability)(teaching materials, work, teaching plan)Why don't you, for example, record your own
instruction? By doing so, teachers will not only learn
if their classes are good or poor, but they will alsofind out if the learners are not being given a chance to
speak because the teacher is talking too much.
If learners are not given as much chance as possible
to speak, the class cannot be called a language
instruction class. Suppose the learners' verbalization
is not smooth. Suppose further there are somegrammatical errors, and errors in pronunciation andaccent. Even under these circumstances, we cannot
hope for the internalization of the knowledge by thelearners unless we have them speak. Only by having
the learners participate in the act of speaking bymeans of making utterances and by means of gestureand body language, can they develop a feel for the
language.
5. Eight Key Points for Improving Language
Instruction
1) Frequently observe the classes of teachers senior
to you*put into practice what you have learned*
it is not necessarily the case that new methods
are good methods
2) Record your class and use the tape for selfexamination*reflect, for example, on your language usage,
pronunciation, reaction of the learners and how youin turn react to them, your particular habits, etc.
3) Make your teaching plan in detail, yet don't feel
100% bound to it when you are in the classroom*
let the reactions of the learners dictate yourteaching plan. Make slight adjustments when theoccasion calls for it (make a class plan that is flexible
enough to fit to the particular needs of a particularclass)*
classes that are precisely according to the classplan only serve to satisfy the teacher, and the students
may be left feeling uninvolved*
always be prepared for a panicky situation in
the classroom (deal with it as the occasion warrants)
4) Praise and recognize the learners' endeavors*
teachers who only correct the mistakes of theirlearners do not earn the learners' trust*
look for and recognize the learners' good points,
rather than their faults5) Let learners have a feeling of accomplishment andattainment*
at the end of the class, confirm what they havelearned that day
We should not forget the relationships indicatedabove. Also, we should aspire to be teachers who canlearn "the right methods" from the learners. That is tosay, the attitude of the children reflects what kind ofteacher s/he is, revealing a lack of language training.
The same can be said for pet phrases used by theteacher. The continuous acquisition of feedback
results in progress. What leads to effective instruction
is not implanting knowledge into the students, butrather discovering with the students the right way inwhich the learners themselves grapple with the taskof language learning.
4. Does the teacher talk too much?
It is the teacher's duty to do things like giving
directions and explaining things to the learners. Study
methods, the presentation of teaching materials,
grammar and vocabulary explanations are all things
the teacher must talk about. However, if this is justone-way verbalization, the learners become passive
and no progress is made. Even during question andanswer periods, the teacher might end up talking over
50% of the exchange.
66) Take the greatest possible care in distributing
exercises, homework and so on*
the efforts that the teachers make to make theirclasses effective + learners' preparation and review
7) Make it a point to use accurate Japanese*knowledge of grammar is necessary in order to
respond to the learners' questions
8) Teacher should have an impartial outlook on allraces, cultures and religions*
work to develop a broad knowledge about
Japanese culture and society(After Mr. Murasawa retired from his position as theprincipal of an elementary school in Tokyo, heengaged in Japanese language education in the
Dominican Republic and Canada, acting as Senior
Specialist of Japanese Language of the JICA. Re
returned to Japan in January, 1993.)

Textbooks for the Pre-Collegiate Level (1)From this issue on, in this section, textbooks for the pre-collegiate level will be reviewed. The following is a list of
the available textbooks in the United States for pre-collegiate students. These books are held in our library forlibrary members.

Library Service
The Japan Foundation Language Center Libraryoffers library services in order to provide access forteachers of Japanese to teaching materials andresources. The Library also circulates materials bymail for teachers who are unable to come to thelibrary.
Library NewsThe library has started circulating back issues ofmagazines related to language education such as
Nihongo and Nihongo Journal. A list of magazine
titles is available.
A new shipment of books and audio-visual materials
is expected from Japan soon. We are going to update
our library materials list as soon as we receive the
new materials. Please look forward to it!
Library Information
Library Materials List
A list of our library holdings, including audiovisualmaterial, textbooks, teaching material, magazines andothers, is available for members upon written request.
Library Hours and Holidays
Monday through Friday 10:00 am - 5:00pm
The library is closed on the following days from
April through September to observe these holidays:
Memorial Day
May31, 1993
Labor Day
September 7, 1993
Circulation Loan Period and Limits
Circulation books
3 weeks, 3 items at a time
Audio-visual materials
3 weeks, I set at a time
Items may be renewed one time only.
Library Membership
Teachers who are affiliated with the following
associations are eligible for membership:
Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ)
National Council of Secondary Teachers of Japanese(NCSTJ)
Teachers of Japanese in Southern California (TJSC)Applicants for library membership are required toprovide the following:
1. Individual application form.
2. A copy of identification, such as a driver's license.
3. We may ask for proof of membership in the applicant's affiliated association if we are not able toverify such membership from our lists.
Information Service for Educational Video The
Center for Educational Media (CEM) at Earlham
College provides you with information on
educational media materials related to Japan,
including titles, brief content synopses, intended
audience levels, and where and how the materials are
obtained.
Please contact:
Center for Educational Media
Institute for Education on Japan
Earlham College
Richmond, IN 47374-4095
Tel: (317) 983-1288 Fax: (317) 983-1553"Japanese-Language Education Around the Globe"
Fourth Call for Papers
The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Institute is
now inviting contributions for the fourth volume of"Japanese-Language Education Around The Globe."
Please submit theses in the field of Japaneselanguage education or Japanese-language studies nolater than September 15, 1993 to The Institute. Their
brochure is available from us.