The
Quarterly

Fal l 2 0 0 1 / N u m b er 2 4

T H E J A PA N
F O U N DAT I O N
Los Angeles
Language Center

国際交流基金
ロス・アンジェルス
日本語センター1

Overview of Japanese language education in Australian schools

5

My Experience in Saitama: Reflections on
the 2000 Summer Intensive Training Program
for Teachers of the Japanese Language fromthe U.S., U.K., and Canada

7Japanese Language Grant Programsfor 2002/2003

8

Mini-Grant Programs
Summary Results of JapaneseFoundation Audio-Visual Survey

9

From the Nihongo Library

10

Japan in a Suitcase
New Staff

11

2001 ACTFL Luncheon
Word Play

12

Staff Directory
To the Editor

Overview of Japanese Language
Education in Australian schools
Himiko Negishi-Wood
Did you know that Australia has the second highest
number of learners of Japanese in the world after
Korea? According to a Japan Foundation survey1,
there are more than 300,000 learners of Japanese
language in Australia and of these learners, 96.6%
are primary and secondary school students.

Although the first Japanese high school course started in 1918, the growth of Japanese language study
began in the 70’s, and was fuelled by the Australian
government’s commitment to Asia literacy and multiculturalism. The language of Japan, Australia’s
largest trading partner, was embraced by school students, and in the late 80’s by large numbers of university students. In the 90’s Languages Other Than
English (LOTE) study was made compulsory in moststates at the junior secondary school level, and primary LOTE education is now promoted in all states.
In 1995, Japanese was designated as one of thefour national priority Asian languages for study inAustralian schools and the National Asian
Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) program was launched. Japanese is now themost popular
language for school study in most2
states .
As with other LOTEs, the aim of Japanese language
education is not only the development of communication skills, but also the development of socio-cultural understanding and positive attitudes towards
Japanese society and culture. Although traditional
teaching methods persist in some cases, generallanguage teaching takes a communicative approach, focusing on interaction
and task based language learning.
Teachers take the students’interests andindividual needs into account when planning lessons so as to create a learning
environment which is both interesting
and motivating for the students.
Current Trends in Japanese as a
LOTE
1. Technology in Japanese Language
Education
In primary and secondary schools, technology is increasingly being used toenhance language learning. On-line
technology gives learners opportunities
to communicate with other Japanese
speakers, to access information andauthentic materials, and to download
materials for project work with presentation software. The internet is also usedwidely by departments of education for
networking and to provide teachers withcurriculum support.

As a strategy to deal with this issue,
some states have produced syllabus
guidelines which span both primary andsecondary school years to promote
greater continuity of learning. Other initiatives include cluster schools3 at the
district level and professional development seminars bringing together primaryand secondary school teachers toenhance their understanding of eachother’s syllabus. For teachers, the challenge is to apply multi-level teachingstrategies which incorporate cooperative
learning, peer tutoring and learner-centred tasks and activities.
3. Integrating Languages with the Whole
Curriculum
Recently there has been a movement
mainly in primary LOTE education,
towards an integrated or embedded
approach in which language study isincorporated with the content of othersubject areas such as mathematics, science, art, etc. This approach relies on

2. Primary-Secondary Articulation
The rapid growth in LOTE at the primaryschool level has increased the demand on
secondary school Japanese teachers tocater for mixed levels of ability of students
entering secondary education. When students enter secondary school Japaneseclasses, some have studied Japanese in
primary school and some have not. Thiscan also happen in upper grades when
students make subject choices.

the use of student activities that draw on
both language and content to solve communication needs. This integrated
approach is seen as offering a number ofbenefits as:- linking language learning to subjects
students study on a daily basis, making it
more relevant- resulting results in the language program being seen as an integral part of
the whole curriculum rather than an extra
or peripheral subject- giving students the opportunity to use
language in a meaningful context andencourages and maintains their interest
and motivation

Although many teachers can see thebenefit of this approach, there are not as
yet many teaching resources available.
Japanese Language Education inAustralia and The Japan Foundation
Sydney Language Centre
The Sydney Language Centre (SLC)
was established in 1991 to support
Japanese language education inAustralia. There are three advisors
based in Sydney involved in developing teaching materials, running professional development courses, cooperating with educational authorities in various states in offering local professional
development, publishing a quarterly
newsletter ‘Dear Sensei’ and providing
a consulting service for school teachers. The news letter contains a four
page section of teaching ideas andresources for teachers.
We regularly produce teaching resources
which contain activities, exercises andstimulus materials for primary and secondary school level Japanese language
learners which are known as Activity
Resources (AR). ARs provide teacherswith a great range of ideas to enhancetheir teaching programs. The SLC
donates these materials to Australianschools. In order to provide better courses and develop appropriate resources,
we investigate and identify areas of needby conducting regular surveys and classroom research.
Recent research has lead to the development of teaching resources such as‘Classroom Japanese (promoting teacher
talk in the target language)’, ‘Integratingwith the Whole Curriculum-Topic: Water’and ‘Activities for Multi-level Classrooms’.
We have recently uploaded the twoactivity resources ‘Integrating with the
Whole Curriculum Topic: Water’ and‘Activities for Multi-level Classrooms’ on
to our web site at http://www.jpf.org.au .
Here is an overview of one recent
research project and the resource materials produced.
Teacher Talk in the Japanese Classroom
Most language teachers agree that it isimportant to use the target language inclass, but for various reasons they do
not consistently do so.
Since 1995, we have visited a number ofschools and observed lessons to investigate the use of teacher talk in primaryschool Japanese classrooms inAustralia. The study found that althoughteachers, including native speakerteachers, regarded the use of the target
language in TT as highly important, inpractice, they only used a limited

amount of target language during theirlessons. Based on the study and on
subsequent in-service sessions conducted on the use of the target languagein the classroom, we developed
resource materials designed to promote
its use. The resource is designed forteachers who do not feel confident
enough to use Japanese as the main
language of communication with theirclasses and for teachers who do use
Japanese in the classroom but want toimprove their technique or proficiency.
The resource contains three units including simple classroom language, language for explaining games and activities and language for social interaction.
Each unit consists of five sections:(1) Starting point checklist
The checklist provides the opportunity
for teachers to reflect on and analyze

UNIT 1 SIMPLE CLASSROOM LANGUAGE
It is important that students accept theuse of Japanese in the Japaneseclass as something normal right fromthe start. Teachers should demonstrate clearly that language is for communication. This unit deals witheveryday classroom functions, including greetings, taking roll call, basic
instructions, praising, giving feedback
and scolding, disciplining. Students
are also required to use the language
when requesting clarification and as
king permission.
(1) Starting point checklist
Tick how often you use the following
techniques in classrom;:

What are the advantages of the twodifferent approaches?
(5) Progress checklist
Write down the expressions you haveused in class.
DateExpressions

Greet the class in Japanese
Introduce yourself to the class inJapanese
Take roll call in JapaneseStart the lesson in Japanese

Never
Sometimes
Usually
Greet the class in Japanese on thefirst dayIntroduce yourself to the class inJapanese on the first day

Bring the lesson to an end inJapanese
Write down which instructions theclass found most difficult. If you had aproblem,
describe what strategies you used to
get the meaning across.

Take roll call in JapaneseStart the lesson in Japanese
Bring the lesson to an end inJapanese
Describe the class’s reaction when
you started the first lesson in
Japanese,and when you started in
English.

Write down the instructions in English
which you could not say in Japanese.
Find the relevant Japanese word or
expression.
Activity Resources © The JapanFoundation Sydney Language Centre

their current approaches and strategies
in the use of teacher talk in Japanese. It
enables them to consider any possible
changes or improvements that could be
made, and to evaluate their use ofJapanese and their performance inclass. By using this checklist as a starting point, they can set clear personalgoals.
(2) Suggested procedure and key
languageThis section provides a procedure for
applying specific teacher talk to theclassroom situation, and includes
methodology and example expressions.
(3) Student talkThis section covers the student talkrelated to the above teacher talk. In thecommunicative classroom, the ideal situation is for communication to occur
both ways. It lists example expressions
and gives guidelines for introducing andreinforcing these through activities andsongs.
(4) Suggested activities
The section provides a number of activities for introducing and reinforcing thelanguage presented.
(5) Progress checklist
The checklist provides an opportunity forteachers to reflect on their classroom
practice after a period of time, and to
become aware of changes or improvements in their use of teacher talk andstudent responses. It can help then analyze problems and set further goals.
See Appendix for Unit 1 Starting point
checklist and Progress checklist.
Sydney Language Centre Website
In December of last year we launched a
new expanded website. The new site
contains detailed information on all SLC
activities, including our newsletter ‘Dear
Sensei’. As I mentioned earlier, we havealso uploaded our most recently produced activity resources. The
Activity Resources and Dear Sensei arein HTML format, so that teachers candownload the worksheets and activities
and modify them to suite their students’needs. The site also has a section of‘Teaching Ideas’ where teachers canshare their teaching ideas with otherteachers in and beyond Australia. Wealso have links to many other useful internet sites. Please have a look at our site at
http://www.jpf.org.au, and send us yourcomments!
Japanese teachers have been working
hard to provide the best possible language education for their students, devoting a great deal of time and energy inorder to improve their teaching methodology, develop new teaching ideas and to
produce new resources. I hope that infuture the teachers of Japanese language
in Australia and the US, as well as thosein other countries will beable to share these newideas, methodologies andresources. As technology
brings us closer, I hope our
website can be a source of
useful information and oneof many ways that we canwork together.

Notes:
1

The Japan Foundation’s survey
report on Japanese Education
Abroad 1998

2

Australia is made up of eight states
and territories, NSW, VIC, QLD, SA,
WA, TAS, ACT, NT. Government
funding for education is collectednationally and allocated to the individual states that share responsibility for
implementing school education.

3

A secondary school and its satellite
primary schools working together toplan a curriculum for continuous
learning

Himiko Negishi-Wood has gained
a Grad DipEd (in LOTE) and a MA in
Applied Linguistics from Flinder
University and Griffith Universit
respectively and has worked as a sec
ondary school teacher in Australia. She
is currently an advisory lecturer at The
Japan Foundation Sydney Languag
Centre where she has been involved inteacher training and resources develop
ment since 1995.

Summary Results of The Japan Foundation Audio-Visual Survey
During this past summer, the Japan Foundation
Japanese Language Institute, Urawa, Japan, working in
conjunction with the Japan Foundation Los Angeles
Language Center conducted a survey on Japanese language audio-visual materials. Japanese language educators at both the pre-collegiate and collegiate levels
were asked for their feedback via an internet circulated
questionnaire to better help the Institute develop suchmaterials for future use. Specific topics covered by thesurvey included: background information on how instructors had incorporated audio-visual tools into their lessonplans in the past, what sorts of materials they found lacking, and the state of Japanese language education in
their respective educational institutions.

observation made without exception by instructors ofstudents positive responsiveness to audio-visual aids.
What sorts of audio-visual materials would respondents
like to see developed? Responses ranged from the ever
popular anime to updated documentaries. But perhaps
more telling is the suggested form in which these futureaudio-visual materials should take. These include thefollowing: (1) that they be “level specific” so that students
will not become easily frustrated; (2) that they should bepractical in the sense that students can apply them in theclassroom/daily life; (3) that they should incorporate
authentic materials; and (4) that they should be in a format, possibly digital, without the worry of copyright
infringement.

What did the survey uncover? First and foremost thataudio-visual materials are in widespread use across theeducational spectrum, from public and private to pre-collegiate and collegiate. The reasons most often cited fortheir use include the reinforcement of grammar points,
improvement of aural comprehension, and presentationof Japanese culture. Another indirect reason may be the

In conclusion, the Japan Foundation would like to thankall those instructors who took the time to respond to its
survey. The Institute looks forward to reading and incorporating your comments into the very important work ofdeveloping the next generation of Japanese language
audio-visual materials.

My Experience in Saitama
Reflections on the 2000 Summer Intensive Training Program for
Teachers of the Japanese Language from the U.S., U.K., and Canada

Faye Valtadoros
ing, but the best part was the chance to meet different
people from the US, Canada, and England. We were allin the same profession and I knew that it would be great
to get to know these people, and exchange stories andideas for the classroom. When I originally read the information on the program, I was under the impression thatthe classes would revolve around pedagogy. Pedagogy isimportant in teaching a foreign language, but I really did
not have too much background in it, and I was hoping tolearn more about it in Japan.

I remember the first time I went to Japan. I had just graduated from high school and I participated in a field trip to
our sister school in Shiga prefecture. We went on theMichigan Showboat in Lake Biwa and were introduced to
the Americans working on it. I particularly remember hearing one guy selling phone cards and speaking only inJapanese. I kept thinking to myself, "I will never be able tospeak Japanese that well, much less live in Japan for along time." That was 11 years ago. Today, I can honestly
say, I can speak Japanese "that well." I have even lived inJapan for a total of three years. I had never imagined
myself at this point in my life. Today, I am a Japaneseteacher in Battle Creek, Michigan. I have officially survived
my first year. Each time I have been to Japan, I havelearned something new about my profession and about mylove for Japan.
My last two visits were the most beneficial. The first time,
I was on JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) for two
years from 1998-2000, right after I graduated from EasternMichigan University. JET gave me a great opportunity to
get into a real classroom and teach. I was a Japanese language and culture and education major, so I had knowledge of Japanese, and I had the education classes which
helped me in the classroom. During my two-year stay inJapan, I learned just how demanding it is to be a teacher inJapan. I never imagined it could be that frustrating in
America, too.
The second time I went to Japan was the most beneficial
to my profession as a Japanese teacher. I was chosen toparticipate in a 3-week training program through the JapanFoundation. The institute was held in Urawa City, Saitama
Prefecture. I had never been to that area of Japan, so I
really had no idea what to expect from the city, much lessfrom the program. Although I had heard many great things
about the program, I was nervous and at the same time
excited. The idea of going back to Japan was very excit-

When I got to the institute, I was given lots of information
and a key to my dorm room. At first, I was overwhelmed,
not sure if I'd meet people, unsure where everyone wasfrom, or if I would make new friends. The following day during the orientation and tour of the institute, I actually met
the 20 participants in the program. I was really impressedwith how many states and countries were represented.
Coming from Michigan, where Japanese teachers are few
and far between, meeting all these people was just a great
feeling. Everyone was so friendly and open-minded; I
knew I would have a great time.
Our classes started the following day and gave us achance to really get to know each other and exchange
ideas and activities that have worked in the classroom. We

talked about our experiences in classrooms. The teachingexperience there ranged from 20 years to teachers whohaven't gotten tenure yet, and from proficient Japanese
speakers to beginners. But we all got along real well and
we did a lot of group outings together.
The lessons we took ranged from Travel/Transportation to
School/Education to Family/House. Of course, I was familiar with much of it because I had lived in Japan before, but
the way they were presented was new to me. The teacher
that taught my class was wonderful. She spoke all inJapanese at a speed that all of us understood. It was
great to get into an atmosphere where we were
immersed so in Japanese. After our classes, they offeredculture classes to us. Although they were all on a volunteer basis, and we didn't have to take them if we didn‚twant to, everyone participated in the culture classes.
They taught us calligraphy, tea ceremony, and ikebana.
We were allowed to keep the calligraphy we made, drink
tea from the ceremony, and enjoy our own flower
arrangements in our rooms. We were even taken to seea Kabuki performance, as well as being taken to thefamous shrines at Nikko. These are just a few of thethings that the Japan Foundation had set up for us on thiswonderful program.
The best part of the institute was the project that we had
to do at the end. Students from the local secondary
schools volunteered their time to help us collect
resources to bring to our own classroom and use in ourlessons. My partner (Juan Carlos Morales, from Florida)
and I had a chance to get together with three high school
students, which was great for both of us because we areboth high school teachers. Our agenda for the day was
to videotape the girls giving self-introductions, using simple enough Japanese that our students could understandthem. After that, we all sat in a circle and talked about
various topics related to differences between Americanand Japanese high schools. This gave me a chance tofind out just how different the two school systems are.
After our conversation, we went out to the city. We went
to an area called Harajuku, which is a great hangout forhigh school students. We talked about what they like to
do in their free time, where they like to go and things they
like to see. With all this, we were to make a lesson planthat we had to present to the institute and our colleagues.
All the lessons turned out really well, and I got some greatideas that I plan to use in my own classroom.
One day, toward the end of our program, the JapanFoundation showed to us their five-set picture panel.
Each set about 100 pictures related to a particular topic
to be used during Japanese language lessons. They
were pictures of Japanese festivals, food, uniforms in theschools, household products; there was so much, it was
just awesome. After this was presented to us, we were
given a set of textbooks made by the Japan Foundation
as well as one set of the picture panel. Although it waslarge and heavy, I was happy to go through all the troubleof carrying this home, because it will help me so much in
my classroom.
I came into this program wondering exactly what I wasgoing to learn, who I was going to meet, what I was going
to leave with. I learned about things I already knew but inmore depth, and I met some great, caring teachers fromall over the United States, Canada, and England. I left
with great memories, wonderful friendships, lots of email
addresses and many resources for my classroom. The
Japan Foundation really took great care of us, letting us
stay in the dorms, giving us useful classes and giving us
all kinds of books and information on teaching Japanese.
I have never taken part in this kind of program and I am
so grateful that I was able to be a part of it. I will definitely recommend this program to my friends. Although I had
to pay for my own airline ticket, it was all worth it.
I would like to thank the Japan Foundation for accepting
me and letting me be a part of this wonderful program. I
would especially like to thank everyone at the JapanFoundation Institute in Saitama; you were all very helpful
and kind to us. I would also like to thank NCOLCTL(National Council of Organizations of Less Commonly
Taught Languages) for helping fund my travel to the institute. I learned so much there in three weeks; more thanI ever learned in my methods class in college. I can't wait
to teach all this to my students here in Michigan andshare with them the knowledge you shared with me.

The Intensive Training Program for
Teachers of the Japanese Language from
U.S./Canada/U.K. in Urawa, Japan(Non-Japanese Only)

The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Language
Center announces the second offering of theSummer Intensive Japanese-Language Training
Program in Urawa, Japan, with an application postmark deadline of February 15, 2002. This programis aimed at primary and secondary school teachers(non-Japanese) of the Japanese language, and will
run between July 8-27, 2002. Credit for participation in the course will be arranged, with details
announced later. As an example, credit for 2001
participants was made available through the
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Extension. For more information and or applications, please contact Program Assistant Justin K.
Miyai at 1-888-667-0880 (toll free) or by email:justin_miyai@jflalc.org

Japanese Language Grant Programs for 2002/2003(via LA-Tokyo)
The Japan Foundation will administer the following
grant programs for 2002-2003 to support the development of Japanese language education in the UnitedStates. The Foundation’s Los Angeles Language
Center will accept all applications submitted within the
United States. All applications are due (postmark)December 1, 2001.
Some of these grant programs will be subject to prescreening conducted by a select Advisory Panel which
will convene in Los Angeles in January 2002. The final
determination for all grant applications will be made at
The Foundation’s Tokyo Headquarters. Applicants will
be notified of the results in April 2002.
Applications will be available by mid-September. For
further information and/or applications, please contact
Justin K. Miyai, Program Assistant at the following:
Justin K. Miyai, Program Assistant
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Language Center
2425 Olympic Boulevard, Suite 650E
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Email: justin_miyai@jflalc.org
Tel: (310) 449-0027 ext. 105;Toll free: 1-888-667-0880
Fax: (310) 449-1127

1) Support Program for Japanese Language
Courses Abroad:Two categories of support: (1) Salary Assistance:
designed to assist in the creation or expansion of afull-time teaching position up to an initial three-year
period to help cover personal expenses; (2) Support
for Courses: designed to partially assist the teaching staff’s salaries, in order to maintain the positions
for the year in question.
2) Support Program for Developing Networks ofJapanese Language Teachers and Institutions:
Designed to assist organizations/institutions in conducting research, seminars or workshops at the precollegiate level.
3) Japanese Language Teaching Materials Donation
Program:
Selected teaching materials from the JF’s list will be
donated to educational institutions. Please notethat effective this fiscal year, Japanese word

processors are no longer available through ourJapanese Language Teaching Materials Donation
Program. However, components may still be
requested.
4) Training Programs for Japanese Language
Teachers at the Japanese Language Institute,
Urawa in Japan:
Offering teachers opportunities to attend an intensive course in Japanese language and teaching
methodology. Four types of training: (1) Long-Term;(2) Short-Term; (3) Japanese Abroad (Zaigai Hojin
Kenshu); and (4) Three-Week Summer Intensive
course for teachers (non-Japanese) in the U.S.,
Canada, and the U.K., with a separate application
deadline of February 15, 2002.
5) Assistance Program for Japanese Language
Teaching Materials:
Offering financial assistance to publishers of printed
resources or audio-visual materials related toJapanese language education.
6) Japanese Language Education Fellowship
Program:
Fellows will be invited to the Japanese Language
Institute, Urawa in order to participate in cooperation with, or under the guidance of Japaneseexperts in (1) development of teaching resources;(2) teaching methods; and (3) research.
7) Japanese Speech Contest Support Program:
Intended to assist organizations in holding
Japanese speech contests by providing partial
financial support and prizes.
8) Japanese Language Program for Researchersat the Japanese Language Institute, Kansai inJapan:
Long-term intensive training courses in Japanesefor scholars or researchers who need to learn
Japanese for their academic research activities.
9) Japanese Language Program for Postgraduate
Students at the Japanese Language Institute,Kansai in Japan:
Intensive training courses in Japanese for postgraduate students who major in the social sciences or
the humanities and wish to improve their Japanese
language abilities.

Mini-Grant Programs
Mini-grant programs are emergency-type funds of a
relatively modest amount. They are screened andadministered by The Japan Foundation Los Angeles
Language Center (the JFLALC) with the primaryobjective of supporting K-12 level Japanese teachers
in the United States. Applications must be received by
the JFLALC at least 2 months prior to the starting dateof the project. The JFLALC will contact applicants
regarding the results 3 weeks prior to the project starting date. Applicants are encouraged to secure additional resources elsewhere to complete the desired
project. Specific programs include:
1. Workshop and Conference Grant ProgramThis grant is to assist Japanese teachers’ associations
hold a workshop or conference in the United States.
The grant amount will not exceed $2,000 per projectand may be less than the full amount requested (anapplicant may receive support for more than one suchproject during the course of a fiscal year). The grant isdesigned to subsidize the costs of hall and equipment
rentals, correspondence, printing and copying, lectur-ers’ travel allowance (if applicable), etc.
2. (NEW!) Domestic Travel Grant Program for K-12
Teachers
This grant program is intended to facilitate K-12 teachers’ participation in Japanese or foreign language
workshops/conferences held in the United States.
Priority will be given to presenters and delegates of
local Japanese teachers’ associations. Successful
candidates will be granted the cost of airfare (discountcoach class). An individual can be awarded this grant
only once per fiscal year (April 1 though March 31).
Please note that grant checks will be disbursed uponcompletion of the proposed activity and receipt of an
official activity and financial report. For a downloadable application, please see our website located at
http://www.jflalc.org or contact Justin K. Miyai,
Program Assistant at 1-888-667-0880 ext. 105 (tollfree) or by email justin_miyai@jflalc.org

SURVEY!
http://www.jflalc.org/ssv/index.html
Tell Us What You Think and Receive a 32% Discount Towards thePurchase of a Seiko Electronic Japanese Dictionary(Retail Price $220)
Purpose of this survey:
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Language Center (JFLALC) is interested in hearing from Japanese language learners on a variety of topics. Such a comprehensive student-oriented survey has never been
conducted to our knowledge.
To participate and receive a discount to purchase aJapanese electronic dictionary for just $149 (tax &shipping included) from our generous sponsor,
Seiko Instruments Austin, Inc., please complete thebrief questionnaire at http://www.jflalc.org/ssv/
index.html. You will receive the necessary discountinformation on the "Thank You" page following submission on-line.

The Kenkyusha Romanized
English<->Japanese
Dictionary is one of the mostcomprehensive and popular
dictionaries among those whoare studying Japanese as asecond language. This electronic dictionary can provide
over 20,000 Examples andIdioms. It will also prove usefulto those who want to speak,read and write everyday
Japanese. The Roman alphabet based dictionary is derived
on the standard Hepburn system with some modifications.

Disclaimer:
The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Language Center (the JFLALC) is a nonprofit organization engaged in solely non-commercial activities. The JFLALC receives no fees,
commissions, or any form of benefits through this campaign. All responsibilities associated with the sale of dictionaries are assumed by Seiko Instruments Austin, Inc.

B re ez e Fa l l 2 0 0 1 Q u a r t e r l y

FROM nihongo Library
Nihongo Library's New Acquisitions
続

教科書を作ろう：中等教育向け初級日本語素材集“Zoku Kyôkasho o Tsukurô”“Zoku Kyôkasho o Tsukurô” is the follow-up volume to “Kyôkasho o Tsukurô” developed and published by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa in 1999. This material is nota teaching material or textbook itself, but a collection of resources for creating textbooks andteaching materials for teachers who teach secondary-level learners of Japanese. Kyôkasho o
Tsukurô" is made up of 'Setsumei-hen (Grammar Notes)' and 'Rensyû-hen (Activities Book)',
together providing grammar notes, sample sentences, and activities to use as references whencreating textbooks and teaching materials. The Japan Foundation has also made them available
on-line at http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/urawa /j_rsorcs/jrs_04.html.

改訂版 話そう考えよう初級日本語事情"Hanasô Kangaeyô Shôkyu Nihongo Jijô"This is a revised and updated edition to the previously published one in 1997. The authors
attempt to introduce Japanese current affairs to adult language learners at the beginner’s level.
The main volume is divided into three parts, Seikatsu, Chiri, and Shakai. The supplementaryvolume of the teacher’s manual, “Kyoshiyo” is helpful to introduce topics in each chapter, andprovides tips for teaching them.

にほんごつぎの45じかん"Nihongo Tsugi no Yonjuugo Jikan"

Nihongo Library is a resource librar support Japanese language education in the
United States. Library membership isavailable for teachers of Japanese and forresearchers in the field. For further information regarding library policy, please
visit the library section of our web site.
Monday ~ Friday
10 am to 5 pm
Every 3rd Saturday ofthe month
1 to 5 pm
Holidays:
11/22, 11/23, 12/24,
12/25, 12/31, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3

As the title suggests, this is the following volume of
Nihongo Tsugi no Yonjuugo Jikan. This textbook, with
Renshu Mondai, and Kaisetsu to Honyaku volumes,
provides teaching material for teachers teaching students who need to learn the basics of conversation
with grammar in a relatively short period of time, forty
hours to sixty hours. The Kaisetsu to Honyaku volume has Spanish translation with English andPortuguese. This may make the material attractive toteachers who teach Spanish native speakers.

Open hours:

Members may request materials by
mail, fax, phone, or e-mail with theirlibrary card number. You can contact
the library by phone: (310) 449-0027; 1888-667-0880, fax: (310) 449-1127 ore-mail at nihongo@jflalc.org.

わかるビジネス日本語
Contemporary Business Japanese
The JETRO Business Japanese Proficiency Test is
the only test geared toward evaluating proficiency oflanguage skills in business settings. It is written forlearners who are at the beginning and/or intermediatelevel, and organized by situation and function with key
expressions. This textbook can be used to introduce“Business Japanese” and Japanese business customs. It may be suitable also for self-study, as it isaccompanied by an audio CD.

JAPAN IN A SUITCASE-- Reaching out to schools to introduce Japanese language and culture--The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Office &Language Center will launch a new support program for “Japan in a Suitcase,” originally initiated by
the Japan–America Societies. By supporting thisprogram, we would like to increase the number ofpre-collegiate schools interested in Japanese language and culture education, and we would also
like to support schools considering the start-up ofJapanese language education.
Our objective is to teach American primary school
hildren about the everyday lives of Japanese children by having them
participate in an interactive lesson for approximately one hour daily using
ems in the suitcase. It is designed for elementary students in the 3rd and4th grades. The hands-on nature of the curriculum is particularly suited for
his age group.
apanese and American volunteers are paired to visit schools in theirarea, and they will present a lesson using the suitcase, which is full of visual aids, such as picture panels, maps, charts, clothes, videos, magazines,
and so on. Students have opportunities to hear, speak, and write theapanese language. Activities such as wearing a Kimono and Geta (sandals for the Kimono), and using chopsticks deeply will attract students
because most of them have little or no previous exposure to Japan. In a
lassroom surrounded by many Japanese items, students will be able toexperience a little bit of Japan.
you would like a visit to your classoom, please contact the JapanAmerica Society nearest you. If theres no Japan-America Society in yourarea, and if you know an organization
which may take an interest in adminisering this program, please refer it to
us at (310)449-0027.

Participating Japan America Societies
Japan-America Society ofGeorgia
James Foster
404-524-7399
jasg@mindspring.com
Japan-America Society ofIndiana, INC
Theresa Kulczak
317-635-0123
jasi@iquest.net
Japan-America Society ofWest Michigan
Rick Oberle
616-962-4076
rickober@biz.serve.com"
Japan-America Society ofGreater Detroit andWindsorLiseann Gouin
313-596-0484
jas@detroitchamber.com
Japan-America Society ofWashington, D.C.
Yukiko Hino
202-833-2210
yhino@us-japan.org
Japan-America Society ofDallas/ Fort WorthAnna McFarland
214-761-1791
jasdfw@us-japan.org
Japan-America Society of
KentuckyJulie Blyth859-231-7533
info@jask.org
Japan-America Society ofOregonDixie McKeel

503-552-5636/5637
dmckeel@pdxchamber.org
sfuller@pdxchamber.org
Japan-America Society of
Florida, Inc.
Robert W. Payne
727-544-0217
BobLydiaP@aol.com
Japan-America Society of
HawaiiEarl Okawa
808-524-4450
eokawa@jashawaii.org
Japan-America Society of
New Mexico
Sumiko Leeper
505-821-0651
jasnm@flash.net
Japan-America Society ofColorado
Scott Shirai
720-748-9500
jascolorado@worldcet.att.n
etJapan-America Society ofPennsylvania
Elise S. Moersch412-433-5022
jasp@us-japan.org
Japan-America Society of
San Diego & Tijuana
Ritsuko Nakanishi
619-233-6873
ritsuko@sprintmail.com
Japan America Society of
Utah
Ken Ivory
801-326-0222
kivory@worldnet.att.net

Welcome! Ms. NakaIThe Japan Foundation Los Angeles Office and Language Center is pleased to announce
a new member to its staff, Ms. Mamiko Nakai as an Academic Specialist. Ms. Nakai
earned a Master’s degree in Linguistics at California State University, Northridge lastyear. Her duties will include supporting pre-collegiate teachers and reaching out toJapanese learners on a variety of new programs we are currently working on. Pleasewelcome her and feel free to ask her for any assistance.

ACTFL 2001 JapanFoundation Luncheon
ReminderFriends and educators of the Japanese language education field, don’t forget to make plans to join us at the Japan Foundation’s Annual Luncheon
during ACTFL 2001 in Washington D.C. Registration for both the conference and luncheon is currently ongoing until October 9. After that time,interested parties must register and purchase luncheon tickets on-site. For
more information, please contact Expoexchange, LLC at (301) 694-5243
or visit the ACTFL website, located at http://www.acftl.org.
This year’s luncheon will be held on Friday, November 16, from 12:30PM2:30PM in the Renaissance Hotel. What can luncheon participants lookforward to? Most definitely an appetizing meal and usual warm atmosphere, and hopefully, with the generosity of our invaluable supporters
another prized packed giveaway. See you shortly!

Winter Intensive Language
Program
MONTEREY INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES is pleased toannounce the Winter Intensive Language Program, January 3-19, 2002.
Group classes in Japanese are offered at the elementary and high-intermediate levels. The four-unit courses will meet 4.5 hours per day, MondayFriday. Monterey is a beautiful venue for language study in a supportive
small-class environment.
Application Fee: $50.

Tuition: $1000.

To receive an application and course description, contact: Custom
Language Services, Monterey Institute of International Studies, 425 Van
Buren St., Monterey, CA 93940; (831) 647-4115; FAX: (831) 647-3534. Email: silp@miis.edu.

If you have ever wondered how “I, as a teacher, can utilizeInternet access in my classroom for my students,” or questioned
if there is any dynamic way for your students to learn Japaneseculture and language online, then visit www.epals.com.
This classroom-exchange web site allows teachers and students
to search for adequate schools internationally in order to communicate directly via the Internet. Currently, 191 countries are participants, and 134 languages are spoken on this site.
One note: As a teacher, you are always concerned about your students having unknown e-pals. But, there is no such worry atwww.epals.com. Your students safely meet using moderated discussion boards and password-protected chat-rooms, and this site
monitors email accounts. This site includes great tools, such as
an instant translation function, but most of all, there are various
resources for teachers including lesson plans!

1. のどがかわいた少年（しょうねん）。自動販売機（じどうはんばいき）にコインをちゃりん。The thirsty boy inserts coins into thedrink machine with a clatter.
2. 缶（かん）ジュースはごろん。A can ofjuice drops down with a thud.
3. 缶をぷしゅっとあけて．．．Phssst! He opens
the can.
4. ごっくんごっくん一気（いっき）飲（の）み、犬（いぬ）もぺちゃぺちゃ水（みず）を飲む。He gulps down the drink in one go
while his dog laps up some water.

TheTO S H I H I S A TA NA K A , DI R E C TO R
TA K A S H I I M A I , DE P U T Y D I R E C TO R

ex t .
101
102

M A S A KO M I WA , OF F I C E SU P E RV I S O R

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NAO KO WATA NA B E , PRO G R A M AS S O C I AT E 1 0 4
J U S T I N MI YA I, PRO G R A M AS S I S TA N T

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MA M I KO NA K A I , AC A D E M I C A S S I S TA N T
R I M I YA N G , L I B R A R I A N

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E I I C H I I TO, L I B R A R I A N

108KE I KO MA RT I N , LI B R A RY AS S I S TA N T

118GR AC E K ATAO K A, RE C E P T I O N I S T

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Voice mail is engaged after 5:30 in the afternoon until
9:00 in the morning. Telephone and fax number isthe same for all staff.
Phone:
Toll Free:
Fax:
E-mail:(310) 449-0027
1-888-667-0880(310) 449-1127
jflalc@jflalc.org

Home page address:

http://www.jflalc.org

T H E J A PA N F O U N DAT I O N
L O S A N G E L E S L A N G UAG E C E N T E R
2425 Olympic Blvd., Suite 650E, Santa Monica, CA 90404

TO THE EDITOR!
Greetings “Breeze” subscribers! The Japan Foundation
Los Angeles Language Center invites the submission of
any Japanese language related messages. Submissions
should be made either in writing or via email andaddressed “To the Editor.” For your convenience, theFoundation will install a user feedback function on its website (http://www.jflalc.org) shortly. Once received andevaluated for content, every effort given the available
space will be made to publish the message in the following issue. Please note however, that the editor reserves
the final decision to publish a submitted message. It is our
sincere hope that this newly created section of the“Breeze” will inspire discussion and serve as a vibrant andinteractive tool for our readership.

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Standard
U.S. Postage

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