MAY 2023 | VOL. 12 | NO. 2

AATJ NEWSLETTER
全米日本語教育学会 American Association of Teachers of Japanese「光陰矢の如し」とはこのことでしょうか。
日本は桜も散って新緑の季節になりました。
私 自 身 も 15 名 を 引 率 し て 京 都 へ 行 き ま し たが、高校や大学の春休みを利用して日本へ学
生や生徒を引率された先生方も多かったようです。海外から自由に訪日できるような環境に戻って本当に良かったと実感しました。

In this issue...
OFFICERMESSAGES
FALL
CONFERENCEINFORMATIONNATIONAL
JAPANESE EXAMJNHS SPOTLIGHT
LEADERSHIPTRAINING REPORTJUNIOR JAPANBOWL REPORTAND MORE!

２月にAATJの会則が正式に改正され、副会長を２人（K-12教師からと大学教員から）選出
することになり、この秋の選挙では副会長（大学教員）と次期会長の２名の選挙が予定されています。仲間の教師のTeacher Awardへの推薦に加えて、秋の選挙への推薦もよろ
しくお願いします。また、今回の会則改正に
伴 い 、 DEI( 又 は DEIB)[Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion & Belonging, 多様性、衡平性、包括性、相互信頼性]を担当するディレクターが2 人 に な り ま し た 。 こ れ ま で の William
Matsuzaki 先 生 (K-12) に 加 え て Yasuko
SHINGO Takata-Rallings先生(大学)にお手伝いしてい
ただきます。DEIBに関するウェビナーも計画
SATSUTANI 中ですのでご期待ください。

Messagefrom thePresident

In February, AATJ’s Bylaws were officially revised and we will
establish a two Vice President (K-12 & College) system as well as
two positions (K-12 & College) for the DEIB-Director. A new Vice
president from the collegiate level will be elected this fall along witha new President-elect. Yasuko Takata-Rallings sensei has been
appointed as the new DEIB director and is closely working withthe current director, William Matsuzaki sensei. A DEIB-related
webinar is planned to be held soon, so stay tuned.
３月のボストンでの春の学会は久しぶりの対面での学会となり、スクリーンを通してではなく実際に会えて歓談できる喜びを味わえた先生方も多かったと思います。また、出展に協力してくださった方々からもポジティブな感想が多く、私たち役員一同ほっと胸をなでおろした次第です。一方、滞在費用や木曜日という平日開催などの関係で参加を見合わせざるを得な
かった先生方も多く、オンラインでできる「こじんまりした」学会の開催を視野に入れる機会にもなりました。ご意見ご要望に時間を割いて下さった先生方に改めて御礼申し上げます。
2024年には8月初めにウィスコンシン大学マジソン校にて日本語教育国際研究大会（テーマ:多様性と専門性）を共催する関係で対面による春の学会は見送る予定ですが、それに変わるような上記のオンライン「学会」を検討中です。また、この国際大会に関しては開催地であるウィスコンシン大学マジソン校の森先生がまとめ役となってご尽力なさっていますのでお楽しみに。
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In March, we finally had the opportunity to meet in-person at the AATJ Spring Conferencein Boston, and most participants enjoyed face to face sessions and reunion after the longhiatus. Many teachers could not attend due to scheduling conflicts on Thursday, as well as
financial difficulties so we will make sure that virtual workshops and conferences willcontinue to be held in the timely manner in the future.
There will be no AATJ Spring Conference in 2024. Instead, we are hosting “International
Conference on Japanese Language Education (ICJLE)” in Madison, Wisconsin on August
1st-3rd. Please stay tuned!
４月に入ってやや春らしさを増したとはいえ時折雪が舞う地元シカゴ郊外ではNational Council Of
Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL)の年次大会が開催され、26年前の立ち上げ当時に参加して以来で、今回はNCOLCTLの傘下組織の一つであるAATJを代表して出席しました。日本語は大学での外国語科目履修者としては5番目に多いのですが、Less Commonly Taught Languages (マイナー言語)の定義はK-12の外国語科目としてどのぐらい普及しているかが指標となっています。「スペイン語、ドイツ語、フランス語」以外の言語ということでしょうか。全米各地でK-12の日本語プロ
グラムが存続の危機に直面している今、言語関係の教師が協力して全米での言語教育の拡充を目指して い き た い も の で す 。 今 回 の 高 見 前 会 長 の 参 加 教 師 全 員 を 前 に し た ”Exploration of Teaching
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in the Language Classroom”と題した講演に刺激された教師も多かったようです。この学会には多くの大学院生やまだ教師歴の浅い若い先生方が参加されているので、日本語関係の大学院生や大学のジュニアファカルティにもお勧めです。今回は多くの韓国語関係の発表が目をひきました。2024年の春はAATJの春の学会はありませんから、このNCOLCTL学会は全国レベルでの発表の機会としても最適ではないでしょうか。来年の春もこのシカゴ郊外で開催される予定なので日本語関係の発表が増えることを期待しています。ACTFLのPatel会長とNCOLCTLのSchleicher代表理事とも懇談しました。
In April, I had a great opportunity to attend the annual conference of NCOLCTL near
Chicago as an AATJ representative. AATJ has been an important board member since theestablishment of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL).
AATJ Immediate Past President, Tomoko Takami sensei, presented “Exploration ofTeaching Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity in the Language Classroom” at one of the
Plenary Sessions, and her presentation received positive feedback from many participants.
There were many graduate students (future teachers) and junior faculty of colleges anduniversities who presented many different topics enthusiastically. In particular, many
Korean language related sessions caught my attention, and I myself am thinking of making
a presentation next year, as we will not hold the AATJ Spring Conference. I strongly
encourage you to consider presenting some Japanese related issues at this conference in
2024.

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During the conference, I was lucky to have a chance to talk with current ACTFL President,
Akash Patel as well as NCOLCTL Executive Director, Antonia Schleicher (with my rusty
Swahili).
5月に入ると、高校ではいよいよAP試験です。APクラスを教えていてまだAATJのAP SIGに参加されていない先生方は是非ご参加ください。AP SIGは月例オンラインワークショップを実施し、意見交
換、試験対策、アイデア共有など活発に活動しています。AP SIG参加ご希望の方はSIG代表のアベロ
先生 (avellosensei@gmail.com)までご連絡ください。なお、月例オンラインワークショップ参加者
へはPD Certificate(プロフェッショナルディベロップメント参加証明書)もAATJから発行しています。
May is the month of the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam, and I hope many
students will take it and score well. There have been monthly AP SIG virtual meetings
where many teachers can help with each other by sharing ideas and thoughts. If you areinterested, join the AP SIG by contacting Mieko Avello at avellosensei@gmail.com. AATJ
provides Professional Development Certificate for each session upon request.
春学期も大詰めを迎えて忙しくなる中、夏期講座、生徒学生訪日引率、秋学期のクラスなど様々な準備をなさっていると思いますが、過労とならぬよう十分に配慮しながら夏を乗り切りましょう。個人
的には学生引率を兼ねて６月中旬から８月初めまで京都にいますので、京都にお越しの際は是非、
satsutan@cod.edu までご連絡ください。
全員参加の「全米日本語教育学会」を目指して引き続き頑張りますのでよろしくお願いします。

Messagefrom theVice
President

五月の風に心躍らされる季節となりました。皆様のご支援のおかげで、早いもので副会長として1年4ヶ月が経ちました。全米の地域教師会のつながりをより強固にすることを目的とし、第２弾として５月6日にズームを活用したア
フィリエイトMeet & Greetミーティングを開催いたしました。多くの教師会
役員の方々が集まり、日本語プログラムのフェードアウトの現状と対策、そして、夏休み中に行う教師会活動を通して運営の強化、改善につながるアイ
ディアや事例について有意義な意見交換が行われました。今後もアフィリエ
イトの連帯と発展を目指し、定期的に開催していく予定です。秋に開催されるAATJの学会（ACTFL）では、シカゴで多くの先生方とお会いできることを心待ちにしています。TEACHER AWARDも引き続き実施しておりますので、自薦他薦問わずぜひご応募ください。また、新人教師の皆様には、CHENG & TSUI プ ロ フ ェ ッ シ ョ ナ ル ・ デ ベ ロ ッ プ メ ン ト ・ グ ラ ン ト とCULTR 初回カンファレンス参加者向けグラントが提供されています。詳細
については、AATJのホームページをご覧いただければ幸いです。

MIEKO AVELLO

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Annual Fall Conference ACTFL 2023 in Chicago
NOBUAKI TAKAHASHI, YUKO PREFUME,JAIME TATEYAMA GUSMAN & JUNKO TOKUDA SIMPSONFALL CONFERENCE CO-DIRECTORSThe AATJ Fall Conference will be held during the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL) Annual Convention and World Languages Expo from Friday, November 17th through Sunday,
November 19th, 2023 in Chicago.
AATJ will host thirteen sessions and six paper presentations, including three practice-oriented papers and threeresearch-oriented papers. The complete schedule will be posted at https://www.aatj.org/conferences-fall in June.

Session/Papers supported by AATJ (accepted by ACTFL)
Ordered by proposal number
Sessions (45 minutes)
Core Practices: How HS-AP and College Teachers Perceive the Pandemic Effect

268 Kiyomi Chinen, California State Univ. Long Beach; Shingo Satsutani, College of Dupage;
Yoshiko Saito-Abbott, California State University Monterey Bay

Accent Training in Japanese to Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

397 Vance Schaefer, The University of Mississippi; Tamara Warhol, The University of Mississippi;
Kaoru Ochiai, The University of Mississippi

Let’s Motivate Unenthusiastic Learners Using “Nudges” Low-Cost Intervention

587 Mieko Avello, Miami Palmetto Senior High School;

Kazue, Masuyama, California State University, Sacramento
Fostering a Sense of Speaker Legitimacy as Language Teachers and Learners

708 Shinsuke Tsuchiya, Brigham Young University

New Challenging Education will Change the Ordinary Education Style

904 Masayo Ohyama, United Nations International School;
Kazuo Tsuda, United Nations International School

910

The Power of Genius Hour: Quest for Students’ Curiosity and Wonder
Junko Tokuda Simpson, Univ. of California, San Diego; Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku, Univ. of California, San Diego;
Izumi Takeda, Univ. of California, San Diego
Corroborate Open Educational Resources to Create K-16 Japanese Language Art

1167 Kazuo Tsuda, United Nations International School;
Naomi Asakura, Harvard University

Cooking in the Classroom: Scaling Lessons for All Proficiency Levels

1171 Coral Bishop, Columbus North International School, Columbus City Schools;
Dawn Hasselbach, Columbus City Schools

We Authors for Second Language Writing - Student Tadoku Book Project

1620 Kazuko Saito, Clarkstown CSD and CUNY;

Mieko Sperbeck, Adelphi University and John Jay College of Criminal JusticeUsing Authentic Materials for Extensive Listening & Reading for All Levels

1633 Junko Hosoi, Aragon High School;

Susan Watson, Long Beach Polytechnic High School4

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Enhancing Problem-Solving Skills through Business Case Studies

1645 Yoshiko Mori, Georgetown University

AP Japanese: How to Enhance Student Performance on the Exam

1716 Koji Tanno, University of Kentucky

Curriculum Development:Integrating Proficiency, Culture, Diversity, & SDGs

1739 Suwako Watanabe, Portland State University
Practice-Oriented Papers (15 minutes)

Teaching Japanese Gender Pragmatics in an Online Environment

1050 Natalia Konstantinovskaia, University of California Los Angeles

21st Century Skills and Learning to Contribute in Advanced Japanese Class1128 Sachiko Hiramatsu, Brown University

Learning from Kodomo Shokudo Virtual Exchange Service-Learning

1801 Yuko Prefume, Baylor University
Research-Oriented Papers (15 minutes)

Experiences on a Remote Island in Japan: A Sociolinguistic Norm Perspective

493 Masaki Minobe, Purdue University

The Impact of Japanese Refusal Instructions on Learners' Pragmatic Choices

530 Bo Zhan, Carnegie Mellon University

The Role of Community Colleges in the Rise of Japanese Enrollment in the US

1114 Tomonori Nagano, LaGuardia Community College, and CUNY

The goal of the ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languages Expo is to provide a comprehensive
professional development experience that will have an impact on language educators at all levels of teaching andin turn enable their students to succeed in their language learning process. The ACTFL Annual Convention andWorld Languages Expo is where language educators from around the world come to meet! This global event canbring language educators from distinct languages, levels, and assignments together, and learn from each other!
During the 2023 ACTFL Annual Convention, AATJ will be having their Affiliate Meeting, Award Luncheon,
General Meeting and Reception where you can connect with other teachers and have a chance to receive door
prizes. In the exhibition area, AATJ will also be in the Japan Pavilion with other vendor booths where you canparticipate in cultural activities. Vendors such as Kinokuniya, The Japan Times and JPT America are a few thatwill be in the Japan Pavilion. Please come to the conference to learn, bond and experience all that the ACTFL
Convention and AATJ has to offer.

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Teachers visiting one of the booths at theJapan Pavilion during 2022 ACTFL
Convention

Teachers with their creations after
learning and experiencing Chigiri-e at the2022 ACTFL Convention

Teachers at the 2022 AATJ Awards
Luncheon

Winners of the Kanji Poster Door Prizes atthe 2022 AATJ General Meeting

Registration
Registration is already open! Please check the ACTFL site for further details. AATJ is a Convention Partner
Organization and you can register at a member rate.
https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo

Full Convention:
Onsite + Digital

Early Bird
(By 7/12/23)

Advanced(10/25/23)

Late(After 10/25/23)

Member

$295

$325

$425

Non-Member

$445

$475

$575

Presenter (Membership Required)

$245

$275

$375

Student

$145

$160

$210

One Day
Onsite Only

Early Bird
(By 7/12/23)

Advanced(10/25/23)

Late(After 10/25/23)

Member

$280

$310

$410

Non-Member

$415

$445

$545

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To register for the ACTFL Convention, please go to this website: https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo andclick on the “Get Registered” button. If you are a current AATJ member, be sure to scroll down the ACTFL 2023
Registration page and use “Convention Partner Organization Registration” under Option 2 in order to register at
the lower member rate.

Stipend Award Program
To apply, please go to https://www.actfl.org/convention-and-expo/stipend-award-program.
ACTFL sponsors this Stipend Award program to provide financial assistance in the amount of $500 to registrants
for the Full Convention in the following categories to help offset ACTFL 2022 Convention expenses.

Housing
For details regarding hotel reservations, please go to https://registration.experientevent.com/showAFL231
Official Hotels:
Marriott Marquis Chicago-Headquarter Hotel Hyatt Regency McCormick Place$273 Single / Double$271 Single / Double
Hampton Inn Chicago McCormick Place$235 Single / Double

Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place$239 Single/ Double

Home 2 Suites by Hilton McCormick Place (3 night minimum)$235 Single / Double
For best availability and immediate confirmation, make your reservation online. Requests received via fax ormail may take longer to process. All hotel requests are processed on an availability basis. Please note that the
Destination DC/Passkey is ACTFL’s official housing company. Also, please note that no one will contact you
directly via phone/email to book your hotel room(s) or offer you a “special discounted conference rate.” There
are multiple scamming companies that call and/or email exhibitors claiming to represent ACTFL housing. To beclear, these companies are in no way affiliated with ACTFL. Please disregard any calls or emails you may receive.

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Language Advocacy Day 2023

ANN JORDANJNCL-NCLIS is the Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages andInternational Studies, the most powerful advocate language educators have in Washington, D.C. Each February,
JNCL-NCLIS organizes Language Advocacy Day (https://www.languagepolicy.org/lad), an event that brings together
language advocates and representatives of organizations such as AATJ from all over the country to push their state
senators and local congresspeople to support legislation that will strengthen programs and increase multilingualism in
the United States.
The mission of JNCL-NCLIS is to “assure that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one otherlanguage”. Language Advocacy Day is our chance to speak with a unified, organized voice to the decision makers.
Attendees represent their individual states as well as specific organizations. This year, AATJ was represented by
Susan Schmidt, Junko Tokuda Simpson, and myself. And, former AATJ Advocacy Director Kazumi YamashitaIverson, was there representing Connecticut language teachers.
We each joined our individual state’s teams to persuade our state senators and congressional representatives tosupport the following legislation and initiatives that impact language education nationwide, asking them to:
Support the World Language Education Assistance Program (World LEAP), which would establish an innovative
world language grant program at the US Dept. of Education.
Support the BEST (Bilingual Educational Seal and Teaching) Act, to provide funding for equitable
implementation of the Seal of Biliteracy for ALL students.
Support and pass the reintroduced Paul Simon Study Abroad Act, which would increase the overall number ofundergraduate students studying abroad, as well as increase opportunities to more minority, first generation,community college, and students with disabilities.
Approve additional funding for the World Language Advancement and Readiness Act (WLARA), which provides
multi-year grants for innovative language programs at K-12 school districts with ROTC programs, with 75% of
the funding going to programs for languages considered critical to national security.
Approve additional funding for the recently established Native American Language Resource Center at the Dept.
of Education.
In addition, if the legislator was not already a member of the America’s Languages Caucus, we made a personal
appeal to join. Is your local lawmaker a member? Check the list at the bottom of this link to see if yourcongressperson or senator has signed on. If not, ask them to join! https://www.languagepolicy.org/americaslanguages
Since 2020, Language Advocacy Day has
been held virtually, so no one has to leave
home to join this important effort. Being
able to meet one on one in a Zoom withyour state representative about theimportance of language education is a very
special opportunity. I hope others willconsider attending, because each one of us
is an advocate, not just for Japanese, but
for the teaching of all languages.

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JNHS Raises the Next Generation Leaders- Los Gatos HS Spotlight

KUMI KOBAYASHIJNHS CO-DIRECTOR

It’s May. This is our most hectic and stressful time of the year. But it is also time for us to celebrate how much ourstudents learned and what we, as teachers, accomplished. Being a co-advisor for the Japanese Honor Society hastaught me so much more about our students. As we plan and host events, I get to hear their creative ideas, and see
their leadership and collaboration skills grow which I cannot witness as much in day-to-day classroom activities. For
example, our officers learn from each other during the planning of our annual film festival in January, executing thetasks on the day, and reflecting on what went on.
As the current officers complete their terms, we interview the next
year’s candidates. In the process of preparing the questions andconducting the interviews, the current officers take charge. The
advisors are there to give feedback and directions as needed. I get
to see how mature the officers have become and how much theycare about the JNHS. We had ten members apply for the six officer
positions this year. The current officers notified the result of theinterview to each candidate and introduced the new officers at a
meeting at the end of April. That was the last meeting led by thecurrent officers and the new officers will lead the meetings in May.
If your school does not have the Japanese National Honor Society
yet, I strongly recommend that you start a chapter. JNHS will help
your program to be more successful and stable, and the officers andmembers will help you get through a hectic and challenging school
year. Let me share a quote from one of this year’s JNHS CoPresident, Sarah Aceves, a senior, about her experience with the
JNHS at Los Gatos High School.
"Throughout my whole high school career, I was a part of theJapanese National Honors Society (JNHS). Each and every year I
hold a special memory and I am so happy that I was able toparticipate as an active member all four years of my high school life.
Even when seniors would leave the next year, there were always
new members who joined the club and it was truly amazing to see
everyone come together again and build friendships and a close
community with everyone’s similar interests. Throughout COVID
and quarantine, the club still persevered and held on tightly. JNHS isa place to learn, build community, and gain experience forvolunteering and taking part in big events such as the annual Haiku
Holiday Film Faire fundraiser. JNHS has become a big inspiration to
me to explore more about Japanese culture and how I could use mylearnings into my life. JNHS is a welcoming home and I’m sograteful for being able to be a part of the beautiful society."

JNHS prepared Kendama and Origami
booths during the Diversity Week
in April 2023

JNHS hosted the annual Haiku Holiday Film
Faire in January 2023 at the Los Gatos HighSchool theater

Japanese
National
Honor
Society
Left: Tug-of-war during our first Undokai
JNHS hosted in October 2023
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CC at UNT: Go North Texan! To a Brighter StageJNHS - University of North Texas SpotlightYAYOI TAKEUCHIJNHS CO-DIRECTOR

2023 marks the 14th year since the establishment of the Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) at the Universityof North Texas (UNT) in Spring 2010. We have inducted over 120 members into our local chapter since then. Our
inductees go stronger in their career fields in the US, Japan, and the rest of the world. Through the time of crisis
during the pandemic, our chapter has survived its livelihood and is even stronger, especially since the face-to-faceactivities resumed on campus and beyond.
Activities every semester of the year vary: Community outreach, fundraiser, language and cultural events,
volunteering at local festivals, Presentation Day, etc. The students have started more outreach activities recent years.
They have visited a nursing home in the community to share Japanese culture; they have also reached a business inthe community to coordinate a fundraiser together.
The members of the JNHS feeder student organization sometimes serve as assistants of Japanese teachers in class orat conversation tables. They sometimes tutor and peer-mentor fellow Japanese language students. The members areserving in various aspects of the learner community as well as assisting the demands of the Japanese program at
UNT. The students are certainly a vital group to Japanese learners and inspire and support the growing number ofstudents who major in Japanese at UNT. Some of them are hired as the Japanese program Departmental lab TA
and/or tutors to gain valuable teaching experience. Some volunteer to assist the activities of the Japanese programand instructors to gain experiences through this service.
JNHS at UNT has thus active members in the feeder student organization. 20+ students are registered in theorganization in the current academic year. In addition to the strong number of the community, study abroad students
from Japan often join the weekly meetings / activities, which makes the participants numbers average 30-40 eachtime, according to the officers.
One of the highlights of the activities each semester is Presentation
Day. Students have started to conduct a poster session styled
presentation since Fall 2022, instead of the traditional “onepresenter at a time” in the front. The poster session style drew a lotof audiences in active movements in the given time. The Japanese
instructors are also invited to the Presentation Day and able to visit
and talk to the presenters whose interests range from linguistics,
literature to a variety of Japanese traditional and contemporary
culture. Some students demonstrate their artistic talents, too, in thedrawing and illustrations on their posters. This opportunity oflanguage use is also designed for beginning level students. They can
select and recite their favorite poems, haiku, read aloud a story of
their choice, or recite their short essay that they created for thesemester with visual aids to boost communication.
There are students who created video presentations and agreed toshare their interests in kanji, Japanese study tips, or on the topic of
IT genre.
Here are their links:

日本の技術革新
漢字のいい勉強アプリ
日本語勉強の助言
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In the middle of each semester, the nomination process starts for those who are to be inducted into JNHS-CC at
UNT. The graduating students of the semester are identified and are followed-up with nominations, applications, andinterviews. We had five inductees successfully inducted to JNHS in Spring 2023. Families and friends are invited tothe induction ceremony. It is always nice to meet the families and share the students’ proud achievements. There aremany first-generation college students at UNT, some of which are in our JNHS chapter.

Each year, the students are leaving their legacy in the Honor Society
activities and make their departures to the bigger and brighter world.
Some of the recent JNHS members are found in Japan. Many serve as
JET Program Assistant Language Teachers, ALTs. We have JNHS
alumni in Kobe, Nara, Osaka, Yamanashi, Chiba, to name a few. We
also have a Coordinator of International Relations, CIR, in Sapporo.
Other areas of JNHS members’ career fields are, for example, JapanAmerica Society of Dallas Fort-Worth, Japanese businesses and schools
in Dallas Fort-Worth metroplex. One unique example is a member
from 10 years ago who has been working as a voice actor of Japanese
media. Also, some members of the first JNHS group from 2010 havebeen in teaching and researching in academia. Two came back to UNT
for their post doctorate teaching in recent years. We will see this year’s
inductee, Guillory-san, who will be working in the IT field; she isaspiring to pass the JLPT level 1 in the near future.
One last message I’d like to share is from a member who was inducted
in 2017, Afshar-san, who is working as a CIR in Sapporo; he sent hisvideo message to his junior members for the Spring 2023 induction.
Please watch the message at the following link.

Japanese
National
Honor
Society

Although our active chapter may face challenges in the years to come, I
trust and believe that our alumni and JNHS network will continue tostrongly encourage each other and value individual initiatives inprojects and in their career. They can serve themselves by serving
others. I hope the shared words and visions of the members of JNHS
at UNT will continue to inspire the junior students and people insociety at large.
大学を出て、世界に出れば時には大変なこともあります。しかし、自分を信じる心を大切に、JNHSメンバーとしての誇りを持ち、たゆまぬ前進の歩を進めていってほしいと願っています。そして、アドバイザーとして、スポンサーとして、JNHSCC at UNTのメンバーや在学中の先輩後輩たちが様々な分野で活躍し、人々を助けていけるのを楽しみにしています。
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2022-23 Advanced Leadership Training Report

YOSHIKO SAITO-ABBOTTPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
The first cohort of the Advanced Leadership Training program had its final meeting via Zoom on April 29, 2023.
The group first met more than two years ago, and worked in pairs and groups over many months to plan andcarry out projects that contributed to their schools, their state teachers’ organizations, or their community.
This program, sponsored by AATJ and the Japan Foundation-Los Angeles, began on November 6th-7th, 2021,
with two-day follow-up sessions held on February 19th-20th, 2022, and on July 30th, 2022. During the final
follow-up meeting on April 29th, each group reported on their successful outcomes and the lessons learned fromthe activities, challenges, and strategies for sustainability.
These groups faced the challenges of virtual collaboration head-on, and reported many successes along withdisappointments and frustrations.
The projects are summarized in the table below. Congratulations to all the participants on the completion of
their innovative projects!!
PROJECT NAMEPARTICIPANTS

ゆるキャラコンテスト

Yoko Sakurauchi, Pacific University,
Portland State University (OR)

Planting a Seed & Growing a Vision:
Living & Working in Japan

Carla Swick, Palmer HS (AK)GATJ Senpai Talk:
What career can you have after studying Japanese?

Aya McDaniel, Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)

「みんなでじぇぱでぃ！
コミュニティと繋がろう！」

Naoko Ozaki, Rice University (TX);
Yuko Prefume, Baylor University (TX)

みんなが繋がろう、みんなで繋がろう、
サステイナブルな日本語コミュニティー

Ryan Christie, Elk Grove HS (IL);
Noriko Taira Yasohama, Northwestern Univ. (IL)

お助け隊掲示版

Yukino Tanaka Goda, Ursinus College (Pennsylvania);
Soichiro Motohashi, Western Carolina Univ. (NC);Kyoko Hammond, Univ. of Tennessee at Martin (TN);Nichole Mayfield, South County HS (VA)

つながろう！日本語コミュニティ in Wisconsin（Japanese language communities in Wisconsin:
Let's collaborate!)

Magara Maeda, Univ. of Wisconsin-River Falls (WI);
Patricia Breun, Madison Country Day School (WI)

無理をしないで小さいことでいいから、つながろう！

Rika Ito, St. Olaf College (MN);
Hiroko Nagai, Memorial HS & North HS (MN)

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MAY 2023

2023 Junior Japan Bowl Report

SCHOOLS
Brandon Middle School, VA（初）By Noriko Otsuka, Fox Mill Elementary School, VA

Elkins Pointe Middle School, GA

全米の小中学生による日本語と日本文化の知識を競うナショナル・ジュニアジャパンボウルが４月２８日（金）Fox Mill Elementary School, VAにオンラインで開催されました。第７回目の開催となる今年は、全米八州にある合計２４校より３８０名の生徒

Franklin Sherman Elementary School, VAが参加し、熱戦が繰り広げられました。ジュニアジャパンボウルはチーム戦で行われ、生徒は二人～三人のチーGreat Falls Elementary School, VA

ムで、Kahootに参加します。今年のトピックは、日本語（挨拶・教室で使う表現・擬音語・擬態語・ことわ

Hayfield Secondary School, VAざ・漢字）、文学（昔話）、歴史（飛鳥・奈良・平安・鎌倉）、宗教（寺・神社）、大衆文化（ゲーム・伝承遊

Independence Middle School, VAび）、学校文化でした。さらに新たな試みとして、順位を競う大会後に、レベルごとの参加者がランダムにチーInternational Charter Academy of Georgia, GA

ム分かれ、大会の問題を復習しながらミッション達成を遂行するという機会を設けました。こちらは、kahootJames Cooper Middle School, VA

ゲームモードを使用しましたが、学校や州を超えて全員参加の一体感を感じることができたようです。対面授業

Jane Addams Junior High School, ILが本格的に再開した今年度の大会では、メンバーが集まって参加するチームが増え、大会後のアンケートでもKelly Middle School, OR

チームメートと助け合った楽しさに関するコメントが多数寄せられました。

Landstown Middle Schoo, VA

（初）

（初）

MAATJ地域の日本語教育関係者とK-16の教員が構成するJ-LEARN（Japaese Language（初）
Larkspur Middle School, VA （初）Lynnhaven Middle School, VA （初）Education Advocacy & Resource Network)は、DEIへの配慮から、参加費無料を基本とし、Milwaukee Doyokai Japanese Saturday School,

学校ごとの参加チーム数の制限も設定ぜず、マスコットもジェンダーフリーを意識したものへとデザインを改めWIました。また、先生方が教室で使いやすく、また生徒が自主学習しやすいGoogle Slideのスタディーガイ

Mt. Tabor Middle School, OR

ド、さらに、トピックごとのQuizletやKahoot等をボランティアが作成し、全教材を公開提供しました。

Omni International School, GA

また、大会前には無料の勉強会やソフトウェア練習会を設け、参加者のサポートを行いました。

Presidio Middle School, CA
Rachel Carson Middle School, VA

このような開かれた大会の開催を実現できたのは、ワシントン日米協会、国際交流基金ロサンゼルス日本文化セ

Richmond Elementary School, OR

ンター、ワシントン商工会財団、ジョージワシントン大学東アジア国立リソースセンター、及びブルボンUSAをSouth Academy of International Languages, NC

はじめとする多数の団体・企業の皆様によるもので、主催者一同心より感謝申し上げます。今年は、日本大使館

Thomas Dooley Elementary School, IL

より個人・チーム上位５チームに日英語での賞状が贈られ、サポーターの皆様のご寄付により参加者全員に日本

Washington Japanese Heritage Center, MDのお菓子や文房具が配布されました。また、大会開会式ではワシントン日米協会が主催する高校生の全米ジャパ

Washington Japanese Language School, MD

ンボウル参加者からの応援メッセージが届けられ、またジャパンボウルの同窓生がロゴやマスコットのデザインを担当したことにより、小学生から高校生までのジャパンボウルの繋がりを感じる大会となりました。
最後に、ポストコロナの過渡期で生徒の精神的なサポートや、遅れた学習を取り戻すべく激務をこなしていらっ
しゃるにもかかわらず、貴重なお時間を割いて生徒のジャパンボウル参加をご支援くださいました先生方や保護者の皆様へ心よりお礼申し上げます。今後とも皆様のお声を聞きながらよりよい大会になるよう工夫を重ねて参りますので、ボランティアによる手作りの大会、そして日本が大好きな小中学生を引き続き応援してください
ますようよろしくお願いたします。

2023 Program

2023 NATIONAL JUNIOR JAPAN BOWL REPORTJ-LEARN Website

MAY 2023

2023 Junior Japan Bowl Report
Translated by Nichole Mayfield, South County HS, VA

Our New Mascots

The 7th National Junior Japan Bowl was held online on Friday, April 28, 2023, where elementary and junior high school students from allover the United States competed over knowledge of the Japanese language and culture. 380 students from a total of 24 schools spanningeight states participated in this year's event. A fierce competition unfolded. The Junior Japan Bowl is a team competition. Students
participate in teams of two to three players via Kahoot digital games. The topics this year covered the Japanese language (greetings,
classroom expressions, onomatopoeia, mimetic words, proverbs, Kanji), literature (folktales), history (Asuka, Nara, Heian, Kamakuraeras), religion (temples, shrines), popular culture (modern and traditional games), and school culture. This year a new element was added
to the Junior Japan Bowl. The main competition determines individual and team winners. Immediately following the main competition,
participants reviewed the competition questions by playing one of the newer styles of Kahoot games (Color Kingdoms and Tallest Tower).
For these games, students were randomly divided into teams, thus being able to partner with participants from other schools and states.
This built a sense of unity for participants across the country. Face-to-face schooling has resumed in earnest, and the number of teams
where members were able to gather and participate together has increased. From the post-tournament survey, there were many
comments about how fun it was to be able to be together with team members and help one another.
J-LEARN (Japanese Language Education Advocacy & Resource Network) is composed of Japanese language education officials and K-16
teachers in the MAATJ area. Taking DEI in consideration, Junior Japan Bowl participation is free of charge, there is no limit on the numberof participating teams for each school, and the mascot was changed to a gender-free design. Volunteers created Google Slide study
guides that teachers can easily use in the classrooms and that students can use to study on their own. Volunteers also made separate
Quizlets and Kahoots to cover the content of each topic. Addition, J-LEARN held free study sessions and software practice sessions prior
to the competition to support the participants.
The Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C. The Japan Foundation Los Angeles, The Japan Commerce Association of Washington DC
Foundation, George Washington University East Asia National Resource Center, Bourbon USA, and BC Mini (Iwako USA) are among themany partner organizations that make the Junior Japan Bowl possible. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all theorganizations that supported this event. This year, the Embassy of Japan presented certificates in Japanese and English to the top fiveteam and individual winners. Donations of Japanese sweets and stationery from event supporters allowed all participants to receive
prizes. The opening ceremony of the Junior Japan Bowl was filled with messages of support from the high schoolers who participated in
the National Japan Bowl, a Japan America Society of Washington, D.C.-sponsored event. A National Japan Bowl alumni designed the logo
and mascot of the Junior Japan Bowl. The connection between events is tremendous.
Finally, J-LEARN would like to express its sincere gratitude to all the teachers and parents who sacrificed their time and efforts for JuniorJapan Bowl participants. This is in light of the stresses of the current post-coronavirus transitional period, which requires the hard workof providing students with mental support and educational catch-up from interrupted schooling. As J-LEARN continues to strive toincorporate feedback to improve the Junior Japan Bowl, let's together further support for student learning and understanding of Japan.

WINNING TEAMSLEVEL 1

1

（GR.1-3）

NOAH DELMANZO & ROCCO SMITH
GREAT FALLS ES, VA

LEVEL 2

（GR.4-6）

LEVEL3（GR.7-8)

CHRISTOPHER KIM & RINA POTLURI &VIVIENNE SUNG,GREAT FALLS ES, VA

JAMIE SCHEID & SANA RODRIGUEZ
COOPER MS, VA

MURPHY & MAHIRA CHINTAPALLI &2 CAYDENRYAN
SIEGEL, FOX MILL ES, VA

DREW ATKINS & ERIK SANDNESS &GRACESON CHAN, FOX MILL ES, VA

DELIA SILKER & RINA SATSUTANIJANE ADDAMS JUNIOR HIGH, IL

3

ELLIE ZHAO & SACHI POTLURI & ZAC SUNGGREAT FALLS ES, VA

EMMA TRAN & MADELEINE YAPPEL &MIKA TOSCANO, FOX MILL ES, VA

HANNA BUSCH & JENESSA BABORJANE ADDAMS JUNIOR HIGH, IL

4

VERONIKA SANTOS & MONA ZADAFOX MILL ES, VA

EMMA JANIN & MAGNOLIA THOMPSONMILLY TRAN, FOX MILL ES, VA

BENJAMIN SCHUETZE & LEWIS HICKMAN &LUKE BAKER, JANE ADDAMS JH, IL

ANDREW CHO & ANNABELLE CHAN &MALAYA BRILEY, FOX MILL ES, VA

AIDEN SHEFSTAD & SYDNEY GODOY
ELKINS POINTE MS, GA

BALLA & HELENA DOCKERY &5 SANAIEDEN
PATTERSON, OMNI INT'L SCHOOL, GA

2023 NATIONAL JUNIOR JAPAN BOWL REPORTMAY 2023

VOICES FROM AUDIENCE AND CONTESTENTS

I love that it provides the students with wonderful,enriching experiences: learning about the JapaneseThank you for your commitment and continued It was very organized, and the students felt theylanguage, history, and culture; working towards awere included and connected with all the
support to see the Jr. Japan Bowl continue
goal; working on a team towards an academic goal;
throughout our FCPS Elementary, Middle and participants! Thank you for making the event fun! I
appreciate you showing student photos and teacher developing study habits; developing skills such as
High School Japanese programs, joining
persistence, patience, and good sportsmanship.
messages and doing a fun game at the end! It wastogether with language learning across thegreat to see them competing on Youtube live! I loved (parent)
nation and world. I particularly enjoyed theChildren get a chance to connect their knowledge ofstudent joining in live and synchronous and the the digital program that you provided this year! It
warm introductions and thumbs up from many was a great program for me to show to the school the Japanese language with Japanese culture andand the community (I shared it with the WL specialist challenge each other in a friendly environment.
of our FCPS teachers.
(parent)
in the county, the Consulate General of Japan in(Christina Andros-Fairfax County Public
The things that I liked most were: one, it was pushing
Atlanta, etc.) It was a great tool to advocate my
Schools World Language Coordinator, VA)
me to do my best, and two, it gave out prizes for
program. (Miyuki Johnson, Elkins Pointe MS, GA)
It would﻿be more fun to go back to Japan now rather everyone so that even if you didn't get on the podium,
you'd still get awesome prizes. (student)
than when I went before Jr. Japan Bowl. (Student)

REMARKS

KOICHI AI
Minister and Head of
Chancery, Embassy of JapanRYAN SHAFFER
President of the Japan-America
Society of Washington DC

YASUKO UCHIDA
Director of the JapanFoundation Los Angeles

AKIHIKO USUIJapan Commerce Association of
Washington DC

SHINGO SATSUTANIPresident of American Associationof Teachers of Japanese

AMANDA EARLS

Level 1 Teachers & National
Japan Bowl Senpai

Level 2 Teachers & National
Japan Bowl Senpai

Level 3 Teachers & National
Japan Bowl Senpai

J-LEARN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

George Washington University East
Asia National Resource Center

SUPPORTERS

Amanda Earls
George Washington
University East Asia
National Resource Center
Study Material Support

Kanon Van Keuren
North Carolina State
University
Study Material Support

Maya Rodriguez
Langley High School, VA
Video Editing

Kioko Letteney
South Lakes HighSchool, VA
Study Material Support

JAPANESE LANGUAGE EUCATION ADVOCACY & RESOURCE NETWORK J-LEARNM A YA P2 R
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AATJ Teacher Awards – Nominations Are Open
The AATJ Teacher Awards recognize outstanding teachers who demonstrate
excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership in Japanese education both
locally and regionally. AATJ customarily presents the awards to the recipients during
the ACTFL Annual Convention each November.
Awards are given annually in two categories:
K-12 Level Teacher Award
Community College/College and University Level Teacher Award.
NEXT NOMINATION DEADLINE: June 30, 2023.
In order to nominate a colleague, an AATJ member (or another nominator) completes a
Nomination Form, assembles the required supporting documents, and submits all
documents electronically to aatj@aatj.org.
A nomination includes:
1. A completed Nomination Form;
2. The candidate’s CV (not to exceed 3 pages), which includes professional
development activities and leadership efforts;
3. The nominator’s letter and two additional letters of recommendation, signed andscanned.
Candidates for the awards:
must have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience at the level for which
they are nominated, andmust hold a current membership in AATJ.
Nominators:
A nominator may be anyone familiar with the nominee’s teaching (e.g., a colleague,
administrator, parent, or student).
Nominators who are teachers of Japanese (language, literature, culture etc.) mustbe current members of AATJ.
For detailed information and a link to the nomination form, please go tohttps://www.aatj.org/professional-development/aatj-teacher-awards/

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Cheng & Tsui Professional Development Grant
The Cheng & Tsui Professional Development Grant offers financial assistance toJapanese language teachers in grades K-16, especially those new to the field, for the
purpose of attending training workshops, seminars, conferences, and other local,
national, or international in-service learning experiences. The grant may also be used
to collaborate with a mentor teacher. Teacher training workshops and seminars
attended by the applicant should be focused on pedagogy and issues of teaching andlearning.
Cheng & Tsui Publishers, the sponsor of the grant, will award $500 to the grantrecipient(s).
Applicants for the Cheng & Tsui Professional Development grants should submit thefollowing to AATJ:
1. An application describing how they would use the grant;
2. The amount of subsidy requested and a proposed budget (included on theapplication form);
3. A current Curriculum Vitae.
Applicants must be current members of AATJ. Recipients are also asked to write a briefreport after attending the event for which they were awarded money, summarizing theirexperience and what they learned.
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers selected by the American
Association of Teachers of Japanese and who have no professional or personalconnections with applicants.
The application form and CV should be sent via e-mail attachment to aatj@aatj.org bySeptember 1.
For more details and to download an application form, please go tohttps://www.aatj.org/prodev-cheng-and-tsui/

AATJ is grateful to Cheng & Tsui Publishers for their support of teacher professional
development.

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Japanese Language and Literature

Spring 2023 Issue of the Journal is Published
The Spring 2023 issue of “Japanese
Language and Literature” (Vol. 57, No.
1) has been published online. Ourjournal is available for all to read forfree through Open Access.
Visit https://jll.pitt.edu to read thelatest issue as well as past issues. Thereyou can also sign up to be notified
when a new issue is published.
The Spring 2023 contains two articles
and three book reviews on various
aspects of Japanese language andliterature. Past issues have also
included
specialfeatureson
professional development, diversity andinclusion in our field, and other topics
of interest to teachers.

AATJ Bylaws Revision Completed
On February 25, 2023, both online and in-person
voting closed on a special ballot to approve arevision of the AATJ Bylaws proposed by theofficers. The purpose of the revision was to expand
the number of voting officers as well as toguarantee a diverse group of decision-makers for
the Association.
Then revised Bylaws were approved unanimously by
those who voted in this election, and they cameinto effect immediately.
To read or download the new Bylaws, please visit
the AATJ website, here.

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CULTR Grant for First-time ACTFL Attendees
AATJ is pleased to announce a special conference grant to attend 2023 ACTFL provided by
CULTR at Georgia State University. The deadline to apply is August 1, 2023.
This opportunity is for AATJ member teachers in their first to fifth year(s) of teaching who have
not yet attended an ACTFL Conference. This grant will provide $450.00 for two recipients to be
used toward ACTFL conference attendance (travel, lodging, registration, etc.). Upon attendanceand completion of CULTR requirements, the two recipients will receive $450 to offset these
expenses.
The Center for Urban Language Teaching and Research (CULTR) works to enhance the global
skills opportunities of urban and underrepresented learners and educators. CULTR is one of 16
National Foreign Language Resource Centers and is housed at Georgia State University.
Requirements:-Recipients must attend the ACTFL Conference in November 2023 in Chicago.
-Recipients must be first-time ACTFL Conference attendees in their first 5 years of teaching.
-Recipients will be responsible for all registration, lodging, and travel arrangements and expenses.
-Recipients will complete a brief CULTR survey and submit a one-minute video to CULTR about
the impact of the conference. Instructions will be sent to recipients.
-Payment will be made upon completion of all requirements.
Apply at this link: https://forms.gle/EWufw8rQ83PFJoWt6

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Wa-Shokuiku Online On-Demand Course「和食育オンデマンドコース for University students」
2023-24年度の参加校募集案内
Are you looking for a unique and fun program for your students? Applications for our” online on-demand Japanese inspired food education course
Wa-Shokuiku “
for university students have opened and we are looking for 20 teachers to collaborate
with us for the 2023-24 school year!
The course will be provided for free to the selected schools.

和食育

Apply by May 31st 2023:
https://bit.ly/WashokuikuOnDemandUniversity
Through this course, your students will learn the principles of Japanese cuisine andfood culture. They will also gain the skills required to prepare healthy, nutritious foods
to strengthen our bodies and minds as well as learn about food related issues aroundthe world.
The program can be adapted according to your lesson plans. You don't need to use
all of the content provided and can use any parts of the course based on your needs.
We had over 20 colleges participate during the 2022-23 school year and had greatcollaboration with the schools and teachers. We are looking forward to this nextschool year!

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AATJ会員のモーマン行世先生が旭日単光章を受章されました。
モーマン先生、おめでとうございます！

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AATJ Officers, Directors and Staff
Officers
President: Shingo Satsutani (College of DuPage, IL)
President Elect: Yoshiko Mori (Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.)
Immediate Past President: Tomoko Takami (University of Pennsylvania, PA)
Vice President: Mieko Avello (Miami Palmetto Senior High School, FL)

Directors
Global Network: Junko Mori (University of Wisconsin, Madison)
Newsletter: Elizabeth Hojo (The Woodlands College Park High School, TX)
Professional Development: Yoshiko Saito-Abbott (California State University, Monterey Bay)
Advocacy: Noriko Otsuka (Fox Mill Elementary School, VA)
Diversity and Inclusion: Will Matsuzaki (All Saints Episcopal School, TX), Yasuko Takata Rallings(Wake Forest University, NC)
Student Activities (Nengajo Contest): Andy Scott (Kamehameha High School, HI)
Japanese National Honor Society: Yayoi Takeuchi (University of North Texas), Kumi Kobayashi(Los Gatos High School, CA)
National Japanese Exam: Tomomi Sato (University of Virginia)
Fall Conference (ACTFL-affiliated): Nobuaki Takahashi (Elizabethtown College, PA), Yuko Prefume(Baylor University, TX), Jaime Tateyama Gusman (Moanalua High School, HI), Junko Tokuda
Simpson (University of California, San Diego)
Spring Conference (AAS-affiliated): Jae DiBello Takeuchi (Clemson University, SC), Yoshihiro
Mochizuki (University of Michigan), Shinsuke Tsuchiya (Brigham Young University, UT)

Staff
JLPT Assistant: Yoshie Arima
Membership Assistant: Maiko T. Bacha
JLPT Coordinator: Michiyo Colclasure
Executive Director: Susan Schmidt

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Share your Japanese Program news via social media!
Contact our social media director, Noriko Otsuka HERE!

American Association ofTeachers of Japanese, Inc.
Campus Box 366
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0366