Japan Foundation/JGap Japanese Language Teachers' Seminar: Self-Expressing Activities and Elementary Japanese Language Education

What does it mean to be able to function in Japanese? Up to now, language educators have been focusing on functional language activities such as asking for things or inviting someone to do something. But in addition to this kind of communication for practical purposes, there is also communication for social purposes. It is through social communication that speakers are able to mutually convey and understand a sense of “self.” If we adopt self-expressing activities as the basis for elementary Japanese language curricula, students will be able to acquire proficiency in practical Japanese language use as well as basic knowledge of Japanese.

 

In this seminar, we will explore "Self-expression-based elementary Japanese language education," which is based on these ideas, with Prof. Koichi Nishiguchi, Center for International Education and Exchange, Osaka University.

 

Prof. Koichi Nishiguchi
Center for International Education and Exchange, Osaka University

 

Published the textbook NEJ – A New Approach to Elementary Japanese(Kuroshio) in 2012. Other publications include Kiso nihongo bunpou kyouhon (Aruku), Perfect Master Kanji N2 (Boninsha) and its iPhone app (NOW PRODUCTION), Minna no nihongo shokyuu kanji (3A Network), Understanding Basic Grammar (ALC) and Reibun de manabu kanji to kotoba N2 (3A Network). Within the fields of psycholinguistics and second language education, he has also published a large number of books and papers including Daini gengo kyouiku ni okeru bafuchin teki shiten (Kuroshio).

 

This seminar is part of the Association of Japanese Language Teachers in Europe e.V.'s project, co-organised by the Japan Foundation London, to investigate articulation problems and possible measures within Japanese language education, using the UK as a model.