Sunflare
07-23-2008, 06:28 PM
Japanophiles nurtured abroad / Government, Japan Foundation intensifying efforts to promote language
Shin Nagahara
Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer
Jul. 19, 2008
The Japan Foundation and the government are intensifying their efforts to set up institutes for Japanese-language education abroad, hoping to capture the attention of Japanophiles.
The foundation, an independent administrative body, said Wednesday the existing network of organizations supporting overseas projects for Japanese-language education would be called the JF Nihongo Network, or the Sakura Network.
Mana Takatori, assistant managing director of the foundation's Japanese language department, said the Sakura Network dispatches Japanese-language teachers to overseas universities that run Japanese courses. The network also provides teaching materials and methods abroad, and invites teachers to Japan for training.
"We provide assistance programs that meet the needs of each university," Takatori said.
The foundation has 19 offices abroad, and 21 organizations also have offered assistance with teaching Japanese.
The Foreign Ministry has provided financial assistance to the network for increasing the number of language institutes abroad to 100 in three years.
The rapid increase in the number of Chinese language-teaching Confucius Institutes established by the Chinese government around the world has prompted the government to step up efforts to offer language education overseas and to prevent the dilution of Japan's international presence.
It also is expected that overseas Japanese-language instruction will encourage foreign nationals to seek work in Japan.
Based on economic partnership agreements, the government has decided to accept nurses and nursing care workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, but the language barrier is the toughest hurdle to be cleared.
After coming to Japan, nurses are required to pass tests in Japanese within three years and nursing care workers within four years.
If Japanese-language teaching is available abroad, the number of foreign nurses and nursing care workers who have to return home after failing the tests may be reduced.
Even though the government has showed a lack of enthusiasm promoting Japanese-language education overseas, the number of foreign nationals learning the language has increased.
According to a 2006 survey by the Japan Foundation, about 2.98 million people in 133 countries and territories were studying the language.
When the foundation began the survey in 1979, there were only 130,000 students of Japanese.
During the so-called lost decade after the burst of the bubble economy, overseas interest in studying the Japanese language increased.
Japanese pop culture, such as comic books, animation and fashion has apparently piqued young people's interest in learning the language.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said that since people in many foreign countries are interested in Japanese comic books and animation, the number of primary, middle and high schools teaching Japanese has increased.
Nurturing future Japanophiles will bring benefits to the country, such as expanding cultural and economic exchanges, and easing trade frictions.
To that end, however, expansion of Japanese-language education facilities is not sufficient.
Many Japanese-language teachers also specialize in other languages, only teaching Japanese as a side job.
Because of this, the foundation is in the midst of developing a Japanese-language education standard to assess language education.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency, an independent administrative body, also dispatches volunteer Japanese-language teachers to foreign countries.
The Japan Overseas Cooperative Association, a corporate organization of former JICA members, began dispatching Japanese-language teachers this fiscal year to four Eastern European countries, including Hungary.
Because nearly 3 million people in foreign countries are studying Japanese, there is a need to use organizations other than the Sakura Network to promote Japanese-language education.
Full Article : http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20080719TDY04302.htm
Funny title. Any thoughts ?
Shin Nagahara
Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer
Jul. 19, 2008
The Japan Foundation and the government are intensifying their efforts to set up institutes for Japanese-language education abroad, hoping to capture the attention of Japanophiles.
The foundation, an independent administrative body, said Wednesday the existing network of organizations supporting overseas projects for Japanese-language education would be called the JF Nihongo Network, or the Sakura Network.
Mana Takatori, assistant managing director of the foundation's Japanese language department, said the Sakura Network dispatches Japanese-language teachers to overseas universities that run Japanese courses. The network also provides teaching materials and methods abroad, and invites teachers to Japan for training.
"We provide assistance programs that meet the needs of each university," Takatori said.
The foundation has 19 offices abroad, and 21 organizations also have offered assistance with teaching Japanese.
The Foreign Ministry has provided financial assistance to the network for increasing the number of language institutes abroad to 100 in three years.
The rapid increase in the number of Chinese language-teaching Confucius Institutes established by the Chinese government around the world has prompted the government to step up efforts to offer language education overseas and to prevent the dilution of Japan's international presence.
It also is expected that overseas Japanese-language instruction will encourage foreign nationals to seek work in Japan.
Based on economic partnership agreements, the government has decided to accept nurses and nursing care workers from Indonesia and the Philippines, but the language barrier is the toughest hurdle to be cleared.
After coming to Japan, nurses are required to pass tests in Japanese within three years and nursing care workers within four years.
If Japanese-language teaching is available abroad, the number of foreign nurses and nursing care workers who have to return home after failing the tests may be reduced.
Even though the government has showed a lack of enthusiasm promoting Japanese-language education overseas, the number of foreign nationals learning the language has increased.
According to a 2006 survey by the Japan Foundation, about 2.98 million people in 133 countries and territories were studying the language.
When the foundation began the survey in 1979, there were only 130,000 students of Japanese.
During the so-called lost decade after the burst of the bubble economy, overseas interest in studying the Japanese language increased.
Japanese pop culture, such as comic books, animation and fashion has apparently piqued young people's interest in learning the language.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said that since people in many foreign countries are interested in Japanese comic books and animation, the number of primary, middle and high schools teaching Japanese has increased.
Nurturing future Japanophiles will bring benefits to the country, such as expanding cultural and economic exchanges, and easing trade frictions.
To that end, however, expansion of Japanese-language education facilities is not sufficient.
Many Japanese-language teachers also specialize in other languages, only teaching Japanese as a side job.
Because of this, the foundation is in the midst of developing a Japanese-language education standard to assess language education.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency, an independent administrative body, also dispatches volunteer Japanese-language teachers to foreign countries.
The Japan Overseas Cooperative Association, a corporate organization of former JICA members, began dispatching Japanese-language teachers this fiscal year to four Eastern European countries, including Hungary.
Because nearly 3 million people in foreign countries are studying Japanese, there is a need to use organizations other than the Sakura Network to promote Japanese-language education.
Full Article : http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/world/20080719TDY04302.htm
Funny title. Any thoughts ?