The Third Contest on Ideas and Examples of How to Teach Culture in Japanese-language Class Sponsored by the Japan Forum in 1999

General Information (finished)

 Purpose

      The Japan Forum (TJF) conducts a variety of activities to promote cultural understanding through language education. One such activity, our Third Contest on Ideas and Examples of How to Teach Culture in Japanese-language Class, is now officially underway. TJF is sponsoring this event as a way of getting teachers in elementary and secondary schools outside Japan to offer practical ways to promote cultural understanding in the Japanese-language classroom. The aim of the contest is to gather these suggestions, submitted in the form of tested lesson plans, and share them with other teachers around the world. The best lesson plans submitted will be featured in TJF publications and posted on the TJF Web site. We hope that this contest will provide an opportunity to reconsider the relationship between language education and cultural understanding, and we also seek to promote Japanese-language education in a manner that advances both cultural understanding and international awareness.

 Who Is Eligible to Enter

      The contest is open to current and former teachers of Japanese employed by elementary or secondary schools outside Japan. We welcome ideas from groups of teachers, but should such an entry win a prize, only one prize can be awarded.

 What Kind of Ideas to Submit

● Ideas submitted must be suitable for use in elementary-level or secondary-level Japanese-language classes.
● Each entry should be submitted in the form of a lesson plan that can be executed during a single class period; it may be one part of a series or stand alone. If the lesson plan pertains to specific goals within an established curriculum covering a given term of instruction, the contestant may submit a copy or description of the curriculum and explain how the lesson plan fits into the overall scheme.
●As befits a lesson plan for a Japanese-language class, each entry should address specific aspects of the Japanese language.
● Each entry should present a lesson that will help students acquire a better understanding of culture.

Some Possible Approaches:

 Methods

      Participants in the contest are free to use any methods they choose. Lesson plans utilizing any of the following methods, for example, will be highly welcome:

  Selection Committees

The following are the members of the initial selection committee:
chairwoman   Murano Ryoko instructor, International Christian University
  Anita Gesling Japanese-language teacher, American School in Japan
  Arakawa Yohei. associate professor, Japanese Language Center, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
  Kambe Yoshimi teacher, Katoh Elementary School
  Fujimitsu Yoko former Japanese-language consultant, New South Wales Department of Education
  Matsuda Miyuki lecturer, Japanese Language Center Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Tanaka Koshizu teacher, St. Joseph International School

The following are the members of the final selection committee:
chairwoman   Uyeno Tazuko professor, Tokyo Woman's Christian University
  Penny Kinnear foreign-language consultant, Yokohama City Board of Education
  Murano Ryoko instructor, International Christian University
  Nishihara Suzuko professor, Tokyo Woman's Christian University
  Sasaki Michiko. director, Department of External Services, Centre for Teaching Japanese as a Second Language, National Language Research Institute

 Grand Prize

      Two lesson plans, one elementary-level plan and one secondary-level plan, will each be awarded the Grand Prize-a 10-day expenses-paid trip to Japan next year for the person who created and submitted the plan (expenses covered include airfare and lodgings in Japan, and other costs as well). The exact travel dates will be determined by TJF, in consultation with the winning contestants.

      Air travel for TJF events generally arranged through the cooperation of All Nippon Airways.

 Prizes for Distinguished Entries

      Ten lesson plans will be selected, out of all the entries received, for special recognition as particularly distinguished entries. Each of the authors will be presented with a set of teaching materials and reference resources including: Opening the Minds and Hearts of Your Japanese-language Students to Culture, Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, The Great Japanese Dictionary,and The Nippon.

 Other Points to Bear in Mind

 Deadline for Entries

      To qualify for consideration, all entries must be submitted (or postmarked, in the case of entries submitted by mail) by Thursday, September 30, 1999. Prize winners will be notified by Tuesday, February 29, 2000.