INSIDE... SCHOOL EXCHANGESFOCUS ON READING RESOURCESANNUAL SUPPORT PROGRAMMES

MADOTHE NIHONGO CENTRE NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 5 • SEPTEMBER 1999

Nihongo Centre looks towards 2001JAPAN 2001 is a series of cultural,educational and sporting events scheduled totake place from May 2001 until early 2002. Itwill be the biggest celebration of Japaneseculture in the UK since The Japan Festival in1991, and is designed to encourage people-to-people exchange. We are only 5 termsaway from JAPAN 2001 and much of what wewant to achieve then needs to be started andbuilt into your schemes of work now.

The Nihongo Centre will be launching aseries of new programmes to coincide withJAPAN 2001 and to celebrate the UK’sgrowing interest in the Japanese language.Some of the projects we hope to develop areoutlined below, but plans are still evolving,so please give us your feedback on theseideas, and any further initiatives your schoolmay be planning to give Japanese languageteaching a boost in 2001.

Best Practice Video will demonstrate therange of styles and approaches Japaneseteachers in the UK are using in theireveryday teaching of the language. Thevideo will show clips of teachers in action ina range of classroom situations and will actboth as a training tool and an inspiration forboth aspiring and experienced teachers ofJapanese.

Resource Box: In order to gather togetherand share the many excellent teaching ideascreated by UK teachers of Japanese, we arebuilding up a collection of tried-and-testedlesson plans organised by level, topic andskill area. See page 7 for further details.

Starting Young is a pilot project designed togive UK primary school students a taste ofJapanese. The aim is to create a short, fun,one-term Japanese language and culturemodule for KS2 with accompanying teach-yourself audiocassette tapes for the teacher.A Starting Young INSET day will launch thescheme in Sept 2001.

2001 Kanji: Even in you don’t know all the1,945 Joyo kanji, you can participate in thisproject whereby individual characters will be

allocated to schoolsand colleges toexplore different

ways of learningandteachingthem to

others. Prizes will be awarded for the mostimaginative ways of presenting the kanjiproject - which could be through a schooldisplay, an assembly, via the internet, or byvideo or performance.

Homestay UK is for those of you who can’tmanage to get your students to Japan everyyear. We hope to be able to match learnerswith Japanese families in the UK forweekend homestays.

Virtual Nihongo will focus on the growinguse of computers in the teaching ofJapanese. We are keen to hear your ideasabout ICT projects which could assistJapanese language education and furtherlinks between schools in Japan and the UK.

PAGE 2 NIHONGO CENTRE NEWS

The Japanese Refresher Course (12-16 July)seemed like a perfect way to boost mywaning confidence in all areas of thelanguage. This is not to say that in one yearof hammering away at the first few chaptersof a beginner’s text book I’d forgotteneverything else that I’d ever learned, but oneof the more perplexing aspects of havinglearned Japanese is not knowing how riddledwith holes your memory will be when you areonce again faced with a native speaker infull flow or a page of kanji. My sense ofinsecurity was immediately dispelled by theNihongo Centre staff, who made us feelwelcome, competent and challenged all atthe same time. I came home one week laterwith a sense of achievement as well as beingenthused and relieved that the letter to ourprospective partner school which I had been

dreading writing was already in the bag.The opportunity to use Japanese in a realcontext was something which all of usseemed to enjoy as the week progressed.Comprehensive coverage of Beginners,Intermediate, and Advanced levels wasexpertly provided by the Centre and theteaching on all aspects of the language, fromkeigo work, to some fascinatingly preparedvideo clips and reading material was bothvaried and of a consistently high standard.The Refresher Course also provided a goodopportunity to gain a perspective on my ownteaching situation (always something easy todistort when working alone on a subject) byspeaking to others who teach Japanese.

Ben StainerTile Hill Wood School and Language College

Annual Support ProgrammesIt’s time to start thinking about applicationsfor this year’s Japan Foundation annualsupport programmes. We’ve highlighted someof the key programmes below, but pleasecontact us to request a full list ofProgramme Guidelines and application forms.

Training Programmes in Japan for Teachersof JapaneseA unique opportunity to improve yourJapanese language skills and methodologythrough an intensive programme of classeson language and culture. Training courseslast either 2 months or 9 months for non-native speakers or 1 month for nativespeakers and take place at the JapanFoundation’s Japanese Language Institute inUrawa, Saitama Prefecture. For a personalview, see the letter from Claire on the right!

Materials Donation Programme This programme enables educationalinstitutions teaching Japanese to apply for awide variety of teaching materials to supporttheir courses, to the value of ¥150,000.Applications from institutions that have notapplied before are particularly welcome, anddon’t forget that every last detail on theform must be completed for your applicationto be considered.

Salary Assistance ProgrammeThis programme helps to create new full-timeteaching positions at universities or other HEinstitutions teaching Japanese by providingsalary assistance for up to three years.

Japanese Language Education FellowshipProgramme Open to educational institutions andpublishers who wish to develop Japaneselanguage materials, devise new teachingmethods or curricula, this programmeenables one author to stay at Urawa (usingtheir excellent research facilities) for up to 8months, or a team of two writers to stay forup to 3 months. Round trip airfare andmonthly stipend are included. Participantsmust publish within 2 years of completingthe Fellowship.

Assistance Programme for JapaneseLanguage Teaching Materials Open to publishers and educationalinstitutions, this programme supports theproduction of resource materials in variousmedia by covering up to a quarter of thetotal publishing costs. Materials must bewritten by the time of application.

The application deadline for all aboveprogrammes is Wednesday, December 1, 1999.

GREETINGS FROM URAWAI’m here in Urawa taking part in the JapanFoundation summer course for Japaneseteachers. With participants from countries aswide-ranging as Korea, Madagascar, Peru,India, Egypt, and Ukraine, Japanese really isour common language! A placement test atthe start of the two month course put usinto ability groups where we study language,culture and teaching approaches. Just whatare the differences between - ba, to, naraand tara? Just how much money do you haveyou give when you attend a Japanesewedding or funeral? For me, the resourceproduction projects we’ve been working onwill prove particularly useful, as well as theopportunity to collect various realia. I wasalso delighted to receive a huge pile ofresource books, tapes and kana cards fromthe Japan Foundation. Our rooms areequipped with TVs and videos so that wecan record programmes or adverts for use inthe classroom. We can even borrow taperecorders and video cameras to go out andinterview people on the street! One of thehighlights for me has been swappingteaching ideas and resourcerecommendations with teachers from so manyother countries, and it’ll be great to keep thenetwork going. I’m looking forward to thefive day trip to Kansai and Hiroshima-ken asa reward for all our hard work. It’s definitelybeen worth giving up the British summer for!

See you in September!

Claire Dugard, Teaching Adviser, Nihongo Centre

Eileen Gray and Richard Heyes in class with Rika Matsubara during this summer’s Refresher Course

Feeling Refreshed

We are all sorry to say goodbye toRika Matsubara who is leaving us totake up a teaching post at theUniversity of Leeds, and also toSarah Haigh, who will be starting anMA in Anthropology at SOAS thisAutumn. Both have madeoutstanding contributions to theCentre’s work, and we wish them allthe very best with their futurecareers.

SPECIAL REPORT ON SCHOOL EXCHANGES PAGE 3

School links with Japan can take a widevariety of forms, from e-mail links toregular exchanges of pupils. Although someschools start their link with an exchangevisit as the main objective, for others thismay develop out of a successful postalexchange. For many teachers, the logisticsinvolved in setting up a reciprocal exchangeprogramme seem daunting, in spite of thepotential benefits to students. Inthis issue of Mado, we focus onschool exchanges, and answersome of the questions that teachersmay have on how to make them a success.

How do we find a partner school?Although there is no single method ofestablishing a UK-Japan school link, you canlook for partners in a variety of waysincluding personal contacts, through a citycouncil or local authority, as part of aspecial education initiative, or throughorganisations such as the Japan FestivalEducation Trust (JFET) and Council’s SchoolPartners Abroad (SPA) UK programme.

How much will an exchange trip cost?Working on the basis that the host schoolstarts paying once the pupils have reachedthe school and depending on the distancefrom the schools to the nearest internationalairport, the cost of a UK visit to Japan isroughly £900 - £1300 per person. Rememberthat the cost of hosting the return visitmust be added to the budget. Council’s SPA(UK) programme offers a comprehensivepackage to schools, at a cost of £1110 perstudent for the basic programme, which canbe supplemented with a range of optionalfield trips.

How can we raise the money?Most exchanges are funded by a combinationof individual and parental contributions,grants and sponsorship, and fund-raisingactivities. Discos, karaoke evenings, Japandays, carboot sales, dog shows and rafflesare just some of the many possibilities. For awealth of fundraising tips, visit the UKFundraising Website (www.fundraising.co.uk)or check out the Idea Bank atwww.fundraising.com/ideas.html.

What sources of funding are available?The main sources of grants for UK-Japanexchange programmes are the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Great BritainSasakawa Foundation, and the YouthExchange Centre. The Central Bureau canprovide funding (through local authorities)for an initial visit by a UK teacher to set upa link. Other potential sources of fundingare: local authorities, local Japanesecompanies and British companies doingbusiness with Japan.

How do we select pupils?It is important to decide whether theexchange is open to non-Japanese speakersor only for those learning the language,although most links require that pupils havetaken at least a basic course in Japanese.Participants from UK schools are usually self-selecting, and the cost and commitmentinvolved means that groups are unlikely to

exceed fifteen members. Groups from Japantend to be larger, which can sometimes makeit difficult to use a normal reciprocalarrangement.

What should the programme include?Most exchange visit programmes incorporatea mixture of days in school, visits to localplaces of interest and social activities.Staying with a host family is an importantpart of any school exchange, and is usuallythe most cost-effective arrangement. Don’tforget to build some free time into theschedule too.

How do we go about making the travelarrangements?If you decide to make the arrangementsyourself, approach airlines directly tonegotiate a group discount. If your tripinvolves a certain amount of train travelwithin Japan, the Japan Rail Pass may be acost-effective option. Contact the The JapanNational Tourist Organisation (0171-734 9638)for a booklet on the JR Pass with contactdetails of travel agents licensed to sell it inthe UK. Your host school will usually be ableto help with local travel and accommodationarrangements in Japan. Alternatively, you canopt for an all- inclusive package, such as thatoffered by Council’s SPA programme.

What is the best way to brief UK hostfamilies?UK host families generally require plenty ofreassurance and advice. A contact number isessential and parents should feel able to askany question no matter how trivial it mayseem. There are several JFET volunteers whoare happy to give schools advice on how tobrief host families. Contact JFET for furtherdetails.

Is it worth it?Yes, definitely! Schools that persevere withlinks and exchanges all testify to theirbenefits. Pupils gain motivation from havinga real context to use the language in anddevelop a deeper interest in Japan andunderstanding of the culture throughpersonal friendships, and direct experience,while the impact on the wider communitiesin the UK and Japan is also significant.

Mado would like to thank Gina Hills from DartfordGrammar School and Clive Pickles from KatharineLady Berkeley’s Language College for theircontributions to this article.

ESSENTIAL CONTACTSJapan Festival Education Trust (JFET)Contact: Heidi PotterTel: 0171 630 8696 Fax: 0171 931 8453Deals with general enquiries on schoollinks and exchanges, and can giveadvice on suitable itineraries in Japan.Keeps details of schools looking forpartners, though many are seeking toset up postal or e-mail links, ratherthan exchange visits.

School Partners Abroad (SPA) UK Contact: Chloë YoungTel: 0171 478 2012 Fax: 0171 734 7322Council on International EducationalExchange’s SPA programme locatessuitable partner schools as part of acomprehensive package which includesan organised programme, travelarrangements, insurance and bilingualback-up support.

Central Bureau for Educational Visits & ExchangesContact: Angela GrimesTel: 0171 389 4447Fax 0171 389 4426Website: www.wotw.org.ukPart of the British Council. Runs theWindows on the World website, whichacts as a partner-finding tool forschools worldwide as well as providingideas for projects and suggestions forsources of funding.

Daiwa Anglo-Japanese FoundationContact: Wiesia CookTel: 0171 486 4348 Fax: 0171 486 2914Grant-giving organisation which cansometimes provide funding towardsexchange visits.

Great Britain Sasakawa FoundationContact: Peter HandTel: 0171 355 2229 Fax: 0171 355 2230Grant-giving organisation which cansometimes provide funding towardsexchange visits. Also gives annualfunding to the YEC (see below).

Youth Exchange Centre (YEC)Contact: Stephen AdjeiTel: 0171 389 4030 Fax: 0171 389 4033Part of the British Council. Contact fordetails of how to apply for fundingthrough YEC regional committees.

LOOKING FOR PARTNERS!Oita Senior High School seeks 3 UK partnerschools to offer a homestay programme for10 students aged 16 for 10 days in January2000. Interested schools should contact MrTetsuro Ito at Tokushin, Oita Senior HighSchool, 1-6-1 Akeno Takao, Oita-shi, Oita-ken, 870-0162 Japan. Tel: 097-551-1101;Fax: 097 553-0386; e-mail (c/o HiromiHiguma) higuma@oita-h.ed.jp.

Exchanges with Japan - Your Questions Answered

Get pupils to ask their partner questionsin order to fill in the blanks andcomplete the timetable.

This Information Gap Activity can beadapted by introducing various differentQ&A patterns, eg:

ProcedureDrill vocabulary for subjects, days of the week and times.

Drill the dialogue pattern below in preparation for the information exchangepart of the activity.

Organise students into pairs and distributetimetable sheets A & B on Page 5. Unfortunately, the cat has left its muddypaw marks on both timetables so thatparts of it are illegible.

PAGE 4 TEACHER’S PAGE

timetable

lesson

subject

English

Japanese

French

German

Mathematics

ComputerScience, ICT

Science

Geography

History

ReligiousStudies

Economics

Music

PhysicalEducation

Art

HomeEconomics

VOCABULARY STRUCTURE

1

Hello!! I’m Naoyuki Kitani. As thenew Chief Adviser, I’m lookingforward to working with all of you.The focus for this term’s Teacher’sPages is Home Life and School, whichlinks to Area of Experience EverydayActivities in the National Curriculum.The activity outlined alongside isdesigned for beginners, and I havealso created a second worksheetsuitable for transition levels from Alevel to Intermediate level (studentsin higher education) which you willfind as an insert in this issue ofMado. Next issue, I would like to lookat Self, Family and PersonalRelationships, so if you have anyideas for this or any other topic,please let me know! (e-mail:naoyuki@nihongocentre.org.uk)

AimsTo memorise basic vocabulary about school subjects

To memorise days of the week and times

To exchange information

LevelBeginners (suitable for KS3/GCSE Level)

SkillsMultiple skill activity, especially for speakingand listening

Counter suffix for

expressing o’clock

and minutes

Use of interrogative

Use of Particles

2

3

4

Talking Timetables

TEACHER’S PAGE PAGE 5

PAGE 6 NEWS UPDATE

In the last edition of Mado wereported on the launch ofALL’s Japanese Language

Committee - anindependentsupportnetwork for

teachers ofJapanese in the UK that

operateswithinthe fold

of theUK’s largest

BATJ NewsWe are delighted to announce that theProceedings of the 1998 Conference forJapanese Language Teachers in HigherEducation were published in June. It took alot of time and effort on the part of both theBATJ Committee and the Japan Foundationbut now that we know we can do it, BATJhas decided to publish its own journal on anannual basis. We hope that the publicationof the BATJ Journal will inspire teachers andhelp to raise the profile of Japanese teachingin the UK. All members are stronglyencouraged to contribute to the new journal.

Over 70 people attended the second BATJConference held at the Nihongo Centre on 11 September. Professor Hiroshi Matsuoka ofHitotsubashi University, Tokyo was thekeynote speaker. There were five researchpresentations and two workshops, one onusing the Internet for teaching Japaneseand the other on teaching Kanji.

Thanks to support from the JapanFoundation, the Great Britain SasakawaFoundation and the Daiwa Anglo-JapaneseFoundation, BATJ will be able to extend itsactivities further afield in its second year. Inaddition to publishing the annual BATJJournal and Newsletters, we plan to holdregional workshops in autumn and spring. Weare also looking for a striking logo to raisethe profile of BATJ. The winning entry willreceive one year’s free membership of BATJand free entry to events. Send all your ideasto the address below by 30 October, 1999.

For further details about BATJ, please contactMrs Kazumi Tanaka, Dept of East Asia, SOAS,University of London, Thornhaugh Street,London WC1H 0XG. Tel: 0171-323 6175; Fax: 0171-323 6234; E-mail: kt2@soas.ac.uk

ALL’s JapaneseLanguageCommittee

flourishes

NEW A LEVEL COURSEGOES AHEAD THISSEPTEMBER

STOP PRESS...

After our special feature on the new A levelexam in the last issue, a number of teacherssubmitted comments on the proposedsyllabus to Edexcel. At the time of going topress, Mado understood that the QCA hadyet to approve the new specifications for theJapanese A level. Edexcel will resubmit thesyllabus and specimen papers in October,making any official approval unlikely untillate November 1999 at the earliest. In spiteof this, Edexcel expects schools to startteaching from the draft AS and A levelspecifications from this month, and will bewriting to schools with news to this effect.As originally planned therefore the last ‘old-style’ A level will be sat in June 2000 withthe first new style AS and A level paperscoming on stream for the first time insummer 2001. To obtain the draft syllabusring Edexcel’s publications department directon 01623 467467 or download it from theirwebsite at www.edexcel.org.uk clicking oncurriculum 2000, specification documents,GCSE A/AS Level, Modern Foreign Languages,then Japanese. Specimen papers are not yetavailable.

membership based organisation for teachersof modern foreign languages.

The JLC, as the Committee is commonlyreferred to, is already well on the way toimplementing its ambitious inaugurationprogramme. For example, constructivesubmissions have been made to governmentorganisations and examination boards inrespect of the new AS/A level specifications.Moreover, the Committee will hold the firstof a series of regional training days on ICTfor Japanese teachers on 17 November 1999at the Queen Mary’s High School, Walsall,West Midlands. The dedicated programme forteachers of Japanese to be held during ALL’sannual Language World Conference is alreadybeing finalised, and the JLC is also in themiddle of a far-reaching promotion campaignfor the teaching of Japanese. The JLC’simmediate success is due to both thecommitment of members and financial andother support from a number of keyorganisations including the Great BritainSasakawa Foundation, the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, and the NihongoCentre. All we need now is you - the teachersof Japanese. Native and non-native speakersfrom all corners of the UK and from allsectors are welcome. Please see the specialinsert for a unique opportunity to join ALLand work with the JLC - and all for thespecially reduced membership fee of £15!

Brigitte BoyceDirector, Association for Language Learning(Tel: 01788 546443)

NOTES FROM THE LIBRARIANYou can now find out exactly what we have in the library by accessingthe following UK Japanese Union Catalogue website addresses:http://juc.lib.cam.ac.uk (if you want to search in kanji) orhttp://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/japanese-keyword-search (to searchin romaji). Please note that these catalogues exclude videos, CD-ROMs,cassette tapes and books written in English. Don’t forget the e-mailcontact address for all library enquiries, including the loan by postservice: francoise@nihongocentre.org.uk. Library holidays this termare: 23 September, 3 November, and from 23 December to 4 January.

FOCUS ON READING RESOURCESTeachers often mention how difficult it is to find good readingmaterials for learners, so in this issue, our advisers highlight nine ofthe best texts from our shelves to turn your students into bookworms. From this month, we introduce a series of termly displays inthe library, the first of which will focus on reading resources, so whynot come and visit the library to see the wider selection for yourself?You may find just what you’ve been looking for! Next term, theResources Focus will be materials for the new A level.

(Watashi no Nihon) Books 1, 2 and 3 Charles E Tuttle, 1995, 1996 Kumi Kato et al

These three books are suitable for GCSE Level. Each lesson is based ontopics related to the family (Book 1), school life (Book 2) and Tokyo(Book 3). They include a wealth of visuals to aid understanding, andshort reading texts, such as letters written by children.

(Dokukai 20 no tema)Bonjinsha 1991 Toyoko Mitsui et al

This book could be used for transition from GCSE to A level studies. Itcovers various topics such as transport, young people, office workers,lifestyle and culture. Also includes some pictorial information, readingcomprehension questions with answers, and English vocabulary lists.

(Mirai 5, 6) Longman 1995, 1996 Meg Evans et al

These two books are suitable for transition from GCSE to A level.Topics can easily be adapted to the National Curriculum, and rangefrom concrete ones in our daily life to more abstract ones such assimple reviews of films and stories, headlines, letters andadvertisements for hotels etc. Illustrations, photos and additionalexplanations in English also provide useful memory aids for students.

DEVELOPING TOPICS IN JAPANESE University of Queensland, 1995 Kumi Kato

Covering a range of topics including eating habits, nature, theenvironment, school, society, and romance, this book is suitable fortransition from GCSE to A level. Texts of various lengths are well

illustrated and clearly presented withpictorial information/data thatenhances learners’ understanding. Italso includes English vocabulary listsand a detailed scheme of work withrecommended activities.

(Tanoshiku yomeru nihon no kurashijuni kagetsu) Kyobundo, 1992Kokusai Nihongo Kenkyusho

Suitable for A level students. The 12chapters of this book describe Japanesecustoms and activities throughout the courseof a year. Written in kanji and kana with readings for the kanji givenin a separate list. Illustrations, photographs and English explanationshelp students to understand the customs better.

(Dondon yomeru iro iro nahanashi) Musashino Shoin, 1991

This book could be ideal first exposure to literary texts for A levellearners. It contains 8 short stories or extracts ranging from The Noseby Akutagawa to I am a Cat by Soseki. The original language issimplified and notes on difficult language/cultural points andfurigana for all kanji are included.

(Nihongo o tanoshikuyomu hon sho-chukyu) Sannou Tandai, 1996 Keichi Koide et al

Targetted at learners between upper beginner and lower intermediatelevels, this book contains various styles of written texts and taskssuch as short stories and factual articles, some of which could beused with A level students. Gives useful suggestions for teachersabout ideas for reading tasks. There are also series of this book forintermediate and advanced levels.

(Sokudoku no Nihongo)The Japan Times, 1998 Mayumi Oka

This book explains various reading skills such as scanning, skimming,reading for gist, predicting etc, systematically in English. Thedevelopment of these skills could be started in KS4 or at the beginningof A level. Materials used are largely authentic and drawn from a varietyof sources, particularly newspapers. Could also be a good guide forteachers new to teaching reading skills.

(Chukyu kara jokyu e no Nihongo)The Japan Times, 1998 Osamu Kamada et al

A comprehensive textbook designed to raise the level of intermediatelearners to advanced. This textbook aims for ‘proficiency’ in reallife and includes many authentic materials from dailysituations. Each lesson begins with a readingtext and ends with speakingpractice based on thetext.

LIBRARY & RESOURCES PAGE 7

RESOURCE BOX PROJECTIn order to gather together and share the many excellent teachingideas created by UK teachers of Japanese, our Advisers haverecently launched the Resource Box Project. The resource box,housed in the Nihongo Centre library, is a collection of tried-and-tested lesson plans organised by level, topic and skill area. At thisstage, the collection is still small, and most of the lesson planshave been produced by the Advisers, but we hope to expand it toinclude ideas from teachers at all levels. If you have a lesson planwhich you would be happy to contribute, please send it to KitaniSensei who will proof it for you to double-check the Japanese. Alllesson plans will of course be credited with your name and school.The Resource Box will soon be accessible via our website too.Please help us to make sure that it reflects the quality of goodpractice in the UK by sending us your best ideas NOW!

Welcome to the lastissue of Mado beforethe Millennium! Asyou can see fromthe front page,JAPAN 2001 isnow only 5 termsaway, and we look forward to working withyou on a range of initiatives to raise theprofile of Japanese language teaching in theUK. The deadline for Annual Programmes isalso approaching fast, so don’t forget togive yourselves plenty of time to fill inthose forms. New courses to look out forinclude the WJEC INSET Day this month andthe Teacher’s Workshop for Native Speakersin November. Those of you who are thinkingabout extending your links with Japan maybe interested in the special feature onexchange visits on page 3, while KitaniSensei’s Talking Timetables Activity on theTeachers’ Pages should help to get the newacademic year off to a good start. Finally,we’re delighted to launch a series of termlydisplays in the Library, thematically linkedto the Library & Resources Pages in Mado.

THE NIHONGO CENTRE NEWSLETTEREditor: Caroline Lewis

Design: Francois Hall • Printing: Delta Press

Published byTHE JAPAN FOUNDATION

LONDON LANGUAGE CENTRE27 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7QT

Telephone: 0171 838 9955Fax: 0171 838 9966

PAGE 8 EVENTS & NOTICEBOARD

LOOKING FO

RWARD TO J

APANESE

This practica

l one day co

nference,

organised jo

intly by CILT

and the Jap

an

Foundation,

will take pl

ace at CILT

on

Saturday 9 O

ctober 1999

from 9am t

o

4pm. Follow

ing on from

last year’s

popular even

t Keep Going

With Japan

ese,

the conferen

ce is targete

d at the

secondary s

ector, the m

ain theme b

eing

raising achie

vement in Ja

panese lang

uage

learning. In

dividual ses

sions will fo

cus

on: teaching

and learnin

g Japanese i

n

the National

Curriculum,

exploiting v

isual

aids, how co

ntact with J

apan and

Japanese cu

lture enhanc

es learning,

progression,

vocational

accreditation

and

teaching gra

mmar. For fu

rther detail

s and

to reserve a

place pleas

e fill in and

return

the enclosed

booking fo

rm or call

CILT on 017

1 379 5101

.

DEATH AND THE LIFE FORCEMonday 20 September, 6pm

Celebrated Japanese writer and novelistYuko Tsushima talks about her work, the

creative process, themes and futuredirections. Limited capacity. Bookingessential on 0171 499 4726 (tel) or

0171 495 1133 (fax)

JAPANESE FOR EVERYDAYCOMMUNICATION

Wednesday 22 SeptemberAn in-depth look at the WJEC course,

including syllabus aims andrequirements, appropriate resources andapproaches to developing the 4 skills

within the JFEC framework.

LOOKING FORWARD TO JAPANESESaturday 9 October

CILT’s wide-ranging programme ofworkshops (see noticeboard). To be heldat CILT, 20 Bedfordbury, London WC2.

For further details contact CILT on 0171 379 5101 x232.

ICT: GETTING STARTEDWednesday 17 November

A day of informative demonstrations andpractical workshops for teachers who are

unfamiliar with Japanese word-processing and e-mail packages.

Organised by the Japanese LanguageCommittee of ALL at Queen Mary’s HighSchool, Walsall, West Midlands. Enquiries

to Claire Dugard on 0171 838 9955.

SURVIVING IN THE UK CLASSROOMWednesday 24 November

A day of practical guidance andworkshops for native-speaking teachers

(see noticeboard).

HEAD START 26-28 January 2000

Japanese from Scratch for Heads of MFL -an intensive immersion course and a lookat the practical issues of introducing and

managing Japanese at your school.

AIMING FOR A Monday 14 February

A one-day course looking at the new Aand AS level in Japanese

SIXTH FORMERS’ WEEKEND17-19 March

A fun-packed weekend of Japanese totalimmersion for sixth formers at AvonTyrrell in Hampshire. Enquiries and

bookings to Lydia Morey on 01222 493997.

Unless otherwise stated, all events take place atthe Nihongo Centre. Please call 0171-838 9955 for

further details.

Keep your letters coming!Each one we print will win you a Japan Centre book token.

Dear Editor

Having attended several INSET me

etings concerning the

new A and AS Levels and discussed

their implications

for the curriculum with senior mana

gement colleagues, I

am concerned that our present arr

angement of offering

the Cambridge Certificate (CC) in J

apanese and

Japanese Studies to sixth formers

may be under threat.

The government is encouraging sixth

formers to consider

3 A Levels and 2 AS levels from 20

01 onwards. Many

pupils whom I would regard as poten

tial one-year

students of Japanese may well feel

that they are pulled

towards recognised AS Levels, espe

cially if universities

are influenced by their ‘points score

’ after the first year

of sixth form study, since at the mo

ment the CC does

not have a ‘points rating’. In my view

there is little doubt

that the successful completion of a

course such as the

CC is as valid an indication of acad

emic potential as an

AS Level in a continuation subject,

and I hope that OCR,

who administer the CC, will seriously

consider the issue of

parity with AS Levels. What do othe

r Mado readers think?

Garry Hudson, Bishop’s Stortford

College, Herts.

e-mail: Garry.Hudson@btinternet.c

om

NEW E-MAIL DISC

USSION LIST

The Nihongo Cent

re has set up an e

-mail

discussion list for

teachers of Japan

ese to

exchange views, s

hare practical clas

sroom tips

and information a

nd discuss academ

ic issues.

To join, send an e

mail to

mailbase@mailba

se.ac.uk. In the b

ody of the

email write: join

jle-uk Firstname S

urname.

Subscribe now and

keep in touch!