Presentation Schedule
Enhancing Global Japanese Language Education Through the Japanese Teaching Assistant Internship Program (87467)
Saturday, 4 January 2025 17:00
Session: Poster Session 1
Room: 3F Hallway
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Japanese language assistants dispatched to schools outside Japan play a critical role in enhancing Japanese language education, particularly in Australia. Since the 1980s, Australian elementary and secondary schools have benefited from these assistants, who were either employed directly by the Ministry of Education or seconded by the Japanese government. However, recent trends indicate a shift in the deployment of Japanese language assistants towards the Asian region, resulting in a decline in their numbers in Australia. Furthermore, budget cuts in language training by the Ministry of Education have necessitated that Japanese language assistants be accepted only as unpaid volunteers, which, coupled with the rising cost of living, has hindered their recruitment from Japan. In this context, the initiative to send Japanese university students as Japanese language assistants on a voluntary basis as part of their educational training or internships presents a significant opportunity. Initiated in 2023 and managed by the presenter, this program dispatched five students to a school in Victoria during the spring semester of 2023, followed by two students each in the spring and fall semesters of 2024. These students have made substantial contributions to Japanese language classes under the supervision of local teachers, receiving high evaluations for their performance. Simultaneously, the students have gained valuable insights and experiences through their internship roles. This presentation will provide a comprehensive report on the internship program, analyzing its impact and discussing the broader significance of engaging Japanese university students as teaching assistants in global Japanese language education contexts.
Authors:
Keiko Okumura, Meiji Gakuin University, Japan
About the Presenter(s)
Professor Keiko Okumura is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Meiji Gakuin University in Japan
See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule
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