Updates
Seminar for Supporters of Japanese Language Studies in the Hita Region, Sun, Nov 17, 2019
As part of the effort to support foreigners who are studying the Japanese language in various regions, a three-course Seminar for Supporters of Japanese Language (hereinafter ‘seminar’) was conducted at the Hita City Central Community Center (AOSE).
The event was held in partnership with the Hita City, with arrangements made based on participation statuses of the seminar held at the Oita International Plaza last fiscal year and findings on Japanese-learning in various regions. Requests from affiliates of Japanese Language Classrooms and governmental bodies were also taken into account.
Similar to the Information & Support Center Seminar, this seminar was conducted by Professor Akiko Honda from the Language Education Center, APU Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University. The event saw seventy participants, such as local businesses that employed foreign workers, lecturers at Japanese Language Classrooms, members from fields of administration and education among others.
The first course illustrated the unique attributes of the Japanese language (sound and notation, vocabulary etc.) and ‘Yasashii Nihongo (‘Simple Japanese’)’, the latter being an effective model that helps foreigners understand the Japanese language. This was followed by descriptions on the setting-up and flow of Japanese language classes and discussion on syllabi, which were complimented by explanations on comprehension of grammar and common expressions. The second course covered basic sentence structures, in particular highlighting the teaching method for the commonly used ‘te’-form in verbs. In the third course, participants were divided into groups and took part in workshops based on questions that they had submitted in advance – combining their finding with Professor Honda’s explanations, the participants exercised their attempt at integrating acquired knowledge as useful skills in Japanese Language Classroom settings.
The contents, based on Professor Honda’s experiences in teaching APU students, were detailed, easy to follow and enthusiastically received by participants during lectures and workshops. The seminar was participated by members from around Oita, who keenly expressed interests in seeing the event held in their own localities. Based on these feebacks, we are currently considering conducting similar efforts in other regions.
