HOME> About the Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa> Background and Purposes

Since its inception in 1972, the Japan Foundation has focused on promoting Japanese-language education overseas. In 1979, the number of students studying the Japanese language around the world was 127,167. After nearly twenty years, when a survey was conducted in 1998, the number has grown to over 2.1 million. In the past, those who chose to study the Japanese language were students and scholars majoring in Japanese linguistics or Japanese studies. Today, businessmen and engineers, junior and senior high-school students, and in some countries, primary school pupils, are studying the language. The number of Japanese-language students and their reasons for studying is changing dramatically. Because of the diversification of objectives and students of the Japanese language, voices have been raised around the world for more assistance and closer cooperation to meet the needs of the educational conditions of each country. Especially giving non-native Japanese language teachers a chance to visit Japan to improve their language proficiency, attain teaching methodologies, and place themselves in the Japanese cultural context; and providing teaching resources overseas where they are scarce is essential to self-sustaining development in the field. The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, was established as an affiliated organization of the Japan Foundation in 1989 to meet the above needs and provide further assistance to Japanese-language education abroad. The Institute runs various programs under the three purposes of: human resources developing; developing and producing teaching resources, and providing information. (1) Human Resources Development The Institute provides training for non-native teachers of the Japanese-language and training for Japanese-language instructors prior to dispatch overseas. (2) Development and Production of Teaching Resources The Institute plans and produces Japanese-language educational materials, grants fellowships and financial assistance to produce educational materials overseas, and donates Japanese-language educational materials to overseas institutions involved in Japanese-language education. (3) Information Center The Institute gathers, processes, and provides information related to Japanese-language education overseas. The Institute also runs a library specializing in Japanese-language Education.

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