The Japan Foundation, Seoul
YAMAGUCHI Toshiyuki, OGAWA Yasuko, KAKIUCHI Ryota

1. Training Program Held Regarding New Japanese-Language Textbook

Winter Intensive Seminar for
Japanese-Language Teachers at Middle Schools

The middle- and high-school Japanese-language textbook that complies with the 2015 revised curriculum began being used in school classrooms from 2018. Because its use last year was limited to first-year students, however, it was not widely used in terms of numbers, but this year it is being used in most schools. Based on this situation, the Japan Foundation, Seoul (hereinafter the “Foundation”) adopted “From lesson design to evaluation - considering Japanese-language classes that utilize the revised Japanese-language textbook” as the theme of this year’s Winter Intensive Seminar for Japanese-Language Teachers at Middle Schools, which is held in January each year. The seminar included a workshop on Japanese-language classes that utilize the new textbook, as well as a talk on the textbook from its author and presentations of lesson plans using the new textbook that the seminar participants themselves worked on. Seeing teachers who are about to begin using the textbook in their classrooms earnestly working on the seminar tasks was impressive.

A survey taken after the seminar was over received a large number of responses that indicated a sense of satisfaction at having being able to obtain information on how to approach the new class lessons. The responses included promising comments such as “I’m fully motivated to use it.” I certainly hope that the teachers will put the outcomes of this seminar to use in their classrooms.

2. Important Jobs of Japanese-Language Specialists: The Nihongo Salon and the “Kachi No Koe (Song of the Magpie)”

Once a month, the Foundation holds the Nihongo Salon (hereinafter the “Salon”). This is a Japanese-language education-related seminar for Japanese-language teachers carried out mainly by Japanese-Language Specialists (hereinafter “Specialists”) attached to the Foundation. The Salon has been being held since the Foundation was founded, and is an important job of the Specialists. This Salon brings together enthusiastic Japanese-language teachers not just from Seoul but also from Incheon, Daejeon and locations even farther afield, such as Gangwon-do. Some of the teachers teach at middle schools and high schools, while others are teachers who teach at university or private-sector Japanese-language schools. Depending on the theme of the Salon, in some cases people in non-teaching roles also participate. To be honest, when we oversee seminars we worry about the themes, struggle with the preparations and are tense during the classes, but when large numbers of teachers take part and the results of the surveys are good, we feel that our struggles have been rewarded.

Nihongo Salon

This Salon fulfills another important role, and that is to provide a valuable venue for teachers to exchange information, and a venue for them to form networks. While in the classroom, many teachers go about their duties in what is an isolated situation. For teachers such as this, taking part in the Salon allows them to exchange information, build connections and widen their networks, and this is a hidden role of the Salon. From here forward also, we intend to keep this significant aspect of the Salon in mind, and strive to create appealing Salons to ensure they attract large numbers of teachers.

At the same time, one of the Foundation’s valuable tools for conveying information is the “Kachi no koe (Song of the Magpie).” “Kachi no koe” is the magpies that live throughout Korea and are said to be a good omen. This “Kachi no koe” is a Web magazine that is published every month and is written mainly by Specialists. In addition to series that Specialists are in charge of such as “Japan’s profile, as seen from the data,” “Look now!” “Korea sketch” and “The this and that of the Japanese language,” at times the magazine also features articles from external instructors, covering topics such as “How to make progress with the Japanese language.” https://www.jpf.or.kr/index/s6/publish.php?idx=32

Last year the Foundation carried out a survey of “Kachi no koe” readers. The results revealed that around 90% of the readers are in their 30s or older, and 80% have an advanced or intermediate level of Japanese ability. When asked what their goals are in reading the magazine, the leading answer, at 58.9%, was “Because I am interested in Japan,” followed by “In order to study the Japanese language” at 42.5%. The survey results suggest that the average reader is in their 30s or higher with a high level of Japanese-language ability, and with an interest in Japan and the Japanese language. Going forward also, we want to strive to create pages capable of matching the interests and concerns of this readership.

3. Youthful Energy is Flowing into Japanese-Language Classrooms at Secondary Education

In 2018, jobs for 52 Japanese-language teachers of secondary education were advertised nationwide. Nine teachers were sought in 2016, followed by 15 in 2017, before the sudden and significant increase to 52 in 2018. The frontlines of Japanese-language education at middle school and high school are becoming enlivened. New teachers have been recruited for three years running, and this year the number of teachers being sought suddenly increased to more than three times the previous year’s number. Furthermore, the number of teachers who will reach mandatory retirement will also increase in the future, and partly due to that, people in the field are hopeful that the number of teacher recruitments will increase even further. Up to now, Japanese-language teachers had been witnessing a steady flow of young teachers into the Chinese-language teaching field with feelings of desolation. We hope that Japanese-language teachers will enjoy a resurgence of energy at the sight of younger teachers entering their field for the first time in some time. We also want them to be inspired to further refine their own teaching skills by that youthful energy.