Newswise — A five-day institute for K-16 teachers of the Japanese language is scheduled June 18-22 at the University of Mississippi, with priority given to applicants from Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee.
The Summer Institute in Mississippi for Teachers of Japanese has an application deadline of May 31. It is to be conducted by the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese and UM's Department of Modern Languages and Croft Institute for International Studies.
The workshop, which will enroll up to 15 participants, has a faculty of three who will conduct the training in Japanese. The Japan Foundation pays tuition, hotel and some transportation costs for teachers who complete the course. For registration information, visit http://www.jflalc.org/index.php?act=tpt&id=149 This workshop is the first of its kind to be held on the Ole Miss campus, and its goal is to promote teaching and learning the Japanese language in Mississippi and its neighboring states.
"Japanese language instruction is a very important part of what we do in the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Mississippi," said Donald Dyer, modern languages chair. "It is one of several languages that students can study for all four years at the university.
"Hosting a Japanese language pedagogy workshop accentuates what we do in this area and is particularly germane now, given the coming of the Toyota plant to northeast Mississippi and the potential this has to increase interest in Japanese language and culture in the state. We are very excited about this opportunity."
Institute participants will review different concepts of Japanese language pedagogy, with daily sessions on topics such as curriculum design, grammar instruction, assessment and textbooks. A pre-workshop online session June 11-16 will prepare participants for the Oxford institute and familiarize them with educational technology.
"Unlike other major languages that have traditionally been taught, it is difficult for many Japanese language programs to receive support, especially in the South," said Kaoru Ochiai, director of Japanese instruction at UM. "One particular obstacle is the availability of workshops for teachers. This workshop will offer teachers in the South more knowledge about teaching, as well as develop a regional network of Japanese teachers. I am excited that the University of Mississippi is hosting this workshop along with the Japan Foundation, and I hope that they will continue to provide opportunities to promote quality education not only for students but also teachers."
To learn more about the Department of Modern Languages, visit http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/modern_languages/
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