SEO, Masaki (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) http://citers2012.cite.hku.hk/en/paper_538.htm

1. ORGANIZING AN ONLINE STUDY GROUP FOR
JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THE WORLD:
FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZER
Masaki Seo (maseo@inet.polyu.edu.hk)
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
June 15, 2012 CITE Research Symposium 2012

2. Japanese Language Education around the World
•133 countries/area
•49,803 teachers
• 35,781 non-native Japanese teachers
(71.8%)
• 14,022 native Japanese teachers
(28.2%)
•3,651,232 learners
(Japan Foundations, 2011)
Various types of Japanese language education are
available.
⇒ standardized education system cannot accommodate
2

3. Japanese Language Education
around the World
 Individual Factors
 Leaners’ Needs
 Learners’ Mother language
 Leaners’ Age
 Social Factors
 Local Educational Policy
 Distance from Japan
 Availability of Resources
Shape of Japanese Language Education differs
based on these 3

4. 平畑（ 2008 ）
Hirahata
 Japanese native speakers who work in
abroad need to have
 Teaching skill
 Technical knowledge
 Understandingof significance and direction of
Japanese language education at the local
Skill & Knowledge + α 4

5. But, REALITY is…
 Teachers are looking for specific
“techniques” of teaching certain items.
 “Powerful” teachers in the local or from
Japan “tell” the techniques of teaching
5

6. Paradigm Shift
in Teachers’ Education
自己研修型教師
Self-Directed Teachers
( 岡崎・岡崎 , 1997; 横溝 , 2002)
Okazaki & Okazaki Yokomizo
6

7. 自己研修型教師 (Self-Directed Teachers)
is…
 Teachers who can reflect critically on their
teaching philosophy and practice and
adapt teaching materials and practices to
suit the needs of their own students.
 In order to become self-directed teachers,
 Teachers need to select their own
professional development that matches their
needs (Hayashi, 2006)
 Teachers need to have colleagues with whom
they can share ideas and practices 7

8. But, REALITY is…
 Teachers who work in the areas where
Japanese is less commonly taught have
few opportunities for the professional
development, network building, and
information exchange.
Lack of Network ⇒ Lack of Discussion on
the significance and direction of Japanese
language education at the local
8

9. In order to overcome this situation
 We started to organize an online study
group for Japanese language teachers in
the world where teachers discuss their
concerns and give advice.
 Using online technologies, teachers from
Canada, Egypt, France, Korea, Hong
Kong, Malaysia, Poland, and the United
States were connected. 9

10. This study…
 Investigates a self-narrative of a teacher
who organizes an online study group for
Japanese language teachers in the world
with the ethnographic approach in a scope.
10

11. E-mail Exchange regularly
 Sharing Students’ work, lesson plans,
projects, etc.
 Comments on activities of the group
 A participant from Canada mentioned…
 Allthe members could actively comment on
each activity and be part of the members of
planning and organizing the activities. This
surely made us feel the ownership toward the
activities and we could build “teachers’
autonomy.” 11

12. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Broadcasted through internet since
summer 2011
12

13. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Google +
13

14. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 USTREAM
14

15. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
Date Topic Location of the
Facilitator
2011/10/16 How to teach Hong Kong
hiragana/katakana
2011/11/27 How to teach honorific Hong Kong
form
2012/2/19 Connecting to the Social U.S.A
2012/4/29 Networking students and Canada
teachers
2012/6/24 Practitioner Research Japan 15

16. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Survey from Participants
 It is a great idea using IT technology for
connecting Japanese practitioners in the
world (online participant)
 I truly appreciate for the broadcasting the
lecture since I cannot go to the site (online
participant)
Positive Comments on broadcasting the lectures
16

17. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Survey from Participants
 It is great to know about the world. When I
think about Hong Kong, it is from very narrow
perspective. But, by looking around the world,
I can see the Japanese language education
from the global perspective (on-site
participant)
Gaining global perspectives
17

18. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Survey from Participants
I was thinking the Japanese language
education should be the same around the
world, but by listening to voices from other
locations, I discovered many different things
(online participant)
 By talking to other people, I have to think
critically why I chose the way I have been
teaching
Gaining critical thinking ability
18

19. Web Round-table talk
 To overcome time-differences
 To maximize the discussion around the world
19

20. Lecture Series Held Every Two
Month in Hong Kong
 Survey from Participants
 Itwas great to reflectively share our teaching
philosophy in the world.
 Other teachers in the local could gather
together and discuss for this purpose
Network Building
20

21. Difficulties
 Some teachers have difficulties of IT skills
 Gap between online participants and local
participants
 Local participants ⇒ looking for more
“techniques” for teaching
 Participants in the world ⇒ looking for more
philosophical issues
Online Participants
2.Closed Discussion
21
3.Variation of local contexts

22. Conclusion
 By using internet, we could provide space
for dialogues among teachers in the world.
 With the spread of this activity, many
teachers started to participate.
 We would provide more active
participation and discussion among
teachers in the world.
22

23. References
岡崎敏雄・岡崎眸（ 1997 ）『日本語教育の実習－理論と実践』アルク
林さと子 (2006) 「教師研修モデルの変遷－自己研修型教師像を探る－」
春原憲一郎・横溝紳一郎編著『日本語教師の成長と自己研修－新たな教師
研修とストラテジーの可能性をめざして』凡人社 pp.10-25
国際交流基金 (2011) 『海外の日本語教育の現状 日本語教育機関調査・
2009 年 概要』 <http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/japanese/survey/result/index.html> (2012 年 6
月9日)
平畑奈美（ 2008 ）「アジアにおける母語話者日本語教師の新たな役割－
母語話者性と日本人性の視点から」『世界の日本語教育』 18 号 , 1-19
春原憲一郎・横溝紳一郎編著 (2006) 『日本語教師の成長と自己研修－新
たな教師研修とストラテジーの可能性をめざして』凡人社
横溝紳一郎 (2006) 「教師の成長を支援するということ－自己教育力とア
クション・リサーチ」春原憲一郎・横溝紳一郎編著『日本語教師の成長と
自己研修－新たな教師研修とストラテジーの可能性をめざして』凡人社
pp.10-25
23