The Current State of Japanese Language Education in Australian Schools

3 Reform for Japanese in Primary Schools

The teaching of Japanese in primary schools requires urgent reform, not just at the curriculum level, but also in terms of structures. It is recommended that education authorities actively encourage and support schools to trial innovative models for staffing and delivery which would reconceptualise the role of the Japanese teacher, the generalist teacher and the way in which Japanese is provided in schools. Such models would allow a move away from the current situation, where the Japanese curriculum is provided at the margins by teachers who are isolated from core curriculum planning and from supportive peers. For example, they might involve employment of two or more qualified teachers of Japanese who would also teach in generalist areas.

4 Detailed Curriculum and Materials Development

In conjunction with the development of a national curriculum for languages, curriculum authorities should develop a detailed Japanese scope and sequence (primary and secondary) based on mandated minimum time allocations for language. This should provide common benchmarks for all schools and should allow for different trajectories, including both a continuing and beginning trajectory at the secondary level. Comprehensive sequential teaching and assessment materials should also be developed to support the implementation of the national curriculum.

5 Profiling Teachers

The Australian Government should coordinate the collection by all sectors of comprehensive information on Japanese teachers, including their linguistic and pedagogic qualifications and age, to allow informed planning for recruitment and professional development.

6 Partnerships to Support Opportunities for Authentic Interaction

Wider support is required to develop and expand programs which allow opportunities for learning beyond those provided by a single teacher in a classroom.

Education authorities, in partnership with governments and universities in Australia and Japan, should establish professionally run programs to recruit, train and support native speaker assistants from Japan to work in Australian schools.

Schools, governments and industry should collaborate to expand opportunities for students to apply and develop their Japanese skills in authentic situations, through virtual and face-to-face interaction, internships and/or work experience and travel to Japan. This should include increased financial and administrative support for sister school and travel abroad programs as well as the development of new initiatives.

1 Introduction

1.1 Why Japanese Is Important and Appropriate as a Language of Wider Teaching

Japanese has developed into the most widely taught language in Australia for good reasons.

Japan is important to Australia, to Asia, and to the world

As a near neighbour with many common regional and international interests, Japan has been a close strategic and economic partner for over 50 years and is likely to remain so (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Economic Analytical Unit, 2008).

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  Japan is the world’s second largest economy and will present significant new business opportunities for Australian firms over the coming decades. In addition, Japan is a significant presence in international trade and manufacturing and therefore of significance to Australia’s wider international trade activities.
  
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  Japan is Australia’s largest export market and is our third most important source of imports.
  
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  Japanese firms are key investors in Australia’s energy, resources and agrifood industries.
  
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  Japan is a world leader in science and technology.
  
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  Strategic and security relations with Japan are well-developed and will continue to be of major importance. Australia and Japan were key partners in establishing the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum and work closely in a range of international economic, development and security organisations and partnerships.
  
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  Because Japan is important, a core group of Australians is needed to work across a broad range of fields, who understand Japan intimately, and who can communicate in Japanese. All Australians need some knowledge about and understanding of Japan. There are employment opportunities for Australians with a knowledge of Japanese and an understanding of Asia in Australia, Japan and internationally.
  

Japanese language and culture are appealing and accessible to Australian students and provide a window into a different world

As an ancient Asian culture which has evolved into a modern advanced society, Japanese culture appeals to students on many different levels and offers opportunities for connections through food, popular culture, art, music, cinema, martial arts, technology and many other areas.

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  Japanese culture is different enough to open new doors, especially to Asia, but also has features which appeal to students and encourage engagement. Its mix of traditional and modern features provides an excellent context for intercultural learning.
  
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  Community level exchanges, including student exchange, working holiday programs and sister cities, as well as relationships developed through sport and the arts have built a strong network of interpersonal connections, which offer many opportunities to engage with Japanese people and experience Japanese culture both in Australia and in Japan. Tourism and educational exchange is also strong. School to school links provide rich authentic opportunities for students to communicate in Japanese while studying, and also provide a concrete and immediate motivation for language learning.
  

Hundreds of thousands of Australians have studied Japanese over the last 40 years and there is a strong infrastructure in place supporting the teaching of Japanese

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  Australia’s expertise in Japanese language education is acknowledged internationally.
  
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  The large number of programs already in place offers important advantages in terms of economies of scale (in curriculum development and other areas), depth of expertise, and continuity of learning for students.
  

The Japanese community in Australia is growing, and has reached substantial levels in major cities. Japanese Australians should have the opportunity to study their home language both for their own, and for the community’s benefit adding to Australia’s rich resource of multilingual individuals. According to the 2006 census:

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  40,968 residents claimed Japanese heritage, of whom 30,778 were born in Japan
  
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  over one third of them resided in NSW (11,159), with 8,592 in Qld, 5,778 in Vic, and 1,238 in WA
  
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  4,890 were under 19 years of age.