The Current State of Japanese Language Education in Australian Schools

3.5 Specific Curriculum Issues

3.5.1 Literacy in the Curriculum

Acquisition of the Japanese scripts is a big challenge for students and teachers and hinders progress in other areas until students are able to access the language in written form. Introduction of script is often a drawn-out process, due to a lack of preparedness by many students for the memorisation involved. On the part of teachers, there is a lack of confidence in utilising effective teaching techniques, coupled with low expectations, sometimes exacerbated by their own low competence in written Japanese. Teachers constantly experiment with ways to teach script, but often do so with little guidance. There is disagreement about the numbers of kanji that students at junior levels should be exposed to or expected to acquire, for reading, writing or both, and little attention is given to the significant stylistic differences between spoken and written language.

3.5.2 Culture in the Curriculum

One of the advantages of Japanese as a language of wider teaching is that the language is associated with a distinct and rich culture, which students generally find appealing and interesting. Both at primary and secondary levels most teachers include cultural activities, but the quality of the cultural curriculum varies. At best, students engage in significant learning about Japanese culture and society, which has broader educational significance, as well as enhancing their ability to communicate in Japanese and to understand their own culture and society. At worst, students are distracted from serious engagement with the language by a succession of cultural trivia, acquiring entrenched stereotypes and misconceptions that remain unchallenged.

The teaching of Japanese has always incorporated a cultural component, and in many ways has been a leader in this area. For example, the Vic curriculum in the 1970–90s was strongly influenced by Neustupný’s stress on sociolinguistic and sociocultural competence, which was given systematic attention at a time when this was rare in other languages. The strong emphasis on Intercultural Language Learning (ILL) over the past few years has provided a new impetus for the development of greater attention to culture in Japanese teaching, but has not provided solutions to all of the complex issues associated with the teaching of culture. Although the original approach stresses the embedment of culture within language, in practice teachers of Japanese have often found it easier to address cultural issues in English, with little reference to how they are manifested within the Japanese language. In this way, the teaching of intercultural competencies has sometimes displaced, rather than enriched (and been enriched by) the teaching of communicative competence.

Case Study 4: Advanced Entry Pathway in Year 7 for Continuing Students

While they are rare, there are a few schools which offer pathways that recognise and value prior Japanese language learning and provide students with opportunities to continue their language learning rather than start again. This may also allow students to complete their senior secondary Japanese units a year earlier than normal, providing them with greater flexibility and more choice at the senior secondary level. Two examples are given below.

A state high school in Qld has implemented many strategies to ensure a vibrant languages program which provides various pathways to students of Japanese. Due to strong collaboration with the primary feeder schools and the high school’s own vertical curriculum, the high school offers students alternate pathways which allow them to complete their Japanese language studies a year early, opening opportunities for other subject study or tertiary Japanese studies. The school’s strong program results in a 40 per cent retention rate to Year 12. The following points have contributed to its success.

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  A secondary school working within a vertical curriculum offers Japanese at various levels.
  
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  In theory, students can begin Japanese at any one of six different semester-based entry points.
  
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  This system accommodates primary school learners, background speakers and any student with prior Japanese learning experience.
  
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  Students are able to complete Year 12 in Year 11 allowing them more flexibility in subject choice.
  
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  Students are able to do tertiary courses in Year 12, contributing to a higher potential TER.
  
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  The school works collaboratively with two local feeder primary schools to ensure that the students can make the transition into a higher level in high school rather than starting at beginners’ level.
  
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  The schools work on curriculum to ensure that the content of learning is complementary.
  
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  The head of the languages department organises cluster meetings with the high school and primary school teachers once per term.
  
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  The cluster meetings provide professional development on given topics as well as networking opportunities.
  
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  The high school and primary schools are able to share resources and teaching ideas and strategies.
  
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  The cluster offers collegiate support to the primary school teachers, who work in isolation.
  
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  The head of language at the high school is proactive in informing the principals of the feeder primary schools about Japanese language education and the support the cluster arrangement will offer their teachers and programs.
  
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  The high school is providing students with true alternative pathways that recognise prior learning experience.
  

Another example of a pathway from primary to secondary school can be found in a Vic P–12 independent school which offers three languages. In primary school, the students experience two years of each language, on a consecutive basis. In Years 5 and 6 they study Japanese.

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  Students have 75 min of Japanese language instruction per week and the program is based on an academically rigorous approach focusing on cumulative language acquisition. The language content equates to that which is normally taught in the first year of high school.
  
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  When these students enter high school they are able to continue Japanese in a class designated for ‘continuing’ students. Students entering the school from outside who have studied Japanese are also able to join this class, depending on their language experience and ability.
  
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  At later year levels, students from the beginners’ pathway who have shown a high degree of ability and motivation are able to transfer into this class.
  
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  A separate continuing pathway is maintained throughout secondary school, and students tend to perform very well. Many complete Year 12 studies one year early in Year 11, allowing them greater flexibility in subject choice, and the possibility of doing another language or proceeding to the university Enhancement program.
  

Comment

These cases illustrate successful transition models which have benefits for the students’ ultimate levels of achievement and for retention of students in the high school program. Students in primary school respond positively to knowing that they are working towards advanced entry into the secondary school program. In high school, students in the continuing program have incentives to maintain their initial advantage, due to the ability to complete a Year 12 subject early. Talented and motivated students in the beginners’ pathway have the opportunity to accelerate their studies if they wish.