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Inside おしらせ

1 - President’s message

2- Events Calendar, Prof. Development

4- Reports From the NCJLT Board 1)National Japanese Exam2)New Advocacy Website3)Advocacy Contest Winner4)ACTFL Convention 2010 Report and Call for Proposals5)NCJLT Teacher Award 2010 Recipient Announcement and Call For Nominations

11- Affiliate News

12- Featured Articles1) Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) ののの-Rie Tsuboi2)ACTFL/NCJLT for my Next Decade- Yoko Miwa Cook3)NCJLT/ACTFL Grant Recipient Report- Kai Iwamoto4)ACTFL Presentation Summary: Teachers as a Learner: Creating an Online Personal Learning Netrwork (PLN)- Yasuhiko Tohsaku and Eiko Ushida.

15)Forms and Add’l Information: Membership Benefits, Applications: JNHS, Nengajoo, Yonkoma Manga, etc.

Volume 17, No.11: December, 2010Message from the President

National Council of Japanese Language Teachers 日本語全米教師会P.O. Box 3719 Boulder, Co 80307-3719

URL: http://www.ncjlt.net -- email: ncjlt@japaneseteaching.org

Dear Members of NCJLT,

Autumn in Boston for the ACTFL Conference was sunnier and warmer than in the Seattle area where I live and work. As I write this greeting to all NCJLT members from Seattle on a warm but rain soaked weekend, I think back to last month’s trip to Boston and the hours of workshops and networking with world language teachers from across America. Trying to recall all the conversations I had with fellow teachers from so many places is too much like sitting at my desk at 2:36pm each day and trying to recall every conversation and interaction with 150 students in the previous 7 hours. It is so hard to do!

However, one strong realization stands out – Japanese Language Teachers in America face many issues in common (such as how to best introduce native English speakers to various aspects of the Japanese language) while at the same time facing so many differences. The differences are predominately those of the local culture, the local community’s priorities and challenges, state and local processes for making decisions on strategic and spending priorities, and finally the joys and heartbreaks of our daily interactions with our students.

It is because of this reality that we stand as if on two legs – what we share in common and what we have in differences – that I understand the importance for each of us as teachers to work hard to find the balance point/center point in our profession as teachers. I am making an allusion to my brief experiences in Judo when I was younger. The principle of balance is taught in all martial arts. In our case I see one leg

we stand on as our connection through a national association of teachers and the second leg to be our involvement with teachers in our local affiliates.

If we are balanced on both legs well, it is difficult for us to become off-balance and tumble as teachers. On the other hand, when we are exclusively focused on our personal classroom situations, we actually practice the equivalent of standing on just one of our toes, not even the foot, and it is too easy to get blown away by forces, arguments, and decisions from beyond our classroom.

So, as in the past, but even more so today, it is important for us to have a national presence as Japanese teachers, as well as, involvement in our local states and regions. It is hopeful that we can look forward to a re-organized national association beginning in 2012. NCJLT will become the “American Association of Japanese Language Teachers” (AATJ) along with all teachers who were members of the Association of Teachers of Japanese (ATJ). The final step in approving this transformation came last week when members of ATJ overwhelming approved joining our two national associations together under the draft By-Laws. The AATJ By-Laws has been approved and will begin to take affect in 12 months.

The Transition Team of Past and Current Presidents for both ATJ and NCJLT will meet along with Susan Schmidt of AATJ (Alliance of Associations for Teachers of Japanese) to settle the transition details, to work out the guidelines, and operating procedures for the new AATJ. From ATJ team members will be Janet Ikeda, President, and Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku, Past President. Representing NCJLT will be my as the current President

2and Suwako Watanabe, Past President. We will hold our first planning meeting in Seattle on January 28-29.

Since the future AATJ will be built upon strong working relationships with the leadership of each region/state Affiliate, we will be sending ideas/information to and getting feedback from those leaders over the next several months as we work out the transition details. They will also be communicated through OSHIRASE issues throughout the year of 2011.

Despite the many challenges we teachers face in community priorities and financial struggles, I believe that there is a strong future for Teachers of Japanese Language and Culture in the USA. We need to work together to take a hold of the advantages we have, and work to over come the problems before us. Working one by one weakens us all, but as we all are well aware, teamwork in the strong Japanese culture sense will enable us to overcome great adversity. Need we look no farther than a historical overview of what the Japanese nation and people have done time and again through the past 20 centuries. Let’s work together and we will all be stronger and more happy and satisfied for making the effort.

I look forward to working with you as the NCJLT President in the months that lie ahead and as the last President of NCJLT. Something better is being birthed, so let’s look forward to the future with hope and courage.

Kurt Thompson, PresidentSeattle, WA

Professional Development

Workshop & Courses

February 4-5, 2011Alabama Association of Foreign Language Teachers “Languages: Gateway for Global Communities”http://www.uab.edu/aaflt/pdfs/2011_Conference_Info.pdf

February 11-12, 2011South Carolina Foreign Language Teachers Association“World Languages: Meeting New Challenges”http://www.scflta.org/conf_wkshps/Conf%2011/conference2011.htm

February 19-21, 2011National Heritage Language Resource Center First International Conference on Heritage/Community LanguagesLos Angeles, CA http://www.nhlrc.ucla.edu/conference/

April 1 - 4, 20112011 NECTFL "Strengthening Connections: Colleagues, Content, and Curriculum"Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore, MDhttp://www.dickinson.edu/prorg/nectfl/conf.html

Japan Foundation Sponsored ProgramsThis is an announcement regarding out 2010- 2011 Fiscal Year Grant Programs.

The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles is now accepting applications for the following programs. The application deadline is DECEMBER 1ST, 2010. (This is an ARRIVAL DATE, not a postmark date.) Please make sure to contact the JF Los Angeles office (language@jflalc.org) in advance if you are planning to apply. 1. Programs for Teachers of the Japanese Language

(1) Long-term Training Program (6 months)http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/japanese/dl/pdf/NC-JT_e.pdf Duration (tentative): September 15, 2010 – March 11, 2011 This program is for non-native speakers of Japanese, who are under the age of 35 and have more than 6 months and less than

NCJLT Calendar of Events

11/1/10-1/31/11 National Japanese Exam Online Registration http://www.quia.com/njeorder

12/27/10 Nengajoo Deadline

1/1/11 January Oshirase Deadline 3/1/11 Yonkoma Manga Contest Deadline

4/25/11 JNHS Deadline

35 years of experience in teaching the Japanese language (private lessons not included) as of December 1, 2010. Those who have completed the compulsory education (elementary and junior high school, 9 years) in Japan are NOT eligible. (2) Short-term Training Program (2 months)http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/japanese/dl/pdf/NC-JT_e.pdf Duration (tentative): a) Spring: May 11, 2011 - July 1, 2011 (For primary/secondary level teachers)b) Summer: July 13, 2011 - September 2, 2011 (Not Specified)c) Winter: January 25, 2012 - March 16, 2012 (For Collegiate-level teachers) This program is for non-native speakers of Japanese, who are under the age of 55 and have at least 2 years of experience in teaching the Japanese language (private lessons not included) as of December 1, 2010. Those who have completed the compulsory education (elementary and junior high school, 9 years) in Japan are NOT eligible. (3) Advanced Programhttp://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/japanese/dl/pdf/NC-AJT_e.pdf Duration (tentative): October 26, 2011 - December 22, 2011 This Program is designed for individuals or teams of up to 3 people who require more advanced expertise and skills as teachers of Japanese, and have specific challenges they wish to address, or have issues they want to resolve in the teaching of the Japanese language. Based on the Study Plan (Outline of Research and Challenges detailed in the application), research activities will be further developed through lectures, one-on-one guidance and discussion among participants. The activities cover a variety of themes and may include pedagogic method research, syllabus development,

and textbook compilation planning. Participants are required to submit reports on the results of the training within a year after completing the program. It is expected these results will ultimately be made public and published, in the form of an academic paper, syllabus, or as a text book. The candidates must be between the ages of 30 and 55 and have at least 5 years experience in teaching the Japanese language as of December 1, 2010 (private lessons not included). Note: The entire application form, especially in the Study Plan part, should be filled out in Japanese if there are no specific directions. (4) Graduate Program on Japanese Language and Culture (Master’s Course)http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/japanese/dl/pdf/NC-GP_e.pdf Duration (tentative): One year (September, 2011 ~ September, 2012) This program is designed to provide teachers of the Japanese language who are working abroad, or individuals who have experience in teaching the Japanese language abroad, and are expected to be leaders of the academic world of Japanese language education in their own countries, with an opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in Japanese language education. Applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited university, and he/she must be under the age of 44 as of April 1, 2011, and have at least two years of experience in teaching the Japanese language as of December 1, 2010 (private lessons and assistant teachers not included). 2. Japanese Language Program for Specialists in Cultural and Academic Field

http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/program/japanese/dl/pdf/KC-G_e.pdf This program is primarily a LANGUAGE course for specialists (Researchers, Postgraduate Students, Librarians, Museum Curators, etc.) requiring Japanese language proficiency for specialized work and

Oshirase Submission guidelines:

Oshirase is the news-letter of the National Council of Japanese Language Teachers (NCJLT), a non-profit organization.Submissions to: emi-ahn@mesacc.edu Website: www.ncjlt.net

• For inquiries regarding submission, please send email to: Emi Ahn, Oshirase editor and webmaster: emiahn@mesacc.edu • Submissions are accepted in electronic form.• Please send written release forms along with photos and text if they include persons under the age of 18. A form is available from our website.

Note: NCJLT reserves the right to edit, change, and delete information from any submission to this newsletter.

Submission deadlines:

August 1 st (Digital)October 1st (Print)December 1st (Digital)January 1st (Print)March 1st (Digital)May 1st (Digital)

Advertisement Information: If you are interested in placing and adver-tisement in either the eOshirase or Oshirase, please visit http://ncjlt.net

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The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) at the University of Oregon seeks a Japanese Global Scholars Coordinator. The Japanese Global Scholars Coordinator will be responsible for recruiting students, managing budgets, creating communications materials, and working with various units on and off campus to develop and implement the Japanese Global Scholars Program. This is a twelve-month, 0.50 FTE officer of administration appointment, starting on December 29, 2010. Refer to the UO jobs page at http://hr.uoregon.edu/jobs/unclassified.php?id=3234 for a complete position announcement and application directions. Review of applications will begin on December 15, 2010, and continue until a hire is made. EO/AA/ADA institution committed to cultural diversity. We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to diversity. Veterans are encouraged to apply.

ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE NCJLT BOARD

National Japanese Exam 2011: REGISTER NOW!-Fukumi Matsubara, NJE Assistant Coordinator

< Level 2, Level 3 and Special Category >Give your students an opportunity to see how they compare with others across the United States!NCJLT will start offering a level 3 exam this school year! This will be an exam developed for high school students in the second semester of their third year of Japanese. Students in levels 4 or AP may also take the level 3 exam, but will not have their scores counted when determining the results for the contest.

We will of course continue offering a level 2 exam for high school students in the second semester of their second year of Japanese, as well as for junior high/middle school students that have taken the high school equivalent of one and a half years of Japanese or whose courses have covered the material listed in the Level 2 Exam Content document.

Another change is the new category we are adding for students that have additional Japanese language experience. This additional category will help ensure that students are competing against other students with a similar background. Students in this new category meet one or more of the following characteristics:1. The student has grown up in a home where Japanese is the primary language used for communicating with at least one of the family members.2. The student has been enrolled in a Japanese

research activities. Education in any particular field of research study is NOT an intended part of the curriculum. (1) 2-month courseDuration (tentative): June - August, 2011 The program focuses on general Japanese language proficiency and aims to assist participants improve their speaking, hearing, reading, and writing skills. Optional lessons are also offered to meet individual Japanese language needs for specialized work purposes and academic research activities. Moreover, the program includes some activities for enhancing participants' understanding of Japanese society, such as social events with the local community, field trips, etc. (2) 6-month courseDuration (tentative): September, 2011 - March, 2012 The program focuses on Japanese language proficiency necessary for specialized work or research activities, and aims to assist participants acquire Japanese language skills necessary to collect and present information in their major fields and network with people in their fields. The program also enables participants to carry out various kinds of activities such as visits to other institutions, interviewing professionals, etc. Through these activities, participants are expected to develop practical Japanese language skills. Hence it is essential for participants to have a specific and concrete theme for their work/study/research and to be independent and willing enough to design and plan their major field-related activities to be carried out outside the Institute. Moreover, the program includes some activities for enhancing participants' understanding of Japanese society, such as social events with the local community, field trips, etc. Visits to other institutions will also be planned according to the interests of individual participants. About Other Grant Programs

Other programs such as instructor’s salary assistance and teaching materials support type of grants, etc. will become available sometime in February of 2011.

Job Opening Position AdvertisementJapanese Global Scholars Coordinator

5immersion program (including dual language and bilingual programs) for 3 years or more during Grades 4-8.3. The student has lived (after age 10) in Japan for morethan a school year.4. The student has studied in Japan for more than six months within the past 2 years.Online registration is running now through January 31st, 2011at www.quia.com/njeorder. Teachers must be current members of NCJLT in order to have their students participate.Visit the NCJLT website (ncjlt.net) to find out further information.

New Advocacy Website “Advocacy: Making Our Case”-Nana Suzumura NCJLT Membership Director / ACTFL Assistant Director

sJanuary 2010, the Japanese Language Advocacy Website Project was started with the grant from the Japan Foundation. The task force members were selected from ATJ (Yasuhiko Tohsaku-sensei, Michio Tsutsuisensei, and Janet Ikeda-sensei), NCJLT (Kurt Thompson and Nana Suzumura), AATJ (Susan Schmidt), and the Japan Foundation in Los Angeles. Our goal is to promote and stabilize Japanese language education in the U.S and also to consolidate the advocacy resources at one place.

The advocacy website is currently part of the AATJ website; you can find the link to this website from both NCJLT and ATJ website. http://www.aatj.org/advocacy/index.htmlThe advocacy website includes testimonials and articles from various points of view: parents, teachers, school administrators, current students, and former students who are successful in their jobs using Japanese. When your program is at risk due to budget cuts, please use these articles as testimonials to help protect your program. If you do not have a good relationship with school counselors or administrators, please read the articles from their point of views and learn what they want us to do. If you want to start a new program, please use the website to explain the benefit of learning Japanese.

The website also includes links to other resources. Each link was reviewed by our volunteer reviewers, who provided brief summaries of each website and what it is useful for. We all know that teachers are busy and some of you might not have had enough time for advocacy of your programs. This website was created to make your life easier so that you don’t have to spend day and night searching for advocacy resources. Advocacy is challenging. However, if all the teachers in the U.S. can tackle this challenge together, I believe we can see great results. Let’s use this website to promote Japanese language education together.

Advocacy Contest Winner-Julie Cain, Nengajo and Yonkoma Manga Contest Director

NCJLT celebrated the 2010 ACTFL Convention by rolling out our newest contest for Japanese students. In an effort to highlight the strong tradition of Japanese language education in the United States we started the Let’s 日本語 Contest. Students from around the country submitted seventeen very creative designs that would be printed on stickers and distributed at the ACTFL Convention to help Japanese teachers identify each other. Additionally, our hope is that this winning design will be something that teachers from across the country can use in their classrooms either as reward stickers or advertising for their own programs.

The 2010 winning design came from Rachel Burky student of Ayako Shiga at Boonsboro High School in Maryland. Rachel will receive several sheets of the stickers and a certificate of award.

Any teachers interested in purchasing products sporting the design can visit the online store at www.zazzle.com/NCJLTBoard.

You will also find posters of the 2010 Nengajo and Yonkoma Manga contest winners at this site. If there are any items you would like to see added to the offerings at our store, please let us know!

ACTFL Convention 2010 Report -Nana Suzumura, ACTFL Director

The 2010 ACTFL Annual Convention was held in Boston, Massachusetts from Friday, November 19 to Sunday, November 21. According to the ACTFL, about 7000

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people attended the ACTFL this year. NCJLT estimates that there were about 150 Japanese Language educators and participants from Japan-related companies and organizations attended the conference. Showa Boston provided their dorm rooms with discounted price for ACTFL attendees.

As a pre-convention event, NCJLT arranged our first AP Class Observation Tour on Thursday, November 18. 6 people teaching from elementary school level to college level attended this half-a-day tour. The group visited Noble and Greenough School and observed Tomoko Graham-sensei’s AP Japanese class. The participants also had a discussion about AP programs. Thank you, Graham-sensei for giving us the opportunity to make this happen.There were total of 26 NCJLT sponsored sessions; 18 educational sessions (60 min.) and 16 individual submission sessions (20 min.). These sessions covered topics such as content-based instruction, shadowing, teacher training, language assessment, integrated curriculum, technology, AP Japanese, National Japanese Exam, and advocacy.

NCJLT had one special session about advocacy “Keep It Flying.” We invited Jessica Haxhi-sensei from Maloney Interdistrict Magnet School as a guest speaker. Haxhi-sensei talked about advocacy targeting students, parents, co-workers, school administrators, and a school education board, using some hands-on activities during the session. She gave us a lot of great idea to advocate Japanese and the field of foreign languages.NCJLT hosted the Award Luncheon on Saturday. Approximately 120 people including Consul General of Japan in Boston, Mr. Toyohisa Kozuki and Vice Counsul, Ms. Mika Iga attended the luncheon. The luncheon started with a wonderful Taiko performance by Hall-Dale High School students. Naoto Kobayashi-sensei and his students came all the way from Maine to perform for us. Their performance was admirable. Consul General Kozuki gave us very insightful speech. During the Award Luncheon, K-12 Teacher of the Year was awarded to Kazuo Tsuda-sensei (United Nations International School) and a college level Teacher of the year was awarded to Sufumi So-sensei (George Mason University). They received prizes from Cheng & Tsui, IACE Travel, JPT America, JTB Cultural Exchange Corporation, Kinokuniya Bookstore of America, Kodansha America, Kyoto City Tourism Office & Tourism Representative for City of Tokyo, Shogakukan, The Japan Times, and Tuttle Publishing. We appreciate their contribution very much. Japan Foundation Los Angeles Director, Mr. Kohki Kanno closed the luncheon with very encouraging speech.

NCJLT general membership meeting was held on Saturday. In order to make more time for local affiliate report, all the directors’ reports were given as a handout. We had oral reports from AATJ, WATJ, AFTJ, and HATJ, and power point slide reports from ATJO, IATJ, JTAT, CJLEA, NCATJ, MCTJ, WiATJ, JTAM, MAATJ, and NECTJ. Again, thanks to Heinle | Cengage Learning, IACE Travel, Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, JPT America, Kinokuniya Bookstore of America, Kodansha America, Routledge, The Japan Times, and Tuttle Publishing, we could have wonderful door prizes for our participants!

We had a NCJLT special information session about the reorganization with ATJ. Suwako Watanabe-sensei (NCJLT President), Yasuhiko Tohsaku-sensei (ATJ Past President), and Susan Schmidt-sensei (AATJ) explained the expected changes in governance structure and new benefits. About 80 people attended this session. Some participants from NCJLT local affiliates asked some questions and shared concerns about reorganization from their perspectives. Comments and concerns shared at this session will be discussed at the reorganization transition team meeting in the future. NCJLT is planning to visit all the local affiliates to inform the reorganization and the expected changes in the upcoming year.

After the special information session, NCJLT sponsored a networking reception with some finger food and a cash bar. We had another performance by Hall-Dale High School students. Although the reception was from 7:30pm, many teachers stayed at the reception and enjoyed getting to know each other.

It was the fourth year hosting the Japan Pavilion at the exhibitor hall. There were twelve booths, seventeen Japan related companies and organizations; 3A Corporation, IACE Travel, Japan Foundation, Japan National Tourism Organization, JETRO , JTB America, JTP America, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Kintetsu International, Kondansha America, Middlebury college, Nagoya University, Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese, Shogakukan, The Laurasian Institution, Yes! Tokyo, and NCJLT exhibited at the pavilion. This year we could not have any performance inside the exhibition hall due to the venue regulations, however, we displayed some food samples rented from the Consulate General of Japan in Boston and students work samples from the Boston area high schools. Graham-sensei and Ayako Anderson-sensei brought some work from Noble and Greenough School and Michiko Homann-sensei brought some work from Boston Latin Academy. Not only Japanese teachers but also teachers for other languages stopped by our booth and went through all the display samples. The Japan Pavilion had another year of success.

7This year’s NCJLT -ACTFL Participant Grant went to two teachers; Yoko Miwa-Cook-sensei (Valley Catholic High School) and Kae Iwamoto-sensei (Newburgh Free Academy). They received $200 scholarship to attend ACTFL. The recipients helped the board members presiding the sessions and advocating Japanese at the NCJLT booth in the Japan Pavilion. We are very happy that we could support our members to attend the ACTFL conference. I would like to encourage more teachers to apply for this scholarship next year.

The 2010 ACTFL Convention was a great success. We appreciate all the NCJLT members and Japan-related companies and organizations for their support. NCJLT has already started working for the 2011 ACTFL which will be in Denver, CO from November 18 to 20, 2011. The call for proposals is opened till January 10, 2011. For the submission, please go to www. actfl.org. We look forward to your proposals.

If you couldn’t attend the ACTFL this year, the summary of sessions will be in our next Oshirase. You can also download the summary from the ACTFL website. Please go to http://community.actfl.org for the handouts. You may need to create an account but it is a great resource for you. For presenters, please upload your handout if you haven’t done so. You can upload the handout from the ACTFL website also.

The NCJLT appreciates all the members who have helped us making the 2010 ACTFL successful. We look forward to meeting more members next year!

Iwamoto-sensei Miwa-sensei, 2010 NCJLT ACFTL Grant Recipients

Taiko performance by Hall-Dale High School students

Japan Pavilion

ACTFL 2011 in Denver Call for Proposals until Jan.10

We are now calling for proposals for ACTFL 2011 in Denver, CO from November 18-20, 2011. The deadline is Jan.10, 2011. To submit your proposal(s), please go to the ACTFL website: http://www.actfl.org. This year there seems to be some confusion about the types of sessions we have. There are two types of sessions; educational sessions and individual pa-per sessions. Please be read carefully and choose the right type for your proposal. NCJLT cannot change the type of proposal even if you make a mistake.1)Educational sessions: 60 minutes.2)Individual paper sessions: 20 min. + 10 min. for Q&A

You need to be a NCJLT member to submit a pro-posal for NCJLT sponsored sessions. You can sub-mit up to 2 proposals. If you submit more than 2 proposals, your proposal will be disqualified. NCJLT is looking for educational sessions. No particular

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product should be advertised or promoted during the NCJLT sponsored sessions. Please use exhibitor sessions to advertise a product.Here are the steps to submit your proposal.1)Create an ACTFL account at www.actfl.org.2)Log in to the account then follow the direction on the website.3)Make sure you choose NCJLT when you submit the proposal.

Nana Suzumura is a new ACTFL conference chair of NCJLT. If you have any questions, please send me e-mail to ncjtlactfl@gmail.com. 2011 ACTFL Annual Convention and World Languag-es Expo: November 18-20, 2011Pre-Convention Workshops: November 17, 2011Colorado Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Denver HotelDenver, Colorado

NCJLT Teacher Awards 2010 Announcement-Junko Fujimoto, NCJLT Teacher Awards Director

NCJLT created the Teacher Awards Program for two categories in 2001, one for K through 12 and another for college level, including community college, college and universities. The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding teachers of Japanese at the national level. These two awards are the only national awards for Japanese language teachers. They recognize excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership in Japanese and culture education, as well as contributions to the local community.

The NCJLT Teacher Awards Committee is pleased to announce the 2010 NCJLT Teacher Awards winners. The K-12 Level Teacher Award goes to Mr. Kazuo Tsuda of United Nations International School in New York. The College Level Teacher Award goes to Professor Sufumi So of George Mason University in Virginia. These awards have recognized excellence in teaching, advocacy and leadership in Japanese language and culture education, and contributions to the local community since 2001. It is our honor to present these prestigious national awards to Tsuda sensei and So sensei. Congratulations!

The NCJLT would like to express our sincere gratitude for generous support from JPT America, JTB Cultural Exchange Corporation, Kinokuniya

Bookstores of America, Kodansha America, Kyoto City Tourism Office & Tourism Representative for City of Kyoto, Shogakukan, The Japan Times, and Tuttle Publishing.

Professor Sufumi So (George Mason University) & Mr. Kazuo Tsuda (United Nation International School)

NCJLT Teacher Awards 2011 Call For Nominations -Junko Fujimoto, NCJLT Teacher Awards Director

Applications are now being accepted for the NCJLT Teacher Award 2011 for K-12 Level and College Level. Your valuable input will help to make another successful year for this prestigious teacher award program.

Please take a look around you and identify teachers who devote themselves to teaching Japanese language and culture and who inspire their students to love the study of Japanese. Please help us recognize such excellent teachers. Teacher Awards promote our profession and strengthen Japanese language and culture education nationwide.

The deadline for Teacher Awards pre-nomination is March 31; nominations must be completed by April 30. I look forward to receiving nominations for excellent teachers from many of you! Please address any questions or comments to Junko Fujimoto jfujimoto@ou.edu.

Junko Fujimoto, Teacher Award Director

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Workshop: “Grammar Instruction”

The Japanese Language Program at Amherst College invites applicants who would like to participate in a workshop for studying some aspects of Japanese language grammar and its instruction at the high school level. This workshop has been designed for full-time high school teachers of Japanese. The workshop will be for two weeks, and each participant will receive a stipend of $1,000 plus room and board on campus. This workshop is supported in part by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Interested applicants should send the application materials by the 1st of March 2011. Please see below for detailed information:

Eligibility:• The applicant should be currently teaching Japanese full-time at high school. • The applicant will return to the school and continue teaching Japanese at high school in the next academic year 2011-2012.• The applicant is willing to stay in a dormitory at the college for two weeks (July 1st to July 14th) and participate fully in the workshop.• After completing this workshop, the applicant will host a small workshop in the region of the applicant’s school within four months (necessary costs funded).

Application materials (in Japanese):• A cover letter (introduction of the applicant);• A short essay explaining why this kind of workshop will benefit the applicant;• Background (degrees and relevant courses in foreign language teaching/linguistics taken at college(s); if no relevant courses were taken at the college, please indicate that as well (your application will still be considered even if no relevant courses were taken);• Contact information (address; phone number(s); e-mail (please indicate if e-mailing in Japanese is possible or not).• Two letters of recommendation (one from your peer and another from your supervisor).

Please send the above materials (hard copies) to the following address by the 1st of March2011 (please clearly mark “Workshop Application” on the envelope).

Wako Tawa 108 Webster BuildingDepartment of Asian Languages and CivilizationsAmherst CollegeAmherst, MA 01002-5000

If you have questions, please contact either Ikumi Kayama (phone: 413-542-7927; e-mail: ikayama@amherst.edu) or Wako Tawa (phone: 413-542-7919; email: wtawa@amherst.edu ).

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Teach With TheseEssential Books from Routledge

Please visit www.routledge.com/languages/japanese for more information or to request your complimentary copy today!

Complimentary Exam Copies are Available

Routledge... think about itwww.routledge.com/languages

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News and Announcements from our

Affiliates & ATJ

NECTJ (Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese)

Northeast Council of Teachers of JapaneseKazuo Tsuda, President

I am happy to announce you that NECTJ received the Japa-nese Foreign Minister award from Japanese government due to enhance cultural exchange between Japan and the United States of America. The Japanese consulate gave the Foreign Minister’s Commendation Award on November5th (Friday), 2010.

CERTIFICATE OF COMMENDATION

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan extends his deepest regards to:

The Northeast Council of Teachers of JapaneseIn recognition of its remarkable achievements in the pro-motion of understanding between Japan and the United States of America, in contributing to friendship and good-will between Japan and the United States of America.

This award serves as a clear expression of respectfor these remarkable achievements.

July 14, 2010Katsuya OkadaMinister for Foreign Affairs of Japan

FEATURED ARTICLES

Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) の活動について -Rie Tsuboi, San Dieguito High School Academy San Dieguito High School AcademyではJNHSができてから10年ちょっとになります。活動が始まった頃はもちろんメンバーも今より少なく、supervisor である私の仕事が多く、生徒たちもそんなに活発というわけではありませんでした。私も生徒たちも何をしていけばいいのか試行錯誤の日々でした。

ここ、3、4年は軌道にのってきて、学校の数あるクラブ

の中でもメンバーの数も多い方で(現在は40人弱)、活動的な団体として認められています。たとえば、毎年のHomecoming Week に生徒会(ASB)から、今年も何か手伝ってもらえないか、と声をかけてもらったり、先生の間でも知名度の高いクラブになってきています。

JNHSが発足して始めの2、3年は教師が生徒を助けることが多いのですが、だんだんと生徒たちに全てをまかせられるようになると、Supervisor に負担がかかりすぎることもなく、余裕を持って生徒たちをサポートできますし、何より生徒たちが 協力しあい、Ownership というのか、自分たちでいろいろなことを企画して成功させることで生徒たちにもいい勉強になると思います。

Weekly meetings毎週月曜日の昼休みに私の教室で集まって昼御飯を食べながら、ミーティングをします。ボランティア活動やイベントの企画など、いろいろな話し合いをします。Officers (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and PR) が全てミーティングを仕切ります。 Supervisor としての私の仕事はおしゃべりしている生徒がいたら静かにするように言うだけです。Secretary が毎回

12出席を取ります。病気で学校を休んでいる時以外は特にやむを得ぬ事情がないかぎり、毎回出席することになっていますが、年に3回までは休んでもいい、などの規則を作ってもいいと思います。

Community Services一年に30時間以上の Community Service をします。そのうち、毎週行っているのがPeer Tutoring です。

Peer Tutoring　毎週、木曜日の午後、一時間余り JNHS のメンバーたちがPeer Tutorsとして、日本語を取っている生徒たちのお勉強を手伝います。教室の目につくところに、”Peer Tutoring on Thursdays 3:15 pm – 4:30 pm” というお知らせを書いておくこと、また、毎週水曜日に「明日はPeer Tutoring の日ですよ」と言ってあげるといいと思います。 それから、Peer Tutoring は成績のよくない生徒が行くところ、というイメージもよくないので、お勉強のお手伝いがいる人、だけでなく、授業では習わない漢字をもっと勉強したい人、もっと会話を練習したい人、など、を歓迎する、ということを強調するのがいいと思います。生徒たちからのフィードバックとして、木曜のPeer Tutoring で勉強したいので、テストや小テストは金曜にしてほしい、という声もよく聞きます。もともと、木曜日を選んだのはそういう理由からなのですが、生徒たちもそれがうまくいってる、と言ってくれているわけで、嬉しいかぎりです。時間帯は3:15 pm – 4:30 pmとなっていますが、実際は多くの Tutorが5時か5時半まで残ってくれています。放課後に仲間と一緒にいるのが嬉しいようです。毎回、大体10人から15人のTutorsが来てくれ、10人くらいの生徒が勉強しに来ます。Tutor の数の方が多いので、教える相手のいないTutor たちは自分たちの勉強をグループ別でしますが、Tutor としての拘束時間は Community Service の時間としています。

Community Services として他にしていることは、

Beach Clean-up (もうすぐ “Adopt a beach”も始めます)Campus Clean-upVolunteering at a local Buddhist Temple (Helping with Mochitsuki, Hanamatsuri etc)Participating in the local Holiday Parade in DecemberHelping school events such as Homecoming and Exhibition DayCreating a Zen Garden on campus

などがあります。　詳しいことは次の機会にお話させて頂ければと思います。

Beach Cleanup Swamis 9-25

Bowling Trip

JNHS Holiday Parade

Peer-Tutoring

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探していましたが、その資料を先生方からいただくことができました。また、様々なブースもあり、旅行会社の人が旅行日程表を書いてくれることになり、本当に助かりました。　　このワークショップを通して、子供たちに批評力のある思考をさせてあげるように教育していかなければいけないことをつくづく感じました。最初は時間がかかっても、子供たちが自分で考えていくことができるようにしていかなければなりません。そのように努力してきたいです。　　それから、日本の文化や歴史を本当に勉強していかなければいけないと思いました。日本は、今でも様々な国から嫌われています。どうして謙虚で奥ゆかしく素晴らしい性質を持っている日本人が、戦争を通して、剥奪や虐殺をしてしまったのかをよくよく研究していかなければいけないと思いました。そういう日本人であるからこそ、日本語教育を通して、日本と他の国とのわだかまりを解消していくことができるようにしていきたいです。　　日本語をなぜ勉強するべきなのかを英語ではっきり説明していけるようにしていきたいと、Haxhi先生のプレゼンテーションを通して実感しました。先生の最後の５分間の跳び始めるまでは時間がかかるというところのビデオを見て、思わず涙が出てきました。私は、今年から日本語クラブをつくり、２０１２年からは、日本旅行をしていきたいと思っています。なかなか芽が出ない状態ではありますが、何とかいつか必ず日本語が発展していくことを信じて、ベストを尽くしていきたいと思いました。　　このワークショップで学んだ教育方法を現場の教育にいかしていきたいと思います。最後に、グアムから来られた今村先生と４日間御一緒させていただいたことも貴重な体験でした。本当にありがとうございました。

岩本佳枝　　ニューバーグ高校

ACTFL-NCJLT Presentation Summary Teachers as a Learner: Creating an Online Personal Learning Networks (PLN)-Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku, Eiko UshidaUniversity of California, San Diego

A Personal Learning Networking (PLN) is a powerful way of informal professional development for teachers to gain new ideas and enhance teaching effectiveness. A successful PLN helps you learn from others and contribute to others’ learning.

ACTFL / NCJLT for my Next Decade -Yoko MIwa-Cook, NCJLT/ACTFL Grant RecipientValley Catholic High School, Oregon

It was such an honor to receive ACTFL/NCJLT grant to attend this 2010 convention in Boston. I am the big fan of ACTFL annual convention, and I was almost giving up to my travel all the way to Boston from Oregon because of distance and budget. However, I learned this wonderful grant opportunity at the regional COFLT/WAFLT joint conference in October 9th & 10th, I have decided to give myself a chance to apply as who served the Japanese language education for the past ten years.

Not only being able to visit Boston for the very first time, I was able to meet my oldest friend from Portland State University back in 1995, when I first came to study to become a Japanese teacher. This Greek-American friend Elisabeth, who earned minor in Japanese from PSU, invited me to stay at her home in Boston. We had not seen each other for the past 12 years.

I enjoyed serving NCJLT as a presider for two presentations on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. I worked with Iwamoto-sensei, the other grant recipient from New York. I also sat at the NCJLT booth with other NCJLT board teachers to help entertain those who came to the convention from all over the US and other countries. I was able to meet wonderful teachers and wonderful people from dedicating publishers and Japan-related agencies and organizations.

I started teaching Japanese in 1999. Last year, 2009, was my 10th-year teaching anniversary. As I move forward for the next decade of teaching, my connection with ACTFL / NCJLT is vital. 日本語教育に携わって10年、これからの10年を乗り切るための活力を得ることができた充実した週末だったと強く感じています。ほんとうにありがとうございました！オレゴン州バリーカトリック高校日本語プログラム　 三輪洋子

NCJLT/ACTFL Grant Recipient Report -Kai Iwamoto, NCJLT/ACTFL Grant RecipientNewberg High School

　　今回ACTFLの補助金をいただくことができ、ありがとうございました。参加して良かったことは、いろいろな先生から貴重な情報を得ることができたことです。私の場合、日本旅行をなんとか再来年から始めていきたいのですが、そのことに対する資料を教育委員会に提出しなければなりません。それに関する資料を

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In order to establish a PLN, first you need to identify a subject of interest. Then, you will search people who share the same interest or/and who can provide you with useful information. You can start with cloud computing such as Twitter, Google Reader, Delicious, and Wikis. When you search information, you will need to do some detective work by applying an intelligent filtering so that you will not be overloaded with excessive amount of information.

Twitter (http://twitter.com) is a social networking service that allows you to send short text messages. Many language teachers use this service to send teaching tips, links to useful websites and blog articles etc. By subscribing to this service, you can gain information useful for your teaching and professional development. Also, many teachers post information on teaching on their blogs. Using such aggregators as Google Reader (http://google.com/reader) makes it easy for you to keep up with your favorite blogs and websites. Delicious (http://delicious.com) is a social bookmarking site that store and share favorite websites. By using Delicious and similar services, you can discover useful websites for your teaching and organize them for later use. A wiki is a website that allows you to create and edit web pages collaboratively. Using wikis such as Wikispaces (http://www.wikispaces.com) , you can develop websites, share information and experiences useful for teaching and professional development.

Through a PLN, teachers can grow professionally, make professional connections, access the best of the best, develop confidence, connect, collaborate, and contribute to the field!

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Why NCJLT? What $15 a year can buy for you:Oshirase Newsletter The Oshirase newsletter contains national and regional Japanese language field news, upcoming events, special awards announcements, lesson ideas, product advertisement and job posting.

NCJLT Website: We have just finished construction of our new website (http://www.ncjlt.net,)which contains all information about NCJLT-sponsored services (Nengajoo, Teacher Awards, etc.), upcoming conferences and events, as well as interactive web-forums, blogs, etc.

ACTFL Conference Sponsorship: NCJLT organizes and sponsors sessions at the ACTFL Conference exclusively tailored for Japanese teachers. NCJLT members wishing to attend the conference pay the “ACTFL member” registration fee (a $55 savings). National Japanese Exam: Member teachers can register their students in high school (also junior high/middle school in some cases) for the NJE Level 2 or Level 3 exam with an affordable fee. Students, by participating in the NJE, can see how they compare with others across the United States and be motivated to further study Japanese. Schools and teachers are also recognized when their students are placed high in the NJE results. Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS)Members of NCJLT can form a JNHS charter at their school. For a small fee, students receive specialized JNHS certificates and have their names listed in Oshirase. JNHS pins are also available for a small fee.

Nengajo Contest:Students of all ages can participate in this yearly contest with awards by various sponsored including “Asia for Kids.” Teacher members of NCJLT can submit winning nengajo cards from their school to be considered for prizes at three levels (elementary, middle, and high school) in three categories (most creative, most artistic, and most humorous). The deadline for submission is around December 28. Information for entry can be found on our website.

Yon Koma Manga Contest: High School seniors through advanced college level students may participate in this annual contest with exciting awards lovers of manga and anime will enjoy. Teacher members of NCJLT can submit winning drawings from their school to be considered for prizes at three levels (HS seniors, Colledge levels 1&2, and college level 3 & beyond in three categories (comical, historical, and cultural). The submission deadline is March 1. Information on entry can be found on our website.

Teacher Awards and Recognition: Each year, NCJLT offers the Teacher Awards and an ACTFL Participation Grant to two or more teachers to attend the ACTFL conference.

Alliance of the Associations of Teachers of Japanese: As of 1999, a formal alliance with the Association of Teachers of Japanese was created to better serve all teachers K-16. Through his Alliance, NCJLT receives the benefit of a shared Executive Director, Susan Schmidt, office help with membership and newsletter printing, yearly joint board meeting between our organizations and the opportunity to participate in an “Alliance Board” representing both our organizations. This Alliance allows us to work more comprehensively on field-wide issues of standards, advocacy, and articulation.

The Support and Promotion of K-16Japanese Language Education: Through our Alliance with ATJ and ties with other organizations such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), members of NCJLT work to promote foreign languages in general and the Japanese language specifically at various meetings, conferences, and presentation. In the past NCJLT representatives have worked on the Japanese national Standards, National Working Group for Implementation of the standards, and the “New Visions” meeting for the future of foreign language education. The NCJLT web address is: http://www.ncjlt.org. Look here for details on all NCJLT sponsored events.

NCJLT AffiliatesAATJ Arizona Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

AFTJ Assoc. of Florida Teachers of Japanese

AITJ Assoc. of Indiana Teachers of Japanese

AKATJ Alaska Assoc. of teachers of Japanese

ATJO Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese in Oregon

CAJLT California Assoc. of Japanese Language Teachers

CJLEA Colorado Japanese Language Education Assoc.

HATJ Hawaii Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

GATJ Georgia Association of Teachers of Japanese

IATJ Illinois Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

IMATJ Intermountain Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

JTAM Japanese Teachers Assoc. of Michigan

JTAT Japanese Teachers Association of Texas

KAJLT Kentucky Assoc. of Japanese Language Teachers

LATJ Louisiana Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

MAATJ Mid-Atlantic Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

MATJ Missouri Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

MCTJ Minnesota Council of Teachers of Japanese

NCATJ North Carolina Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

NECTJ Northeast Council of Teachers of Japanese

OATJ Ohio Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

WATJ Washington Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

WIATJ Wisconsin Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese Sister Organization ATJ Assoc. of Teachers of Japanese

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The 2011 NCJLT Teacher Awards Nomination Guidelines

Introduction: NCJLT started the Teacher Awards Program in 2001. The purpose of these awards is to recognize outstanding teachers of Japanese who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, advocacy, and leadership in Japanese language and culture education locally and nationally.

Category: K-12 Level Teacher Award Community College /College /University Level Teacher Award

Eligibility: Nominees must have a minimum of two years teaching experience at the level for which they are candidates and also hold a membership of NCJLT for at least two consecutive years. If the nominator is a Japanese language teacher, s/he must be a current member of NCJLT, as well. A non-member of NCJLT (such as a principal, department chair, student or parent) can also nominate a candidate. No NCJLT board member is eligible as a nominee for these awards.

Pre-Nomination: Send an email message containing the following information to the Teacher Awards Director at jfujimoto@ou.edu by March 31, 2011.

Nominee’s name and affiliation (school/college) Nominee’s email address Nominee’s category (K-12 or College/University) A two paragraph statement of why you are recommending your nominee for

the award Please write NCJLT TEACHER AWARD NOMINATION in the subject line of your email.

Nomination Process: Upon receiving the electronic nomination, the Teacher Awards Director will contact the nominee and confirm whether s/he would like to apply for the award. If yes, the Director will ask the nominee to seek two more people to write recommendation letters and to have them sent to the nominator. The nominator will then put together a dossier as described below, and send it to the Teacher Awards Director by April 30, 2011.

The nominator is responsible for including the following in the digital dossier. All the materials EXCEPT THREE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION must be digitized and saved in a CD or DVD.

1. Nomination form (WORD or PDF). 2. Three letters of recommendation, sealed and signed. Letters should come from

the nominator (you), a student or former student of the nominee, and the nominee’s supervisor (or one of the nominee’s colleagues if the nominator is the nominee’s supervisor). The recommendation letters should address the following points:

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2

Excellence in teaching Energy and dedication Innovative teaching styles and skills Inspiration to students and colleagues Advocacy and leadership in Japanese language and culture education

3. Application form written by the nominee (WORD or PDF). 4. Curriculum Vitae of the nominee (not exceeding 3 pages, WORD or PDF). 5. Nominee’s essay (WORD or PDF) stating his/her teaching philosophy, efforts

for his/her own professional development, contribution to Japanese language and culture education, and long-range vision for Japanese language and culture education in the US.

6. Digitized copies of students’ work (no more than three students) accompanied by descriptions of the assignments and lesson procedures, or a teaching video of one entire session (approximately 50 minutes, compressed into less than 1GB with the Mpeg or QuickTime format) with the lesson plan.

Application Forms: Forms can be downloaded from http://www.ncjlt.org/teacherawards.htm.

Selection Process: The selection committee, which consists of three NCJLT Board Members and twoprofessionals in the language education field assigned by the Director of the Teacher Award, examines dossiers submitted and chooses the recipients carefully.

Recognitions: The official letter from the Teacher Award Director will be sent to the recipient’ Principal or Department Chair, and to the affiliate organization of the recipient. The announcement will be made in the Fall issue of お知らせ and the NCJLT web site. There will be an Awards Ceremony at the NCJLT Luncheon at the ACTFL Annual Meeting and Exposition.

Timeline: March 31, 2011 Deadline for pre-nominations April 30, 2011 Deadline for submission of dossier

September 15, 2011 Announcement of the recipients November 2011 Awards Ceremony at NCJLT Luncheon at ACTFL Meeting

Submission: The entire dossier and three letters of recommendation must be sent to the Teacher Awards Director postmarked on or before April 30, 2011

Junko Fujimoto, NCJLT Teacher Award Director, The University of Oklahoma Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics 780 Van Vleet Oval, Kaufman Hall 206 Norman, OK 73019

Questions: E-mail to jfujimoto@ou.edu

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1

The 2011 NCJLT Teacher AwardsApplication Form for the Candidate

Application Deadline: Postmarked on or before April 30, 2011

Category: ( ) K-12 Level Teacher Award

( ) Community College/College/University Level Teacher Award Please check one.

Candidate

Name_________________________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

School Name _________________________________

School Mailing Address

______________________________________________________________________________(Number) (Street)

______________________________________________________________________________(City) (State) (Zip Code)

School Phone Number______________________School Fax Number___________________

Email Address________________________________________

Home Mailing Address

______________________________________________________________________________(Number) (Street)

______________________________________________________________________________(City) (State) (Zip Code)

Home Phone Number_______________________ Home Fax Number __________________

Years In Teaching Japanese: _____________ years

Are You a Current NCJLT Member? _____ YES (Since Year ______) / _____ NO Please check one.

Preferred Mailing Address _____ Home / _____ School Please check one.

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Administrator

Name of Your (Principal Headmaster Department Chair Other____________)Please circle appropriate job title.

_____________________________________________________Add appropriate title such as Ms., Mr., Dr., Prof.

His/Her Email Address_________________________________

Local Japanese Teacher’s Association

Name of Organization __________________________________

Name of President _____________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________________(Number) (Street)

_______________________________________________________________________________(City) (State) (Zip Code)

Phone Number__________________________ Fax Number____________________________

Email Address__________________________

Are you a current member of the above-mentioned association? _____ YES / _____ NOPlease check one.

Local Newspaper Information

Name _________________________________________________________________________

Address _______________________________________________________________________ (Number) (Street)

_______________________________________________________________________________(City) (State) (Zip Code)

Phone Number__________________________ Fax Number____________________________

Email Address__________________________

Please attach a two-page essay (WORD or PDF) stating his/her teaching philosophy, efforts for his/her own professional development, contribution to Japanese language and culture education, and long-range vision for Japanese language and culture education in the US.

You are also required to submit digitized copies of students’ work (no more than three students) accompanied by descriptions of the assignments and lesson procedures, or a teaching video of one entire session (approximately 50 minutes, compressed into less than 1GB with the Mpeg or QuickTime format) with the lesson plan.

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1

The 2011 NCJLT Teacher Awards Nomination Form

Application Deadline: Postmarked on or before April 30, 2011

Category: ______ K-12 Level Teacher Award

______ Community College/College/University Level Teacher Award Please check one.

Name of the Candidate

______________________________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

Your Job Title and Relation to the Candidate

______________________________________________________________________________ (Title) (Relation)

Your Name

______________________________________________________________________________ (Last) (First) (Middle)

Your Mailing Address

______________________________________________________________________________(Number) (Street)

______________________________________________________________________________(City) (State) (Zip Code)

Phone Number___________________________ Fax Number__________________________

Email Address________________________________________Please write clearly.

If you are a Japanese teacher, are you a current NCJLT member? _____ YES / _____ NO Please circle one.

Please attach a two page letter of recommendation that clearly states why this candidate deserves the award addressing the following points to the best of your capacity.

Excellence in teaching Energy and dedication Innovative teaching styles and skills Inspiration to students and colleagues Advocacy and leadership in Japanese language and culture education

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兎Year of the Rabbit兎

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More information and label templates can be found at http://www.ncjlt.net

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四こま漫画 Official 2011 Yon Koma Manga Rules

*This year's Yon Koma Manga submissions must be postmarked by March 1. * The NCJLT membership is from January 1 - December 31 of each year. Membership in the year of submission (2010) is necessary. *Application Form and Checklist below must be included with submission.

Each NCJLT member is invited to enter his / her students in the NCJLT 2011 Yon Koma Manga Contest. A current NCJLT member may submit a maximum of two cards per category in each of the three contest categories: Comical, Historical, and Cultural for each school in which the member teaches. The contest is divided into four divisions: Elementary, Middle, High School and College. Only one entry per student will be allowed.

Please only submit cards that meet the following criteria:

* Elementary students are to write an Ichi Koma Manga – the only category is culture. All other levels must choose a category for the Yon Koma style – cultural, historical, or comical. *The Manga must be on a 8 1/2 X 11 inch white cardstock (copy paper is not acceptable). The measurements and specifications must match the template. * The student must write his / her name in the material used to draw the comic in the location shown in the template. Students must write their name in katakana unless the names are of Japanese origin in which case the may use Kanji. These student names may use either hiragana or kanji as appropriate. The use of teacher-assigned Japanese names is not allowed. * The Yon Koma Manga design and all characters must be original and must be hand drawn on the cardstock. * The language must be correct Japanese. **NCJLT reserves the right to use all submitted images in anyway it chooses. Only submissions with self addressed stamped envelopes included will be returned.

*The Yon Koma Manga Application and Check List must be printed out and included with the submission.

*The typewritten label with the required information must be affixed on the back of each card. Cards without typewritten labels will be disqualified.

Send submissions to: Julie Cain

Washington High School 2205 Forest Dr. SE

Cedar Rapids, IA 52403 jcain@cr.k12.ia.us

More information and design templates can be found at http://www.ncjlt.net

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□□□□□□□□□□□□□

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□

小学小学小学小学 中学中学中学中学 高校高校高校高校 大学大学大学大学

More information and design templates can be found at http://www.ncjlt.net

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Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation 3127 Nichols Canyon Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90046

Tel 323-882-6545 Fax 323-969-9425

www.jlsf-aurora.org

JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (dba: Aurora Foundation)

November 29, 2010

Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation (dba Aurora Foundation) is currently accepting applications for the year 2011 scholarship and grant program. You can download the application form online at www.jlsf-aurora.org. The deadlines and qualification information is as follows.

*Japanese Language Scholarship The Aurora Japanese Language Scholarship Foundation (JLSF) is currently accepting applications for the year 2011 scholarships. JLSF was established in 1998 to encourage teachers of the Japanese language as well as to generate international cultural exchange. These awards will enable the awardees to carry out a project of their choice in Japan. Each awardees will receive a $3,000 scholarship and roundtrip air tickets from the USA to Japan (coach class). The project can be anything that would enhance the quality of the awardee's teaching. Applicants are encouraged to propose any projects they would like to carry out but are currently unable to because of the lack of funding. Types of projects awardees may choose are unlimited! For example, projects may include:

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� Studying Japanese at a pre-existing program, such as the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, or the Hokkaido International Foundation

� Traveling around the country to gather authentic materials for teaching purposes, including taking photographs and making films;

� Visiting a school(s) in Japan to learn more about their education system; � Volunteering at Japanese non-profit organizations to learn differences and

similarities in how different cultures operate in a working environment; or, � Experiencing Japanese New Year's with a host family and write up the experience

on a web page.

After their Japan trip, scholarship awardees will be required to submit reports to the JLSF about their experiences in Japan.

Each awardee will also have the (optional) opportunity to attend the annual ATJ Conference to address the conference about their scholarship experience in Japan.

QUALIFICATIONS

� Non-native Japanese speaker / non-heritage Japanese speaker AND

o In-Service Japanese language teacher in any school level; OR

o Graduate student studying Japanese language education who is committed to becoming a Japanese language teacher in the USA; OR

o Pre-service Japanese language teacher currently studying to obtain a teaching credential for teaching Japanese.

� Must be available for an oral interview in person or by phone. � Must be able to attend the award ceremony to be held in the Autumn of 2011 Los Angeles (date to be announced). (Limited travel expenses and accommodations may be covered by JLSF as needed.)

REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

� Completed application form � Current resume/biography � Official college transcript sent directly from the college to the JLSF � Photograph of applicant (optional) � Two letters of reference � A typed letter no longer than 3 pages on 8-1/2" x 11" (double spaced, font size

10pt or 12pt) that describes the potential scholarship recipient and proposed project. The letter should include the applicant's background, goals, current activities, commitment to Japanese language education, a detailed description of

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their proposed activity in Japan, and a proposed budget (excluding airfare between the U.S. and Japan).

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION

All applications must be mailed on or before January 21, 2011 to:

JLSF Scholarship Application Submission 3127 Nichols Canyon Road Los Angeles, CA 90046

JUDGING CRITERIA

Applications will be judged by the JLSF selection committee and the JLSF Board of Directors, according to the following criteria:

� long term commitment to Japanese language education � teaching experience and training background, i.e. methodology courses,

workshops, seminars, and conference participation � usefulness and appropriateness of the project � design and feasibility of the project within the budget � applicability of the project results to teaching

Up to two winners will be selected, depending on application volume and quality of applications, from anywhere in the USA. Selection will be announced by February 28, 2011.

Entries, including photographs, will not be critiqued or returned. From the time of submission, all entries are the property of the JLSF.

AURORA CHALLENGE GRANT

Applications are now being accepted for the AURORA CHALLENGE GRANT (CG) . The grant will be awarded to a citizen of the USA who resides in California and has a unique dream, in any field of endeavor, which is related to Japanese culture and which it would never be possible to realize without traveling to Japan between fall 2011 and summer 2012. There is no age limit and no GPA/Scholastic achievement requirement. The award will go to an individual with a creative dream or challenge that, if fulfilled, would contribute to global goodwill and intercultural appreciation. The winner will receive a $3000 scholarship and roundtrip air tickets from the USA to Japan (economy class). The recipient can travel anytime (for any duration) between fall 2011 and summer 2012. By awarding this grant, the Aurora Foundation hopes to help the winner enhance the pursuit of her or his truest, most heartfelt dream by providing the opportunity for a once in a lifetime experience. All applicants must be citizens of the USA. Selection criteria will include the commitment of the applicants to their dream projects, necessity of Aurora's support, and positive future potential. After the Japan trip, the grant awardee will be required to submit a report to the Aurora Foundation about the experience in Japan and progress of the project.

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AURORA CHALLENGE GRANT QUALIFICATIONS

� Applicant must be a citizen of the USA residing in California � Must have a unique and voluntary dream or challenge which requires travel to

Japan between fall 2010 and summer 2011. � Must be available for an interview in person or by phone � Must be able to attend the award ceremony to be held in Los Angeles in Fall 2011

(date TBD). (Travel expenses and accommodations will be covered by JLSF as needed.)

AURORA CHALLENGE GRANT REQUIRED APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

� Completed application form � Current resume/biography � Materials supporting the applicant's project or concept, if applicable (such as photographs, video, visual aids, etc.) � Photograph of the applicant (optional) � Two letters of reference � A typed letter no longer than 3 pages on 8" x 11" (double spaced, font size 12pt) that describes the potential scholarship recipient and the project. The letter should include the applicant's background, goals, current activities, and a detailed description of the proposed activity in Japan and a proposed budget (excluding airfare between the USA and Japan).

DEADLINE AND SUBMISSION

All applications for the Aurora Challenge Grant must be submitted by May 31, 2011 to.

AURORA Challenge Grant Application 3127 Nichols Canyon Road Los Angeles CA 90046

One winner will be from California and selection will be announced by June 20, 2011.

Entries, including photographs, will not be critiqued or returned. From the time of submission, all entries are the property of the JLSF.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Applications will be judged by the AURORA Foundation selection committee and the JLSF Board of Directors, according to the following criteria:

� Firm commitment to his/her dream project and to some facet of Japanese culture. � Necessity of Aurora Foundation's support. � Experience and background pertinent to the applicant's dream project. � Future potential to enhance global goodwill and intercultural appreciation of mankind.

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