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- Convenor:
-
Yuko Suzuki
(Language Centre (CSIM) of the University Complutense of Madrid)
Send message to Convenor
- Discussants:
-
Naoko Sakurai
(KU Leuven)
Nozomi Takahashi (University of Strabourg)
- Stream:
- Japanese Language Education
- Location:
- Torre B, Piso 3, Auditório 2
- Start time:
- 31 August, 2017 at
Time zone: Europe/Lisbon
- Session slots:
- 1
Short Abstract:
(1) How have the associations in Spain, France and Belgium come to be? (2) What have the members learnt and what do they expect from their associations in Spain, France and Belgium? (3) Where are the associations headed in the future?
Long Abstract:
Today there are about 30 Japanese Language Teachers' Associations in Europe but they have not had clear ideas about each other. Over the past 30 years learning methods and learners' needs at Japanese language classes have changed, while these associations that support Japanese language teachers have also changed with the times. In particular, The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) devised in 2001 was a turning point in Japanese language teaching in Europe, with many workshops and study groups on the principles and practice of the CEFR being conducted around Europe.
Despite this, there have been few discussions since the transnational panel discussion on Japanese Teachers' Associations in Europe ("What can the Teachers' Associations offer in terms of knowledge sharing?") at the 9th EAJS International Conference held in Lyon in 2004. With the development in ICT facilitating communication that transcends time and space today, we need to reconsider how the associations should be operated in the future, not only looking at our own association, but also the current situation of associations in the other countries.
After members of the Japanese Language Teachers' Association in Spain were given a questionnaire (Suzuki & Kondō. "The Significance of the Japanese Teachers' Association in Spain (APJE), from the perspectives of teachers' professional development", Japanese Language Education in Europe 20, in printing) last year, the same questionnaire was also given to members of associations in Belgium and France for case study to compare the three associations through text mining.
This panel will be presented in three parts, while considering the future of Japanese Language Teachers' Associations in Europe: (1) How have the associations in Spain, France and Belgium come to be? (2) What have the members learnt and what do they expect from their associations in Spain, France and Belgium? (3) Where are the associations headed in the future?
Accepted papers:
Session 1Yuko Suzuki (Language Centre (CSIM) of the University Complutense of Madrid) Nozomi Takahashi (University of Strabourg) Naoko Sakurai (KU Leuven)
Paper short abstract:
In this presentation, we clarify the benefits gained by the members from their Japanese language teachers' associations and the expectations they held. Then we try to give suggestions how the associations can contribute to the professional development of their teachers.
Paper long abstract:
In the previous panel presentation, we analyzed, from the viewpoint of the teachers' associations, the characteristics of the respective Japanese language teachers' associations in Spain, France and Belgium, and considered the diversity and common features of the teachers' associations in Europe.
In this panel presentation, we clarify from the viewpoint of the members, what the members have learnt from the activities organized by their Japanese language teachers' associations and what they expect from them. The data used for this analysis are the result of a questionnaire survey conducted among the members of each association.
The questionnaire of this survey was composed of 20 items in total, combining multiple choice questions and description type questions along four themes: 1) the profile of the participants, 2) their outlook on Japanese language teachers, 3) participation into and expectation from their associations and 4) Japanese language education in Belgium, France and Spain.
As for the description type questions, we generated a co-occurrence network and hierarchical clusters using text mining as analyzing method. From the results, we extracted keywords and considered the relation between the keywords in order to clarify the trend of the members' opinions about their associations.
In last year's survey in Spain, the terms "new", "to change" and "to create" emerged as some of the keywords. These keywords indicate that the interest of the members of the association in Spain tends to concern issues about teaching practices. (Suzuki, Kondo. in printing. The Significance of the Japanese Teachers' Association in Spain (APJE), from the perspectives of teachers' professional development. Japanese Language Education in Europe 21).
Furthermore we try to give suggestions how the associations can contribute to the professional development of the teachers.
Nozomi Takahashi (University of Strabourg) Naoko Sakurai (KU Leuven) Yuko Suzuki (Language Centre (CSIM) of the University Complutense of Madrid)
Paper short abstract:
We compare the features of the Japanese Language Teachers' Associations of the three countries of Spain,France and Belgium analyzing the survey based on interviews and questionnaire with founder and representatives of each country.Then we try to clarify their current situation and their development.
Paper long abstract:
In Europe, Japanese Language Teachers' Associations have been established in various countries since the 1900 's, and about 30 teachers' associations exist now. The environment surrounding Japanese language teaching has been continuously changing and is still diversifying nowadays, but how has the role of Japanese Language Teacher's Association changed? In this panel presentation, we compare and analyze the features of the Japanese Teachers' Associations of the three countries of Spain, France and Belgium as study cases in order to clarify their current situation and their development. These three countries are located as neighboring countries, but one has to take in consideration not only basic data such as the establishment year of the associations and the number of members, but also the purpose of the activity and the effective use of multilingualism in the management especially for meetings. Practice and research reports on the Japanese Language Teacher's Associations have been developed as a particular matter for each country, but a cross-country analysis connecting the association of each country like this presentation does not exist as far as we know, so It can be said that we set a first survey method.
The survey mainly focused on the following three points, based on interviews and descriptive questionnaire with founder and representatives of the three countries, reports published by the association: (1) Trigger of establishment; (2) Status of Japanese language education at the time of establishment; (3) Change in teaching association activities after establishment.
We try to analyze the Teacher's Association of each country from both the consideration of the vertical axis of a national level and the discussion of the horizontal axis connecting each country. Based on the cross-country observation of teachers' association such a « a common place for members », Panels 2 and 3 will investigate and analyze characteristics of the members i.e. participating teachers.
Final issue will be as following: What do members of each country expect from the Teachers' Association?
Yuko Suzuki (Language Centre (CSIM) of the University Complutense of Madrid) Nozomi Takahashi (University of Strabourg) Naoko Sakurai (KU Leuven)
Paper short abstract:
Common and different points between the three associations are extracted, with efforts by the association in Spain presented to discuss the significance of the survey, as well as how to better build a network between teachers and develop diversified Japanese language education in Europe.
Paper long abstract:
Common and different results were anticipated from the questionnaire survey on member teachers of each association in Spain, France and Belgium. Part 1 of the panel discusses the horizontal spread between these countries and the vertical axis indicating the future direction of each association.
In Part 3, common and different points between the three associations are extracted with focus on topics including the ideal teacher, issues in classroom practice, reasons for joining the association, and what activities members expect from the association, while analyzing and examining each association.
The efforts by the association in Spain, which first conducted the questionnaire survey, will be presented and the significance of the survey will be discussed. First, we will present the "Project for the Creation of Listening Comprehension Materials" designed to reflect the "creation' of keywords on the anticipated association activities obtained from the text-mining analysis. Next, we will analyze the interviews of four teachers about their experience with the association in order to further understand the expectations and meaning of the association. The associations in France and Belgium will conduct a questionnaire survey base on the characteristics extracted from the survey in Spain and we will present a report on the direction of these new surveys.
The results from the surveys conducted in these three countries show members' expectations and their views on the significance and necessities regarding the association they belong to. Comparing and sharing these results will provide a clearer view of the characteristics of the associations in Europe and future issues. In order to build a network between teachers and develop diversified Japanese language education in Europe, it is important to expand the survey and call on other associations in Europe to create projects for examining the activities of Japanese Language Teachers' Associations in Europe.