Japanese Language Teacher Training Course (Applicable to Faculty of International Studies)

Japanese Language Teacher Training Course
Faculty of International Studies
(Applicable to students entering in 2023 or later)

1. Overview

As globalization progresses, the demand for Japanese language education is increasing both in Japan and overseas. The number of foreigners studying Japanese at institutions in Japan alone already exceeds 200,000, indicating a growing need for Japanese language education. Furthermore, with the recent expansion of accepting foreign talent, the role of Japanese language education is crucial in addressing the challenge of building a multilingual and multicultural society in Japan. Looking overseas, as of 2019, there were over 3.8 million Japanese language learners in more than 140 countries, and this number is also increasing. In recent years, many overseas learners of Japanese language aim to come to Japan through various programs, diversifying the needs for Japanese language education for human resource development. To meet this domestic and international demand for Japanese language education, there is a need for excellent Japanese language teachers who possess systematic knowledge and skills, a global perspective, and the ability to practice locally.

At Tohoku Gakuin University, in response to the needs for Japanese language education both in Japan and abroad, and with the aim of training individuals who can contribute to an internationalized society as Japanese language teachers, the necessary courses for training Japanese language teachers were established in Faculty of Liberal Arts in 1994. Initially, in accordance with the report (1985) of the "Research Group on the Promotion of Japanese Language Education Policies," a total of 30 credits of courses were offered. However, as the agency updated its report, the courses in Faculty of Liberal Arts' Japanese language teacher training program were also revised and changed. Changes based on the 2010 report "On Teacher Training for Japanese Language Education" were implemented in 2011, and changes in accordance with the 2018 report "The Ideal Form of Training and Development of Japanese Language Education Personnel (Report)" were implemented in 2019. Currently, a total of 45 credits are required to obtain the qualification. From 2023, this program will be taken over by the newly established Faculty of International Studies Studies, and the curriculum will be revised to align with the learning in Department of International Studies.

Currently, there are no regulations regarding the licensing of Japanese language teachers under the Education Personnel Licensing Act. Therefore, Tohoku Gakuin University certifies individuals who have acquired the required credits and met certain conditions as having a "Basic Qualification for Japanese Language Teachers." With the promulgation and enforcement of the Act on the Promotion of Japanese Language Education, the establishment of a system for national qualification of Japanese language teachers has begun. Our university's Japanese language teacher training program is scheduled to adapt to this change without delay.

Regarding transitional measures for obtaining qualifications as a registered Japanese language teacher

2. Subjects and registration methods for the Japanese language teacher training program

Faculty of International Studies (Students admitted from 2023 onwards): Faculty of International Studies has defined the subject groups related to the Japanese language teacher training program as shown in Curriculum Table 1. There are a total of 32 required credits. All other subjects are electives, and students must complete at least 13 credits in total. Furthermore, students must meet the minimum number of elective credits required for each category.

[Curriculum Table 1] (Applicable to students entering in 2023 and later)

"Report on the Ideal Approach to Training and Providing Professionals for Japanese Language Education" (Agency for Cultural Affairs, March 2018)			Curriculum for Japanese Language Teacher Training in Faculty of International Studies
region	classification	subdivision	Subject names (those in bold are not required for graduation)	Grade level at which the course begins	Required	choice	lowest choice Number of units
Company Association ・ sentence transformation ・ earth area to Seki circle ru territory area	Company Association ・ sentence transformation ・ earth area	1. The World and Japan	cultural anthropology	1 year ago/later		2	5
			literature	1 year ago/later		2
			Comparative cultural theory	First half of 2 years		2
			Learning about Japanese society and culture in English	Second half of 2nd year		1
			Topics in Japanese Culture	First half of 3rd year		2
			Popular Culture Studies	Second half of 3rd year		2
		2. Cross-cultural contact	World Religions	Second half of 3rd year		2
		2. Cross-cultural contact	Understanding Multiculturalism	Second half of 3rd year		2
		3. The History and Society of Japanese Language Education	Introduction to Japanese Language Education I	Late 1st year	2
	words word and Company Association	4. The relationship between language and society	Sociolinguistics	First half of 2 years	2
		4. The relationship between language and society	Gender and Language	First half of 2 years		2
		5. Language use and society	language policy theory	Second half of 3rd year		2
		6. Intercultural Communication and Society	symbiotic linguistics	Second half of 2nd year	2
	words word and heart Reason	7. The process of language comprehension	Language Acquisition Theory	First half of 3rd year	2
		8. Language Acquisition and Development
		9. Intercultural Understanding and Psychology
teaching Education to Seki circle ru territory area	words word and teaching Education	10. Language Teaching Methods and Practice	Introduction to Japanese Language Education II	2 and a half years	2		4
			Japanese teaching method	Second half of 2nd year	2
			Special Lecture on Japanese Language Education I	First half of 3rd year	2
			Special Lecture on Japanese Language Education II	Second half of 3rd year	2
			Japanese Language Teaching Practice Methods I	First half of 3rd year	2
			Japanese Language Teaching Practice Methods II	Second half of 3rd year	2
			Japanese Language Teaching Practice I	First half of 4th year	2
			Japanese Language Teaching Practice II	Second half of 4th year		2
		11. Intercultural Education and Communication Education	Intercultural Communication Theory	First half of 2 years	2
		12. Language Education and Information	(This will be covered in Introduction to Japanese Language Education II)
words word to Seki circle ru territory area	words word	13. General Structure of Language	Japanese Linguistics II	First half of 2 years	2
			Comparative Linguistics I	Second half of 2nd year		2
			Comparative Linguistics II	First half of 3rd year		2
		14. The Structure of Japanese	The structure of the Japanese language	First half of 1 year	2
			Japanese Linguistics I	Late 1st year	2
			Grammar Theory for Japanese Language Education	First half of 3rd year	2
			Topics in Japanese Linguistics	Second half of 2nd year		2
		15. Language Research	Language and Technology	Second half of 3rd year		2
		16. Communication skills	Reading & Writing	1 year ago/later		2	4
			Intercultural Experience Workshop A (Supporting Foreigners)	First half of 2 years		1
			English Discussion Seminar	Late 1st year		1
			English Presentation Seminar	Second half of 2nd year		1
			English-Japanese Translation Practice	First half of 3rd year		1
			Practical Chinese III A	First half of 3rd year		1
			Practical Chinese III B	Second half of 3rd year		1
			Practical Korean Language III A	First half of 3rd year		1
			Practical Korean Language III B	Second half of 3rd year		1
			I completed 32 required courses and 13 elective courses, for a total of 45 credits.		32	(39)	13

3. Japanese Language Teaching Practice

Faculty of International Studies (Students admitted from 2023 onwards)

To enroll in the required fourth-year course "Japanese Language Teaching Practice I" and the elective course "Japanese Language Teaching Practice II," students must meet the following three conditions by the end of their third year. Furthermore, prospective students must pre-register in advance. Details on pre-registration will be announced separately.

① To obtain this qualification, you must have completed all 8 of the 9 required subjects (shown in bold in Curriculum Table 1), excluding "Japanese Language Teaching Practice I".
② Of the seven required subjects for graduation (excluding those shown in bold in Curriculum Table 1) that are mandatory for obtaining this qualification, no more than one subject must be completed.
③ The total number of credits earned that are relevant to graduation requirements must be 100 or more.

4. Certification of Japanese Language Teacher Qualifications and Issuance of Completion Certificates

Faculty of International Studies (Students admitted from 2023 onwards): Students who acquire 32 credits of compulsory subjects listed in Curriculum Table 1, plus 13 or more credits of elective subjects, fulfilling the minimum number of elective credits for each category, and who acquire a total of 45 or more credits, will be certified with the basic qualification for Japanese language teaching and will be issued a certificate of completion of the Japanese language teacher training course upon graduation.