ERIC Number: ED238298
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1983-Nov-13
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Japanese for Foreign Affairs Purposes.
Ehrman, Madeline E.
The Foreign Service Institute's (FSI) curriculum for diplomatic personnel and their families going to live in Japan has focuses on two areas: (1) communicative functions, with heavy emphasis on conversation management, and (2) techniques for developing the language after leaving FSI. Efforts are also being made to increase the amount of comprehensible input in the program. Adaptation of the syllabus has had five goals: (1) relevance to work and life in Japan; (2) student awareness of the functional dimension of the underlying structure in Japanese; (3) use of the comprehension advantage (generally greater comprehension than output); (4) increase in genuinely communicative practice; and (5) a foundation for continued learning. Five kinds of activities were included in the syllabus adaptation: functional description, direct practice of functions, situational practice, introduction of cultural content, and over-the-head materials (unrestricted in structures and vocabulary) for listening and reading. Issues yet unresolved in the adaptation include whether to use traditional texts and supplement them heavily or write another text, the limitations of training in functional awareness, the need for more comprehensible input, communication versus accuracy, and increased student responsibility for learning. (MSE)
Publication Type: Reports - Descriptive; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A