Dear Sensei

The results of the Dear Sensei survey that we carried out last year revealed the need for more information about courses which teachers are able to undertake in Australia. Below is information about two distance education courses offered around Australia. Please visit our website for more detailed information about these courses and for information about the 'Macquarie University Graduate Certificate of Introductory Japanese Teaching'. (http://www.jpf.org.au)

Southern Cross University

Graduate Certificate in Professional Development Japanese Language for Teachers: A Multi-Media Approach

"Japanese Language for Teachers: A Multi-Media Approach" is a distance education course for teachers who wish to specialise in the teaching of Japanese. The course aims to provide teachers with sufficient Japanese language skills and cultural awareness to be effective teachers of the Japanese language. The Graduate Certificate in Professional Development comprises four units. Each unit involves 150 hours of work and is completed over four semesters of study with intakes at various times during the year. To date well over sixty NSW secondary and primary teachers have successfully completed the course.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission the applicant shall:

	possess an approved degree, diploma or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University; or
	submit evidence of professional attainment that will satisfy the University that the applicant possesses the educational preparation and capacity to pursue the Graduate Certificate course of studies.

Enquiries

For further information please contact Motoko Christensen on (02) 6620-3011, fax (02) 6620-3565 or email mchrist2@scu.edu.au

OPAL: Japanese Program

The OPAL (Offering Professional Access to Languages) Japanese Program was developed to assist teachers to upgrade their language skills or learn a new language. This innovative course presents Japanese language and culture in an interwoven and meaningful way. Video, CD-ROM and print material are combined to form a comprehensive study package enabling students to learn Japanese in Japanese.

The course aims to be very practical and the tasks required of students are relevant to teaching Japanese in the classroom. A considerable part of the assessment is oral with students ringing the tutor for a discussion after first practicing with their course partner. The program has three stages, Beginners (Access Program), Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma, providing entry at different levels. The program is in its fourth year with teachers from every state participating.

For Scott Leisemann of Queensland the program provided an opportunity to retrain in another language and acquire formal accreditation. Scott originally taught German but could see that Japanese was experiencing increasing popularity on the Gold Coast. He began by undertaking short intensive courses both in Australia and Japan and later spent three years in Japan in an exchange teaching program. This experience enabled him to enter the OPAL: Japanese program at the Graduate Diploma level.

Scott has been able to use some topics such as Health and Welfare and parts of Unit 10, which covers the Edo period to World War II, in the classroom. However, he doesn't see the OPAL Japanese Program as a curriculum designed for direct delivery to the classroom but rather an opportunity for the teacher to learn more and to be better informed about life in Japan. The OPAL Japanese Program is delivered by distance through La Trobe University and Edith Cowan University.
For more information ring Open Learning Australia on (03) 9903 8955.