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On Saturday 28 August, the Japan Foundation, Sydney, will relocate to Chifley Tower in the city. Our new address will be:
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In the last
issue of Dear Sensei, we introduced our new Activity Resource -
the Giant Game Sheet. This resource, a 150cm x 150cm double-sided
vinyl sheet featuring the themes コンビニ
‘Convenience Store’ and |
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| The Japan
Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, has released the results
of the 2003 Overseas Japanese Language Education Organization Survey
(the ‘Urawa Survey’), which many of you completed and returned to
us last year. The Urawa Survey measures the numbers of schools, universities
and colleges teaching Japanese language outside Japan, as well as
the number of students and teachers of Japanese. The survey found that 2,356,745 students in 127 countries and regions study the Japanese language, taught by 33,124 teachers at 12,222 schools or other educational institutions. Australia ranked third in terms of the number of students of Japanese, with 381,954 students taught by 3,625 teachers in 2,209 institutions. The highest numbers of students were found in South Korea (894,131) and China (387,924). Together, these three countries accounted for approximately 70% of students of Japanese worldwide. New Zealand ranked eighth, with 28,317 students. 96.6% of Japanese language students in Australia were studying in primary and secondary schools, compared to 64.8% worldwide. 97.97% of Australian schools, universities and colleges returned the 2003 survey, compared with 82.61% in 1998. The global return rate for the 2003 survey was 82.64%. The Japan Foundation, both in Japan and Australia, thanks all schools and teachers who cooperated with the survey. A full account of the survey results can be found on the Japan Foundation’s website: In English: www.jpf.go.jp/e/japan/news/0407/07_01.html In Japanese: www.jpf.go.jp/j/japan_j/news/0407/07-01.html |
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The Japan Foundation has adopted a new logo for use by its offices
offices in Japan and overseas. Our new logo consists of a the lower case letters ‘j’ and ‘f’ forming a butterfly-like symbol, the centre of which represents Japan. The lines soaring outwards and returning to the centre symbolise the cycle of efforts to carry Japanese culture, arts, language and ideas to the four corners of the globe, as well as to bring back to Japan the diverse culture, arts, language and ideas of other countries. The flexible and graceful curves of the logo represent freedom from ignorance and prejudice, and the dynamism necessary for mutual understanding and intellectual creativity transcending national boundaries and cultural differences. |
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| After thirteen
years and forty-seven issues, this will be our fina Dear Sensei. Our
first issue was published in December 1991, the same year that the
Japan Foundation Sydney Language Centre was established, and was sent
to the 640 schools and educational institutions which were teaching
Japanese at the time. This issue has been sent to over 2000 educational
institutions around Australia, demonstrating the extent to which Japanese
language education in Australia has increased in popularity over the
last thirteen years. From October, Dear Sensei will merge with its sister publication, Across the Sea, the former newsletter of the Cultural Section. Our new 16-page newsletter, Omusubi, will be a fresh publication reflecting all of the programmes and activities organised by the Japan Foundation, Sydney. Omusubi will continue to contain the Sensei’s Page, Our new title comes from the verb おむすび is also another word for おにぎり, hand-made rice balls, which are a traditional Japanese favourite. We’d like to think that our new newsletter will provide you with a nourishing and satisfying reference to Japan’s language and culture, as well as Japanese events in Australia. The Language Section staff would like to thank all of you for your support of Dear Sensei over the past thirteen years. We are confident that you will find a new and more useful Japan-related resource in Omusubi, and we look forward to your feedback. |
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| 2004 The Japan Foundation, Sydney Language Sectionスタッフ |
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