[ NIHON BUNKA KENKYUU ] BUNKEN 101: Reviews, comments, and insights on Japanese pop culture.
The Japan Foundation Manila's 7th Nihongo Teachers' Forum: "J-Pop Culture & Japanese Language Education"
The Japan Foundation, Manila, in pursuit of its objective of enhancing mutual understanding through the promotion of cultural exchange, will hold the 7th Nihongo Teachers’ Forum on May 16 & 17, 2008. This is a continuing Japanese Language Teachers’ Professional Development Program aimed at building a learning & growing community of Philippine-based Japanese Language teachers. The speech/lecture, report/research presentation cum networking for Japanese Language teachers will be held from 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m on Friday, May 16, and from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. The forum will be held at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA, Philippines) Auditorium, 40/F Yuchengco Tower, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Makati City.
Specialists of Japanese Language Education and specialists of Japanese culture & J-Pop from both Japan and the Philippines will share their knowledge on the theme. On the first day, four presenters in the persons of Ms. Nanae Kumano (The Japan Foundation Japanese –Language Institute, Kansai), Mr. Koji Hanawa (JETRO Manila Office), Prof. Rudyard Pesimo (Ateneo de Naga University), and Ms. Charmaine Cordoviz (popular Anime translator/voice actor). The presenters will talk on the current situation of J-Pop in the Philippines, with Ms. Kumano focusing on the application of Anime & Manga in the field of Japanese Language Education.
The second day will start with a workshop on how to use Anime within a Japanese Language Class, to be conducted by Ms. Kumano; it will be followed by a practical report on teaching materials with J-Pop as the theme, presentations from local enthusiasts of Anime and J-Pop, and reports from several Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa teacher-training grantees. There will also be a networking session in the afternoon on the topic of ‘How to Include Japanese Culture, Specifically J-Pop, in Japanese Language Lessons’.
Application for the first day is open to anybody interested in aforementioned topics while application for the second day is open to Philippine-based Nihongo teachers only. The deadline for the submission of the duly accomplished registration form is on Thursday – 8 May. Participation is subject to screening; confirmation of participation will be on Tuesday – 13 May; applicants are requested to call for confirmation. For clarifications on this Teachers’ Forum, and for details on other cultural projects/events and Grant Programs please access the JFM website at http://www.jfmo.org.ph/ or contact The Japan Foundation, Manila – 12/F Pacific Star Bldg., Makati Ave., Makati City (# 811-61-55 / fax # 811-61-53); e-mail: