2010.06.28

Technology in Japanese Language Education. Technology is running how our approach to teaching is being addressed. That is, how to meet the learning needs of our students of the 21st Century who spend considerably more time in front of electronic media than in the past, is a question that will be continually asked. In reference to foreign language learning, it seems the style of learning the how and the why of the language does not give a very wholistic picture or understanding of the language for many of the students that are accustomed to having everything presented to them through the electronic medium where they can more quickly access and then move on. To enhance their abilities with a foreign language, technology can bring a language alive by grabbing their interest and allowing the students to interact in the medium in which they enjoy and feel comfortable. This point was made clearer through the use of certain technologies that were not inherently meant for educational purposes, but can easily be used or adapted for the purposes. Google Maps is one such application. One can actually take a trip and see in a full 360 degree manner the entire vista. The experience becomes real. Previously, one could use maps and the sort and create a unit on giving and getting directions, yet it at best remains an academic exercise for most students. The thrill of almost being in the area one hopes to visit and perhaps taking it as far as planning where one can eat, where they can stay, what sites to visit, making notes to describe the event etc. take a somewhat dry academic experience and turns it into a living real-life situation. (---a side note. In the past, technology in many ways was run by teachers and offered access by the schools. As an example, students could not afford typewriters, but they could take a course to learn to use them in school where they would have access to them. Part of the current complications facing us is that the students seem to have access to the technology (these days of modern electronic media) more easily than in the past, and it requires a rethinking of how it will be integrated and added into the classroom. Yes, teachers absolutely need to be taught to work with this kind of medium or risk being left behind. A mark of a superior teacher will be the one who knows how to manipulate these newfangled tools that will help catch us up to the students. Does anyone other than me notice the irony of this situation?). Other applications abound, and it comes down to weeding one's way through all that is available to pick that which will enhance a student's education most. And it is essential that the teacher is clear in his/her presentation of the how and why of the use of the electronic media which has to be presented after the how and the why of the the language learning. A word of caution. In the world of speculative fiction trends are speculated on and worst case/best case scenarios are presented as to how the future will unfold. The reality is that life unfolds as it unfolds, and we can't predict anything with 100% accuracy. Even the idea of everyone (well, many) will have an average of 18 jobs (not just places of employment, but different, unique jobs) is certainly a curious idea. People are funny, and who knows? Maybe in the future it will be determined that in order to maintain stability in society, family, life, and world relationships it will be important to simplify, find one's main passion and focus on perfecting that ideal. The operational word is flexible. We must all remain flexible while this rapidly changing creature called the future evolves.

Prof. Fay Yuan Kleeman presented material on teaching Japanese literature. Though the end result is that it is perhaps better left for the more advanced student (she offers much of the material for a college 4th or 5th year student), there is a good recommendation of the poetry of Kaneko Susumi for even earlier classes. The Japanese language is evolving. Adapting. Changing to the current times and issues. This is a perfect topic to segue into, for technology could run rampant, and so can a language. She suggested that Japanese could be disappearing as time goes by. She showed the difference between vocabulary in literature (and real life) Japanese from decades ago versus that currently used, and there is a huge replacement of terms. I speculate it is the largest change in any modern language (I also wish to compare to the French language which will take a perfectly fine new English word and turn it into a different word that has a French base and usage. This is similar to how the Japanese first knew of the word 'baseball', but created the word 'yakyuu' to be the Japanese word for the sport.). Some of this loss will be irretrievable over time for previously the words were in kanji, and had specific and obvious meaning understood through the pictographic representation of the said characters, versus the words now written in katakana that have only sound (with meaning understood), and therefore miss the richness that the earlier vocabulary inherently had. In the process of adapting to Japanese usage differences in such places as Taiwan while it was a colony of Japan, it required a different presentation from how it was taught to the native Japanese. Eventually it also became part of what is taught to the native Japanese. Though language evolves naturally, it is primarily changed by the youth of society. I mention the word 'copacetic' to my students (a vocabulary item familiar to my parents), and they look at me funny. I learned the word 'tubular' (a term from surfing, suggesting a prefect state, excellent, etc.) 15 years ago. My students don't use the word. I learned 'dudes' and the female form 'dudettes.' 'Dudes' is now the only correct term, much like the word 'guys' is now generally accepted for either men or women, and not surprisingly my students find my speech to be littered with archaic terms. Hmmph. I prefer Shakespeare. And by the way, Shakespeare (even as a young man) invented new English vocabulary to fit his stories. Gairaigo is the not typical (and sometimes quite incorrect) usage of Japanese by a foreigner, and some of that is creeping into the Japanese language. In the textbook "Japanese the Spoken Language" by Jorden and Noda there is a breakdown of the correct pattern to inflect adjectivals. There is also a note that some native speakers will instead use a pattern that mimics the nominal + desu pattern when doing the perfective ( and the book goes on to state there will be no drilling or reference back to this unusual use). So, in addition to takai desu--> takakatta desu, some speakers will also accept takai desu--> takai desita. Ouch, I say. And it sounds suspiciously like gairaigo style to me that the Japanese have gotten used to hearing from Westerners. That is merely my guess, however. I don't write or think the same way as Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. My sentences are generally shorter, less well crafted, use different vocabulary to match new technology and knowledge. All languages evolve. It has been said that once the printing press was created and printed material became available as more people learned to read, that it helped to cement or freeze a language into a form that tended to evolve more slowly. It looks like the zori may now be on the other foot in reference to the Japanese language, and only time will tell what the ramifications will be. Perhaps tubular.