Study Japanese Abroad

Why Study Japanese?
Japanese is the key to exploring one of the most fascinating civilizations on earth: Japan's ultra-modern, high-tech exterior overlays a society with rich cultural and aesthetic traditions going back centuries. In the twenty-first century, its "soft power" - economic might combined with a influential popular culture of manga graphic novels and anime animated films - attracts people from all over the world to learn its language and explore a popular culture that is surpassed only by America's in its influence and ubiquity.

Japanese is also the language of business in the world's second largest economy, and the second most common language of the Internet. It holds the key to exploring below the surface of some of the world's most beautiful poetry, art, and architecture: the parts of its culture that Japan exports to the world are only a fraction of what is available to those who can read and speak the language.

A Little Background
Japanese is spoken by the approximately 120 million people who live in the Japanese islands, as well as by the descendants of Japanese immigrants who live in Hawaii and on the North and South American mainlands. It is studied as a second or heritage language by 2.35 million people in 127 countries around the world, including 150,000 in the United States. Japanese is one of the top four most commonly taught foreign languages in American high schools and colleges.

While the Japanese language presents many difficulties - writing that is not alphabet-based and uses hundreds of ideographs to write most texts; word order in sentences that is opposite to that in most European languages; several levels of politeness and honorific markers - most learners find that the challenges are part of the excitement of studying this complex language.

The spoken Japanese language is thought to have originated as one of the Altaic family of languages; the other members of this family are Turkish, Tungusic, Mongolian, and Korean. About 1,500 years ago, the Chinese writing system was introduced to Japan and used for writing the Japanese spoken language in poetry and prose. Today, Japanese is written using a combination of Chinese characters and two phonetic syllabaries. Since the nineteenth century, many loanwords from English, German, and other European languages have entered the Japanese language, giving its vocabulary an international flavor.

How to Study Japanese Abroad
Japan has become one of the most popular destinations for study abroad: in 2003, more than 3,500 undergraduates from the United States spent a semester or a year studying at dozens of Japanese universities or at programs in Japan run by American universities or study centers. Drawn by an interest in Japan's popular culture as well as its older traditions and its advanced science and engineering schools, most U.S. students who make the decision to study abroad in Japan spend at least 6 months in-country. The results are clear: students who study abroad in Japan show remarkable progress in mastering a difficult language, learn about Japan's society and culture both inside and outside the classroom, and make strong connections with their host country that often influence their career choices and paths in life.

Study programs in Japan range from big university campuses in bustling downtown Tokyo to intimate study centers in rural areas; the courses offered include both Japanese language instruction and classes in English on subjects ranging from biology and engineering to art and film studies. Some programs offer internships or field placements in companies and organizations that allow students to become part of Japanese society for a few months. Special programs like Temple University Japan's semester-long focus on Japanese architecture, Antioch College's Japanese Buddhist studies course, and IES Tokyo's field-placement-based unit on Japanese social patterns allow students to pursue special interests in depth.

Career Opportunities
Career opportunities open up for those who speak more than one language. In a global economy, bilingual employees have an advantage over those who speak only English. People who are fluent in Japanese are sought as interns and employees by American businesses and cultural organizations that have offices or connections with Japan; other possibilities are teaching; translation and interpreting; and social services with Japanese clients.

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ONLINE RESOURCES
The Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project: http://www.colorado.edu/ealc/atj/Bridging/abroad.html - ATJ is a portal to information on study abroad in Japan programs at dozens of Japanese universities, and sources of financial aid. The Bridging Scholarships, awarded to more than 100 students annually from all over the US, provide not only funding but chances for scholarship recipients to meet members of the business and cultural communities in Japan.

The Japan Foundation Japanese Language Center: http://www.jflalc.org - The Center is a source of information and help for students and teachers of Japanese. Materials available on or through the site include downloadable resource guides and lists of schools and colleges where Japanese is taught.

Japanese Online: http://www.japanese-online.com/ - This website provides free learning services to people who wish to study the Japanese language, including online dictionaries and a service for matching up language exchange partners.

Japan Society: http://www.japansociety.org

Scholarships for Study Abroad
Fulbright Program for US Students: http://www.fulbrightonline.org
Freeman-Asia: http://www.iie.org/freeman-asia
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: http://www.iie.org/gilman
National Security Education Program: http://www.iie.org/NSEP

Programs for US Teachers
Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund: http://www.iie.org/jfmf
Toyota International Teacher Program: http://www.iie.org/toyota

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