On Tuesday, March 12, 2024, the Japan Foundation Manila, in collaboration with Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc., and support from Kamenori Foundation, held a ground-breaking Japanese Language Education Advocacy Event called “Leading the Way to the Future of Japanese Language Education: A Special Lecture by Dr. Yasu-hiko Tohsaku” at the New World Hotel in Makati.
The half-day event, moderated by Japan Foundation Manila’s Francesca Ventura, was organized to create a venue for stakeholders from industry, government, and academia to make their voices heard and encourage better understanding and cooperation between these sectors, creating a clearer and brighter vision of Japanese language education that can guide its direction in the future.
Dr. Yasu-hiko Tohsaku, who is a professor and language program Director of the University of California, San Diego, spoke about how there needs to be a paradigm shift from test-focused Japanese language education to future-ready and world-ready education that would create global citizens equipped with the necessary 21st century skills to survive.
The lecture was followed by a reaction from Mr. Alexander Macainag, a Language Management Specialist and Japanese Language Teacher from Ichigoichie Consulting, Inc. who stated the importance of Teachers, Learners and Companies being on the same page when it comes to setting their goals and objectives. He also stressed how important it is for each stakeholder to acknowledge and accept their respective responsibilities and how teacher training is important to create teachers who can help learners develop creativity, cultural awareness and critical thinking.
This was followed by another reaction from Dr. Roberto Figueroa Jr. of the University of the Philippines’ Open University, who showed the audience how their institution could collaborate with Japan Foundation Manila to find more accessible ways to conduct teacher training in the near future.
During the open forum, teachers, school administrators, government officers and hiring institutions actively participated in the discussion, sharing their issues and concerns in an open and very candid manner.
The thoughts and opinions of the audience were summed up in a very concise and yet thought-provoking manner by Ms. Farah Cunanan from the UP Department of Linguistics, who urged the audience to ponder on the true meaning of education.
The event closed with a luncheon that allowed representatives from various sectors to interact with one another and explore possible collaborations over a sumptuous meal.
