Japanese language teacher qualifications

Author: Shusaku Miura
Date written: 05/09/2003 06:16:34 PM
Last edited: 2003/05/25 16:52:44
Keywords: Japanese language teachers, Qualifications, Japanese language education, Japanese teaching, Japanese language

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Japanese language teachers

Although Japanese language education stagnated for some time, it has once more started to grow in popularity. As the number of learners in the country recovers, the number of ryugaku (student) visa holders reached its highest level ever (as of 1 May 2002, 95,550 people according to the Monbukagakusho - the Ministry of Science, Technology and Education). This growth in foreign students is expected to continue, and consequently the overall number of Japanese language learners should continue to rise as well.

The demand for Japanese language education has lead to an increased need for Japanese language teachers. A simultaneous increase in the number of aspiring Japanese language teachers however has created a feeling of an over-supply of teachers in the country. There are several requirements for being a teacher of Japanese.

Japanese language proficiency test

Just being a native speaker of Japanese does not necessarily mean one can teach Japanese professionally of course. Learning Japanese naturally from birth and learning Japanese as a second language later in life are completely different things. Many skills are required to be a teacher of Japanese, such as the ability to communicate across cultural barriers, a detailed knowledge about Japan and Japanese language and culture, and so on. To measure Japanese language ability and knowledge of teaching and education methods objectively, there is the Japanese language education proficiency test.

The Japanese language education proficiency test is administered by the Association of International Education, Japan (AIEJ). The purpose of the test is stated as "to confirm whether the knowledge and ability of individuals studying to become Japanese language teachers reaches the level required as a specialist of Japanese language education" (from the 2003 executive summary). Since this test was started in 1987 many Japanese schools have adopted its standards for Japanese teachers.

The pass rate of the Japanese language education proficiency test since it was started is about 18 to 20%. In 2002, 6,154 people took the test, of whom 1,171 passed. Specialist knowledge is needed to pass the test. For example:

( )àÉ}¦µ½`Ï_©çR©ÄýA¼Æý«}¿ÌýÅàÆÙÈéàÌðýA»ê¼êÌPý`TÌ ©çÆê¸ÂI× (ýuý`©¯éývÌÆÓ¡ýj

1. `ÅÂð"Çɧĩ¯½
2. }RÌŽð}Ƶ©¯½
3. ’f’àªå}g`ÙÉ0xµ©¯½
4. ÒÁÄ¢é`ÔýA×ÌýlÉÜbµ©¯½
5. "}×ðÆø©È¢æ¤ÉÑ"zð&¹©¯½

(Based on the guidelines for the 2003 Japanese language education proficiency test)

The correct answer is 2. Even among native speakers of Japanese, few would be able to answer this correctly. In points such as this, the "standard required by a specialist of Japanese language education" is confirmed.

To work as a Japanese language teacher requires not only this test, but also experience, so initially many prospective language teachers work part time. The constant increase in numbers of both foreign students and Japanese language teachers, starting 16 years ago, implies that this field will continue to see activity in the future. To be able to stand before students of the Japanese language as a teacher and be recognised as such requires study.

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