CJLEA Newsletter  
A publication of the Colorado Japanese Language Education Association
February 2001
The CJLEA Newsletter encourages articles of interest to instructors, researchers, administrators and students at all educational levels on theory, research, and classroom practice in language teaching. Articles dealing with pedagogical strategies, materials and curriculum development, language teaching technology, the teaching of literature, assessment, community awareness projects and international studies would be equally welcome; the foregoing list illustrates the range of concerns that might be addressed in submissions. We welcome manuscripts from teachers at all levels. Contact Keaton or Slotsve.





CJLEA Special Assembly at CCFLT

Date: Saturday, February 24
Time: 7:30AM - 9:00AM
Place: Apache Room, Raintree Plaza, Longmont, CO

For more information, contact Kyoko Saegusa.

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Let's Vote at CCFLT!

Yumiko Guajardo, our Past-Past President and an Assistant Professor of Japanese at the United States Air Force Academy, has been nominated for a Post-Secondary Representative of CCFLT. If you are a member of CCFLT, vote for her. If you are not a member of CCFLT, this is a great opportunity to become one and vote for her.

CCFLT Membership Form

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CCFLT Sessions by CJLEA Members
  • Out of the Classroom and Into the Street: Katakana Signs
    Kyoko Saegusa, CU Boulder, D. H. Gordon, Metropolitan State College
    February 23 (Fri.) 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
  • Articulation through Textbook Content Survey
    Mako Beecken, CSU
    February 24 (Sat.) 9:30 PM - 10:30 PM
  • Let the Children Play! Using Drama to Teach Foreign Language
    Tim Beecken, Dunn Elementary School
    February 24 (Sat.) 11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon
  • Japanese Sumi-e Demonstration
    Erika Porter, CSU
    February 23 (Fri.) 3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
  • Japanese Cultural Presentation
    Students from CU-Boulder, Kyoko Saegusa
    February 24 (Sat.) 9:00 AM - 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
  • Japanese Okinawa Dance and Bon-dance
    Yoshiko Kuno, Mako Beecken
    February 24 (Sat.) 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
CCFLT Spring 2001 Conference Tentative Program

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Website of the Month  by Mako Beecken

An Exciting New Site for Japanese Teachers!
Japanese Textbook Discussion Board

A new, useful site has been developed by the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese. This site, gJapanese Textbook Discussion Boardh is designed to provide teachers with information on Japanese language textbooks that are available for K-16 classrooms, and to provide a forum in which teachers can comment on the books and share information on how they use them. The address is http://www.japaneseteaching.org/projects/textbook/index.htm.

This site consists of six different sections: Home, List, How, Distributors, Links and History. Home is the home page of the site, and How is a guidance page for sending comments on textbooks. The List page is where approximately 35 different textbooks are listed in four different levels (Elementary, Secondary, University/College and General/Adults). The title, author, target level, publisher and year of publication are given for each textbook, along with a brief description of the book. In most cases, prices of the textbooks, workbooks and/or tapes/CDs are listed, as well as the number of pages. There is a list of more than 40 publishers and distributors on the Distributors page, most of which are listed with web addresses. On the Links page, there are currently six links, including ones to the Japan Foundation and the Association of Teachers of Japanese. The History page shows us when and what features have been changed or added to this site.

Originally, all the textbooks were listed in one list without mention of target level categories. Promptly responding to my suggestion, Keiko Schneider-sensei who is maintaining the site, rearranged the list in four different levels and indicated the target level of each textbook. Thanks to her for her great work!

This site, however, is not yet a very active one, although the potential usefulness is immense among Japanese teachers. I encourage all CJLEA members to send your comments on the textbook(s) you are using or questions about certain textbooks. If you are thinking of changing a textbook, this site is just what you need! Our involvement is the key to making this a truly useful site!

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Online Exercises for Yookoso
by Ryoko Yoshida Keaton

I have been developing courseware and online exercises for Guajardo sensei at the United States Air Force Academy. The most recent addition is Vocabulary Review Exercises for Yookoso, An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese by Tohsaku sensei.

Each exercise sheet is grouped by a theme, such as "Places Around Town" and "Weather and Climate," and has an answer button for instant feedback.
CJLEA members are welcome to use the exercises. Click here to go to the index page. Please direct feedback/comments to Yumiko Guajardo or Ryoko Keaton.

I will introduce more online exercises available to CJLEA members in the coming issues.

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February WWW Resources:

Setsubun (ί•ͺ) 

National Foundation Day (Œš‘‹L”O“ϊ) 

St. Valentine's Day (ƒoƒŒƒ“ƒ^ƒCƒ“Eƒf[)

Sapporo Snow Festival (ŽD–yαΥ‚θ) 

These are a few examples of what you find on the Internet. You may conduct your own Internet (WWW) search using search engines. One of the recommended is Google.

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CJLEA Seeks Share Session Proposals

CJLEA is soliciting session proposals for presentations at our next meeting on March 31, 2001. The theme of the meeting is Japanese as a Foreign Language in the 21st Century: Vision and Direction. Deadline is March 9, 2001. For more information, click here.

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Upcoming Conferences & Events

February

  • 8 (Thu.):
    Prof. Richard Minear of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst will present a slide/lecture talk on "Dr. Seuss and Japan, 1941-54" at 4:30 PM. This is an annual endowed lecture made possible through the Gaylord Endowment for Pacific Areas Studies. Max Kade Theatre (Colorado College campus, 3rd floor of Armstrong Hall). Contact Joan Ericson at (719) 389-6567 for more information.
  • 14 (Tue.): ŒΫ“Ά One Earth Tour, Colorado Springs  KODO
  • 15 (Wed.)~ 17(Sat.): ŒΫ“Ά One Earth Tour, Denver  KODO
  • 22 (Thu.) ~ 24 (Sat.): CCFLT Spring Conference
  • 24 (Sat.): CJLEA Special Assembly
    7:30 A.M. - 9:00 A.M., Raintree Plaza, Longmont, CO

March

  • 10 (Sat.):