Funding

Successful Grant Applicants 2011-12 (including applications up to September 2011)

University of East Anglia
Title: The introduction of Japanese language classes at the University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is in the process of establishing a degree course and a Centre of Japanese Studies in Norwich. Currently 120 students are taking a non-degree level course and the beginner level and post GCSE degree courses are available from September 2011 for more information about the courses click here. This grant is to help establish the university’s collection of Japanese language resources as well as teaching tools.

Greenford High School
Title: Motto Yomu Chikara (Chikara Reading Part 2): Reading materials for AS Japanese
This project aims to produce three units of reading materials that will complement the current 'Chikara for Reading' resources already available from the Japan Foundation. These new materials will provide reading texts and grammar exercises along with cultural information to help students bridge the gap between GCSE and AS level.

Guru Nanak Sikh Academy
Title: Introduction of Japanese Language and Culture Guru Nanak Sikh Academy is setting up a Japanese language class for year 11 students who will follow the Asset languages programme, with the possibility of starting GCSE Japanese in the future. The Japan Foundation’s funding will be used to purchase Japanese language resources in order to get the project off the ground. The Academy is also planning to establish a Japanese club open to the entire school, along with a whole range of activities to promote Japanese language and culture.

Imperial College London
Title: Japanese Language Programme culminating in preparation for Imperial College students assisting with Japanese Olympic team
This project will start with a beginner course in Japanese that will be taught as an elective for Imperial College students. Once they have mastered the basics, participants will then have the opportunity to participate in a pre-Olympic training course to allow them to interact and help the Japanese athletes that will be staying at Imperial College during the Olympics.

The Judd School
Title: Japanese Elective Programme
The Judd School is a selective grammarschool in Kent which aims to establish an elective programme in Japanese for Key Stage 4 students. This programme will focus on basic Japanese including hiragana, katakana and some kanji, in addition to teaching about Japanese festivals throughout the year.

Luton Sixth Form College
Title: Beginners Course in Japanese
This project will introduce Japanese into the curriculum at Luton Sixth Form College in the form of an ASSET breakthrough level course. The college will also provide a second class for younger participants from three schools in the Luton area. It is the first time Japanese will be offered at any of these schools and we hope it will be an enriching experience for the town’s 14 to 18 year olds.

Manchester Metropolitan University
Title: Voices from Fukushima Project
This is a collaborative project between schools in Fukushima Prefecture and Manchester Metropolitan University’s Institute of Education to create a resource pack for primary schools in the UK. The resources will focus on the earthquake, the resulting tsunami and nuclear disaster, its impact on children in the affected area and their recovery and post-disaster everyday lives. It will also contain a strong language component to facilitate integrated language and content learning. The idea is to go beyond the negative images of disaster to show children a more balanced picture of recovery, resilience and ordinary life in post-disaster regions.

Netherthong Primary School
Title: Japanese Language Qualifications
Netherthong Primary School has a class of Year Six students who study Japanese as an enrichment subject after school. They are hoping to take Asset Language Breakthrough qualification in Japanese. This funding will to help establish the school’s collection of Japanese language resources and teaching tools. If you would like to read more about how Japanese is taught at Netherthong, please click here to see a case study on the school.

Newall Green High School
Title: Japanese Whispers
Newall Green High School has set up this project along with two other primary schools in their federation which covers over 1300 pupils aged from 3 to18. This project will develop Japanese language learning in both the primary and secondary schools, focussing on speaking and listening skills, using online Japanese language learning software for an hour a week. The language aspect of the course will then be supplemented with an after school club which will allow all pupils to explore cultural features of Japan, such as origami, sumo, kimonos, food etc.

School of Oriental and African Studies
Title: Cross Roads3J
This is an extension of a previous project funded by the Japan Foundation called 'Voices' in March 2011 which set up a workshop to introduce the idea of Japanese language e-mentoring programmes. Cross Roads 3J will establish a mentoring programme that gives support and encouragement for secondary school pupils who are studying Japanese. The mentors are all SOAS students who are proficient Japanese speakers. The previous project had excellent feedback from both pupils and the mentors that took part, so we hope this year’s project will be another success.