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Home > Policy > White Paper, Notice, Announcement > White Paper > JAPANESE GOVERNMENT POLICIES IN EDUCATION,SCIENCE AND CULTURE 1989 > PART2 Chapter9 5

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PART 2 Issues and Developments of Policies in Education, Science and Culture
Chapter 9. Internationalization of Education, Culture and Sports
5. Promotion of Japanese Language Education


Due to the elevation of the international status of Japan and the growth of international exchange, the number of those who learn Japanese as a foreign language has been rapidly increasing both in Japan and abroad.

Those who were learning Japanese in Japan numbered 64,000 in 1988, a fourfold increase in the last ten years. According to a survey by the Japan Foundation, those who were learning Japanese abroad numbered 580,000 in 1984, a sevenfold increase in the last ten years.

Unlike before, objectives of learning Japanese are not limited to Japanese studies or study in Japan l they are diversified and include the interest in business and technical training. and training to work in a Japanese company.

To keep up with the increasing demand for learning Japanese, educational facilities to teach Japanese have recently been rapidly increasing in Japan. In order to promote qualitative improvement or educational facilities to teach Japanese, the Ministry or Education, Science and Culture asked an advisory commission of knowledgeable people to review the issue, and on the basis of the commission's recommendations the Ministry established a National Standard for the Operation of Japanese Language Institutes in December 1988. The Association for the Promotion of Japanese Language Education was established in May 1989.and began examining and accrediting educational facilities to teach Japanese according to the above mentioned standard. The Association has produced a handbook introducing educational facilities that meet the standard mentioned above. The handbook is intended to be distributed abroad and to provide such information beforehand. The Association is also engaged in improving the quality of educational facilities to teach Japanese, through such activities as developing Japanese language teaching materials.

In order to train teachers of Japanese and upgrade their quality, university departments specialized in the training of teachers of Japanese have been strengthened and developed, and also the Japanese Language Teaching Competency Test has been administered. Also for the assessment and recognition of the linguistic ability of students learning Japanese, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test for Foreigners is undertaken in Japan and abroad. Measures for the improvement of teaching methods and the research and development of teaching materials for teaching Japanese have been promoted as well. Teaching of the Japanese language is also provided to refugees from Indochina and returnees from China.


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