On the basis of the construct of "discursive focus" by Sfard (2000), this study explores how students' attention is brought to new mathematical content in whole-class interaction between the teacher and the children. In a sixth-grade lesson introducing the concept of constancy of proportion, we analyzed the progression of social…

This study investigated the learning process of preservice elementary teachers (PSTs) through lesson study in a mathematics teaching methods course. Lesson study meeting data of kindergarten PSTs were analyzed to examine the shifting focus on (1) student collaboration in classroom (vision), (2) teaching practices (making content accessible), and…

This volume is a collection of selected refereed papers presented at the Association of Teachers of Japanese Annual Spring Conference held at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa in March of 2011. It not only covers several important topics on teaching and learning spoken and written Japanese and culture in and beyond classroom settings, but also…

A university teacher of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan draws on teaching experience and a classroom experiment to discuss how a socio-historical analysis of culture can be combined with intercultural communication and global issues to supplement learning and teaching in the college-level EFL curriculum. Students were asked to make a…

This paper describes curriculum content in two areas--mathematics and international studies--in the secondary schools of Canada, Japan, West Germany, the USSR, and the United States. Relevant background on teacher preparation and on the structure and organization of secondary schooling in each country is introduced to provide a context for the…

The collaborative curriculum development process in a postsecondary language education program in Japan is described, looking specifically at the work of five curriculum development teams, or focus groups: needs assessment; curriculum aims, goals, and objectives; cognitive development and learner strategies; materials development; and learner…

This paper discusses demographic changes in Japan, the sources of pleasure of the retired Japanese senior citizen, and lifelong learning. It also describes a study that examined learning preferences of Japanese senior citizens. Data for 1983 show that life expectancy has increased in Japan to 74.20 years for males and 79.78 for females. The level…

An analysis of the trend in teaching African languages as a second or foreign language (AFL2) looks at patterns in the objectives of AFL2, teachers and learners, and instructional environments. Three basic program objectives in AFL2 are distinguished: language proficiency (basic conversation); language competence (close to native skills); and…

Cultural competence in business Japanese requires more than superficial knowledge of business etiquette. One must truly understand why Japanese people think and act differently from their American counterparts. For example, instruction in the use of Japanese taxis must be accompanied by instruction in the concept and implications of seating order…

A bilingual (Japanese/English) electronic mail survey of over 1,100 computer science students at the University of Aizu elicited recommendations for content and design of a curriculum in English for Special Purposes (ESP). Features students preferred included these: a four-skills introductory course during the first year; materials encouraging…