2010 Japanese-Language Program for Specialists (Cultural and Academic Field)

This program is an intensive training course of Japanese language for the following applicants.

• Scholars and researchers outside Japan in the fields of social sciences or humanities who need to learn Japanese language for their research activities
• Postgraduate students outside Japan who major in the fields of the social sciences or humanities, wish to be engaged in jobs related to Japanese-studies in future, and need to learn Japanese-language for their academic research activities
• Librarians of higher education/research institutions or public libraries outside Japan who wish to improve their practical Japanese language proficiency to perform their jobs better
• Curators of museums outside Japan currently working for international exchange programs involving Japan who need a good command of Japanese language for specific work-related purposes

Note

• This program is essentially a language course for those who need Japanese language proficiency for specialized work and research activities, and education in any particular field of study is not intended in the curriculum.

• At the time of application, all of the participants should be at Level 3 or higher than Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test or its equivalent. 

Course Venue and Lodging

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai
(Tajiri-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka, Japan)

Duration

• 2-month Course (June 2010 - August 2010)
• 6 -month Course (June 2010 to December 2010)

Eligible Candidates

[2-month course]

Individuals who fulfill all of the following requirements can apply for participation in this program. 

• Applicants applying for this program must obtain the permission of the representative of the applicant`s affiliated organization mentioned above.
• Applicants must be in the fields of Japan-related social sciences or humanities.
• Applicants must have a need for Japanese language proficiency for smoothly carrying out their specialized work and research activities. For postgraduate students, applicants must have plans to write their Master's or Doctor's dissertation on a subject related to Japan and need to learn Japanese language in order to carry out the research necessary to accomplish that purpose.
• Applicants must have Japanese language proficiency equal to Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (which requires that he/she has mastered grammar to a limited level, knows around 300 kanji and 1,500 words, has the ability to take part in everyday conversation and read and write simple sentences.This level is normally reached after studying Japanese for around 300 hours and after completion of an elementary course) at the time of application. 
• Applicants have never participated in the Japanese Language Program for Researchers and Postgraduate Students organized by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai. 
• Applicants who have never participated in the Japanese-Language Program for Specialists (in Cultural and Academic Fields) organized by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai. 
• Applicants must be under the age of 40 as of December 1, 2009.
• Applicants must be in good physical and mental health. 
• Applicants have not completed compulsory education in Japan. 
• Applicants must not be scheduled to come to Japan for study or training under other programs. 
• Applicants must hold nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. 
   

[6-month course]

Individuals who fulfill all of the following requirements can apply for participation in this program.

• Applicants must fulfill at least one of the following requirements and have an employment relationship with their current affiliated organization. It is expected that applicants will continue working in aforementioned affiliated organization even after returning to their home country (excluding Postgraduate Students).
  a) They must be carrying out research activities as teachers (such as professors, instructors, or teaching assistants), researchers in institutions of advanced education such as universities and research centers, or other research organizations outside Japan.
  b) They must be engaged in a job of specialized research work in public sector organizations such as government agencies, think tanks, etc. outside Japan.
  c) They must be officially registered as full-time students in Master's or Doctor's course of a graduate school outside Japan as of June 2010. (This excludes those people who are not working toward a degree as auditors or research students).
  d) They must be currently employed as full-time librarians by universities, colleges, other institutions of advanced education, academic research institutions, cultural exchange organizations, or public libraries.
  e) They must be full-time curators of museums outside Japan currently working for international exchange programs that concern Japan.

• Applicants applying for this program must obtain the permission of the representative of the applicant's affiliated organization mentioned above. 
• Applicants must be in the fields of Japan-related social sciences or humanities (excluding Japanese language study and Japanese-language education).
• Applicants must have a need for Japanese language proficiency for smoothly carrying out their specialized work and research activities. For postgraduate students, applicants must have plans to write their Master's or Doctor's dissertation on a subject related to Japan and need to learn Japanese language in order to carry out the research necessary to accomplish that purpose. 
• Applicants must have a specific and concrete theme related to Japan in their study or work, and a plan to make a presentation on the achievements.
• Applicants must have Japanese language proficiency equal to Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (which requires that he/she has mastered grammar to a limited level, knows around 300 kanji and 1,500 words, has the ability to take part in everyday conversation and read and write simple sentences. This level is normally reached after studying Japanese for around 300 hours and after completion of an elementary course) at the time of application. 
• Applicants will never have participated in Training Programs for Teachers of Japanese Language organized by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa in the last 5 years as of December 1, 2009. 
• Applicants have never participated in the Japanese Language Program for Librarians organized by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai. 
• Applicants have never participated in Japanese Language Program for Researchers and Postgraduate Students organized by the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai. (However, in case that the applicants have participated in the 2-month or 4-month program and that it should be more than 5 years since their completion of the program as of December 1, 2009, the application can be considered to fulfill the above eligibility.)
• Applicants must be under the age of 40 as of December 1, 2009.
• Applicants must be in good physical and mental health.
• Applicants have not completed compulsory education in Japan. 
• Applicants must not be scheduled to come to Japan for study or training under other programs.
• Applicants must hold nationality of a country that has diplomatic relation with Japan.

Description of the Program

[2-month course]

Focusing on the proficiency of general Japanese language, the program aims to help improve speaking, hearing, reading, and writing skills. Optional lessons to meet individual Japanese language needs for specialized work purposes and academic research activities are also offered. Moreover, the program includes some activities for enhancing participants' understanding of Japanese society, such as social events with the local community, field trips, etc. 

[6-month course]

Focusing on Japanese language proficiency necessary for specialized work or research activities, the program aims to help participants acquire Japanese language skills necessary to collect and present information in their major fields and network with people in their fields.

It also enables participants to carry out various kinds of activities such as visits to other institutions, interviewing professionals, etc. And through these activities they will develop their practical Japanese language skills.(Hence it is essential for participants to have a specific and concrete theme of their work /study/research and to be independent and willing enough to design and plan their major field-related activities to be carried out outside the Institute.)

Moreover, the program includes some activities for enhancing participants' understanding of Japanese society, such as social events with the local community, field trips, etc.

Visits to other institutions will also be planned according to the interests of individual participants.

Policy of Screening

• In the screening process, such factors as applicants’ current Japanese language proficiency, Japanese language training needs, achievements and content of their work and research, future possibility of their success, and their aptitude to acquire Japanese language for research and specific work purposes will be all taken into consideration comprehensively.
•  In the 2-month course, priority will be given to the following applicants in order to develop and encourage Japanese studies and exchanges between Japan and applicants’ nations.

a. Researchers, postgraduate students, full-time curators and full-time librarians who have an excellent achievement in their specific fields (especially in social sciences), and

b. Those (not only researchers and postgraduate students but also full-time librarians and full-time curators) who have no experience of studying or living in Japan.

•  In the 6-month course, priority will be given to the following applicants.

a. Specialists who are currently engaged in their profession,

b. Postgraduate students who have a specific and concrete theme in their study and plan to take a job related to Japanese studies, and

c. Students officially registered in Doctor’s course of a graduate school.

•  Applications which are related to major cultural exchange events indicated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan will be given higher priority.
•  In the view of ripple effect, priority will also be given to the applicants who belong such affiliations as major institutions of advanced education, research organizations or public sector organizations.

Grant Coverage

• Expenses necessary for participation in the official curriculum (transportation, textbooks and other materials, etc.)
   
• Meals during the program period (partly in the form of cash allowance)
   
• Accommodation (a single room) in the Institute
   
• Overseas travel insurance for disease and injury for the duration of the program
   

• Round-trip economy-class airline ticket to and from the airport nearest from home residence, airport tax and foreign travel tax, and a set amount of allowance to cover miscellaneous living expenses (5,000 yen per week) are provided for participants who are nationals of the countries of the following regions; Middle East and North Africa (excluding Bahrain, U.A.E., Israel, Qatar,Saudi Arabia and Kuwait), Africa, Eastern Europe (excluding Estonia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Belarus, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia), Asia and Oceania (excluding Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong residents in China who hold a BNO or Hong Kong SAR passport), Central and South America (excluding Bahamas).

   

APPLICATION MATERIALS 

Please make sure to inform the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles of your intention of applying for this program, before you download the application materials.

 [Contact Info.]
  Email:  language"at"jflalc.org
  Tel:      1-213-621-2267 (Ext.#110)

• Application Instructions 

• Application Form (Sheet 1-A) (for Researchers and Postgraduate Students)  
• Application Form (Sheet 1-B) (for Librarians)  
• Application Form (Sheet 1-C) (for Curators)  

• Application Form (Sheet 2)   

• Application Form (Sheet 3) 

• Application Form (Sheet 4)