In Japan, the workshop-style approach for teaching reading has drawn recent attention. However, the obligation to use Ministry of Education-approved textbooks makes applying this method in classes difficult. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possibilities of incorporating workshop-style lessons into a Japanese language arts class and its…

The benefits of extensive reading (ER) are well known, yet integrating ER into curricula has been problematic. One factor is the adherence to the principle that students should freely choose what to read, which complicates connecting out-of-class reading with in-class content. Class readers, however, can more easily tie in book content with…

The shadow education sector plays a centrally important role in the Japanese education system. Advocates of Japanese shadow education institutions, or "juku", claim that the pedagogy employed in these schools leads to superior results compared to teaching methods used in conventional schools. The lack of value-added testing of juku…

A university teacher of English as a second language in Japan describes his rationale, methods, and materials for teaching language through literature. Literature was chosen for its intellectual sophistication and ability to motivate adult learners. The use of recorded readings and/or video or filmed versions of texts is recommended as a means of…

This document outlines the present preservice teacher education program in Japan and proposes some innovations. The basic concepts of education in Japan are listed and are said to be included in objectives of all teacher training programs. Several features of teacher education curricula are described, including the types of certificates available,…

Major learning models pertaining to second language oral and writing instruction are explored with an intent to make practical suggestions for the field of second language instruction in Japan. A proposal for integrating a variety of instructional innovations, rather than incorporating isolated innovations is presented. Selection of appropriate…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…