Call for Proposals/Panels for ATJ Seminar 2003

The Association of Teachers of Japanese is calling for papers/panels in the areas of Japanese Literature, Japanese Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition in Japanese, and Japanese Language Pedagogy. The 2003 ATJ Seminar will be held on March 27, 2003, in conjunction with the annual conference of the Association for Asian Studies in New York City (March 27-30, 2003).

Individual papers are 20 minutes long with an additional 5 minutes for discussion. Organized panels are 100 minutes long in total and should be limited to four active participants (four paper presenters, or three presenters and one discussant). An abstract for an individual paper should be no more than 300 words in English (or 700 characters in Japanese). For organized panels, a maximum 300-word (or 700 characters in Japanese) abstract is required from each participant, in addition to a maximum 300-word (or 700 characters in Japanese) abstract for the panel itself.

Selection of papers/panels will be made by the planning committee. Evaluation criteria will include (1) innovative ideas/theories, (2) strength of arguments, and (3) in the case of a panel, unity of the papers vis-à-vis the topic of the panel. Please note that because of the high cost of renting AV equipment there may be a charge to presenters for use of an LCD computer projector.

Submission of abstracts is accepted either on-line (www.japaneseteaching.org/ATJseminar/2003/) or by mail. If submitting by mail, send five copies of abstracts (include title and language of presentation, but not your name) and a 3"x5" card with subject area and the title of paper, name, address, tel/fax/email, and any equipment needs to: Seminar Committee Chair, Prof. Suwako Watanabe, Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751 (724 SW Hall St.), Portland, OR 97207-0751. Deadline: October 25, 2002.

Kyouzai Connection

For several years the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ) has been publishing "share-ware" teaching materials developed and contributed by teachers across the United States and mailing them free of charge to any interested language teacher. This service was originally begun in Illinois, and the publication has been called the Japanese Language Teachers Network (JLTN) Quarterly. Beginning this fall, these teaching materials will be posted on-line for free use by ATJ and NCJLT members. The first on-line-only issue, a unit on Summer Vacation authored by Hiroko Nagai of Eau Clair, Wisconsin, is now posted, together with several classroom units previously published in hard copy. To access the most recent materials, go directly to www.japaneseteaching.org/projects/JLTNQ/sum-mer_vacation/. Back issues and new materials are also accessible as a link from the ATJ web site. Check "Latest Info" on the ATJ home page, or go directly to www.japaneseteaching.org/projects/JLTNQ/index.html.

Study Abroad Opportunities for High School Students

The ATJ Web site now features a page with information on study abroad opportunities in Japan for high school students. Check it out at www.Colorado.edu/ealld/atj/Bridging/ABRD-hs.html.

Professional Development SIG Meeting

The ATJ Professional Development SIG will have its business meeting in November 2002 in Salt Lake City during the ACTFL Annual Meeting. If you are interested in attending the meeting, please send an e-mail message to Y.-H. Tohsaku (ytohsaku@ucsd.edu). Details will be sent via e-mail later.

Bridging Scholarships for Study in Japan

Seventy undergraduate students from colleges and universities across the United States have been named recipients of Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan. The winners will receive awards of up to $4,000 to assist with their living expenses while they study in Japan beginning in Fall 2002. In addition, those recipients who will be attending programs at four-year Japanese universities are eligible to apply for a supplementary monthly stipend from the Association of International Education, Japan (AIEJ).

The Japan-US Friendship Commission (www.jusfc.gov), an independent federal agency promoting mutual understanding between the United States and Japan, in an effort to highlight public /private partnerships, initiated the Bridging Project scholarship program and established a 501(c)(3) private foundation, the US-Japan Bridging Foundation, to accept contributions. The goal of the Bridging Project is to promote study abroad in Japan by larger numbers of American undergraduate students. Contributors to the Fall 2002 scholarships include Boeing, Freeman Foundation, IMCA, Lockheed Martin, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Nichimoto Trading, Northwest Airlines, Philip Morris, Shinsei Bank, The Starr Foundation, Teradyne, Universal Studios, and Weyerhaeuser.

ATJ administers the scholarship program on behalf of the Foundation. Since the scholarship program began in 1999, a total of 250 scholarships have been awarded to students studying abroad in Japan.

The Bridging Scholars hail from a variety of schools—public and private, large universities and small colleges—in 26 states. Their majors range from computer science to fine arts, and they share a common interest in Japan, its language and culture. Their destinations also vary, from giant campuses in Tokyo to intimate consortium programs in rural Japan. A list of the Fall 2002 recipients, their home schools, and their destination programs can be found below.

ATJ is accepting applications for the next group of Bridging Scholarships, for study in Japan in Spring 2003. The application deadline is October 3, 2002. For more information on the scholarships or to receive application forms, visit the Bridging Project on the Web at www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj.

Bridging Scholars, Fall 2002

Yuri Arthur, University of California, San Diego (CA) → Keio University
Chris Atenasio, University of Massachusetts (MA) → Kwansei Gaikuin
Joshua Ausley, Elon University (NC) → Kansai Gaidai
Amin Azmoudeh, University of Maryland (MD) → Rikkyo University
Jeremy Bailey, University of Pittsburgh (PA) → Konan University
Katherine Byrne, Linfield College (OR) → Kanto Gakuin
Jocelyn Campanaro, George Washington University (DC) → Nanzan University
Hsinmei (Eva) Chiu, Stony Brook University (NY) → Okayama University
Alessia Cook, Brown University (RI) → Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies
Geoffrey Cook, University of Kansas (KS) → Sophia University
Cody Cranch, DePauw University (IN) → Nanzan University
James Dabney, Austin College (TX) → IES Tokyo
Christopher Davis, University of Texas, Austin (TX) → Sophia University
Raymond DeLuca, Pennsylvania State University (PA) → IES Kasugai
Melissa Denton, Indiana University (IN) → Nanzan University
Venu Dhanaraj, Smith College (MA) → Associated Kyoto Program
Joe Edwards, West Virginia University (WV) → Aichi Shukutoku University
Caroline Elder, University of Pennsylvania (PA) → Hitotsubashi University
Brendan Elliott, Case Western Reserve University (OH) → Waseda University
Alison Gauthier, Montana State University (MT) → Kumamoto University
Eric Griffin, University of Massachusetts (MA) → Kwansei Gakuin
Isaac Griffith-Onnen, Colby College (ME) → Associated Kyoto Program
Kelly Hwang, University of California, San Diego (CA) → Sophia University
Elena Indijieva-Nielsen, Maui Community College (HI) → Nanzan University
Tobias Irving, University of Massachusetts (MA) → Sophia University
Tavya Jackson, Montclair State University (NJ) → Kansai Gaidai
Jennifer Jhun, Wellesley College (MA) → Associated Kyoto Program
Jonathan Kropf, Macalester College (MN) → IES Tokyo
Rosanna Lee, University of California, Los Angeles (CA) → IES Tokyo
Jesse LeFebvre, University of Minnesota (MN) → IES Nagoya
Katherine Legare, Middle Tennessee State University (TN) → Kansai Gaidai
David McClard, University of Texas, Austin (TX) → Sophia University
Gerard McGeary, Illinois Wesleyan University (IL) → IES Tokyo
James Miller, Georgia Institute of Technology (GA) → Waseda University
Lauren Miller, Middlebury College (VT) → Associated Kyoto Program
Aryen Moore-Alston, Spelman College (GA) → Tsuda College
Justin Morris, Dartmouth College (NH) → Keio University
Luke Murry, University of California, Los Angeles (CA) → International Christian University
Dana Nakano, University of Pennsylvania (PA) → International Christian University
Gordon Niamatali, Cornell University (NY) → Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies
Adam O’Bara, Indiana University (IN) → Nanzan University
Cody Painter, University of California, Santa Barbara (CA) → University of Tokyo
Austin Parks, Montana State University (MT) → Kumamoto University
Steven Pattyn, Rice University (TX) → Kyushu University
Seth Pensack-Rinehart, University of Colorado, Boulder (CO) → Kansai Gaidai
Crystal Pryor, Brown University (RI) → Keio University
Goldie Puffer, State University of New York, Stony Brook (NY) → Kyoto Sangyo University
Paul Rodriguez, University of Texas, Austin (TX) → Obirin University
Lindsay Rosso, Michigan State University (MI) → Japan Center for Michigan Universities, Hikone
Stephanie Rothrauff, Purdue University (IN) → Tohoku University
Anna Royer, Colby College (ME) → Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies
Megan Schufreider, University of California, Los Angeles (CA) → International Christian
University
Jonas Shen, University of Texas, Austin (TX) → Oita University
[Teradyne Bridging Scholarship for engineering students studying abroad in Kyushu]
Melanie Sherrell, Linfield College (OR) → KCP International Language Institute
Sherry Sung, University of California, Irvine (CA) → Tokyo Institute of Technology
Jessica Szczygiel, University of Michigan (MI) → Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies
Genie Tang, University of California, Berkeley (CA) → Tsukuba University
Nicole Tinkey, University of Pittsburgh (PA) → Waseda University
Michael Tobin, Macalester College (MN) → Kansai Gaidai
Leslie Tomokiyo, Willamette University (OR) → Tokyo International University
Le-Van Duy Tran, University of Texas, Austin (TX) → IES Nagoya
Jeremy Tucker, State University of New York, Oswego (NY) → Tsukuba University
Todd VanSlambrouck, State University of New York, Stony Brook (NY) → Chiba University
Benjamin Vogler, University of California, Riverside (CA) → Doshisha University
Pui San Vong, City College of San Francisco (CA) → Waseda University
Andrew Vosko, University of Michigan (MI) → University of Tokyo
David Wakukawa, Stanford University (CA) → Kyoto Center for Japanese Studies
Krystle Watler, Spelman College (GA) → Tsuda College
Wynee Wong, Bucknell University (PA) → Associated Kyoto Program
Earl Yates, University of Montana (MT) → Toyo University