"Journey to the Interior": A Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Seminar for Teachers of Japanese Language, Literature, and History

The Center for Asian Studies at the University of Colorado, in association with the Program for Teaching East Asia and the Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese, announces a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Seminar in Japan designed for secondary teachers of world literature or history and teachers of AP Japanese Language and Culture, as well as university instructors of Japanese from June 28-July 28, 2009.

Participants will spend four weeks studying Japan through the lens of the famous travel diary Journey to the Interior (Oku no hosomichi), composed by the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō after his journey through northern Japan in 1689.

They will follow Bashō's route, visiting the historic, religious, and literary sites he visited, studying his writings, and meeting with contemporary poets and scholars of his work.

As they travel they will build their Japanese language and culture skills, expand their knowledge of Japanese history and literature, and collect materials for use in preparing curricular units.

Through the Seminar and the school-year follow-through program, participating educators will be prepared and supported to strengthen Japanese language and culture and/or history and literature instruction at their institutions.

Applications are available at www.colorado.edu/cas/BashoTeacherInstitute.html

For additional information please contact Laurel Rasplica Rodd, Project Director, 303/492-1138, laurel.rodd@colorado.edu, or Catherine Higbee Ishida, TEA Japan Project Coordinator, 303/735-5115. Catherine.Ishida@colorado.edu.