University of Kansas Summer Institute: Exploring Contemporary Japan

Students on this five-week program will have the opportunity to study Japanese from native Japanese language instructors and learn about contemporary Japanese society. The program is based in Hiratsuka, a medium-sized city 50 miles southwest of Tokyo. The 2009 program dates are June 1-July 6. The Summer Institute in Hiratsuka is open to undergraduates and graduate students from any accredited US college or university who have completed two semesters (or the equivalent) of college-level Japanese. All students enroll in two courses of three credits each: Exploring Contemporary Japan and either intermediate or advanced Japanese language.

The program is unique in that it provides multiple opportunities for students to learn experientially about Japan's culture, society, and language. Participants live with host families for one week of the program and are paired with Japanese university students in a buddy program. These experiences foster language skill development and provide a rich cultural context for the study of Japanese. The strong sister city relationship between Hiratsuka and Lawrence enables the participants to interact with Hiratsuka community at numerous events during the program, such as visits to a local high school, to City Hall, and to a Hiratsuka community group.

The following program activities provide participants the opportunity to learn in greater detail about Japan's culture and society: visits to shrines and temples in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Miyajima, visit to the Peace Park and Museum in Hiroshima, attendance of the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival, and various cultural events in Hiratsuka and Tokyo. More information: www.studyabroad.ku.edu/~osa/programs/shortterm/japan_hiratsuka.shtml or contact Renée Frias at the KU Office of Study Abroad at rfrias@ku.edu.

Deadline is March 1, 2009. Applications can be accepted after the program deadline depending on availability. However, please contact Renée Frias at the Office of Study Abroad to inquire about applying after the deadline.

Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies (KCJS) Summer Program in Advanced and Classical Japanese

This six-week program offers intensive training in advanced and classical Japanese for highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students who have completed three years of Japanese or the equivalent. Students enroll in one of two courses: Advanced Japanese or Introduction to Classical Japanese. Eight points of credit are awarded on a Columbia University transcript upon completion of the course. Language instruction will be provided by the regular faculty of KCJS, which is now in its 20th year as a highly successful junior-year-abroad program in Kyoto, and by visiting faculty from member schools of the KCJS consortium. For the summer of 2009, Introduction to Classical Japanese will be taught by Professor Jamie Newhard of Washington University in St. Louis.

Classes will be small, with five to seven students in each of the three sections of modern Japanese and an anticipated 10 to 15 in classical Japanese. Field trips, guest lectures, and other activities that utilize Kyoto's rich cultural resources complement classroom instruction.

In 2009, the program will begin on June 1 and end on July 14 (just prior to the Gion Festival). The program fee is $3,750. Limited financial support is available from KCJS; the program should also be eligible for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) summer language support for graduate students. More information: http://kcjssummer.columbia.edu.

Summer APU Gateway Program

The 2009 Summer APU Gateway Program is an intensive Japanese language program in June and July. Students will also have the opportunity to take academic courses (English) in the colleges of Asia Pacific Studies and Asia Pacific Management in English. The program features various cultural activities, APU Buddies and an overnight field trip to Nagasaki city. More information: www.apu.ac.jp/apuint/modules/toapu/index.php?id=6.

Summer Translation Institute

The Summer Translation Institute (STI), hosted by the Department of Foreign Languages at Western Michigan University, offers a unique opportunity for advanced language learners and professionals to improve their translation skills while working on their language proficiency. This program provides intensive translation training in Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, and French. The STI will take place during the first four weeks of Summer II 2009 (June 25-July 24). The deadline for initial consideration for applications is March 15, 2009, but applications received after that will be considered based on available space. Housing will be available, and the university will provide visa support for international applicants.

More details regarding tuition, housing, application procedures, curriculum, and faculty: www.wmich.edu/languages/summertranslation or contact the Dept. of Foreign Languages: summer-translation@wmich.edu or 269/387-3001.