MAATJ November Newsletter

Announcements:
1. Articulation Coordinator: MAATJ new position
2. Haiku Coordinator: nomination (12/14)
3. Japan Foundation Training Programs (12/1)
4. National Japan Bowl Registration (early bird registration: 12/5)
5. MAATJ Karaoke Contest (12/19)
6. AATJ Nengajo Contest (12/27)
7. The Japanese Language Assistant Program (J-LEAP) (Deadline: 1/21)
8. 2015 Governors Japanese Academy (1/12)
9. The Ito En Oi Ocha New Haiku Contest Application (2/10)
Report (Thakur-sensei, West Springfield High School)
10. UVA Institute of World Languages Roundtable on Foreign Language Teaching and Learning (11/21)
11. AJALT Workshop (RSVP Deadline: 3/6)
Announcement from the Webmaster:
Please visit MAATJ website: http://maha-iatj.weebly.com/newsletter

ANNOUNCEMENT:
1. Articulation Coordinator: MAATJ new position
We are please to announce that Minori Marken-sensei (Old Dominion University) has been appointed as the
Articulation Coordinator of MAATJ. She will be working to cooridate the sesseions at FLAVA conference,
and to sustain the connections that were built over four years of J-GAP activities.
2. Haiku Coordinator
We are searching for a new haiku coordinator/s. Tomoko Geiser and Keiko Abrams have been doing this for
a while and would like to pass on to the next person. One person can do it, but it would be better if two can
work on it together.
Please contact Keiko Abrams (kiabrams@fcps.edu) or Tomoko Geiser (tcgeiser@fcps.edu) if you are
interested in working on this.
Thank you, Abrams-sensei and Geiser-sensei for being Coordinators for a number of years!
3. Japan Foundation Training Programs (deadline: 12/1)
1. 2015 Training Programs for Teachers of the Japanese Language http://www.jflalc.org/grants-jleteachertraining.html (1) Long-term Training Program (2) Short-term Training Program (3) Advanced
Training Program (4) Graduate Program on Japanese Language and Culture (Master's Course)
2. 2015 Japanese Language Program for Specialists (Researchers, Postgraduate Students, Librarians,
Museum Curators) in Cultural and Academic Field http://www.jflalc.org/jlp-for-specialists.html
Should you have any questions or concerns, please email to language@jflalc.org or call to 1-323-761-7510
(Ext.110).
4. 2015 National Japan Bowl (Deadline: 12/5)
The 2015 National Japan Bowl registration is now open. The 2015 National Japan Bowl will be held
Thursday-Friday, April 9 and 10, 2015 and the Sakura Matsuri Street Festival will be held on April 11,

2015.The early bird registration deadline for the National Japan Bowl applications is December 5, 2014. If a
team applies before December 5, the $55 for one teacher per school will be waived.
The application deadline for the National Japan Bowl is January 16, 2015.
The 2015 National Japan Bowl Study Guide, Administrative Guide and Application Forms can be
downloaded at www.japanbowl.org. If you have any questions, please contact JASW of Washington DC at
japanbowl@us-japan.org.
5. MAATJ Karaoke Contest (11/1-12/19)
MAATJ Karaoke Contest: Important Change in Submission Process:
I hope your students are excited about planning for the first annual MAATJ Karaoke Contest! There has been
an important change in submitting the performance videos. After your students complete their products,
please send them to karaokemaatj@gmail.com.
Please note that both Gmail and Yahoo Mail has a limit of 25 MB / mail for the attachment file. The school
email servers will most likely to have much smaller limit and would not send such a large file attachment. If
the video is taken with the smartphone and iPad, there should not be a problem with 3-4 minutes
presentation. The digital camera and video camera may have much larger file size unless it is set for the less
resolution. Please contact Koji Otani (kotani@fcps.edu) for any question. Please also find the attached files.
6. AATJ Nengajo Contest (Deadline: 12/27)
The AATJ Nengajo Contest is a nationwide contest for students in elementary school, middle school,
high school, and university. All participants receive a certificate of participation. Winners at each level
in each category also receive certificates and prizes from AATJ.
For more information, please go to http://www.aatj.org/nengajo-contest/2015-invite
7. The Japanese Language Assistant Program (J-LEAP): (Deadline: 1/21)
The Japanese Language Assistant Program (J-LEAP) is currently seeking institutions teaching Japanese
which are interested in hosting an assistant teacher from Japan for up to two years. J-LEAP is co-organized by
the Japan Foundation and the Laurisian Institute.
Please click on the link below and scroll down to the J-LEAP section. You will find links to a downloadable
program prospectus and the application on the right. http://www.laurasian.org/Programs.htm
Should you have questions, please contact Mari Maruyama via email at mmaruyama@laurasian.org.
7. Application for the 2015 Governors Japanese Academy
The information on the 2015 Governor's Japanese Academy is now available at:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/foreign_language/language_academies/
It is very important that this school year each secondary school with more than 750 student enrollment may
nominate two students for the Academy. Therefore, all the Japanese language teachers are strongly
encouraged to nominate their well-qualified students.
There is also information about the GJA staff positions on the website. We are searching for
Japanese language teachers and resident assistants. Application review will begin on January 12, 2015.
8. The Ito En Oi Ocha New Haiku Contest Application (Deadline: 2/10)
Report (by Thakur-sensei , West Srptingfield High School)

 2015 ()
West Springfield
11

(Yoko
Thakur-sensei, West Springfield High School)

9. AJALT Workshop: (AJALT)

(AJALT)

Lake Braddock Secondary School (room C204)

March 11, 2015 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
No fee but need RSVP: email to: Keiko Abrams (kiabrams@fcps.edu) by March 6.
Oral Japanese Dictionary

12. UVA Institute of World Languages Roundtable on Foreign Language

Teaching and Learning (11/21)
Title: Action Research in the Foreign Language Classroom
Friday, November 21, 3:00-4:00pm
Location New Cabell Hall 299A
Graduate student teachers of Spanish and Arabic will present the results of their action research projects in this
interactive poster session. Join us in a celebration of their work and a lively discussion of their experiments and research
in the classroom.

WEB
MAATJ

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(tshigehisa@nvcc.edu)
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MAATJ Website is created and updated with useful applications by Shigehisa sensei, MAATJ Webmaster.