A national project called ‘Professional Standards Project, Languages’(PSP) is presently being conducted in all states and territories in Australia. This project uses the Professional Standards for Accomplished Teaching of Languages and Cultures, which was written by the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers’ Associations (AFMLTA) in 2005 as a framework for professional practice, and published by the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training. These standards are designed to reflect the high levels of achievement of accomplished language teachers, and to be used as a guide for language teachers in developing their own practice during their teaching career. Continuous reflection and life-long development are very important for teachers, and the standards and the PSP provide a good guide for this.

In this issue, we will introduce activities and tasks on the theme of names, developed by Yuko Fujimitsu, Japanese Language Advisor, Senior Schooling Academic Standards and Support, Department of Education and Training, WA. The Questions for Reflection on Guiding Principles that she wrote here reflect the Professional Standards, and we hope they can be used for self-development by teachers of the Japanese language and culture.
   
  Cultural Naming Conventions, or the Amazing World of Names
  Teachers’ questions for reflection on guiding principles
Choosing a theme / content
 
  • Is your choice relevant or close to your students’ hearts and minds?
  • Does it help increase cross-cultural encounters among them?
  • Does it promote intercultural awareness; not only

of Japanese culture, but also of their own cultural heritage and of cultural diversity in the community?

  Teaching and learning processes
  • Does the activity appeal to the five senses of students as much as possible?
  • Are students provided with opportunities to notice things in various forms?
  • You are designing a language-based activity. How does it help in developing students’ literacy?
  • How do you encourage involvement from people outside the classroom and create opportunities for recognition of your students’ performance?
  • As a learner and user of languages yourself, what did you learn? What did you discover through your own preparatory process?

Resource

  • Are students provided with multiple references?
  • Are the materials authentic (rather than realia, ie. things that are meaningful in students’ lives), enabling students to engage in real communication?

Communication

  • How well do you know your students as individuals?
  • Do you communicate well with your students?
  • Do you discuss the objectives of each activity with them?
  • What goals do you share with your students through a school year?
Mystery QuestionWhat can you see in the hanging scroll ?(Answer)
  What does your name mean?
  Why learn about names?
 

What is your name? You might have a story to tell about your own name. Everybody has a name. Your own personal name and the names of your students can be a very interesting resource for your language and culture programmes.

As for Japanese names written in kanji, names are usually chosen after extensive research to find kanji with the right sound and right meaning for each individual. Forms of the kanji and the number of strokes are also considered. There are a variety of cultural naming conventions and rules, and unique individual stories to be discovered.
  Educational objectives
  Students will develop respect for individual identity and cultural heritage, through learning more about their own name and the names of people around them.

Through participation in the activities, students will actively communicate with people inside and outside the classroom.

Because of the nature of the theme which the suggested activities deal with, the teacher will get to know the students better and be able to make a fresh point of contact with them and the community.
   
 
Answer to Mystery Question:
The hanging scroll shows the name of a baby, in this case 美優(みゆう). 命名(めいめい) means ‘giving a name’.
The seventh day after a baby is born is called oshichiya, the ‘seventh night’. People write the baby’s name on a piece of paper, which they then paste to the household altar, or hang in the tokonoma (alcove) or on a wall. Sometimes, special dishes are made to celebrate oshichiya, whice are distributed to relatives and people in the neighbourhood.
   
  The following are sample activities designed to incorporate the points mentioned above. These activities will hopefully provide you with some classroom ideas with a strong focus on intercultural language teaching and learning, using a cost-free but culturally rich resource - students’ individual names. Students, their lives and their stories are the most important resources, as they are ‘authentic’.
   
  Activities for Primary/Junior Secondary Students
  Activity 1 The story of my name
  Students speak with their family about any episodes or research on the origin of their names. Students give a class presentation about their discovery, using Japanese. They are encouraged to find out the original letter notation of their name, if applicable, eg. Chinese characters, Korean hangul, the Greek alphabet, etc.

Language objectives: giving a self-introduction
わたし／ぼくのなまえは__________________です。(Students show the original letter notation.)
 なまえのいみは[the meaning of the name]です。(Students are encouraged to add comments and episodes in English or in Japanese, depending on their language level.)

Procedure:
Instruct your students to prepare a three-minute talk for a video. Students could think out of the box and present their stories in an innovative manner. Videotape the performance of each student in the class as a record of their individual achievement; the edited DVD can later be presented at special occasions like parents’ meetings, or when the school has visitors from Japan. Students can be in charge of video-shooting as well. Alternatively, just take photos of the performing students with a digital camera, and record the sound of the presentation separately. This will make a nice class introduction using a PowerPoint presentation, which you may like to exchange with a Japanese sister school.
   
  Activity 2 Stories of my friends and my family
  Students interview their friends or their family members about their names, and learn more individual histories. Students share what they have discovered with the class. Language objectives: using family terms, making positive comments
 

お父(とう)さんの名前(なまえ)は__________________です。

いいお名前(なまえ)ですね。クールな文字(もじ)ですね。
   
  Activity 3 Japanese people around me - research on their names
  Students investigate Japanese kanji names by communicating with Japanese people. Their task is to find out how Japanese people choose names. Students also think about and discuss the impact of kanji culture in Australia,both presently and in the future. The teacher arranges direct or indirect meetings with Japanese people, such as Japanese background students and their families, teachers/students from Japan, Japanese volunteer groups in the community, sister school in Japan, etc.

Language objectives: greeting, asking questions, understanding the nature of kanji

こんにちは。おなまえをおしえてください。かんじでかいてください。いみはなんですか。
ああ、そうですか。どうもありがとう。 (Students summarise in writing what they have learned through the interview, in English or in Japanese, depending on their language level.)

Note: Video recordings of the interviews can make good materials for discussions. Lower grade classes can learn from the videos made by upper grades.
   
  Activity 4 Welcome to the world of kanji names (for students who have a deep interest in kanji)
  Students investigate the significance of the kanji names of well-known characters from Japanese anime films (e.g. 千尋 Chihiro) or any prominent Japanese personalities. The teacher provides them with information and practical guidance on how to use an online kanji dictionary, such as Jim Breen 's WWWJDIC Server, a useful language resource that includes kanji lookup tools.
   
  Activity 5 Meishi making and exchange
  Students create their own name cards, using Japanese script. They can write their name in katakana, hiragana or kanji, as well as the original letter notation of their heritage. Students are encouraged to use any illustrations, colours or images which in some way relate to the meaning of their name.

The teacher provides students with the opportunity to exchange meishi between themselves and other students studying Japanese, or with people from Japan if possible. To further motivate students, the teacher can organise a meishi design competition. The teacher scans and stores digital copies of students’ work and provides them with the opportunity to present it using PowerPoint.

Language objectives: making new friends using Japanese

  わたし／ぼくのなまえは ____________ です。
なまえのいみは、_____________です。
これはわたし／ぼくのめいしです。どうぞよろしく。
(With an added comment and an episode, in English or Japanese)

あなたのお名前(なまえ)は？
どんな意味(いみ)ですか。
いいお名前(なまえ)ですね。
   
  Tasks for Senior Secondary students
  1. Students read the following passage and match the kanji meanings with the calligraphic kanji in the boxes. Students then choose their favourite kanji for the name ゆうこ, and explain why they have chosen it.
  わたしの名前(なまえ)はゆうこです。

日本(にほん) にはいろいろなゆうこさんがいると思(おも)います。 たとえば、友(とも)だちがたくさんいる友子(ゆうこ)さん、心(こころ)に余裕(よゆう) がある裕子(ゆうこ)さん、優(やさ)しくて優秀(ゆうしゅう)な優子(ゆうこ) さん、人生(じんせい)にいいことがたくさん有(て) る有子(ゆうこ) さん、悠々(ゆうゆう) とした態度(たいど)の悠子(ゆうこ) さん、勇気(ゆうき)があって、勇(いさ)ましい勇子(ゆうこ)さんなど．．．

わたしのは由子(ゆうこ)です。「自由(じゆう)」の「由(ゆう) 」という漢字(かんじ)です。 「自由(じゆう) 」というのは freedomといういみ意味です。「自由な心(こころ) をもつ子(こ) ども」という意味(いみ) で、りょうしんが「由子(ゆうこ) 」という名前(なまえ) をつけてくれました。名前(なまえ) のとおりに「自由な心をもつ」人(ひと)になりたいと思(おも)っています。
   
 
Kanji meanings 友 friend → 友だち friend
  裕 abundant, rich, fertile → 余裕 room to spare
  優 gentleness, superiority → 優しい gentle, kind 優秀　excellent
  有 have, exist, happen → 有る be, have
  悠 leisure, long time, distant → 悠々calm, leisurely
  勇 courage, cheer up → 勇気 courage
  由 a reason → 自由 freedom, unrestricted
   
 
   
  2. Students give their own self-introduction, talking about their name. Below are some examples from 2007 Year 12 students at Willetton Senior High School, WA.
   
 
  • わたしの名前は、ジェイドです。ジェイドは、うつくしくて、きちょうな（precious)　みどりいろの石(いし)です。
  • わたしの名前はアニータです。Anita とかきます。 「anita」 のまえに「w」をつけると、インドネシア語(ご)で　woman　といういみです。
  • ぼくの名前は、ゆうたです。ゆうたの「ゆう」は、「よゆう」の「ゆう」です。えいごで、rich　といういみです。ゆうたの「た」は、「ふとい」といういみです。りょうしんによると、ぼくはあかちゃんのとき、かおがまるくて、ふとっていたそうです。いまは、ふとっていませんが、心がリッチな人になりたいです。
   
 

References
* Intercultural Language Teaching and Learning Project: http://www.iltlp.unisa.edu.au/
* Professional Standards Project: http://www.pspl.unisa.edu.au/
* The Japan Forum: http://www.tjf.or.jp/index_e.html
* Minna no Kyozai Site: http://momiji.jpf.go.jp/kyozai/English/index.php
* Blog of Professor Yosuke Yanase, who is studying the practice of Goro Tajiri, a prominent educator in Japan: http://yanaseyosuke.blogspot.com/
*Kanji Names Project: http://www2.gol.com/users/billp/students/kanjiname/　

   
  Illustration courtesy of Sumiko Maeda (The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai)
This section written by Yuko Fujimitsu, and edited by Koji Matsumoto and Cathy Jonak
   
   
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