Japanese Studies Centre

This $4000 grant is to support Japanese language teachers' professional advancement, empowering you to become adept leaders in teaching Japanese within Australia's unique educational landscape. This is dedicated to enriching your skills, fostering ongoing development, and ensuring excellence in Japanese language education in Australia.

This grant may be utilised for immersion in Japanese language and culture, fieldwork in Japan, enrolment in a formal language course, conference attendance/presentation, or similar activities. Additionally, it can support the development or enhancement of workshops, websites, or resources aimed at teachers' professional development.

Eligibility

You must:

• You must be a current full-time or part-time Japanese language teacher at a primary or secondary school in Australia

Conditions

Successful applicants must:

• conduct and complete the intended activity or activities as per the approved application
• utilise the full grant within the grant year
• provide evidence on relevant expenses for the specified activity or activities
• submit a Final Report here by 30 January of the following year of the grant
• email the MJS Centre if circumstances have changed and/or to withdraw grant application immediately if the grant can no longer be utilised

How to apply

Online application for 2024 is now open here.

• You will need to clearly articulate the aim, significance, benefit(s), budget justification and details of the proposed activity in your application
• You must provide any relevant supporting documents (e.g., an acceptance of a conference presentation, approval from your supervisor and/or reference letter will also be beneficial)
• Only one person’s name should be listed on the application, even for collaborated projects, e.g., the joint development of a workshop

Application closes 11:00pm 30 January 2024.

Please contact the MJS Centre (mjscentre.arts@mq.edu.au) for any inquiries.

This $4000 grant is to aid exceptional students at Macquarie University, nurturing their Japanese language teaching abilities to transform them into proficient educators who will lead Japanese language programs in Australian schools.

This grant may be utilised for things that support your Japanese language skills, its teaching development and/or establishing your teaching resources, e.g., purchasing textbooks, stationary and so on.

Eligibility

You must:

• currently study Japanese language and primary or secondary education at Macquarie University
• undertake your ‘prac’ teaching to become a Japanese language teacher at a primary or secondary school in the grant year
• have an outstanding academic record

Conditions

Successful applicants must:

• utilise the full grant within the grant year
• submit a completion report here by 30 January of the following year of the grant
• email the MJS Centre if circumstances have changed and/or to withdraw grant application immediately if the grant can no longer be utilised

How to apply

Online application for 2024 is now open here.

Things to provide in your application:

• Expression of your aspiration to become a Japanese language teacher in Australia and demonstrate your potential to excel as a prominent figure in Japanese language education within Australia.
• A CV and an internal transcript
• A Reference Report from your lecturer from the School of Education. Your lecturer can access and submit the Referee's Report here
• Any other relevant supporting documents

Application closes 11:00pm 30 January 2024.

Please contact the MJS Centre (mjscentre.arts@mq.edu.au) for any inquiries.

This scholarship is specifically aimed at assisting a Doctoral (PhD) or Master of Research (MRes) candidate specialising in Japanese Studies within the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature (MCCALL) at Macquarie University.

It provides a stipend payment of $35,000 per annum for the selected recipient deemed most suitable for this opportunity. Only one scholarship available.

Eligibility

You must:

• be enrolled or have been accepted into in a full-time Master of Research (MRes) or Doctorate (PhD) degree program in Japanese Studies at Macquarie University
• have a research focus on Japanese language education with a supervisor (preferably main) from Japanese studies at MCCALL
• have an excellent academic record

Applicants demonstrating a commitment to contributing long-term to Japanese language education in Australia will be considered favourably.

Conditions

• The scholarship covers a maximum of three years for the PhD or one year (the research year) for the MRes degree
• This scholarship does not cover any tuition fees but is a living allowance stipend
• Email the MJS Centre if circumstances have changed and/or to withdraw grant application immediately if the grant can no longer be utilised

How to apply

The application is now open here.

• You will need to clearly articulate your research proposal, its aims and benefits for Japanese language education

Application closes on 30 April 2024 at 11:00pm.

See here for further information.

Please contact the MJS Centre (mjscentre.arts@mq.edu.au) for any inquiries.

Successful grant applicants for 2023 can be found here.

Past Testimonials

Grants for Teachers

• Miss Junjun (Regina) Sun (Randwick Girls High School, NSW) — “Japanese Language Proficiency and Cultural Insight” (Enrolment in formal language course) (2022)
  • "The benefit of receiving the grant from the MJS Centre is immense. It provided me with an opportunity to further extend my Japanese language proficiency and cultural insight. Despite that COVID-19 brought my plans of studying in Tokyo to a halt, I managed to enhance my Japanese speaking skills by attending private online lessons with a renowned institute. Through intensive conversational practices at a medium level and discussions on the cultural differences between Australia and Japan with the teacher, I have gained invaluable insight into understanding the local society and customs from the view of a native speaker. This allows me to confidently forward the knowledge to my students. I was also able to adopt the fun and kawaii learning environment from the online lessons to my own classroom, especially when tackling the difficulties of speaking in senior Japanese courses. For example, ask students to describe the katakana words in hiragana only and utilise Japan’s TikTok trends to embed cultural enrichment studies while developing other core language skills. This learning journey has inspired me to investigate further in my future teaching how to utilise authentic Japanese games to assist English speakers to acquire Japanese effectively."
• Benjamin Gibb (Epping Boys High School, NSW) — “Evening the Gap: Productive Japanese in the HSC and Incorporating Indigenous Perspectives in Japanese Education” (2021)
  • "This project was highly successful in helping to 'close the gap' between beginning and experienced teachers in understanding the requirements of productive (oral and written) tasks for Japanese HSC exams. Thanks to the MJS grant, the Japanese Teachers Association of NSW was able to provide the workshops for free to members.We would like to thank Ms Katherine Brownlee, Ms Victoria Hay, Ms Lara Nosworthy, Ms Yuko Lawson, Ms Rika Tsang and Mr Benjamin Gibb for presenting to teachers. Feedback from participant surveys consistently revealed that teachers felt more equipped not only to understand the requirements of the exam but also to prepare their students over the two-year course period. The workshops became a ‘kake-hashi’ for Japanese teachers to connect with each other and share knowledge with newer teachers, to reach the shared aim of helping our students and advancing Japanese language education in Australia. The Japanese Teachers Association of NSW humbly thanks the MJS Centre for their generous contribution to Japanese education."
• Graeme Kenny (Cairns school of Distance Education, QLD)  — “Tohoku Fukushima Tsunami Research Project” (2020)
  • "In visiting Iwate and Fukushima, I gained a more profound understanding of the effects 2011 tsunami. The Tsunami Memorial Museum in Rikuzentakata and the reconstruction efforts in coastal towns like Kamaishi show what happened on that day and how the people of Tohoku have responded in the intervening years with resilience. By recognizing the realities on the ground and transmitting this information to students, we can foster a greater understanding of the importance of disaster preparedness shaping a safer and more informed future. Another aim of this research trip was to provide some background information for students to debate in class the Fukushima nuclear incident of 2011 and its impact on the future of nuclear energy in a balanced discussion. The Fukushima nuclear incident has had both positive and negative impacts on the future of nuclear energy. While it prompted increased safety measures and regulations, leading to improved practices within the industry, it also raised concerns and scepticism about the safety and long-term viability of nuclear power. Balancing the benefits of nuclear energy, such as its low carbon emissions and potential for generating large amounts of electricity, with the need for stringent safety measures and public trust remains a significant challenge."
• Yuji Okawa (SCECGS Redlands, NSW) — “Enhancing Japanese language learning through the Sociocultural Approach” (2020)
  • "Using this great opportunity afforded to us by the MJS Centre, my colleague and I developed our understanding of the Sociocultural Approach and applied its core philosophy to changing our Japanese language classrooms at Redlands. Through the Centre’s generosity, we were able to invite Professor Chihiro Thomson-Kinoshita (UNSW Sydney) to be a consultant and we received her guidance to create a richer educational environment where more effective and meaningful students’ interactions occurred. By applying the Sociocultural Approach across our Japanese language classes, we were able to conduct a range of mini-projects, including Junior School Visit, Year Ten Peer Teaching and Learning, and Year Eight Oral Assignment. These projects could not have been done without the assistance of the MJS Centre. Our students’ surveys indicate several positive changes, and we are pleased to report that, through Japanese language learning, our students established positive learner identity, developed stronger relationships with their peers, juniors and family members, whilst consolidating their Japanese language skills through collaborating with others. To share our practice with others, we held an online workshop for primary and secondary school language teachers who teach Japanese in NSW. Professor Thomson-Kinoshita was the keynote speaker. We presented three case studies using what we had learned about Sociocultural Theory. We received positive feedback from the participating teachers about our project. This workshop also provided an opportunity for the participants to exchange their best practice and educational ideas with each other. We would like to thank the MJS Centre for supporting our project."
• Jo Ridgers (All Saints Anglican School, QLD) — “Japanese Language Intensive Study (plus study of Ainu culture)” (2019)
  • "As a teacher of middle school Japanese, my passion is to consistently strive to engage the imaginations and curiosity of young students of Japanese. The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world. The Indigenous 'Ainu' culture is rarely, if ever, acknowledged in Japanese Teaching Pedagogy and I felt it was an opportune time to include it in my own teaching practice. Thanks to the MJS Centre Grant, I was given an amazing opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of the Ainu Culture, and collect valuable experience and teaching resources to enable me to introduce Ainu Culture to my students I can now teach simple language and culture topics which can stand alongside and complement the 'standard' curriculum regarding Japanese language and culture With further research I hope to develop a 'comparative culture' unit in which students can observe the many important similarities between Ainu culture and our own Australian Indigenous languages and culture."

Grants for Prospective Teachers

• Summer (Taian) Guo (2020)
  • "The MJS Centre Grant was a great help in terms of improving the quality and overall teaching practicum experience. During a time in which expecting teachers must practice virtually full-time teaching with no pay, the MJS Grant was not only able to improve my own practicum experience and give me peace of mind, it also allowed me the means to improve the student learning experience by exposing them to authentic Japanese ideas and concepts in real life. Making authentic onigiri and fruits-ame, purchasing origami paper, and providing Japan-related prizes would not have been possible without the funds the MJS Grant provided. I don't doubt that I could have pulled through the teaching practicum without the MJS funds, however being given these funds greatly improved my experience and the learning experiences I provided those 100 students, and I could not be more grateful."
• Edmund Tan (2019)
  • "The grant was very beneficial as it helped me pay my fees for session 2, 2019. This meant that I was able to prioritise and concentrate on my studies and prac experience, rather than working more hours in my part-time job. During my prac experience, I did not have to worry about not having any income to pay for my studies, so that significantly lessened the stress on me. This in turn helped me keep up with the Japanese units I was concurrently undertaking at university at that time. I am thankful for MJS Centre for helping me grow as a Japanese teacher, and hope that future recipients of this grant can benefit from it as well."
• Georgia Slager (2019)
  • "This grant has been amazingly beneficial to me to ease me into the start of my career as a Japanese teacher. It has significantly relieved the financial burden for me to have completed my practicum and degree with less stress and helped to me build my collection of teaching resources! Having this grant available has really allowed me to set myself up for classroom teaching and has already started to make language learning even more enjoyable for my students of Japanese and allowed me to support them better. I feel so lucky to have been given this great first step into teaching Japanese from the NF-JLEP Association and I can’t wait to use everything that’s been given to me through this grant for the rest of my career and life. Thank you so much!"