Paper short abstract:

This study will examine the degree to which FL educational practices in Japan can contribute to new understandings of FL approaches to teaching Japanese in France through the use of narrative analysis of Japanese teachers in France and FL teachers in Japan.

Paper long abstract:

In regards to foreign language (FL) secondary education, there are two primary foundational approaches to instruction: "Palier" in France; and "Gakushū shidō yōryō (Learning guidance points)" in Japan. While both are designed in reference to the criteria of the Common European Framework, they remain quite different. The Palier approach is designed specifically for FL education across two levels of instruction (Palier 1 and 2), of which one of the languages offered is Japanese. This approach also includes cultural aspects as part of its curriculum, with detailed information on the role of language in culture as it pertains to learning and teaching. As an example, in the case of Japanese materials are provided to high school teachers on specific aspects of Japanese culture that may be unfamiliar to FL learners.

Alternatively, in the Japanese Gakushū approach, while materials are listed as being designed for FL instruction, in reality the content is for English as a first language educational contexts. To this end, descriptions and guidelines tend to be abstract for learners and teachers, and neither junior- nor high-school guidelines provide any form of language in culture as part of the curriculum.

Despite their similarities in name, the two approaches in France and Japan vary widely in terms of the concreteness and abstractness of their descriptions and purposes, as well as the degree to which they do or do not integrate culture and language. Because of this, the Palier approach would appear to be a more appropriate approach from the perspective of developing plurilingal and pluricultural competences. However, the degree to which this is true has not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study will therefore examine the degree to which FL educational practices in Japan can contribute to new understandings of FL approaches to teaching Japanese in France through the use of narrative analysis of Japanese teachers in France and FL teachers in Japan. The goal of this study is to compare curriculum practices in Japan and France, where contrasts in approaches may lead to new perspectives on the development of plurilingual and pluricultural competences in Japanese education in France.