The Asia New Zealand Foundation has established several new best paper prizes of $1000 each for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

YOUNG VOICES ON ASIA – Best Paper Prizes of $1000

The Asia New Zealand Foundation is launching the first round of its Young Voices on Asia competition – New Zealand undergraduate and post-graduate students are welcome to submit their max 2000 word entry for one of five Best Paper prizes of $1000.  The categories and deadlines are:

New Zealand, Asia and: 

1.            Regional environmental issues/climate change (due 31 July)

2.            Trade and economic policy (due 30 August)

3.            International relations and foreign policy (due 30 September)

4.            Humanities/social issues/media (due 28 Oct)

5.            Science, Technology and Innovation (due 1 Dec)

https://www.asianz.org.nz/research/young-voices-on-asia-best-paper-prizes/

Please see the link for more information. Any questions can be addressed to James To, Senior Adviser (Research and Engagement) jto@asianz.org.nz

Dear Japanese language academics, 

My name is Taeko Imura and I have been teaching Japanese language for 28 years at Griffith University in Australia. In the event of COVID-19, many of us were given no choice but to make a swift transition from traditional face-to-face classroom to remote teaching from home. Adapting to meet the needs of students and university standards, following the constant changes of local government and health authority guidelines, was a formidable challenge that we have never had before – we were in the same boat. This project aims to investigate experiences and perceptions on online/remote teaching that tertiary Japanese language academics had in a watershed event in education history and to provide insights into future Japanese education.  

We would like to invite many Japanese language academics to participate in a research project ‘Reflections on 2020 we are glad to be over but what’s next? – Capturing a historical moment of Japanese language education in Australia and New Zealand’ (Griffith University ethics reference no. 2020/907 and funded by the Queensland Program for Japanese Education) and share experiences and perceptions. There are two anonymous online surveys to the research project: one after semester 2, 2020 and another before semester 1, 2021. You may choose to participate both or one of them. This is the first survey and is open to all tertiary academics who have taught Japanese language in 2020 regardless of academic position/appointment in Australia or New Zealand. Therefore, we will appreciate if you can disseminate this email to casual/sessional academics and postgraduates who were involved in teaching Japanese language remotely at your institution to participate in the research. The second online survey focuses on changes that Japanese language academics have made for teaching in 2021 and will be distributed in February.  

We highly value your opinion and time as the information you provide will capture this unique period which has impacted on how we may teach Japanese after post COVID-19. All your responses are completely anonymous, cannot be identified at any stage and treated confidentially at all times. The responses will be retained in electronically-secured Griffith University staff server where only myself and a research assistant have access to for a period of five years before being destroyed. Findings of this research may be disseminated through conference presentation and published in professional journal. A summary report can be provided on request to those who respond to the survey/s after data have been analysed. The report will inform you what experiences and views academics had in regard to teaching Japanese language remotely and may assist you in preparing for 2021.  

The survey consists of mainly multiple-choice questions and some questions require short answers. It should take you no longer than 10 minutes to complete. Access from a computer is highly recommended since the display of the Likert-type question on mobile phones or tablets becomes a long list and takes more time to go through. The survey is now open and will close at 11:59 PM on 20 March 2021. There are no foreseeable risks associated with participation in this research. Your participation in this research is voluntary. You can withdraw from further participation at any stage and there are no consequences for withdrawal. If you would like further information regarding any aspect of this project, you are encouraged to contact me via email t.imura@griffith.edu.au  

This study has been granted ethical clearance by the Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (GU Ref no: 2020/907). Griffith University conducts research in accordance with the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research. If you have any concerns or complaints about the ethical conduct of this research project, you are encouraged to contact the Manager, Research Ethics on 07 3735 4375 or research-ethics@griffith.edu.au 

If you decided to participate, please click here to access the survey. By submitting the survey electronically, you have given consent to participate in this research project.  

 
Thank you very much for your participation in this research project. 

Dr Taeko Imura  

Chief investigator 

School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science,  

Griffith University, Nathan campus, Australia  

Email: t.imura@griffith.edu.au 
 

The full results are free and downloadable, in English as well as Japanese this time.

In previous years only the summary has been available free.

https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/japanese/survey/result/survey18.html

As with many other events, the Auckland Area Secondary School Japanese Speech Competition was held using an online format this year. The participants recorded their speeches on video in front of an audience.

This year there were originally 41 participants across three categories. 23 participants submitted videos (6, 7, and 10 in Open, Year 11, and Years 12&13 Categories, respectively). The Q&A session with Top 3 from Years 12&13 Category was held, and the results for all three categories were finalised during the week.

List of Prizewinners

This is a worldwide competition for Japanese scholars. The competition is to write a haiku poem with a short explanation.

Competition Closes 31 December 2020

http://www.nihonwosiru.jp/?fbclid=IwAR2Q5P7x3zdkWpe3FaqgBoV0EN6-3sv624jl_aAJQ348ZCLw7E9de78dgFw

Below is the information published on the website

「【俳句】コンテスト」

第四回「世界の日本語学習者《日本語作文コンクール》」

「俳句」は「五・七・五の17音」で綴つづる『世界で最も短い文学』です!

1. 一・テーマ＝【「俳句1句」と、「30字前後の説明文（季節、場所など）」】
   　《【俳句】の「題」は自由（自然、社会、文化、日本・日本人、日本語学習など）》
   　《一人で3句まで、応募できます》（「季語」のない俳句も、応募できます）。
2. 二・【応募資格】＝日本語を勉強・研究している外国籍の人は、誰でも応募できます。
3. 三・【締め切り】＝2020年（令和2年）12月31日（木）必着
4. 四・【応募方法】＝メール添付のみ　yuraumi@yahoo.co.jp（大森和夫）へ
   　　　「国籍、氏名、年齢、性別、学校名か職業、連絡先・メールアドレス」を明記。
   　　　（個人の応募でも、大学・日本語学校・日本語教室などからの応募も可）

参考資料　デジタル日本語教材「『日本』という国」（HP：http://www.nihonwosiru.jp/）
　　　　　◇「四章（自然）」の、四季の「季語」と「俳句」
　　　　　◇「八章（文学）」の「三節（俳句、、、）」の「一・松尾芭蕉。俳句の基礎知識」

【賞品】　　・一等賞＝　2人→
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　賞状＋《海外在住者・日本招待8日間。日本在住者・学習奨励金20万円》
　　　　　　・二等賞＝　5人→賞状＋学習奨励金・　5万円
　　　　　　・三等賞＝　15人→賞状＋学習奨励金・　3万円
　　　　　　・努力賞＝　30人→賞状＋学習奨励金・　1万円（賞状は、いずれもPDF送付）

【審査】
〇「一次審査」=大森和夫・大森弘子が一次審査を行い、「入賞候補・約100句」を選びます。
〇「二次審査・最終審査」=5人が「入賞候補の句」を採点、最終審査を経て順位を決定します。
　　◇二次審査員　　川村　恒明（元・文化庁長官。公財「日本ナショナルトラスト」副会長）
　　　　　　　　　　倉田　任子（「燎」同人）
　　　　　　　　　　小池美樹彦（日本語教師。「甲羅句会」同人）
　　　　　　　　　　小暮かつみ（「ひろそ火」同人）
　　　　　　　　　　津田　耕嗣（「東京都荒川区俳句連盟」元会員）　《五十音順。敬称略》
【発表】　2021年（令和3年）4月。　　　　　　　《表彰式は、5月以降の予定》
　　　　　ホームページ：国際交流研究所　http://www.nihonwosiru.jp/　で。

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――

　　　　　　主催＝大森和夫・大森弘子（190－0031　東京都立川市砂川町2－71－1－C621）
　　　　　　後援＝国際交流基金。朝日新聞社。
　　　　　　協力＝笈川幸司（中国在住・日本語教師）。段躍中（日本僑報社）。　　　　《敬称略》