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The case for Japanese language education in California: a strategic advocacy action plan

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The case for Japanese language education in California: a strategic advocacy action plan

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THE CASE FOR JAPANESE LANGUAGE EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA:
A STRATEGIC ADVOCACY ACTION PLAN

by

Jordanna Alex Potter

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS)

August 2008

Copyright 2008 Jordanna Alex Potter

ii

Epigraph

Language is not an abstract construction of the learned, or of dictionary makers,
but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of
long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground.
Noah Webster

"Our linguistic and cultural myopia is losing us friends, business and respect in
the world." J. William Fulbright

Language is a tool for overcoming powerlessness. Our professional commitment
intrinsically drives us to help the inhabitants of this planet to communicate with
each other and to negotiate the meaning of peace, of goodwill, and of survival on
this tender, fragile globe.
H. Douglas Brown

iii

Dedication

This work is dedicated to all the hardworking Japanese language teachers throughout the
state of California. May the ideas set forth in this thesis become actions, and may those
actions strengthen and safeguard your invaluable programs. Thank you for paving the
way.

iv

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my thesis advisor Professor Jennifer Floto for her support and
patience. Mere words can not convey the debt of gratitude I owe. Thank you also to my
committee members Professors Jerry Swerling and William Celis.
Thank you to all the Japanese language teachers who completed surveys and discussed
with me concerns for their programs and hopes for the future of Japanese language
education in California.
Sincere thanks must also be expressed to Julian Ely, Director of Education Outreach
for the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles, for working behind the scenes to secure an
interview for me with the acting Consul General of Japan and to the honorable Deputy
Consul General Yoshimasa Tezuka of the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles for
allowing me to interview him for this thesis.
Thank you to my students and other Japanese language students and their parents
across the state of California who gave up weekend time to patiently answer surveys and
sit through interviews on Japanese language programs.
Gratitude must also be expressed to Maki Watanabe of The Japanese Foundation for
her tireless advocacy efforts on behalf of Japanese language teachers across the country.
This thesis would not have nearly enough data to support the assertions and action
program without Ms. Watanabe’s extensive research and data collection.

v

Finally, this thesis would never have come about without Ed Cray’s unwavering belief
that I would one day overcome writer’s block to eventually put my passion for teaching
the Japanese language into an advocacy action plan. Thank you Professor Cray.

vi

Table of Contents
Epigraph ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgments iv
List of Tables vii
Abstract viii
Chapter 1: The Case for Japanese Language Instruction 1
Chapter 2: Background of Japanese Language Education in California 7
Chapter 3: Background of CAJLT Initiative 13
Chapter 4: The Advocacy Imperative 19
Chapter 5: Business Goals 24
Chapter 6: Research 26
Chapter 7: Research Findings 30
Chapter 8: Conclusions from Research 41
Chapter 9: Communication Objectives 47
Chapter 10: Research-based Stakeholder Analysis 49
Chapter 11: Key Messages 62
Chapter 12: Strategies 85
Chapter 13: Advocacy Action Plan Evaluation 88
Glossary 89
Bibliography 90

vii

List of Tables

Table 1: California Export Totals 2
Table 2: Middle School Student Survey Response 31
Table 3: High School Student Survey Response 32
Table 4: Parent Survey Response 34
Table 5: Teacher Survey Response 36

viii

Abstract

Recently Japanese language K-12 programs in California are at greater risk for
reduction or complete elimination. Despite being an important language for California’s
heritage, economy, and culture, classes are being cut statewide due to many reasons
including budgetary restrictions and lack of “highly qualified teachers” defined by NCLB
guidelines.
The California Association of Japanese Language Teachers has seen a decrease in
membership and financial resources due to the previously stated problems. CAJLT voted
to address these issues with stronger advocacy, but in order to do so the organization
must have a clearer picture of the overall state of Japanese language education in
California.
Therefore the goals of this paper are to; research the background and current state of
Japanese language education in California, examine problems and challenges Japanese
language education currently faces, and present those research findings. Finally, develop
a strategic research-based advocacy plan for CAJLT to begin immediately.

1

Chapter 1
The Case for Japanese Language Education
As California’s importance in the global economy grows, so does the importance
of the state’s students becoming proficient in at least one language other than
English during the kindergarten-through-twelve-grade educational experience.
Acquiring a second language sharpens student’s intellectual skills, increases their
earning power, and broadens their cultural understanding. Every student deserves
to be able to take advantage of these opportunities.
Reed Hastings
1

President, State Board of Education
The California Department of Education

Introduction

California is home to the largest and longest running Japanese language program in
the nation. Despite boasting record student enrollment in both public and private school
programs in 2006,
2
Japanese language education is facing reduction and in some cases
total elimination due to budget cuts, the lack of highly qualified teachers and the rising
interest in, and funding for, Chinese language programs. Compounding these threats,
Japanese language education does not have a cohesive body to create and carry out an
advocacy action plan.

1
Foreign Language Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade 12
(Sacramento: The California Department of Education, Sept. 2003).
2
Japanese Language Learning in the United States: 2006 Survey (Los Angeles, CA: The Japan
Foundation-Los Angeles, Nov. 2007).

2

In order to address these issues, the California Association of Japanese Language
Teachers (CAJLT) will, in this document, first make the case for the need and importance
of Japanese being taught in the K-12 sequence, and then outline an immediately
actionable advocacy plan in support of Japanese language education.
Financially Imperative
In California where foreign investment, trade and tourism have a significant impact on
the overall economy and daily lives of its citizens, foreign language skills are critical to
individual business success and the economic competitiveness of California businesses.
One fact not commonly known is that Japan is California’s third largest trade partner
(following closely behind neighbors Mexico and Canada), and perhaps more importantly
Japan is the top foreign nation investor in the state having invested roughly $20 billion in
2007.
3

Table 1: Export Totals from California (In $ U.S. millions)
Partner 2004 2005 2006 2007
World Total 109,967 116,818 127,746 134,151
Mexico 17,239 17,702 19,362 18,342
Canada 12,111 13,212 14,194 16,122
Japan 13,323 13,497 13,983 13,452
China 6,841 7,850 9,972 10,566
South Korea 5,912 6,344 7,046 7,409
Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (2007)

3
Japan-Southern California Economic Relations (Los Angeles: Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles,
Aug. 2007).

3

Japan is also vital to the strength of California’s export sector, ranking third in
California’s top export countries, once again just behind Mexico and Canada.
According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007’s report on foreign investment, the
states which attracted the most investment by the Japanese were California, New York
and Texas.
4
Unlike other foreign investors who often just buy out existing companies,
90% of Japanese investment has created completely new operations and generated new
employment.
5
Japanese firms are major employers in Southern California, currently
employing twice as many people as the aerospace industry and nearly as many as the
motion picture industry.
6

The Los Angeles area is home to one of the largest clusters of Japanese companies
anywhere in the world outside of Japan. The total number of firms in California was at
last estimate in September 2007, 1,625, with 68%, or 1,097, of them located in Southern
California.
7

4
U.S.-Japan Economic Partnership for Growth, United States-Japan Investment Initiative (U.S. Department
of State, June 2007).

5
Japan-Southern California Economic Relations (Los Angeles: Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles,
Aug. 2007).

6
Japan-Southern California Economic Relations

7
Japan-Southern California Economic Relations

4

Business between Japan and California is by no means one way. Close to 23% of all
the US exports to Japan come from California.
8

Tourism is a very important sector of California’s economy, and the Japanese have
been integral to the state’s thriving tourism industry. Japanese visit California in greater
numbers than visitors from any other country, with the exception of our neighbor Canada.
In 2006, over 646,000 visitors from Japan came to the Los Angeles area for leisure and
business, spending on average $156 per day for an estimated total of $716 million spent
in California.
9
Beyond these obvious economic factors, California has also played a
pivotal role in the United States’ relationship with Japan.
Japanese citizens have played a significant role in the economic success and cultural
composition of this state; from San Francisco to Los Angeles, California is home to the
largest population of Japanese outside Japan.
10
Today in 2008 we find that Japanese still
visit, invest and make California home for their families and businesses.

8
Trading Partner Portal: Japan (Sacramento, CA: California Chamber of Commerce)
http://www.calchamber.com/CC/BusinessResources/InternationalResources/Japan.htm

9
Executive Summary: Japanese Tourists to Southern California in 2006 (Sacramento, CA: California
Travel and Tourism Commission, Mar. 2007).

10
Annual Report of Statistics on Japanese Nationals Living Overseas: 2006 edition (Tokyo, Japan:
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2007).

5

Japanese-Americans help shape our state policy, lead police departments, and produce
Hollywood blockbusters, while Japanese citizens play on our Major League baseball
teams,
11
invest in our state’s future by continuing to do business here and help shape our
state, and country’s, green policy.
Heritage Language
Given the obvious significance of Japan in our local and state-wide economy, history
and cultural heritage, one could easily assume that the Japanese language is widely taught
in California’s K-16 schools right alongside Spanish. While California has more Japanese
language programs than any other state,
12

13
it still accounts for only a miniscule fraction
of K-12 foreign language classes. Despite recent attention by many federal agencies and
organizations directed toward less commonly taught languages they still account for less

11
Lee Jenkins, It’s Gonna Happen (Sports Illustrated, 5 May, 2008)
12
Fall 2006 Enrollments in Japanese by State, Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United
States Institutions of Higher Education (New York: Modern Language Association, Fall 2006)
13
Japanese Language Learning in the United States: 2006 Survey (Los Angeles: The Japan Foundation-
Los Angeles, Jan. 2007)

6

than 1% of the nation’s high school students who study Japanese, Arabic, Farsi, Chinese,
Russian, Urdu or Korean combined.
14

With looming budget cuts in public education threatening foreign language programs
in general, and the rise of Chinese in schools threatening established Japanese programs
more specifically, this thesis will make the case for and propose a plan to increase
advocacy for, awareness of and the need for Japanese language education in California.

14
Fall 2006 Survey of Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in US Public High Schools (New
York: Modern Language Association, 2007)

7

Chapter 2
Background of Japanese Language in California
Japanese language education in the United States was first provided by parents and
community institutions during the late 19th century mainly in order to educate young
Japanese-American children.
15
Gradually over the course of the next century Japanese
language education would expand to include non-Japanese and children of native
speakers (expatriates who had been sent to work in the United States).
16

In the state of California, Nihongo Gakuin was established in 1903 as the first
Japanese language school, and by 1912 there were eighteen such schools.
17
The schools,
however, were not looked upon favorably by public school teachers and the Office of
Naval Intelligence as they were run primarily by Buddhist organizations thought to be
disseminators of a wider Japanese government strategy to colonize the United States.
18

Not surprisingly, all of these schools were closed down and forced to liquidate their
assets under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 when the entire

15
Toyotomi Morimoto, Japanese Americans and Cultural Continuity: Maintaining Language through
Heritage (United Kingdom: Routledge, Garland Reference Library of Social Science, 1997).
16
Brian Niiya, Encyclopedia of Japanese American History: An A to Z Reference from 1868 to Present
(Los Angeles: Japanese American National Museum, Dec. 2000).
17
Niiya.

18
Morimoto 17-26.

8

population of Japanese-Americans living in the United States were relocated to
internment camps during World War II.
19

Most schools such as Nihongo Gakuin, commonly known as “heritage learner”
schools because they cater to a student body of predominantly Japanese ancestry, that
were closed during the war did not re-open until the late 1950s.
20
When classes finally
resumed, they did so to much lower enrollment numbers, as remains the case today.
On the other hand, Japanese instruction for foreign language learners was much
slower to enter America’s schools due to strong anti-Japanese sentiment that prevailed
throughout most of the US during the first six decades of the twentieth century. It was not
until the National Defense Act of 1958 that the Japanese language experienced its first
increase in the number of institutions of higher education offering Japanese, programs for
training Japanese teachers and student enrollment.
21
Japanese language was not offered in
secondary public schools until two decades later.
22

In the early 1980s, with the astronomical growth of the Japanese economy and all
things Japan on everyone’s mind, Japanese classes experienced record enrollment during

19
Ina Satsuki, Children of the Camps: Internment History (PBS Online, 1999)
http://www.pbs.org/childofcamp/history/timeline.html

20
Toyotomi Morimoto, Japanese Americans and Cultural Continuity: Maintaining Language through
Heritage (United Kingdom: Routledge, Garland Reference Library of Social Science, 1997).

21
Kimi Kondo, The Paradox of US Language Policy and Japanese Language Education in Hawaii
(Honolulu: International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, Vol. 1, No. 1, 1998)

22
Kondo.

9

this period.
23
Japanese was the first of the Asian languages to be mainstreamed in
American education from the elementary school through college level.
24
Enrollment in
Japanese language courses in US high schools grew faster than all foreign languages
during this period practically doubling in number from 1990 to 1994.
25

Japanese in elementary schools experienced exponential growth during the 90s. In
1994, El Marino Elementary School in Culver City, California, became home to one of
the nation’s first Japanese language immersion programs.
26
Today El Marino remains just
one of a dozen such programs in the entire nation.
27

In the 1990s, The College Board began offering an SAT Subject tests in Japanese
to meet the growing demand of secondary education institutions to have their Japanese
language students’ accomplishments recognized on a national level by a standardized test
that could easily be understood and accepted by all university admissions departments.
28

23
Mariko Oka-Fukuroi, First International Roundtable on the Establishment of Standards for Japanese-
language Education: Prospectus (Urawa, Japan: The Japan Foundation, 2004)

24
Oka-Fukuoi.

25
Foreign Language Enrollments in U.S. Public High Schools, 1890-2000 (Alexandria, VA: American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, http://actfl.org)
26
CAL Directory of Two-way Bilingual Programs in the United States: Japanese Immersion Schools
(Washington D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics, 2008).
27
CAL Directory of Two-way Bilingual Programs in the United States: Japanese Immersion Schools
(Washington D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics, 2008).

28
Mariko Oka-Fukuroi, First International Roundtable on the Establishment of Standards for Japanese-
Language Education: Prospectus (Urawa, Japan: The Japan Foundation, 2004).

10

Growth in Japanese programs continued throughout much of the late 90s and
onward, reaching peak enrollment in 2003 of 140,200 total students in all programs,
elementary to higher education, according to a nation-wide survey of Japanese language
carried out by the Los Angeles office of the Japan Foundation.
29
The comprehensive
survey was the first of its kind meant specifically to examine all aspects of Japanese
language education in the United States. Everything from program enrollment numbers,
institutions which offer teacher credential programs and primary motivations of students
who enroll in programs from elementary schools to higher education were examined.
When in 2006 the exact same survey was again administered by the Japan
Foundation, the numbers that came back were shocking and did not bode well for the
future of Japanese programs in elementary and secondary programs. The number of
students had decreased by double digits dropping to 117, to 969 students; a decrease of
15.9% in just three years.
30
While the numbers at institutions of higher education
remained on the upswing, elementary and secondary education saw declines perhaps
caused by state and federal level changes in education policy and funding.

29
2003 Survey of Overseas Institutions with Japanese Language Programs- Synopsis of Findings (Urawa,
Japan: Nihongo Kyoiku Tsushin, “Japanese Education News,” Issue 45, Jan. 2004, The Japan Foundation).

30
2006 Survey of Overseas Institutions with Japanese Language Programs- Synopsis of Findings (Urawa,
Japan: The Japan Foundation, Nihongo Kyoiku Tsushin, “Japanese Education News,” Issue 60, Jan. 2008).

11

The top three states with the most Japanese programs are all on the West Coast;
Washington, Oregon and not surprisingly, California.
31
Each of these states has more
than 100 schools offering Japanese. California leads the nation with 114 schools offering
Japanese in the K-12 public school sector alone for a total enrollment of 14,462
students.
32
There are no current figures on the K-12 private school sector, but were the
Japan Foundation to compile such data, surely enrollment would be significantly higher
as many of California’s private schools also have (or unfortunately had) Japanese
language programs. Institutions of higher education in California which offer Japanese
language currently number 108 higher for a total enrollment of 15,664 students.
33

Therefore, based on the limited data that is currently available, California leads
the nation with 222 K-16 schools that offer Japanese language for a total enrollment of
30,126 students.
34
California’s Japanese language programs educate close to one quarter
of all students currently taking Japanese in the United States.

31
Japanese Language Learning in the United States: 2006 Survey (Los Angeles: The Japan Foundation-Los
Angeles, Nov. 2007).
32
Mariko Oka-Fukuroi, First International Roundtable on the Establishment of Standards for Japanese-
Language Education (Urawa, Japan: The Japan Foundation, 2005).

33
Enrollments in Japanese, by State, Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in United States
Institutions of Higher Education (New York: Modern Language Association, Fall 2006).
34
Japanese Language Learning in the United States: 2006 Survey (Los Angeles: The Japan Foundation-Los
Angeles, Nov. 2007).

12

From as early as 1903 right through to today, California has been at the forefront
of Japanese language education. However, with looming massive cuts to public education
in the state budget,
35
and the rising awareness of the need for Chinese language
education
36
coupled with an “either-or” mentality towards Asian languages in some
schools, Japanese programs are facing new threats that will surely continue to deplete
well-established, important programs from a great deal of viability, relevance and student
numbers, even in a program as popular with students and parents as the Japanese
language.

35
“Cuts Impact California” (Topanga, CA: Language Magazine: The Journal of Communication and
Education. Vol. 7, No. 8, Apr. 2008).

36
“The World as We Speak” (Topanga, CA: Language Magazine: The Journal of Communication and
Education. Vol. 4, No. 6, Feb. 2008).

13

Chapter 3
Background of CAJLT Initiative
CAJLT General Background:
In the 1980s, the California Association of Japanese Language Teachers (CAJLT) was
not yet a formalized organization, but rather a loose network of Japanese language
professionals, teaching in both the public and private sectors of K-16 education, who
would get together periodically at teaching conferences or workshops held by the
California Association of Language Teachers to share ideas and resources.
37

The group organized more formally in the early 1990s when it took the name of
CAJLT, nominated its first board members and began holding workshops and meetings
in conjunction with, and independent of, CLTA-sponsored events.
38
At the time of its
formation, the association did not create a historian position (and still hasn’t), so the
author had to rely on member interviews and review of correspondence and newsletters.

37
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers General Membership Meeting Minutes, (2 Nov.
2007, Sherman Oaks, CA).
38
CAJLT Membership Meeting Minutes

14

Background of Current Initiative:

Establishing the position of Japanese, a non-Western language, in the global
community is not just a means of promoting understanding of Japanese culture; it
is also a way of contributing to the world’s cultural diversity as one of many
languages.
(Oka-Fukuroi)
39

The issue of an action plan and mission statement for the organization, along with
recognition of the need for a more active approach to advocacy by teachers, finally arose
in 2006 at the annual membership meeting CAJLT holds each year in conjunction with
the CLTA annual conference. At that time, members voted to have the board currently in
service to begin writing an action plan and mission statement to present at the next
general meeting that members would then discuss and vote on whether or not to adopt.
40

The next general meeting was not scheduled until the 2007 CLTA convention.
While CAJLT moved slowly and carefully, making sure to obtain group
consensus at each step of the process, federal and state legislation, and budget cuts, were
moving faster than CAJLT. Thus, when the board and general membership of CAJLT
reconvened in 2007, they were faced with new issues.
During that year’s meeting, the mission statement and action plan were ratified
and ideas for more effectively recruiting new members through the web site were agreed

39
Mariko Oka-Fukuroi, First International Roundtable on the Establishment of Standards for Japanese-
Language Education: Prospectus, (Urawa, Japan: The Japan Foundation, 2004).
40
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting, (North
Hollywood, CA: 4 Nov. 2006, Campbell Hall High School).

15

upon.
41
However, what became quite clear at that year’s meeting was that, while a
handful of well-respected programs had either been cut, or were facing reduction, more
cuts were on the horizon in the coming school year for other programs and that the rise of
interest on the part of the Federal government in getting Chinese programs into K-12
schools was beginning to create a viable threat for Japanese language programs across the
nation.
42

Even in California, with its long history of Japanese language education, members
agreed that they could no longer afford to work in isolation and that the success of all
programs, private or public, secondary, higher education or even elementary, depends on
the strength achieved by all members of CAJLT working together.
43

While those in attendance at the March general membership meeting agreed that
some sort of advocacy was needed, very few members had the time to take on the added
responsibility. Most cited heavy teaching loads or extra-curricular responsibilities, while
others expressed a lack of confidence in their ability to engage in effective advocacy.
44

41
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting,
(Sherman Oaks, CA: 2 Nov. 2007, Notre Dame High School).

42
Education for Global Leadership: The Importance of International Studies and
Foreign Language Education for U.S. Economic and National Security (Washington D.C.: Committee for
Economic Development, 2006).

43
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting,
(Sherman Oaks, CA: 2 Nov. 2007, Notre Dame High School).

44
CAJLT, (2 Nov. 2007)

16

Only two out of 117 active members, volunteered to participate in advocacy if someone
else were in the position of advocacy leadership.
45

The tipping point for CAJLT, and perhaps one could say for all teachers engaged
in the K-12 sector of Japanese language education, came in November 2007, at the
National Council of Japanese Language Teachers, NCJLT, general membership meeting
held once a year during the annual national convention of the American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages.
46
Several CAJLT members were in attendance for the
four-day convention in San Antonio, Texas. Over the course of many workshops and
meetings, the voices calling for advocacy grew in number and urgency, and the voices of
CAJLT were among the loudest.
The Japan Foundation hosted a workshop on the current state of Japanese
education in the United States and findings from a nationwide survey confirmed what
CAJLT members already knew from firsthand experience; programs at all levels are
being cut, and student numbers are decreasing along with the number of teachers.
47
The
causes were outlined: funding, lack of “highly qualified” teachers, a growing interest in
Chinese, lack of support and advocacy from teaching associations and a fundamental lack

45
CAJLT, (2 Nov. 2007)
46
National Council of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting, (San
Antonio, TX: ACTFL Annual Conference, San Antonio Convention Center, Nov. 2007).

47
Maki Watanabe, Fall 2007 Survey of Japanese Language Education in the United States (Los Angeles,
CA: The Japan Foundation, Fall 2007).

17

of understanding of the benefits of foreign language learning, especially from a very
young age.
48

Despite the positive addition of AP Japanese, the very viability and longevity of
K-12 Japanese in many states had come into question and several teachers stated that they
were worried whether or not they would actually have a teaching position in the coming
2008-2009 school year.
49

On the final evening of the conference, several board and general members of
CAJLT met after Maki Watanabe of the Japan Foundation gave a presentation on the
current state of Japanese language education. Those members decided that inactivity was
no longer an option. The time for sound planning and a clear and powerful course of
action for advocacy had clearly arrived.
50

From mid-November 2007 to the time the next general membership meeting of
CAJLT was convened at the annual CLTA convention, two more high visibility programs
were cut,
51
the future of many more was in question and Governor Schwarzenegger

48
National Council of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting, (San
Antonio, TX: ACTFL Annual Conference, San Antonio Convention Center, Nov. 2007).
49
Watanabe.
50
National Council of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of Advocacy Meeting, (San Antonio, TX:
ACTFL Annual Conference, San Antonio Convention Center, Nov. 2007).
51
California Association of Japanese Language Teachers Minutes of General Membership Meeting (Irvine,
CA: CLTA Annual Conference, Irvine Marriott Hotel, 15 Mar. 2008).

18

announced the possibility of $5 billion in education budget cuts.
52
The sense of urgency
at the CAJLT meeting was palpable and the vote for an advocacy plan passed quickly and
unanimously.
Members agreed upon the following three key points:
1) The plan must be structured to include some elements to begin immediately so as
to capitalize on the attention and momentum generated by policies on foreign
language education enacted in recent years by state and federal agencies;
2) The plan must also create partnerships and a possible revenue stream in order to
fund an advocacy position, even if it were just part time, as most teachers are
already strained beyond reason by their current work load; and,
3) The advocacy plan must not be reactionary. It had to include long term
benchmark goals that would move advocacy beyond a position of survival to one
of genuine advocacy of benefits of studying Japanese to eventually increase
programs, reinstate national credentialing and improve overall communication
among stakeholders across all levels of the K-16 curriculum in California.

52
Cuts Impact California (Topanga, CA: Language Magazine: The Journal of Communication and
Education. Vol. 7, No. 8, Apr. 2008).

19

Chapter 4
The Advocacy Imperative

Advocacy for Japanese Language Education: The Call to Action

For a group of professionals who specialize in giving a voice to students, we have
been silent for too long. We haven't been talking enough and consequently we
have been left behind in education politics.
CLTA
53

Clearly the time has long since come for teachers, administrators, students, parents,
teaching associations, Japanese government agencies and other stakeholders in Japanese
language education to make their voices heard in support of the programs they are
currently invested in, and for those yet to be created.
Given the limited resources of CAJLT, the advocacy plan must maximize all possible
stakeholder relationships and opportunities including the current attention being directed
towards critical need languages by many federal agencies and organizations. Recently,
several new programs have been developed by key U.S. government and education
organizations that have identified the critical need for foreign language proficiency:

• The US Senate passed a resolution declaring 2005 “The Year of Languages” in
the United States. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

53
Greetings from the Advocacy Committee (CLTA web site, http://clta.net/advocacy/greetings.html).

20

developed a campaign to draw attention to the academic, social and economic
benefits of studying other languages and cultures.
54

• Speaking before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs in the US Senate on January 25, 2007, Michael Petro, the Vice President
and Director of Business and Government Relations and Chief of Staff for the
Committee for Economic Development, a nonpartisan public policy
organization who has provided the US government with the business
community’s perspective on public policy, stated “ The increasing diversity of
our workplaces, schools, and communities is changing the face of our society.
To confront these twenty-first century challenges to our economy and national
security, our education system must be strengthened to increase foreign
language skills and cultural awareness of our students.”
55

• The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2008 “The International Year of
Languages” stating that “genuine multilingualism promotes unity in diversity
and international understanding.”
56

54
NCSSL & ACTFL Position Statements (National Council of State Supervisors for Languages,
www.ncssfl.org/papers/index.php?elementary, 2006).

55
Impediments to U.S. Push on Languages (Inside Higher Ed.com: News,
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/01/26/languages, 26, Jan. 2007).

56
General Assembly Proclaims 2008 International Year of Languages, In Effort to Promote Unity in
Diversity, Global Understanding (New York: United Nations: General Assembly,
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10592.doc.htm, 16 May 2007).

21

• "Foreign language is crucial to our nation's economic competitiveness and
national security. Multilingualism enhances cognitive and social growth,
competitiveness in the global marketplace (four out of five new jobs in the
United States are created from foreign trade), national security, and
understanding of diverse people and cultures. As we approach a new century
where global communication will be essential for survival, we cannot afford the
luxury of international ignorance..."
57

• The National Security Language Initiative clearly states that “an essential
component of U.S. national security in the post-9/11 world is the ability to
engage foreign governments and peoples, (sic). To do this, Americans must be
able to communicate in other languages, a challenge for which most citizens are
totally unprepared.”
58

• “Deficits in foreign language learning and teaching negatively affect our
national security, diplomacy, law enforcement, intelligence communities and
cultural understanding. It prevents us from effectively communicating in foreign
media environments, hurts counter-terrorism efforts, and hamstrings our
capacity to work with people and governments in post-conflict zones and to

57
A Rationale for Foreign Language Education: A Position Paper (National Council of State Supervisors
for Languages, www.ncssfl.org/papers/index.php?rationale, 2004).
58
National Security Language Initiative, (Washington D.C.: The US Department of State, The US
Department of Defense and The US Department of Education, Jan. 2006).

22

promote mutual understanding. Our business competitiveness is hampered in
making effective contacts and adding new markets overseas.”
59

• To address America’s language needs, more than 300 leaders from federal,
state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, business and
industry, and foreign language groups convened for the first time at the National
Language Conference in June 2004.
60
One of the suggested actions from the
conference was to develop critical language skills by utilizing our heritage
language communities, and increasing domestic capabilities by building a new
critical language pipeline from kindergarten through grade 16.
61

Quite clearly recent world events have caused the government of the United States at
the very highest levels to recognize the urgent need for a national foreign language
policy. The government has responded with surprising generosity of funding and decisive
speed in action. The time is now for states and districts to respond in kind. There is ample
funding at the national level to not only salvage and prop up existing programs that are
sagging, but to also create new programs at the forefront of foreign language education.

59
NSLI.

60
Language Action: Update on National Language Priorities, (Washington D.C.: Military Intelligence
Professional Bulletin, Jan. 2005).

61
Language Action: Update on National Language Priorities, (Washington D.C.: Military Intelligence
Professional Bulletin, Jan. 2005).

23

A thorough and strategic advocacy program that addresses the most pressing
concerns facing Japanese language education in California today should include goals to:
increase funding; make connections to a wider range of stakeholders; increase
participation in teaching associations to have a stronger advocacy voice; strengthen
existing programs; develop a statewide event; and, make connections with media and
policymakers.

24

Chapter 5
Business Goals

This world is becoming more interdependent and part of the process of
America’s continued leadership in the world is going to be our capacity to
communicate across boundaries, across borders, and that’s something frankly
where we’ve fallen behind. One of the failures of No Child Left behind, a law that
I think a lot of local and state officials have been troubled by, is that it is so
narrowly focused on standardized tests that it has pushed out a lot of important
learning that needs to take place. And foreign languages is one of those areas (sic)
that I think has been neglected. I want to put more resources into it.
Senator Barack Obama
62

Business Goals of CAJLT:

1) Increase membership enrollment. Increased enrollment provides a greater
foundation of resources, both human and financial.
2) Increase strategic partnerships. Relationships with other foreign language
teaching associations, Japanese teaching associations, the Department of
Education, Japanese government agencies and Japanese businesses need to be
developed and strengthened to increase support, funding, and resources.
3) Increase communication with stakeholders.
4) Increase number of new leaders in classroom and advocacy leaders.
5) Increase CAJLT presence at state and national teaching, foreign language and
Japanese culture events.

62
CNN Democratic presidential debate in Texas (Austin, Texas: 2/25/2008 debate,
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/02/21/debate.transcript/).

25

6) Increase financial support for CAJLT.
7) Obtain federal funding for professional development of model K-16 articulation
program.
8) Increase number of teachers who apply for funding. Increase number of schools
and districts who apply for funding.

26

Chapter 6
Research
Methodology:

Both primary and secondary research was used to gain a deeper understanding of
the challenges facing CAJLT and Japanese language education in California. Clear
analysis of stakeholders, strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities and threats help
provide a strong foundation of knowledge upon which to build an effective advocacy
program. Additionally a thorough literature review provided key findings that contributed
to development of strategies, key messages, tactics and additional stakeholders.

Primary research:

Primary research included interviews and surveys. Interviews were carried out in
one of three ways; face to face, over the phone or by email. Interview subjects included
Japanese language teachers, foreign language students, parents of K-12 school age
children, members of Japanese language teaching associations and staff members of
Japanese government organizations who are actively engaged in Japanese language
advocacy here in the United States. Primary survey research was carried out in three
populations: 1) teachers of Japanese language in K-16 settings, 2) K-12 language
students, and 3) parents of K-12 students.

27

Interviews:

Interviews were conducted with ten Japanese language teachers active in K-16
classrooms to gain a better understanding of their programs’ background. Information on
the day to day challenges teachers face with students, parent perceptions, administration,
budget issues and classroom support was also obtained through these interviews.
Interviews were also conducted with sixteen foreign language students to
understand what choices were made available to them, why they are studying a particular
language, and whether or not they believe learning a second or third language is of any
future benefit either academically or economically. Students who are studying Japanese
were also asked additional questions regarding their motivations for taking Japanese,
whether or not they thought the class was difficult, their thoughts on the effectiveness of
their teacher and whether or not they had plans to continue with the language in college.
Interviews were also conducted with eight parents of K-12 students in order to
better understand their perceptions of different foreign languages, and how the parents
influence the choices their children make in class selection. Parents of students who are
currently enrolled in Japanese programs were also asked additional questions about the
motivation of their child for taking Japanese, whether or not they thought the language
was difficult, their thoughts on the effectiveness of their child’s teacher and whether or
not their child had plans to continue with the language in college.

28

Additionally four members of Japanese language teaching and government
organizations were interviewed to understand what advocacy they have already carried
out, and the challenges of perception, budget and administration.

Surveys:

Surveys were also conducted to gather a broader range of information from a
wider population of teachers, students and parents. Fifteen (15) student respondents are
currently enrolled in middle school, and twenty-eight (28) students are currently enrolled
in high school. Of the teachers who responded to the survey, thirteen (3) teach in grades
6-8, twenty-four (4) teach in grades 9-12, and five teach in institutions of higher
education. Twenty-one (21) parents of students enrolled in K-12 Japanese language
programs also responded.
The main goals of the surveys were similar to that of the interviews with
additional questions for language teachers concerning training, job opportunities, pay,
tenure and attitudes of administration towards Japanese language programs. Additional
questions for parents addressed student plans for college, understanding of current
college application procedures, and perceptions of benefits of foreign languages in
college and lifelong success.

29

Secondary research:

Secondary research provided a detailed background of the history and current
state of Japanese language in the United States. The literature review focused on the
following areas; 1) Japanese language teaching association journals, 2) Department of
Education and Department of Defense publications, 3) publications, survey results and
newsletters released by Japanese government organizations, 4) transcripts from
congressional hearings and general UN assembly meetings, 5) organizations involved in
foreign language research, professional development and advocacy and 5) foreign
language education association journals.

30

Chapter 7
Research Findings
Key findings include:

Students

• Students are more aware of Japanese culture than ever before thanks to the
popularity of manga (Japanese-style comic books), anime (Japanese-style
animated cartoon programs and movies), pop culture, music, movies and food like
sushi.
• Students said they would like to take Japanese if it were offered at their school.
• Students who said they had Japanese at their school but weren’t taking it because
they thought it was too difficult also admitted that they had never had any contact
with Japanese speakers or any education in the language so, in actuality, they
didn’t know whether or not the language was, in fact, difficult.
• Several students who were not studying Japanese and who also responded that
they thought the language was too difficult, said they held that opinion because
their parents told them it was difficult.
• Students said they think Japanese culture is “cool” and that they want to go to
Japan someday.
Several students said they did not think China is “cool.” They didn’t know very much
about China so they weren’t interested in taking the language.

31

Table 2: Middle School Student Survey Response
Questions Answers (# of students who selected answer) 0-4 5- 10-
Spanish only 1
Japanese and 1 other 10
Japanese and two others 2
Languages at school
No foreign language 2
Fun 11
Hard 11
Interesting 10
Learning Japanese is:
(as many as applicable)
Boring 1
College application 6
Career opportunities 12
Going to Japan 12
Reading manga, watching anime and movies 5
Learning Japanese will
be good for:
(as many as applicable)
Global understanding 5
0-1 years 6
1-3 years 5
Years of Japanese
3+ years 1
Yes 6
No 4
Continue in high
school?
Undecided 2
Love the “cool” culture, anime and manga. 10
Go to Japan 9
Good for college 7
Want to use in career 6
Why Japanese?
Learn about my heritage 3
Yes 4
No 3
Did your parents let
you choose?

We decided together. 5
Yes 6
No 4
Will you use Japanese
in your future?
Undecided 2

32

Table 3: High School Student Survey Response
Questions Answers (# of students who chose answer) 0-4 5
-
10- 15- 20- 25-
Spanish only 7
Japanese and 1 other 10
Languages at school
Japanese and two others 11
Fun 19
Hard 26
Interesting 22
Learning Japanese is:
(as many as applicable)
Boring 6
College application 27
Career opportunities 26
Going to Japan 18
Enjoying culture like manga and anime 3
Learning Japanese will
be good for:
(as many as applicable)
Global understanding 21
0-1 years 4
1-3 years 8
Years of Japanese
3+ years 16
Yes 21
No 2
Continue in college?
Undecided 5
Love the culture, manga and anime 21
Go to Japan 16
Good for college 22
Want to use in career 15
Why Japanese?
Learn about my heritage 5
Yes 9
No 4
Did your parents let
you choose?
We decided together. 15
Yes 20
No 3
Will you use Japanese
in your future?
Undecided 5

33

Parents

• Several parents hold the opinion that Spanish is the only useful language to learn.
However, when these same parents were told statistical facts about high quality
employment opportunities and the real value of less commonly taught languages
like Japanese to future success both in college and career, they become interested
in learning more about available programs.
• Parents of students who are already enrolled in Japanese said they were very
satisfied with the quality of instruction their student is getting.
• Some parents said they would help advocate their school’s Japanese program to
school site and district administration. Most parents said they were too busy and
would only have the time to help if they knew the program was in danger of being
cut.
• Some parents feel that “a language like Japanese” is much too difficult to be
worth the time required and the negative impact it could have on their student’s
grade point average.
• Some parents let their child choose her/his own schedule at school but most
parents sit down with their children and discuss each class they select. Some
stated that they have dissuaded their child from taking certain courses that they
felt would be a “waste of time,” and “not useful for college.”

34

Table 4: Parents Survey Response
Questions Answers Number of
respondents
0-4 5+ 10+ 15+ 20+ 25+
Spanish only 7
Japanese and 1 other 10
Languages at school
Japanese and two others 11
Fun 16
Hard 21
Interesting 17
I think learning
Japanese would be:
(as many as applicable)
Too difficult 12
Too difficult for child, will impact GPA 11
Only Spanish is practical 12
If you selected “too
difficult” do any of the
following apply?
I speak a second language 6
College application stands out 14
Improved career opportunities 19
Benefits of learning
Japanese:
International career 16
Enjoys Japanese culture 11
Global understanding 17
Yes 9
No 3
Continue in college?
If student is taking
Japanese.
Undecided 6
Love the culture, manga and anime 15
Go to Japan 11
Good for college 18
Want to use in career 12
Why did your student
want to study
Japanese?
Learn about our heritage 3
Yes 9
No 4
Did you let
your student choose
their language class?
We decided together. 15
Yes 14
No 2
Satisfied with Japanese
instruction?
Undecided 2

35

Teachers

• Teachers across the board stated that they were too busy preparing for classes to
devote any time to advocacy. They feel it is the job of teacher associations, larger,
national level foreign language teacher associations, the Japanese government and
Japanese corporations to fund and carry out such advocacy.
• Half the teachers surveyed knew of programs that had been eliminated and said
they weren’t holding out much hope for the longevity of their programs either.
• Most teachers were involved in many different aspects of advocacy already and
felt they couldn’t add more programs or activities to their already full load. On the
positive side Japanese teachers are very proactive in creating opportunities for
their schools like sister city programs, exchange programs, Japan Day events,
student participation in Japan Bowl and Speech contests, field trips to local events
featuring Japanese culture and trips to Japan.
• Several teachers knew of some funding opportunities like the Japan Foundation
grants of Fulbright-Hays scholarships but very few knew of the full range of
funding opportunities available through new programs or less commonly
advertised programs.

36

Table 5: Teacher Survey Response
Teacher Questions Answers # of responses 0-10 <15 <20 <25 <30 <37
Japanese and 1 other 7
Japanese and two others 17
Languages offered
Japanese and three others 13
Too many classes in my schedule 25
Not enough resources 32
Not enough department support 21
Challenges to Japanese
program: check all that
apply
Curriculum doesn’t suit student
needs
13
In community 3
In school 10

Advocacy?
Too busy 24
Increase in students 21
Decrease in students 12
Classes cut 9
Increase demand for Chinese 18
Recent trends in
Japanese program.
Check all that apply
Reduction in resources/funding 29
Enough administrative
support? Yes
24
Participate in teaching
association?
CAJLT, NCJLT, TJSC 18
Yes, often 27
Sometimes 9

Use on line resources
like Minna no Kyozai?
Rarely 1
Yes, frequently 17
On occasion 11

Attend workshops and
conferences?
Never 9
Ongoing professional
development?
Yes 21
Aware of federal
funding and grants?
Yes 13
Japan Club, Japan Day, Contests 25
Travel to Japan 18
Additional Activities,
check all that apply
Exchange or Sister City program 16

37

School Administrators

• Due to budgetary limitations some schools have closed Japanese programs in
order to start Chinese programs while continuing to offer both Spanish and
French, displaying a tendency toward an either/or attitude on the part of
administrators in the area of Critical Needs Languages.
• Of those schools that know federal funding is available, a few said they wouldn’t
know how to go about starting a program, hiring teachers or even if their student
body and parents would be receptive to such a “non-traditional” language.

School Districts

• Several school districts in the US, under the pressure of NCLB legislation, have
reduced (or in some cases completely eliminated) foreign language programs to
focus on higher math and science test scores.
• Many schools and schools districts are not taking full advantage of funding the
Federal Government has made available specifically for Critical Needs Language
programs. Several respondents said they didn’t even know there was special
funding available to start Japanese programs.
• Several districts do not articulate foreign language across the entire K-12
curriculum, with the most distressing trend being a gap in middle school foreign
language. In other words, some schools offer Japanese in elementary school but
only offer a short six month class of Japanese in middle school and pick the
language back up in high school. Such a break in language learning is counter

38

productive to the “long sequences” that research has shown lead to higher fluency
levels.
The College Board AP Japanese Program
• Articulation between secondary Japanese programs and that of programs in higher
education is not clearly defined and as a result, AP Japanese students are
suffering. Some students have not received college credit as promised, while
others are being treated as any other incoming freshman being placed directly into
first semester Japanese 1 without any assessment.
• The attitude of some institutions of higher education is that the burden to “prove”
proficiency is on the secondary school the student graduated from, and it is not
their responsibility to either assign them any credit or offer an assessment test.
This attitude is reflected in AP workshops around the country as participation is
usually 90% secondary teachers, and 10% higher education instructors.
• AP Japanese programs will suffer if students hear that they are neither getting
college credit nor being placed in more advanced classes.
• The enormous efforts of teachers who went through the grueling process of
writing an AP syllabus and curriculum for a brand new program with relatively
few guidelines will be lost due to the negative attitudes of some instructors and
administrators in higher education.

39

• The huge monetary investment The College Board made in this program will be
lost, resulting in an extremely negative perception of Japanese language education
as a whole.

Teaching Associations and Teaching Unions

• Teaching associations do not have enough income to fund even a part time
advocacy position and not taking a more aggressive stance towards advocacy is
costing the profession jobs, visibility and opportunities for growth.
• There is redundancy in teaching organizations in some states, including
California. All of the Japanese teacher associations currently active in California
would benefit, and as a result be stronger, by combining memberships under the
umbrella of CAJLT with Northern, Central and Southern chapters
• Several Japanese Language Education organizations have recognized the need for
advocacy at the local, state and federal level but no organization, other than The
Japan Foundation, has a clear cut advocacy plan in place.
• Teaching unions inform, educate, protect and advocate for all their members,
subject regardless.
Japanese Businesses and Organizations

• Partners in the private business, nonprofit and government sectors must be found
for possible funding of an advocacy position or office.

40

• Japanese companies benefit from employees who speak Japanese and are
culturally sensitive to Japanese business practices. Employees who can bridge the
linguistic and cultural gaps are a valuable component to business success.
• Japanese language programs are a valuable source of linguistically and culturally
competent employees. Japanese companies should be made aware of these
programs and be encouraged to support them if for no other reason than that of
the success of their business.
All Stakeholders

• There is insufficient communication between key organizations such as the
National Council of Japanese Language Teachers, The Japan Foundation and the
Japanese Consulates in the United States. Without regular communication, vital
issues go unaddressed and advocacy plans either overlap creating a redundancy in
man power or there are gap areas where no organization is addressing key
advocacy needs.
• While all key stakeholder organizations realize the urgent need for advocacy, not
one has created a position or office dedicated solely to advocacy. Maki Watanabe
at the Japanese Foundation is responsible for Japanese Language Education
advocacy for the entire United States. This effort requires a financial investment
by all key stakeholders to create such a position or office to work with Ms
Watanabe’s office at the Japan Foundation otherwise the numbers of students and
teachers in the K-12 sector will continue to dwindle.

41

Chapter 8

Conclusions from Research

Advocacy Partnerships

CAJLT needs to first increase it’s membership base and then secondly partner
with organizations such as CLTA and NCJLT in advocacy efforts to make maximum use
of resources, both human and financial. CAJLT also needs to foster key partnerships with
organizations like Japan Business Association, the Japan Foundation and JETRO to
strengthen their advocacy and professional network, fundraising opportunities and
presence in the community. CAJLT needs to develop partnerships with businesses like
VIZ Media and Toyota that have a large presence in the American market to increase
funding and resource support.
Centralized Communication

Organizations engaged in Japanese language education advocacy need a central
means for communication to ensure that all key stakeholders are addressed in both
message and outreach activities. Quite often teachers and other stakeholders are not
aware when programs are in danger and what could be done to support struggling
programs.
Centralized communication would also function as a centralized source of
information. Funding sources, events, opportunities and new programs are often scattered

42

far and wide across the internet and throughout the media, and quite often the case is that
vital opportunities for communicating with key stakeholders go overlooked due to a lack
of up-to-date information. CAJLT should update its website to be relevant, useful and
meaningful for all stakeholders.
Current and Interesting Advocacy Materials

Available advocacy materials need to be reassessed to eliminate “educator speak”
and make them understood by a wide range of stakeholders, not just those working in the
fields of education and foreign language instruction.
Advocacy materials should be made available in a variety of formats. This could
include banners for web sites to drive traffic to the CAJLT web site, pamphlets for
events, self-assessment checklists for teachers to check their advocacy and outreach
efforts, advocacy kits to distribute at presentations and workshops, and templates for
letter writing campaigns among many other useful materials.
Creative Communication to Stakeholders

Many methods of reaching key stakeholders are going overlooked. The power of
the internet has not been fully harnessed to create a grassroots advocacy movement that
includes everyone from students on up to policymakers. Creative letter writing campaigns
by students to local and state representatives have yet to be fully explored. Personal
letters and newsletters created by students are an effective means for getting stakeholders
emotional buy in. The CAJLT website should be developed as the preeminent source of
information on all things Japanese in the state of California.

43

State Advocacy/Public Information Office

Mr. Tsuda, the founder of the National Council for Japanese Language Teachers,
has been carrying out advocacy in Washington and New York with his own funds. He has
stated that the entire profession would benefit from a unified approach with
representatives working in the West, Mid-West and on the East Coast. Such an advocacy
group could work state by state and on a national level in conjunction with the Japan
Foundation and Japanese Consulate and local Japanese teaching associations. However
important nation-wide advocacy plans are, the situation is too urgent to wait for the next
national conference. A basic plan should be created for California that could effectively
serve as a template for other states. This program of action could be modified to meet
each state’s individual circumstances. Eventually this methodical research-based
approach to advocacy should be applied on a national level with the goal of unifying
communication and advocacy efforts across the country through all fifty states including
the territory of Puerto Rico.

Increase Teachers

The shortage of qualified teachers is a serious concern and until NCLB is
modified or completely overturned, advocates will need to work at the state level to
create innovative solutions similar to the Hanban Chinese Teacher program in which the
Chinese Government is working with the College Board to bring new teachers to the

44

United States to set up or expand currently existing Chinese language programs in the K-
12 setting. Japanese language education could benefit immensely from such a program.
There are a few programs at the federal level that should be explored more in
depth by schools and districts as possible solutions to shortages of qualified and talented
Japanese language teachers. Teachers and teaching associations with support from the
Japan Foundation and other key education-related stakeholders should continue to
petition the National Board of Certification to reinstate the exam for Japanese teachers.
The Board needs to be made aware that they are also contributing to the shortage of
qualified teachers, which in some cases leads to the elimination of programs.

State and District Level Advocacy

Activate the power of Japanese teaching organizations and students at the state
level to write legislators, create petitions and invite those legislators in areas whose
school districts do not yet have Japanese to attend Japanese-related events at schools with
Japanese language programs.
Develop key talking points to be included in letters and petitions. Emphasize the
scientific research data that shows the direct correlation between increased test scores on
standardized tests (central focus of NCLB) and foreign language study. Data shows that
the earlier language study begins the better students do over the course of their entire
academic career, including college.

45

Target key districts where student and teacher numbers have decreased to determine
why and whether or not the problems leading to the decline can be addressed and
eventually reversed.

Media Outreach

CAJLT needs to carry out and support its member’s media outreach efforts. With
so much media attention currently on China due to the upcoming Olympic Games, there
have been many stories both favorable and otherwise in newspapers, magazines and on
television programs. The increase in negative press about China is sure to have somewhat
of a dampening effect on interest in the Chinese language, at least at the K-12 levels.
While CAJLT and other organizations involved with Japanese language education
should be very mindful to never take an “us versus them” approach to issues regarding
Chinese language education in the United States and the challenges it is currently facing
due to the overall weakness of the available programs, it would be a good time to
highlight the strengths, longevity and talented teachers in Japanese language programs.
CAJLT should position themselves as a reliable source of information for media
who are doing stories on foreign language education, Asian languages in schools and
other issues CAJLT and its teachers are very familiar with speaking about.

Funding

CAJLT will have to approach a wide variety of stakeholders, including Japanese
companies, to request financial help in funding an advocacy position to work with the

46

Japan Foundation, the Japanese Consulates and all the teaching organizations and other
key stakeholders to implement a unified action plan.
Funding also impacts the number of available programs and teacher retention as
many teachers realize they can make much more money in the private sector as
translators or working for one of the many Japanese companies mentioned. The lack of
programs in some districts often isn’t an either or issue, it usually involves two key
issues; a shortage of trained teachers and funding.
Innovative approaches to funding must be utilized. Toyota, Honda, Kikkoman and
other Japanese companies with a huge presence in the American market would benefit in
their own public relations outreach by funding Japanese language education programs
and advocacy projects. Research has shown that Americans respond favorably to
companies that donate funding to programs related to education, children and our
children’s future success.
63

63
Debbie Thorne-McAlister, Linda Ferrell, The Role of Strategic Philanthropy in Marketing Strategy
(European Journal of Marketing,Volume 36, Issue 5/6, 2002).
Carrie MacMillan, Rally to the Cause (Promomagazine.com. Feb. 12, 2002).

47

Chapter 9

Communication Objectives

Because of its position as a world economic leaders and its key location on the
Pacific Rim, California offers many jobs in business and government-related
occupations. Success in these positions is enhanced by the ability to bridge
language and cultural barriers.
Jack O’Connell, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction
64

There are less [sic] financial resources, true, but we have greater human
resources than ever in the field of Japanese language education. We need a long-
term plan (for advocacy) or all the hard work of our predecessors over the
previous twenty years will bear no fruit.
Professor Yasuhiko Tohsaku
65

Communication Objectives of CAJLT:

• Increase enrollment and number of programs, especially in elementary and
middle school.
• Increase communication with all stakeholders. Reach every school administrator
and teacher at schools that offer Japanese. Connect stakeholders in advocacy
relationship.
• Increase communication with all stakeholders in order to raise awareness of
urgency of problem.
• Increase mention of CAJLT and Japanese language education in media.

64
Foreign Language Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade 12
(Sacramento: The California Department of Education, Sept. 2003).

65
Professor YasuhikoTohsaku, UCSD (San Antonio, Texas: Minutes of Japanese Language Education
Advocacy Panel, 2007 ACTFL Annual National Conference, Nov. 2007).

48

• Increase communication with all Asian-American media outlets and organizations
within one year.
• Increase communication among all Japanese language teaching associations in
California and between CAJLT and national Japanese language teaching and
foreign language teaching associations.

49

Chapter 10

Research-based Stakeholder Analysis

• Students: Students in K-16 programs are the very best advocates for their
programs. K-16 teachers need to advocate to students the benefits of the Japanese
language, and the career success and college connection! Students who participate
in a variety of activities and events related to their Japanese studies such as speech
contests, honor societies, exchange student programs and scholarship
competitions are excellent ambassadors for success of Japanese programs. Local
media and education writers are always looking for student success stories.
Financial donors want to see who their donations are supporting and the kind of
programs they are funding.
• Parents: Parents of 6-12 students have direct input on student’s class schedules,
giving support for classes they feel are important, and some times vetoing others,
which they feel do not contribute to their child’s education. Parents of K-12
students are very vocal advocates and will fight through the very highest levels of
administration for teachers and programs of which they are supportive.
• Teachers: K-16 teachers are the very best advocates for their own programs.
They can reach out to local businesses, media and philanthropic organizations that
fund international education to make them aware of what they are doing in their
classrooms that benefits the community. Foreign language teachers must
advocate for their programs survival, even more so for teachers of LCTFL, “Less

50

Commonly Taught Foreign Languages.” Japanese language teachers must
advocate to their students, parents, administration and district regarding the
benefits of studying Japanese.
• Principals: K-12 school leaders need to know what is going on in Japanese
classrooms that should be promoted to stakeholders. Principals are key advocates
for programs, both their survival and elimination. Principals needs to know the
benefits of having a Japanese program, how to obtain additional funding and key
benefits on standardized test results from foreign language education.
• Administration: Private schools are run differently than public schools and must
be approached individually. There is no official consortium of private schools
through which to disseminate information therefore a database of private schools
in the state needs to be created. Private schools decide their own curriculum and
structure, and therefore, are a perfect stakeholder audience to reach out to for new
programs.
• School and California State PTA: The PTA organization has always been an
active advocate on behalf of children. One goal of the organization is for every
member to be a trained effective advocate for children by 2020. Parents in PTA
organizations local to school sites and at the national level care deeply about
issues that improve the well being of children and surely offering them every
advantage to succeed in life, especially a well rounded education, is one of their
major concerns.

51

• Board of Education: Each district has its own Board of Education which
oversees funding, policy and district-wide initiatives. The Board of Education is a
powerful decision-making body that, in large districts like Los Angeles Unified
School District and Oakland Unified School District, divides the geographic area
into smaller administrative districts. The Board of Education of school districts
must be included in all outreach as they are they are the final decision-making
body of each district.
• Board of Education Superintendents: Similar to the state, local districts also
have superintendents who represent the district to the community and other
political bodies in the district and state. Large districts that are divided into
smaller administrative districts have superintendents for those as well.
Superintendents are more than just spokespeople as they are held accountable for
decisions and policies of the board.
• State Board of Education: The State Board is the policy-making body for public
elementary and secondary education which is responsible for the educational
needs of California and for adopting plans for the improvement of the school
system from kindergarten through grade 12. The board has ten members
appointed by the governor for four-year terms and serve without salary. In
addition, one student is appointed for a one-year term.
66

66
What is the Function of the State Board of Education? (Sacramento: California State Government Guide
to Government from the League of Women Voters of California, About Public Education,
http://guidetogov.org/ca/state/overview/school.html, 2006).

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• The College Board: The College Board is responsible for every aspect of the AP
program from writing and administering tests to ensuring the quality of AP
programs nationwide. The addition of AP Japanese in 2006 was an excellent
endorsement of Japanese programs in the United States. By establishing an AP
level course, the College Board is saying that they feel the high school programs
are of a high enough quality to be able to offer a college-level course. However,
despite this endorsement, there has not been enough communication or support to
help get many AP Japanese programs that started in year two on their feet and
stable. Problems with syllabi, recognition of student achievement in AP by
institutions of higher education, and changes in test format have frustrated
teachers and administration alike and many schools are considering eliminating
AP and the hassles that the accompany the program to return to offering standard
honors programs to recognize high achieving students. The College Board needs
to be a target for advocacy and a partner in bringing about better K-16
articulation.
• Department of Education: The Department of Education Allocation and
Apportionment Committee makes key funding decisions that impact all schools
and programs. When the fiscal budget is modified in any way, school districts are
then forced to adjust their budgets accordingly.
• National Department of Education: The department provides competitive grants
to States and local educational agencies to support improvement of elementary

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and secondary education. The department works closely with other government
agencies on the Foreign Language Assistance Program and National Security
Language Initiative, which are two of the best sources of funding available to
Japanese language programs.
• State Superintendent of Schools: Jack O’Connell is California’s leading figure
in public education. Schools and districts should make every effort to inform the
Superintendent’s office of events and activities which highlight Japanese
programs in public schools. The message would be that these programs are
worthwhile and add value to their schools and districts. The superintendent of
public instruction serves as secretary and executive officer of the board of
education.
• Teaching associations and Unions: There are several types of teaching
associations; general teaching associations that include all subject matter, general
foreign language associations and language-specific associations. CAJLT needs to
form a stronger alliance with CLTA, California Language Teachers Association--
California’s largest foreign language teacher association. There are also several
other Japanese teaching associations in the state which would benefit from
forming an alliance and working together and not competing for the same small
membership base.
• Higher education: East Asian language departments of universities and colleges
in the state are often the destination (whether as a major or simply a degree

54

requirement) of high school Japanese language students. Input from and support
by higher education Japanese language instructors is crucial in order to create a
strong K-16 curriculum tunnel in California. Instructors from this sector need to
be encouraged to participate in teaching associations. CAJLT must make it clear
to them that their participation is absolutely necessary for the success of the AP
Japanese program. CAJLT is considering applying for funding from the federal
government to create a flagship K-16 curriculum tunnel, and the support and
participation of instructors from higher education is necessary to launch such a
comprehensive project.
• Policymakers: Policymakers at all levels are important stakeholders in foreign
language education. They must be included in any effective advocacy program.
Information campaigns must educate policymakers about the importance of
Japanese language education and its benefits to the entire state of California, and
the nation. The eventual goal would be to gain the endorsement of several key
policymakers, especially those of Japanese-American ancestry.
• U.S. Senators and Congressional Representatives: Senators and representatives
vote on bills that impact education across the country. They are involved in
policymaking at the highest federal level and are called upon by the president to
support the many programs recently enacted that address critical needs language
education. Representatives are the voice of their local constituents at the federal

55

level. Congress has a corner on their website for advocacy issues where anyone
can post anything they want to raise awareness of on a national level.
• Governor’s Office: The Governor of California proposes budgets and initiatives
to be enacted across the state. Advocacy must include the Governor as impending
budget cuts threaten all K-16 public education in California.
• Commissions and Boards of Higher Education: This stakeholder group
includes Post Secondary Education Commissions, Board of Governors of
Community Colleges, Trustees of State Universities, and the University of
California Board of Regents. Support from higher education is crucial to launch
an effective K-16 program for the creation of a curriculum tunnel that best meets
the needs of Japanese language students and teachers across the state. These
organizations need to be made more aware of the efforts by K-12 teachers to
articulate Japanese language programs, new AP programs and ways that higher
education could best work with K-12 schools. Better articulation can make
California an example for the rest of the country for successful Japanese language
programs.
• State Senate and State Assembly members: Elected officials are held
responsible by their constituents and need to be made aware of issues in their
respective districts. Representatives from areas with large Japanese-American
populations, historical sites or landmarks in Japanese-American history and

56

exemplary Japanese language programs should be targeted and contacted on
regular basis.
• County Board of Supervisors, Mayors and City Council members: Elected
officials are held responsible by their constituents and need to be made aware of
issues in their respective districts. Representatives from areas with large Japanese-
American populations, historical sites or landmarks in Japanese-American history
and exemplary Japanese language programs should be paid close attention to and
contacted on regular basis.
• Media: Education writers, local heritage writers, and community writers are
always looking for human interest stories and stories of student success. Smaller
papers cover the local school district and include events in their calendar section.
Larger papers and media outlets usually have beat reporters who cover a certain
area or subject matter. Media is one of the most important audiences for CAJLT
to address in its outreach efforts.
• Media Action Network for Asian Americans and Asian American Journalists
Association: These media organizations in particular are sensitive to issues
impacting the Asian American community. Reporters who are interested in
education, equality in access issues and foreign language policy would be
especially interested in supporting Japanese programs and writing about their
accomplishments and challenges.

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• Japanese-American Community: There are many Japanese-American
organizations in California including the Japanese American National Museum,
Japanese American Association of Northern California, and, the oldest
organization, the Japanese American Citizens league. In total there are
approximately 14 Japanese American organizations, museums and major cultural
centers and over 117 Asian-American organizations. These figures do not include
the numerous Buddhist temples and societies that offer Saturday Japanese classes
or the smaller local Japanese-American community centers that dot the face of the
entire state from Mendocino to San Diego. These organizations address issues of
heritage, identity, education and advancement of Japanese Americans in
American society. Communicating student success, scholarship opportunities and
awardees, program success and challenges, and other news and concerns to these
organizations would be very important in developing strategic supportive
relationships.
• Business: As California is home to the largest cluster of Japanese businesses and
companies outside Japan, reaching out to the business community is an important
and strategic step to obtaining funding, resources and advocacy support. Toyota,
among many other well-known companies, has its North American headquarters
in Torrance, and several large computer parts and software companies are located
in Silicon Valley. Local businesses like Japanese markets Mitsuwa and Marukai
have multiple outlets across California. In many communities like West Los

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Angeles and Mountain View there are large clusters of Japanese owned and
operated businesses. These businesses, from the largest to the smallest among
them, benefit directly from the large number of Japanese language programs
which raise awareness of Japanese products through teaching culture abroad and
in our local communities. These businesses are a very viable source of funding
but they should also be made aware of the support they receive from students in
local Japanese language programs.
• Viz Media and Tokyo Pop: These are the two largest publishers and distributors
of manga, Japanese graphic novels or comic books, in the United States. Viz
Media also distributes Japanese movies, books and other current pop culture
entertainment. Many students who take Japanese cite as one of their primary
motivations an interest in Japanese culture, especially manga, anime and pop
culture. The work teachers do in the classroom teaching about culture brings these
companies more business. Therefore it would be worth their while were these
companies to build a mutually supportive relationship with CAJLT, as they would
benefit from the goodwill (and stronger brand loyalty) of their consumers by
supporting the education of the language and culture that they are profiting from.
• Japan Business Association: The Japan Business Association (JBA) is a
professional community of Japanese businesses engaged in trade, investment and
other business activities in the United States. The association provides
professional development, networking opportunities and other vital resources and

59

support to Japanese businesses. JBA provides support to the heritage school
group, Asahi Gakuen demonstrating sympathy towards Japanese language
education. Donors tend to be open to supporting similar programs thus the JBA is
a natural partner for CAJLT and its proposed programs.
• Japan Foundation: Founded by the Japanese government in 1972 and funded in
part by endowments and government funding, the first US office of the
foundation opened in Los Angeles in 1983. The contributions to the advancement
of Japanese language education and cultural exchange by the foundation are
innumerable. Among its many important activities and services the foundation
provides funding for professional development, operates a lending library and
plays a key role in education advocacy. The Japan Foundation will be one of the
most important allies for CAJLT and should be informed of all member activities.
• Japan-America Society: The society is a non-profit, non-political educational
organization comprised of individuals and corporations with an interest in Japan
and in United States–Japan relations. One of their key purposes is to encourage
education about Japan through many activities. Japan-America Societies are
located in nearly every major city in the United States. The Los Angeles and San
Francisco chapters are two of the oldest. For various reasons, their corporate and
individual members are deeply invested in the promotion of the Japan-US
relationship and language plays a central role in effective cross-cultural relations.

60

This group can help promote programs, procure funding and resources and find
key relationships for CAJLT and its member’s programs.
• Japanese Consulate: There are two consulates in California, Los Angeles and
San Francisco, which have an education outreach department that sends lecturers
to area schools to give presentations on Japanese culture. The consulate is not
directly involved in Japanese language education advocacy in public and private
schools, but has recently shown an increased interest. This relationship is very
important and, while may not lead to direct funding, can open the door through
key introductions to funding and resources from other companies and
organizations.
Service Clubs and Civic Organizations: Rotary, Lion’s Club and other service
organizations with an active history of supporting international education are
some of the first and most ardent supporters of Japanese language education. The
Rotary Club established the world’s largest privately funded scholarship program
of international education, the Ambassadorial Scholarship. Japan-America
Society and Aurora Foundation among, at last count, 25 other such organizations
earmark significant portions of their scholarship funds specifically for students
who are studying the Japanese language. With a decrease in the number of
programs, and subsequently lower student enrollment, the demand for these

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scholarships goes down and the funding streams of such organizations are at
higher risk for reduction or elimination. Keeping Japanese language programs
viable and healthy would be an area of concern.

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Chapter 11

Key Messages

• Students: Students in K-16 programs
o Students in schools with Japanese programs:
Show your support for your Japanese program and participate in
Japan-related clubs and activities. Create a special event to
showcase what you are doing in Japanese!
Tell your friends how much fun you have in Japanese! Encourage
them to try it.
Invite your parents, principal, members of the school board and
local state assembly people to come to your school when you have
speech contests and other events. They love to know what students
are accomplishing. In fact, invite the media. You could get your
picture in the paper!
Studying Japanese makes you special and your college application
will stand out from the crowd; only 1% of all high school students
taking a foreign language study Japanese, Chinese, Arabic and
other less commonly taught languages, combined!

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There are many prestigious honor’s programs, speech contests,
scholarship programs and travel grants just for high school
students who study Japanese.
o Students in schools without Japanese programs:
Learning Japanese is fun! You can read cool manga and anime in
Japanese.
If you like Japanese pop culture, movies and music you’ll really
like learning the language too.
Japanese language makes your college application stand out. Less
than 1% of high school students who study a foreign language take
Japanese. It’s harder than ever to get into the nation’s top schools,
give yourself an advantage.
Many interesting careers are available to people who speak
Japanese; sportswriter, foreign diplomat, international business and
travel industry just to name a few.
Tell your parents, principal, school board and department of
education that you want to learn Japanese.
• Teachers: K-16 teachers are the very best advocates for their own programs.
Join CAJLT today. Enjoy benefits such a professional
development scholarships, information-packed newsletters, events
and job e-lists only available to members.

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CAJLT supports all its members and their programs. Any program
in jeopardy will be supported by the entire network. Join CAJLT
and make use of our free advocacy materials and network.
Maximize every opportunity and relationship. Travel to Japan, host
exchange students, invite speakers to the classroom, connect with
local businesses and be sure to get to know the Japan Foundation.
Make your program valuable to not just students but also to the
visibility of the school in the community.
Enlist students (and their parents) as the voice of advocacy by
letting them create posters, write announcements for the school
paper, make the morning homeroom announcements in Japanese
and carry out activities, contests, and celebrations for the school
and community.
Advocate to your students and parents. At Back to School Night
and Open House remind them of the numerous benefits of studying
Japanese from college application enhancement to increased
interesting career opportunities. There are many fun ideas on the
CAJLT website from mini-presentations to games. Get creative,
get their attention! Make advocacy fun.

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• Principals: K-12 school leaders
o Principals of schools with Japanese programs:
Japanese makes your school special. Students who want to study
Japanese will encourage their parents to enroll them in your
school. Very important for private schools.
There are many scholarship and awards available only to Japanese
language students. Encourage your teachers to stay informed about
these. Encourage your students to apply. Students who win these
competitive awards bring positive attention to your school. Local
media is always interested in covering student success stories.
Join CAJLT for the special administrator price and have access to
everything you’ll need to support your Japanese program. Stay
current with the latest scholarship and funding opportunities.
Encourage Japanese language teachers to join CAJLT and apply
for the available scholarships and grants. The recognition from
these awards brings positive attention and distinction to your
school.
In the 21
st
century, for schools to really meet students needs they
must move beyond an either or mentality towards Asian languages.

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Chinese and Japanese can co-exist; it is not a zero-sum
proposition.
o Principals of schools without Japanese programs:
Young people today love manga, anime and sushi. They do not see
Japan as a completely foreign culture. Most young people have
been familiar with Japanese culture since they were very little due
to the popularity of Japanese anime programs on network
television.
Japanese is one of the critical needs languages receiving additional
funding from the federal government programs. Federal funding
can supplement your ailing budget. Washington has earmarked
hundreds of millions of dollars just for critical needs languages.
The Department of Education and many of the largest federal
agencies are calling for schools to become more international in
their curriculum. There is a special focus right now out of
Washington that is spreading across the nation and that is to get the
critical needs languages in to your schools.
Japanese language is one of California’s heritage languages.
Japanese immigrants to California helped build this state and are a
vital part of our history, heritage and future.

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Adding Japanese to your program would bring positive attention to
your programs and excite those students who want to study
Japanese and those students who want to speak something besides
Spanish.
• School-based and California State PTA:
o California was the first home to Japanese-Americans in the United States
and Japanese is a heritage language in the state.
o Many students in your schools and district are of Japanese ancestry. Long
before Chinese or Hispanics were the largest ethnic minority groups in the
state, the Japanese were here breaking ground in the central valley and
contributing to the state’s economic development.
o Adding Japanese to your program would bring positive attention to your
school and excite those students who want to study Japanese and those
students who want to speak something besides Spanish.
o Support existing Japanese programs. Publicize their accomplishments and
support their activities. Encourage PTA parents to enroll their children in
Japanese.
o Partner with CAJLT to enjoy the many benefits available to members.
Encourage your school’s Japanese teachers to join for all the great benefits

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including scholarships for students, professional development and the
latest news in Japanese language education. Better yet buy them a
membership for Teacher Appreciation Day!
• Parents:
o Studying a “critical needs” language makes your child’s college
application stand out. When only 44% of high school students take a
foreign language, and of those who do 69% are studying Spanish,
Japanese will add additional weight to your college application.
o Studying Japanese helps with other academic subjects. (Japanese National
Standards Task Force 1998)
o Because Japanese language and culture is so different, learning Japanese
helps students learn about their own language and culture. (Standards task
force)
o Speaking Japanese can lead to many career paths in entertainment,
business, government, International relations and federal agencies like the
CIA and Department of State who are under federal mandate to increase
the number of staff members who speak critical needs languages. Japanese
is one of the top four most needed languages.
o Buy your favorite Japanese teacher a membership to CAJLT and your
child will reap the rewards in the classroom!

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• Board of Education: Each district has its own Board of Education
o There is funding at the national level for Japanese programs. This funding
can prop up ailing school and district budgets. Learn more about these
programs at the CAJLT website.
o Encourage principals to apply for scholarships and grants. The recognition
from these awards brings positive attention and distinction to your school.
o Having a Japanese program raises profile of district and schools.
o Japanese language is one of California’s heritage languages. It is one of
the most widely spoken second languages among California’s populace.
o Support your Japanese teachers to join CAJLT and attend professional
development workshops and conferences. Well-trained, passionate and
interesting teachers are the best advertising for your schools.
• State Board of Education and Board of Education Superintendents:
o Addressing the need for a more global education for today’s students
would be a positive direction for California.
o Federal agencies have made hundreds of millions of dollars available just
for critical needs programs, and Japanese is a designated critical needs
language. This funding can supplement your budget.
o Japanese is one of California’s heritage languages, with the largest
Japanese population and business center outside of Japan.

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o Students who learn Japanese have a distinct advantage in California’s
international business sector.
o By studying Japanese, students in various fields besides business (tourism,
journalism, science, technology, humanities, and social sciences) will
build strong foundations for their future career.
o CAJLT is the one-stop information shop for resources, professional
development, scholarships, contests, funding and other excellent
opportunities. Make the funds available for every Japanese language
teacher to join CAJLT.
• College Board:
o Increase professional development opportunities for higher education and
secondary instructors to develop and discuss curriculum articulation.
o Many AP Japanese students are not being given appropriate credit for their
AP Japanese course when they matriculate to higher education.
o Monitor students who pass the AP exam through their matriculation to
higher education. Contact their university’s admissions department to
make sure they are being given proper credit and placement.
o Communicate more clearly with the stakeholders in AP Japanese.
Articulate the process.
o Partner with CAJLT to disseminate information AP-related and otherwise
clearly and quickly through our member network.

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• State Department of Education: Department of Education Allocation and
Apportionment Committee
o Currently, much media attention is being focused on schools, districts and
states which are incorporating global studies and critical needs languages
into their curriculum. Addressing the need for a more global education for
today’s students would be a positive direction for California.
o Federal agencies have made hundreds of millions of dollars available just
for critical needs programs. This funding can supplement your budget.
o Japanese language is designated a critical needs language by these federal
programs.
o The budget must include professional development for your Japanese
language teachers. Technological innovations, the globalizing of
curriculum, AP Japanese and other developments require teachers to stay
current, and it’s hard to do on one’s own with the demands of a full
teaching schedule.
o CAJLT is the one-stop information shop for resources, professional
development, scholarships, contests, funding and other excellent
opportunities. Make the funds available for every Japanese language
teacher to join CAJLT.

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• State Superintendent of Schools:
o A consortium of agencies of the federal government are working together
to offer hundreds of millions in dollars to fund critical needs languages.
o California’s education budget is starving and federal funds could
supplement in key areas like foreign languages.
o Japanese is the most widely spoken of the “critical needs” languages in
California that is also considered a heritage language.
o Japanese language teachers have been working diligently for well over the
past two decades to build one of the nation’s largest Japanese language
programs. This is now in jeopardy with impending budget cuts.
o Bring California’s Japanese language programs together under a strong
program for articulated K-16 curriculum and California can become the
role model to the entire country.
o CAJLT plays a major role in educating Japanese language teachers about
new programs and initiatives. The Superintendent’s office can
communicate to each of our members quickly and consistently through our
member network.

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• Teaching associations:
o Japanese Language
Impending budget cuts threaten jobs of foreign language teachers.
Languages not seen as “useful” will be cut first from school’s
curriculum.
Teachers must make their programs useful and central to the
school. Teachers must make every effort to showcase their
programs.
Japanese language education must be strengthened to give teachers
the support they need and provide students with the very best
classroom experience.
CAJLT is your voice in the State Capitol. CAJLT works on behalf
of single member to gain support from public and private sectors.
CAJLT educates its members about the importance of advocacy
and provides current advocacy tools free of charge to its members.
A foreign language teacher spends at least 25% of their time in
some advocacy role.
o General Foreign Language
California’s Japanese teaching associations are often not included
in communication loop with other foreign language teaching
associations.

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Foreign language teachers across the state face losing their jobs
with upcoming budget cuts. All teachers, language regardless,
must work together to protect our profession.
Partner with CAJLT to share membership base, information,
opportunities and to strengthen our advocacy base.
Several foreign language teaching associations have stated that
funds earmarked for Japanese professional development often go
unused because they have no Japanese representative on their
board.
CAJLT will work with your organization to maximize the power
and knowledge of the membership base of all our organizations.

• Higher education: East Asian language departments of California
universities and colleges
o In order to provide those intrinsically motivated students who challenge
and pass the AP exam the best university experience possible, Japanese
instructors from higher education should participate in AP professional
development.
o AP Japanese is aligned with the National Standards. The students who
pass the exam must demonstrate genuine language proficiency. These
students deserve the opportunity to take an entrance exam and be placed in

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a higher level of Japanese they’ve been working towards during their AP
class.
o Students who have had several years of Japanese prior to entering
university often have a higher level of intrinsic level of motivation and
will do well in rigorous college courses.
o CAJLT is launching a task force to create a model K-16 Japanese
language curriculum. This will be impossible without the participation of
instructors from higher education.
o CAJLT has excellent networking and professional development
opportunities, workshops and resources available for teachers at every
level. News of the latest products and developments is available to all of
our members.
• Commissions and Boards of Higher Education: Post Secondary Education
Commission, Board of Governors of Community Colleges, Trustees of State
Universities, University of California Board of Regents:
o Encourage your Japanese language instructors to join CAJLT and network
with their colleagues in K-12 education.
o CAJLT member teachers who teach in secondary settings need to connect
with their counterparts in higher education in order to give their students
the most useful classroom experience to prepare them for college level
Japanese.

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o All instructors across the K-16 Japanese language curriculum must work
together to create a model program that provides our students with a well
articulated curriculum that leads them to high levels of proficiency by the
time they graduate from college.
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the nation but is
missing an invaluable opportunity to clearly articulate the K-16
curriculum.
o California’s universities will benefit from students who already have high
levels of Japanese language proficiency from the freshman level. The
intrinsically motivated AP students are more likely to stay with the
program through higher levels, than those students who have had no
exposure to Japanese before university.

• Policymakers: Senators and United States House of Representatives,
Governor’s Office, State Senate and State Assembly members, County Board
of Supervisors, City Mayor and City Council members:
o California has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan and many
of your constituents are of Japanese ancestry.
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the nation, but
education budget cuts threaten critical needs language programs like

77

Japanese. Schools are closing well-established Japanese language
programs.
o Learning Japanese gives California’s students an advantage as California
holds a strategic place in the Pacific Rim economy and many large
Japanese companies are headquartered here.
o Japanese businesses are gradually leaving California to states with better
business incentive programs. Providing these businesses with a
linguistically and culturally educated workforce is motivation to remain in
the state.
o Partner with CAJLT to strengthen and protect Japanese language
programs, a vital California resource.
• Media: Local beat writers, heritage and history writers, education and public
policy writers, language education magazines, human interest and feature
story writers, news desk, desk editors:
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the country, but it
is decreasing.
o Cutting Japanese programs deprives California’s students of the
opportunity to learn one of its valuable heritage languages.
o Japanese language teachers teach more than language, they also teach
heritage, history and culture. Sometimes their language class is the only
place students learn about Manzanar, Executive Order 9066 and the

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fundamental role Japanese-American farmers played in developing
California’s central valley in to America’s “Salad Bowl.”
o Media are strongly encouraged to visit the CAJLT website often as it is an
excellent source of information for education writers on today’s most
pressing issues; critical needs languages, the need to globalize the
classroom, and the impact of NCLB among others.
o Every day CAJLT members post student success stories to the website.
Japanese language students travel abroad, earn top awards and
scholarships and are active members of their communities.
• Media Action Network for Asian Americans and Asian American Journalists
Association:
o The Japanese language program in California is the nation’s largest, but it
is decreasing.
o Some schools are taking an “either/or” attitude towards Asian languages
while continuing to offer several Indo-European languages.
o Chinese is becoming more widely taught in California, sometimes at the
expense of well-established Japanese language programs. Both languages
can coexist in the same World Languages department.
o Visit the CAJLT website often as it is an excellent source of information
for education writers on today’s most pressing issues; critical needs

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languages, the need to globalize the classroom, and the impact of NCLB
among others.
o CAJLT needs media support to stem the tide of the elimination of
Japanese programs. These issues must be brought to the public’s attention,
especially that of the Asian-American community.
• Japanese-American Community:
o For some students, studying Japanese contributes to retaining cultural
heritage. However, more students who are not heritage learners are
studying Japanese language these days.
o Students who study Japanese language display a greater sensitivity to
difficult subjects such as the internment of the Japanese during WWII.
o Japanese language teachers also teach culture. Students have many
opportunities to visit places or participate in events that are central to
Japanese-Americans like the Japanese American National Museum and
the Japanese American Museum of San Jose.
o The support of the Japanese-American community is important to the
success of all Japanese language programs and CAJLT teachers and their
students need your support now. CAJLT member teachers are always
looking for people with special talents to visit their classrooms, materials
for projects, resources and activity ideas

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• Local Japanese Businesses:
o California is home to the largest Japanese language program in the nation.
o Japanese language students study language, culture, history and heritage.
o Teachers, students and their families support Japanese businesses, attend
Japan-related events, visit Japanese museums and Japan-related exhibits
and purchase all sorts of Japanese products.
o Japanese language programs are facing viable threats from budget cuts.
o Partner with CAJLT to make Japanese language education stronger by
providing teachers and students with much needed valuable resources that
only your support can provide.
• Japanese Companies with California Operations, JBA Japan Business
Association:
o California is home to the largest Japanese language program in the nation.
o Students in Japanese language classes study much more than just
language. They also learn about culture, history, and heritage.
o Japanese language students have high awareness of and receptivity to
Japanese brands.
o Impending budget cuts means limited resources for foreign language
programs and further elimination of Japanese language programs. The
results would be a shrinking of qualified employees who speak Japanese,
and are culturally sensitive US citizens.

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o Partner with CAJLT to keep California’s Japanese language programs
strong. Members programs need your support of both resources and
funding.
• Viz Media and Tokyo Pop:
o Students who study Japanese in elementary school and middle school
often cite their number one reason for studying the language is an interest
in the pop culture, manga and anime.
o Many Japanese language teachers use anime and manga in the classroom
as students are familiar with these aspects of Japanese pop culture. This
has become an easy way to grab the attention of younger students. Anime
and manga, used properly, can be powerful learning tools and motivators.
o Many books and programs used as teaching materials are Viz Media and
Tokyo Pop products, from films released on DVD to anime in translation.
o Japanese language students are loyal customers. Oftentimes students buy
entire manga and anime series. They are also avid collectors of peripheral
products such as collectible figures and trading cards.
o Support CAJLT with resources and funding to strengthen the Japanese
language programs and Japan clubs.

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• Japan Foundation:
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the nation.
o Japanese language programs in California, while still greater in number
than any where else in the country, are decreasing.
o Many teachers with full teaching schedules are unable to carry the burden
of advocating for their programs.
o CAJLT provides advocacy materials and support for their members.
CAJLT relies on volunteers to create advocacy materials.
o Support CAJLT with resources and partnerships to develop powerful
advocacy materials to be made available through the CAJLT for all key
stakeholders.
• Japan-America Society:
o Everyday in Japanese language classrooms across California, Japanese
teachers have much the same role as the Japan-America Society; to build
cultural and personal relationships between the people of Japan and
America. Teachers educate and advocate much more personally; one class,
one student at a time.
o Partnering with CAJLT puts the Japan-America Society organizations of
California in direct contact with teachers who are making a direct impact
on the Japan-US relationship everyday.

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o Partner with CAJLT and make a direct impact on the daily cultural
exchange between Japan and the United States by donating time, resources,
funding and other vital support.
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the nation. The
Japan-America Society can make a huge impact on the quality of Japanese
language education in the state, helping to make California a leader in
Japanese language education.
• Japanese Consulate:
o California has the largest Japanese language program in the nation, but the
number of programs has begun to decrease in recent years.
o Today’s Japanese language students could very well be tomorrow’s
leaders in the US-Japan relationship as they develop into linguistically
competent and culturally sensitive adults.
o The United States is investing hundreds of millions of dollars through
federally funded programs with the purpose of creating education
programs for just the critical needs languages including Japanese.
o Japan will directly benefit from this investment by having more Japanese-
speaking Americans as employees, business partners and political
advocates.

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o CAJLT directly advocates for Japanese language education to California’s
policymakers. Partnering with CAJLT would provide strong support for
advocacy efforts.
• Service, Civic and Philanthropic organizations:
o Your support of International programs has been instrumental in building
strong Japanese language education in California.
o Many Japanese language programs have been closed or are in jeopardy of
being eliminated.
o CAJLT is the largest Japanese teaching association in California and needs
your support right now to make our programs strong in order to keep
providing the very best Japanese language education for our students.
o Students of CAJLT teachers often are the same students who apply for
your generous scholarships to travel and study in Japan.
o Partner with CAJLT to see how your generous donations and scholarships
directly impact the education and life experience of California’s Japanese
language students.

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Chapter 12
Strategies

• Membership Drive – Increased enrollment increases financial solvency of
CAJLT. Larger membership means more voices for advocacy. Strengthen
CAJLT, and by extension other teaching associations including NCJLT,
through increased member enrollment.
• One Vision – One Voice for the Future: Combine all California Japanese
teaching organizations into one large association with regional chapters.
Establish CAJLT as a leading authority on foreign language education in
California.
• Scholarship, Grant and Funding Opportunity Promotion - Increase the number
of teachers who apply for funding. Increase number of schools and districts
who apply for funding by promoting opportunities and applications for
funding. Demand for funding shows organizations and agencies who provide
financial support to the Japanese language education sector that the demand is
still high and the programs are growing stronger thanks to outside financial
support.
• Create programs that make membership more meaningful, valuable and
appealing to new members, and former members who haven’t reenrolled.
Create professional development scholarship only available to CAJLT

86

members. Establish teacher mentor programs. Pair new teachers with
experienced teachers in their area and grade level. Establish student mentor
program. Pair high school students with university students who are studying
Japanese to help them get ready for college, the AP exam and other
challenges.
• Japanese Language is part of California’s Heritage, History and Future:
Promote to organizations and businesses the benefits of having the Japanese
language taught in California’s K-16 schools. Raise awareness of benefits of
partnerships for key organizations, businesses and agencies with CAJLT.
Promote to Japanese businesses, government organizations, philanthropic
agencies and multinational Japanese companies with U.S. headquarters in
California.
• Create public information office. Teachers are burdened under demanding
teaching loads and do not have time or financial resources to carry out the
kind of advocacy required to bring about necessary changes and progress.
• Create new leaders in classroom and advocacy leaders. New teachers are
needed who understand and can carry out the important role of advocacy.
• Stabilize and strengthen existing Japanese programs. Increase number of
Japanese programs in K-12 schools.
• Apply for federal funding to build a professional development program that
would be a model K-16 articulation tunnel.

87

• Strengthen organization overall by reducing redundancy of teaching
associations.
• Create strategic partnerships for funding, support and resources. Increase
private sector funding of Japanese language scholarships, programs and
advocacy programs.
• Develop key partnerships with several agencies, organizations and companies
including the Japan Foundation, Toyota, the Japanese American Culture and
Community Center in Los Angeles. Develop at least one partnership in each
of the following critical areas; business, Japanese government agencies, and
general foreign language teaching associations.
• Utilize new communication tools. Drive stakeholders to website. Increase use
of CAJLT advocacy tools.
• Build relationships with media.
• Increase visibility of CAJLT, its member’s activities and important issues
related to Japanese language education in the media.
• Coordinate advocacy and outreach through a public information officer.
.

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Chapter 13
Advocacy Action Plan Evaluation
Membership:
o Closely track membership every three months.
o Evaluate membership enrollment materials and membership benefits at annual
membership meeting to see if there is anything else CAJLT could be doing to make
membership a more meaningful experience for all members.
o Monitor how many non-teachers join CAJLT as “Friends of CAJLT.”
o Survey teachers and school administrators about the number of students, teachers,
classes and the future of the program. Have any new programs been added? Have any
programs closed?
Attendance:
o Monitor attendance at events, meetings, workshops, presentations, non-CAJLT
events and conferences and conventions.
o Pass out short surveys at workshops and conferences to find out usefulness and
applicability; if teachers would recommend them, what kind of professional
development activities do they want, as well as their frequency of participation in
workshops and conferences.
Website:
o Track website activity over the course of a year.
o Track advocacy downloads.

89

Glossary
ACTFL: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Anime: Japanese –style animation
CAJLT: California Association of Japanese Language Teachers
Critical Languages (sometimes referred to as Critical Needs Languages): The term
‘critical foreign language’ refers to those foreign languages designated by the
National Security Language Initiative including Japanese, Chinese, Farsi, Arabic,
Persian, Hindi, Urdu and others.
JBA: Japan Business Association
LCTFL: Less Commonly Taught Foreign Languages
Manga: Japanese-style comic books
NCLB: No Child Left Behind
NCSSL: National Council of State Supervisors for Languages
NSLI: National Security Language Initiative

90

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Abstract (if available)

Abstract Recently Japanese language K-12 programs in California are at greater risk for reduction or complete elimination. Despite being an important language for California’s heritage, economy, and culture, classes are being cut statewide due to many reasons including budgetary restrictions and lack of "highly qualified teachers" defined by NCLB guidelines.

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Asset Metadata

Creator Potter, Jordanna Alex (author)

Core Title The case for Japanese language education in California: a strategic advocacy action plan

School Annenberg School for Communication

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Strategic Public Relations

Publication Date 08/08/2008

Defense Date 04/15/2008

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag AP Japanese,critical needs languages,foreign language education advocacy,heritage languages of California,Japanese language education,K-12 Japanese language,less commonly taught languages,OAI-PMH Harvest

Place Name California (states)

Language English

Contributor Electronically uploaded by the author (provenance)

Advisor Floto, Jennifer D. (committee chair), Celis, William (committee member), Swerling, Jerry (committee member)

Creator Email aprilapricot28@gmail.com,jordanna.potter2@verizon.net

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-m1564

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