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Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics - PostGraduate/Graduate Coursework

1. Course outline and structure
2. Objectives
3. Staff and areas of expertise
4. Course code
5. CRICOS code (for international students)
6. Mode of enrolment
7. Location
8. Length of course
9. Entry requirements
10. English Language Requirements
11. Fee Structure
12. Applications
13. Frequently asked questions
14. Comments from Students

Further information:
Graduate/Postgraduate Courses and Programs in Japanese Studies
Monash University Handbook

Note: Mid-year entry is available.

1. Course outline and structure (Summary)

The course seeks to further students' understanding of second and foreign language acquisition, language teaching, language contact and intercultural communication with particular reference to Japanese. It also aims to develop students' skills in critical reading, the ability to write critically, and the ability to design a research project, where appropriate.

The duration of the course is normally three semesters full-time or six semesters part-time, and students can enter the program in semester one or two. Students can exit the course after one semester (or part-time equivalent) with a Graduate Certificate of Arts or, after one-year (or part-time equivalent), with a Graduate Diploma in Japanese Applied Linguistics. Students require a credit result in the core unit and an overall credit average to graduate from the Masters in Applied Japanese Linguistics.

Students undertake units to the value of 24 points at Level 4, another 24 points at Level 4 or 5, and 24 points at Level 5. The core unit JAL4530/5530 Teaching and Learning Asian Languages (12 pts) must be included.

All classes are available on the Clayton campus.

Structure of the course:

Students complete 72 points including one core unit, and five electives chosen from the list below. Only a limited number of electives will be available at any one time. Students who obtain a distinction average and who have undertaken JAL4610/5610 (Research Methodology in Applied Linguistics) may seek approval from the course coordinator to undertake a research project for 12 points (usually AST4680/5680 Research Project A) as one of the electives.

Course Requirements

Core unit

Electives

Recommended Course of Study in 2009

(Units are offered subject to sufficient enrolment.)

Semester 1, 2009

Semester 2, 2009

2. Objectives

A critical understanding of theoretical and practical issues relating to second/foreign language acquisition, language teaching, language contact and intercultural communication.

In particular, at the completion of the course students will be able to: display an understanding and an awareness of scholarly literature and research in the area of second language learning and teaching; critically assess research reports dealing with applied linguistics, including second language acquisition, language teaching, languages in contact, and intercultural communication; assess quantitative and qualitative research methods in applied linguistic studies; establish criteria for "best practice" in Japanese language teaching; and integrate their academic studies of applied linguistics in action-oriented or other research.

3. Staff and areas of expertise

Course Coordinator

Associate Professor Helen Marriott
(sociolinguistics, languages in contact, research methodology)

Other Teaching Staff

Dr Robyn Spence-Brown
(second language acquisition, assessment)

Dr Masato Takimoto
(Japanese interpreting)

Dr Kuniko Yoshimitsu
(language acquisition and maintenance)

Dr Hiroko Hashimoto
(international education, intercultural communication, TJFL)

Ms Jun Yano
(second language acquisition, teaching Japanese grammar, teaching of kanji)

4. Course Code:

3073

5. CRICOS Code:

041053C

6. Mode of delivery

On-campus

7. Location

Clayton Campus, Monash University

8. Length of course

1.5 years full-time (3 semesters); 3 years part-time (6 semesters)

9. Entry requirements

A Bachelors degree with a credit average in the final year, and including a minimum of high intermediate Japanese (Level 6 at Monash).

10. English language requirements

The minimum University English Language Requirements, are:

English test

Result required

IELTS (International English Language Testing System - academic test)

  • minimum test score of 6.5 overall
  • at least 6.5 in Reading and Listening
  • at least 6.0 in Writing and Speaking

For a full explanation of University policy, please refer to:
http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/admissions/english-language-requirements-procedures.html

11. Fee Structure

Information on fees for local and international students:
http://www.monash.edu.au/fees/course-fees/index.html

12. Applications

Application forms (local and international) are available from the Faculty of Arts website: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/future/

13. Frequently Asked Questions

Does this course qualify me to teach at secondary level in Australian schools?

No, prospective students interested in secondary school teaching could consider taking a Graduate Diploma of Education (a one year course) which is offered by the Faculty of Education after completing the Diploma or Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics. The Diploma of Education constitutes a recognised qualification for teaching in Australian secondary schools.

What kinds of jobs are previous graduates from this course doing?

Quite a few now hold teaching positions in teaching institutions in Australia, Japan or elsewhere in the world. However, we should point out that the employment situation in Australia universities is generally not good now and, increasingly, new applicants for tertiary positions need a PhD. Have a look at the Comments from Students for more details. Other graduates have taken a Graduate Diploma of Education after the Master degree and are now teaching at the Secondary Level. Teaching is not the only position held by our graduates who, in fact, are employed in a variety of occupations.

Can I exit the course at any point?

Students may exit the Master's program after successful completion of 24 points with a Graduate Certificate of Arts. Students may also exit after successful completion of 48 points with a Graduate Diploma.

Can I transfer to a research stream?

Those students who achieve a distinction in the core unit and an average of distinction overall and who include the Research Methodology and Research Project totaling 24 points could transfer to the research stream after completing 48 points and undertake two further coursework subjects and a 66% research thesis.

Alternatively, the research project can be taken as one of the two coursework units in the Master of Arts in Applied Japanese Linguistics by Research and Coursework. In this case, applicants without previous research experience who have a postgraduate degree such as a 4th -year level graduate diploma or a masters by coursework with grades of distinction or above in at least three quarters of the subjects may be admitted to a 66 per cent research degree, and as part of the required 24 points of coursework units enrol for a 12-point supervised research project.

The research could be completed on-campus or externally.

What do I need to be eligible for a PhD program?

Completion of the Master course, including a research methodology subject and a research project at the level of distinction would result in a student being eligible to apply for entry to the PhD program, which could be completed on-campus or externally. However, it is more common for students to complete 48 points of coursework, then switch to the Master of Arts in Applied Japanese by Research and Coursework (i.e. 66% research and 24 points of coursework)

What do I do if I wish to apply for Austudy?

Students wishing to apply for Austudy may, at the discretion of the School, enroll initially in the Graduate Diploma and, if they achieve an overall credit average, be permitted to upgrade to the Master's course.

14. Comments from Students

Here are comments from some of our postgraduate students:

Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou

Ph.D. (current)

I began my doctorate candidature in 2007 after completing a BA Languages (Honours) at Monash University, majoring in Japanese and Linguistics. I now work part time at Monash, and have taught Japanese level 1-2 and Japanese applied linguistics, and am a full-time PhD student.

I first came to Monash as an undergraduate after completing a year-long exchange in Japan. Monash offered the opportunity to continue my language study at a level that was appropriate, and with a variety of interesting and engaging complementary studies subjects. I became interested in pursuing research after I had the chance to complete a number of small sociolinguistic research projects that sparked my interest in investigating language in use.

Throughout my undergraduate study at Monash, I kept in contact with friends in Japan using computer-mediated communication (CMC) such as chat and email. So when it came to choosing a topic for my honours thesis, it was only natural that I investigate how other students like myself were maintaining or developing links with native speakers of Japanese, using information communication technologies such as chat outside the classroom. Furthermore, I wanted to know what effect this communication had on their language acquisition.

The support I received in completing this project was fantastic, both in terms of my supervision from the Japanese and Linguistics departments, and the coursework subjects I undertook that prepared me for independent research. I found the small group discussion format of “Research Methodology in Applied Linguistics” both challenging and rewarding, as it made me articulate my own ideas as well as consider those of others. Each week, stimulating questions were provided that helped to focus and guide my reading and thinking. Thanks to this subject, I also read more widely that I would have for my own research, and gained familiarity with a greater number of theoretical frameworks and methods than I would have otherwise.

I completed my honours thesis “Intercultural Internet chat between learners of Japanese and English in informal contexts“ in 2006. However, during the course of researching learners’ use of chat, I found myself asking more questions related to learners’ use of other types of communication technologies. Most participants were engaging in more than one conversation or interaction at any given time, and I wanted to explore this bigger picture of learners’ Internet communication, beyond the chat window.

Over the past couple of years, I have enjoyed interviewing learners of Japanese and hearing their stories of language use online, as well as collecting a corpus of their communication with native speakers of Japanese. Students are engaging in highly sophisticated forms of language management on the Internet, managing not only different languages but different registers within languages, and coping with the challenges of communicating via a new medium. The range of activities that learners use their second or subsequent language in is phenomenal – downloading, chatting with friends, online shopping, emailing colleagues, posting blogs, and even coordinating team battles in online games. I believe it is important that teachers and researchers have a better understanding of learners’ out-of-classroom online practices, so that we can better assess their needs, and the effect of CMC on language acquisition.

Since beginning my PhD research at Monash, I have had a number of opportunities to attend conferences, in Melbourne, interstate, and even overseas, generously supported by a Monash postgraduate travel grant. Participating in panels and group research with other Monash staff and students has also been very rewarding. I was also able to undertake a short period of fieldwork in Japan where I could meet some of the Japanese contacts of my Australian participants, and get a better idea of the current technological gap between Japan and Australia.

Although undertaking such a large and lengthy project has seemed daunting at times, I have been consistently impressed with the great range and scope of seminars, workshops and other support provided for postgraduates at Monash. The supervision I have received has been encouraging and constructively critical in the right doses. Of course, the most rewarding experience for me so far has been talking to students who wanted their voices to be heard by researchers and teachers. As one learner commented at the end of an interview, “It’s been really fun doing this, I always wanted someone to talk to about this stuff”.

Yuko Masuda

Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics

I commenced my study at Monash University in semester one, 2004.  I chose to study Applied Japanese Linguistics at Monash because the subjects offered by the program seemed interesting to me.  The fact that Monash has a large number of students studying Japanese was another important incentive for me to apply to that university since I believed it would provide me with the opportunity to gain insights into Japanese language education in Australia.

My first year, particularly the first semester, was a challenging one but it certainly constituted an important basis for my academic life at Monash.  Although I had expected that the workload would be much heavier than that I had experienced as an undergraduate student at a Japanese university, undertaking all the tasks in my second language, English, required enormous effort.  However, the weekly reading assignments and the essays regularly assigned in the subjects provided me with a significant foundation for further continuing my study in the following semesters at Monash.  The subjects that I took in my coursework component were all carefully organised by the teachers, and the variety of topics discussed in them enabled me to identify a special topic of interest, which consequently became the topic that I explored in the research component of my MA studies.  In particular, I appreciated the opportunity that allowed me to become familiar with various issues regarding language contact situations, which accordingly led me to investigate such contexts in my MA research.

Although it was the first time for me to conduct research and write a thesis in English, the program supported me in various ways.  At each stage of my research, such as   the literature review, data collection and analysis, I realised that all what I learned in my first year was useful.  The supervision I received was an excellent experience for me, owing to the enthusiastic staff who constantly encouraged me throughout the duration of my research work. The program also allowed me to receive insightful feedback from the other teaching staff and colleagues in seminars where I was given an opportunity to present my research.  Such an interactive academic environment was truly an important one, particularly for a novice researcher like me.

In my MA research, I explored the interaction between the Japanese-English language exchange partners which occur in the bilingual context where Australian students practise their Japanese with their Japanese partners who, in contrast, want to improve their English.  In particular, I examined the language use and selection between participants, and the language assistance provided in such partnerships.  I was able to identify the benefits gained through language exchange interactions as well as implications for institutions to cater for the needs of both local and overseas students, who seek opportunities to practise their foreign/second languages.  Personally, the fact that more students are now involved in the language exchange program at Monash encourages me to further explore the possibilities of this type of out-of-class language use opportunity in relation to language learning.

Currently I am teaching Japanese to overseas students at Sophia University in Tokyo.  I was fortunate to have been given a chance to teach Japanese at Monash while I was studying for my Masters.  Needless to say, the teaching experience at Monash, which has been a pioneer in Japanese language education in Australia, became an important basis for my teaching career.  My own experience of studying abroad also helps me when I deal with overseas students studying in Japan.  Viewing my MA research from an applied perspective, I would like to seek ways to help learners to have more opportunities to use Japanese outside the classroom.

I must say that I gained more than I had expected throughout my two and a half years at Monash.  The experience I had at Monash enabled my academic growth and provided me with an excellent step for my current career.  I believe that the program is highly recommended for those wishing to study Applied Japanese Linguistics in a supportive environment.

Takako Anazawa

Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics

I commenced the coursework MA in Applied Japanese Linguistics in 2004 and in my final semester (2005) undertook a research project of my choice. My topic was “Motivation in studying Japanese as a foreign language”. In this project I investigated the changes in learner motivation for studying Japanese at an Australian university over the period of one year.

It is widely believed that motivation is linked to second language learning success. Change in motivation is an important issue because learner motivation is variable during second/foreign language learning. Various studies have shown the complexity of motivational factors, and many frameworks have been introduced by researchers. Recent studies indicate that motivation is not so simple. Some researchers emphasize the dynamic nature of motivation. Ushioda (1996) stresses motivational flux rather than stability, especially in the context of institutionalized learning. Dornyei (2001a) explains that motivation consists of several distinct phases: first, motivation is generated; second, the motivation needs to be maintained; and at the final stage, the motivation is evaluated. Although the need for more process-oriented motivational research has been emphasized, little research has been initiated in this area.

In my study, the changes in students' motivation for studying Japanese as a foreign language in an Australian university context are investigated using a qualitative approach and focusing particularly on individual differences. This study addresses two questions to examine the linkage noted above:

The data was analyzed using the concept of motivation of Dornyei (2001a, b), and Dornyei and Otto's (1998) process model of student motivation. Student background and motivational influences were various; furthermore, their perceptions through the course were not identical. Student retrospection regarding their own motivational changes were collected by oral interview. It is found that the relation between expectation and outcome strongly influences motivation. For higher outcomes, Japanese acquaintanceships and study materials played an important role. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation such as the pleasure of learning Japanese or a positive attitude toward Japanese had a strong impact on the learner's decision whether or not to continue study. Intrinsic influences were also related to the degree of effort, and these two in turn influenced the degree of motivational change. This research demonstrated the importance of each learner's unique development toward his or her study: what was important differed with the individual.

Rintaro Imafuku

Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics/Master of Arts by Research and Coursework

I enrolled in MA of Applied Japanese Linguistics by coursework in 2004. After I completed the first two semesters, I transferred to MA of Arts by research and coursework (66% research) in 2005. What I am currently doing is research on classroom discourse in medical education. It is challenging for me, but is also very interesting and exciting at the same time. At first I undertook a one semester project and now I am continuing the topic in my one-year MA thesis.

The Applied Japanese Linguistics provides a superb educational curriculum. For example, I could learn basic concepts relating to second language acquisition and also about course design for teaching Japanese and teaching methods in the Learning and Teaching Asian Languages class (now called Teaching and Learning Japanese). The Research Methodology class enabled me to understand the important points concerning the design of research, such as searching for previous research studies, the methodology for collecting data and how to analyze data based on a conceptual framework. On the basis of knowledge which I learned in the Research Methodology class, the Applied Japanese Linguistics course allowed me to undertake a research project. This project has provided me with an amazing experience, because I was given the opportunity to design my research, collect data and analyze the data myself. However, I appreciated my supervisor and colleagues who support my research. I've enjoyed all classes which I have taken in the Applied Japanese Linguistics course.

Studying in a different environment may encompass some academic difficulties, such as writing an academic paper, reading a large number of articles and expressing my opinion in English in a discussion situation. Even now, I am still struggling with these academic difficulties. Nevertheless, I have been happy to study in Monash, because Monash has provided me with an excellent academic experience and the opportunity to meet the expert teaching staff in Applied Japanese Linguistics course as well as supportive friends. I believe that my experience here will be useful for my future career.

Sachiko Yasuda

Master of Arts by research and coursework

I completed my degree in Applied Japanese Linguistics in 2003, and I'm currently teaching in the TESOL program of Waseda University in Japan . Thinking back to the days when I started studying in the new academic environment which was different in many respects from the way I had studied in my home country, I confronted various kinds of problems, such as participation in discussion, writing academic papers, reading disciplinary texts and doing presentations. Most of these activities were totally new to me and thus at the initial stage I struggled with dealing with assigned academic tasks. The insightful and thorough support of teachers, however, helped me greatly so that I gradually came to realise how to manage. I gained knowledge of theories of language learning and teaching as well as advanced skills in conducting research, which was what I had aimed to achieve in order to be a skilled researcher. I attribute what I am to everything I experienced at Monash and everything I learned from teachers at Monash.

The Applied Japanese Linguistics course provides an excellent curriculum for prospective researchers who specialise not only in Japanese but other language areas, such as TESOL. The Research Methodology class that I took up in the first year helped me to create a firm basis for conducting research. I realised through this class how very little I knew about research methodology, despite the fact that I had completed a Masters thesis at a Japanese university before going to Monash. The lecturer who was in charge of the methodology class and who also supervised my thesis, taught me important procedures relating to research papers, for example, how to write a literature review and a research proposal, how to collect data, and how to analyse data on the basis of a theoretical framework. Following these procedures in a consistent way, I planned a research project, undertook a review of previous literature, completed the fieldwork, analysed the data and wrote up my thesis. I also had a paper accepted on this research topic for publication in an international journal. Not only completing my MA thesis but also achieving a publication was an amazing experience for me, given that one year earlier, I had been a total novice researcher.

Another distinctive feature of the Applied Japanese Linguistics course is that there are numerous opportunities for students to lead a seminar on their own research. During the process of my thesis completion, I had many chances to speak about my own research. Every time I carried out the presentation, the audience, including not only students but teachers or experts provided me with valuable comments, and also gave me important points that I had not noticed on my own. All this helped me to complete and expand my research in greater depth. A number of seminars I experienced at Monash also helped me to make a good presentation and it gave me practice in speaking in front of an audience. I appreciated those opportunities for familiarizing myself with public speaking and for getting myself to look at my own research from an objective point of view through crucial feedback from the audience.

My research interest focuses upon overseas students' learning strategies in their new academic community, in particular, their ESL academic writing processes. My current job at Waseda University is, fortunately, where I could utilise all the academic experiences I had at Monash to the full. The School of International Liberal Studies (an undergraduate program that is taught in English) where I am now working features a curriculum which prepares Japanese students to go overseas by improving their proficiency in language as well as by recognising diversity throughout the world. I always get a great sense of satisfaction from helping students who are preparing for studying abroad in the same way as I myself did a few years ago. As my research focus is ESL writing, I am mainly in charge of helping the students with their academic writing. There exists a writing centre in the School, which is actually the first university-affiliated institution at a Japanese university. This writing centre exists to assist students with their academic writing across the disciplines, as most of them have had very limited previous experience of academic writing in English. In addition to the tutorials that comprise the bulk of the work, the writing centre strives to share expertise and ideas with faculty staff who are interested in teaching writing and designing writing assignments. With my experience at Monash, I am committed to contributing to the development of the writing centre in conjunction with other staff, and I would like to continually pursue ways of improving my teaching skills as well as expanding my own research.

As I mentioned above, the Applied Japanese Linguistics course offers a superb and excellent education. It is an extremely useful course, especially for those who would like to learn fundamental research methodology and to become a skilled researcher. I believe that future participants' choice of Monash Applied Japanese Linguistics course would be a good decision for their long-term career goal and that their experiences at Monash will lead them to the next step.

Tomiko Kato

Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics

I chose Monash University because Japanese Language education was flourishing in Australia more than anywhere else in the world, and many people had told me that Monash University was the best place in Australia to study the Japanese applied Japanese linguistics.

Post-graduate study was very hard indeed. Sometimes I can't even express my own thoughts very well in writing in Japanese, my mother tongue, so academic writing in English took an enormous amount of time. I often thought that I would crack under the stress.

Nevertheless, the classes at Monash were as outstanding as they were reputed to be. The teachers also guided me very courteously. I will treasure the knowledge I gained at Monash all my life.

At present I am teaching at National University of Singapore. I was already teaching Japanese in Singapore , but having completed a Master's at Monash I have gained confidence, and felt able to do more. I hope that the number of students studying at Monash University continues to increase, and that these graduates spread their wings throughout the world.

Helen Tse

Master of Applied Japanese Linguistics

In 1998, with a feeling of nervousness and uneasy about the new challenge, I arrived at Moansh and enrolled as an international student. The student life at Moansh turned out to be the most unforgettable time in my life.

In three years time, I completed a Graduate Diploma in Japanese Studies and a Master Degree in Japanese Linguistic. During that time, I had experienced various things and most of them were new for me. My first essay assignment brought me a grade E and made me felt frustration. With the help of “academic writing seminars”, I learned how to write up standard academic essay. It is a course that I would recommend for those who do not have any experiences in essay writing. The encouragement of lecturers and tutors granted me the confidence to spoke out in front of people. It was not doubt that the most frightened day was the day I gave my first presentation in my life. I did not remember how I overcame my anxious and my shaking voices. All I knew was after I did the first presentation; I became more confident in doing the second one, the third one and so on. The most precious to me is the relationship with my supervisor Helen Marriott. I have full support from her when I doing my dissertation. In our Chinese, we are “as master as friend”.

At present, I am making use of my Japanese Language and my understanding of Japanese culture, helping my father doing business with Japanese company. However, I know well that one day, I will return to Monash and do my PhD degree.

Satoko Thomas

MA (Applied Japanese Linguistics)

My name is Satoko Thomas. I completed the Graduate Diploma course in 1999 and then studied for MA in Applied Japanese Linguistics, part-time.

It was back in 1985 when I obtained a Diploma in Education at Melbourne University and started teaching Japanese at Methodist Ladies' College. I will be leaving the present part-time employment at Mentone Girls' Grammar School in 2000 and will start teaching full-time at Salesian College in 2001. Teaching Japanese has been my major interest as well as my occupation.

I have always wanted to go back to study at the postgraduate level, but was not sure whether I would be able to cope with the linguistic level required for the course. So I was thrilled when I finally enrolled myself at Monash University for the postgraduate course in Applied Japanese Linguistics and received my first grade of HD in 1998, and, in addition, received a scholarship from the Melbourne Centre of Japanese Language Education for Semester 1, 2000.

The first subject I studied was 'Introduction to Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language', taught by Robyn Spence-Brown. I chose this subject because I thought, at the time, that it would be the least demanding subject, but on the contrary, it turned out to be very challenging in every respect. I realized how very little I knew about teaching Japanese and learned far more than I ever expected. This was also my first experience taking an essay-type examination, writing a literature review and a research proposal, and familiarising myself with all the complex terminology necessary for teaching and learning a language.

My second subject was 'Japanese Discourse Acquisition' taught by Yukiko Hatasa, in which we studied a large range of work by many researchers both in Australia and other countries. It demanded highly cognitive exercises and trained me to work systematically and independently. The skills that I gained in the first subject assisted me a great deal in managing the requirements.

The third subject, 'Research Design in Applied Linguistics' was also very challenging, as it was offered in the linguistic department and the lecturers assumed that we possessed some knowledge of English dialects. I struggled through with a bit of frustration but appreciated the outcome after much hard work. The lecturers and students were friendly.

I enjoyed my fourth subject, 'Australia-Japan Cultural Interaction' taught by Helen Marriott. It is the area I am most interested in, particularly the areas of Australian students' cultural and linguistic experiences in Japan and non-English speakers' experiences in Australia. The highlight was writing an essay on secondary school student exchanges. I also liked the opportunity of presenting it to the class.

The first subject at the MA level was 'Research Seminar in Applied Japanese linguistics', also taught by Helen Marriott. By this stage I was feeling more at ease with studying at the postgraduate level at an Australian University. Whilst going through all the required elements of study, I appreciated the opportunity of being able to choose a topic of individual interest for the assignments. I have learned in depth and in detail about various factors that contribute to successful language learning outcomes as well as increased my knowledge of issues relating to validity and reliability in research. Participating in the class discussion and listening to others' opinions were also very beneficial to me.

My latest subject was 'Advanced Studies in Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language', taught by Kyoko Ogawa. It was a refreshing experience as it was conducted in Japanese and I was able to relate to the subject matter, sometimes from a native speaker's point of view. Discussion often focused on actual issues and problems occurring in real teaching situations. We also wrote assignments that were directly applicable to our individual circumstances. I chose aspects of the new VCE Japanese for my assignments, which was very useful to my present teaching situation.

Sometimes I felt that in actual school teaching situations, no matter how carefully and thoroughly you investigate the case, or how hard you try to express your opinions either in speech or in writing, they might not be heard. However, as a student at the university, the amount of effort you put into your work is acknowledged accordingly, and opinions are listened to, if not agreed upon. This experience is truly rewarding and motivating, both in a professional and personal sense. I believe that in the long-term, and in schools where educational issues are more important than political or business issues, our knowledge and skills as educators will be valued.

It has been a wonderful experience getting to know people and studying at the postgraduate level. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff who have been encouraging and helpful, and students who have been friendly and supportive. Let's keep studying - it's a way to keep ourselves receptive and independent.

Sanae Enomoto

MA in Applied Japanese Linguistics, currently teaching in a university in the USA

I cannot believe that it was almost ten years ago when I was a postgraduate student of the Department of Japanese Studies. During that time, I also taught Japanese language on a part-time basis within the Department. Thanks to the academic training and professional experience which I experienced at Monash, I was able to build a solid foundation for my career as a teacher and as a researcher. I also met so many interesting people and made treasured friends at Monash.

Looking back now, I enjoyed my experience at Monash because it is one of the few universities which offer a variety of interesting Japanese language and studies programs and I am so glad that I chose that university.

Itsuko Tanaka

MA in Applied Japanese Linguistics

I acquired a Masters degree at Monash University in Applied Japanese Linguistics from the Department of Japanese Studies in 1998, supported by a Rotary International Scholarship. Currently, I am a coordinator in Japanese language at Sakhalin State University of Economics and Oriental Studies in Russia under a Japanese government program. Previously I taught Japanese for two years at the University of Technology, Malaysia, as an appointee of the Japan Foundation.

It has been only three years since I graduated from Monash but I have achieved what I had aimed to do: teach Japanese at the tertiary level. I chose Monash University for a Masters degree because Monash is well known for its Japanese department and I thought Monash offered an excellent education from supportive teachers, which helped me greatly to pursue my dream. Now I know I made the right decision. After I graduated from Monash, I was able to start a promising career as a Japanese teacher.

In my first year at Monash, I studied various topics related to Japanese grammar, teaching methodologies, academic writing skills and curriculum planning. The first year was a preliminary period for me to search for topics for the research paper which we were able to write in the second year. Two years flew so quickly and I recall that every day was a struggle. I had to read so many books in preparation for writing essays and delivering research papers. As I am not a native speaker of English, I had to make an extra effort to study to meet the Australian students' level. For instance, my reading speed is much slower than Australian students, so I had to read all the time, even while I was having meals. I also frequently attended academic writing seminars offered by the Language Learning Service. These seminars helped me greatly as I knew nothing about academic English at the beginning.

In the second year, I wrote a research paper on teachers' code-switching in Japanese classes. It required much time and effort, however, I greatly enjoyed this work under the exhaustive support of my supervisor who specialized in sociolinguistics.

I highly recommend enrolling in Monash University. Monash offers a superb education and I am sure that the experience at Monash will bring a bright future. Lastly, I would like to thank my teachers and friends at Monash University for the fulfilling experience I had there.

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