Purpose

The purpose of the Summer Semester in Japan is to provide UWF students the opportunity to study the Japanese language and culture and a related academic discipline in the Japanese environment. The program seeks to provide a multifaceted international educational experience which will help American students better understand the Japanese people and their culture.

Award

Each student selected to participate in the Semester in Japan program will receive a scholarship covering round-trip airfare, housing, two meals per day, and certain cultural excursions. Students will be responsible for tuition, entertainment and other personal expenses. Because of the high cost of living in Japan, students are advised to budget at least $2000 for personal expenses.

Location

The program will be hosted by Fukuoka Communication Arts College, a member of the Jikei Technical College Group of Japan. Fukuoka in located on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands.

Eligibility

Degree-seeking students currently enrolled at UWF with a 3.0 GPA or higher are eligible. Preference will be given to upper level undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) with at least 1 semester of Japanese language background. Other eligible students, including graduate students, with no Japanese language background but with an interest in Japanese language and culture are encouraged to apply.

Curriculum

Students will be required to register for 9 semester hours of UWF credit distributed as follows:

3 s.h. Japanese Language
6 s.h two courses to be announced after selection of the instructor
In addition to formal classes, students will participate in course related field trips and local cultural events.
Students will also have the opportunity to interact with Japanese students and may have short homestays with Japanese families. For more information, please contact:

The Japan Center
11000 University Parkway
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL 32514
japan@uwf.edu

The Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET Program)

The JET Program invites young university graduates from overseas to participate in international exchange and foreign language education throughout Japan. Established in 1987, with 848 participants from four countries, the program has expanded to include 39 (Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK the USA and Yugoslavia). For the 2000-2001 year, the number of participants rose to a total of 6,078. The JET Program has earned a high reputation both in Japan and overseas for its efforts in human and cultural relations. Since 1987, over 25,000 people have broadened their awareness and helped foster international understanding through their participation on this program. For more information:

Office of the JET Program
2520 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
1-800-INFO-JET (1-800-463-6538)
www.mofa.go.jp/j_info/visit/jet/index.html

EXCHANGE: JAPAN

Since its modest beginning in 1979 as a two-week work exchange and homestay program, EXCHANGE: JAPAN has instituted international exchange and language training on a grassroots basis for thousands of people from around the world. In 1986 the Language: Japan program was created, and provided hundreds of participants with language training and a summer-long homestay in Japan, until the program ended in 1995. In 1988 the Educational Exchange Program was created, with support from The Japan Foundation and the Center for Global Partnership, to expand opportunities for Japanese language study on college and university campuses across North America. EXCHANGE: JAPAN has now placed over 400 native Japanese instructors at more than 130 colleges, universities, and high schools for two-year teaching commitments, to develop or continue courses in Japanese in exchange for tuition-free pursuit of an academic degree. Participants receive intensive teacher training in the Teaching Japanese as a Foreign Language program, part of our Teacher Training Institute held every summer at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. This program is also open to current or aspiring teachers of Japanese language. The Teacher Training Institute also offers courses in Japanese language (Japanese Language: Oral Concentration) to college and university students, high school students, and anyone else interested in beginning study of Japanese language or wishing to improve their current Japanese competence. This year’s programs continue EXCHANGE: JAPAN’s rich history of exchange through excellence in Japanese language training.

Exchange:Japan
PO Box 1166
Ann Arbor, MI 48106
(313)665-1820
Fax (313) 665-5229
www.exchangejapan.org/index.html