The Advanced Placement Exam in Japanese Language and Culture SIG supports the advancement of Japanese education through the AP exam and helps teachers to more effectively raise their students’ level of proficiency to a degree that will enable them to succeed on the exam. The AP exam in Japanese Language and Culture was first given in 2007. Results of the exam over the years have indicated that a greater percentage of “standard students” (as opposed to heritage learners) are succeeding in the exam (scoring a 3 or higher). However, the number of test takers suggests that there are many teachers unfamiliar with the exam and/or reluctant to teach an AP course due to the high level of difficulty.

The SIG’s overarching goals include, but will not be limited to:

  • providing support and guidance to those teachers hesitant to teach an AP course;
  • providing a forum for productive articulation between high school and college instructors;
  • providing heritage school teachers within information and resources to facilitate finding test taking locations as well as test taking strategies that will enable heritage learners to display the full extent of their linguistic abilities.

The SIG engages in idea sharing activities amongst AP teachers as well as college-level and heritage-school teachers. Idea sharing can include curriculum building, thematic units, incorporation of sufficient levels of cultural knowledge, and the ability to discuss culture in Japanese, incorporation of authentic materials into classroom instruction, designing AP classes that will enable students to make a smooth transition form high school to college level instruction, the use of formative and summative assessments, technology in the classroom, and other topics of interest and concern to the members.

The SIG is comprised of high school, college level, and heritage school teachers who work together via e-mail, video conferencing, online collaboration, and will have meetings online monthly or in conjunction with AATJ conferences. We will also actively participate in the conferences by presenting papers on curriculum development, thematic-based instruction, incorporation of technology in the classroom, and vertical articulation.

For more information about the SIG, please contact Mieko Avello at avellosensei@gmail.com.