This is a paper presentation about a study on CPD of non-native speaking Japanese language teachers in Malaysia.

1. CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINED
JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHERS
-A GLIMPSE INTO THE “REALITY”
BEYOND TRAINING
Presenter : ANG CHOOI KEAN
Organization : INSTITUTE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES CAMPUS

2. CONTENT OVERVIEW (1)
• Background Overview:
1 Teacher Training Programme in LEP
• Background Information:
2 The Context of the Study
• During Training:
3 CPD Activities Experiences

3. CONTENT OVERVIEW(2)
• Beyond Training CPD:
4 The Study
5 • Findings & Challenges
• Implication &
6 Considerations

4. BACKGROUND OVERVIEW
Development of the Japanese language teacher training
programme under the Look East Policy (LEP).
Japanese Language Education in Malaysian Secondary Schools
Established in 1984 6 prime fully RS schools
Japanese Language Teacher Training Programme under the LEP
Started in 1990 10 in-service teachers
Localization of Japanese Language Education in Secondary Schools
Beginning 2001 100% local teachers

5. BACKGROUND OVERVIEW
Outcome of the Japanese language teacher training programme
under the Look East Policy (LEP).
Ministry of Education’s internationalization programme
Implemented in 2005 JLE in 14 Day schools
Local Japanese language teacher training programme
at International Languages Teacher Training Institute
Started in 2005 12 in-service teachers
Rapid Expansion of Japanese Language Education
in Secondary Schools
June 2012 52 RS & 68 DS

6. The Context
INSTITUTE OF TEACHER EDUCATION
INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES CAMPUS

7. JLT In-service Training Programme
• The Structure
• The Content
• Issues &
Challenges

8. The
Structure

9. PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
12-Week One Year “Teaching One Year Newly
Preparatory Japanese as a Qualified JLT
Course Foreign Language” Internship
Course Programme
• Basic Japanese • Intermediate • Remedial &
• Cultural Japanese Reinforcement of
Japanese
Experience • JL Methodology
• Action Research
• Cross-cultural
Communication • CPD Support
• Practical Experiences

10. The
Content

11. Stage/Course Duration Course Objectives Curriculum
Basic Japanese Japanese Language
Japanese language 300 hours ¡
12 weeks
Proficiency Test, JLPT Level 3-4 ¡ Textbook used Minna no Nihongo
¢
Preparatory Course (September-
and Japanese traditional cultural
£Chapter 1-40 ¤
November)
experiences Cultural experiential learning sessions
Japanese language 540 hours ¡
¢
Textbooks used Minna no Nihongo
(Chapter 41-50), Shuuchuu Torenningu Nihongo etc.
First-half of Intermediate Japanese Japanese language Methodology & Assessment
1 year
JLPT3 Below level 2- Above Level
165 hours ¡
TJFL Course January-
3 and Elementary Japanese teaching
¡ Practicum (4 weeks)
December¡
¡ methodology as well as integration of Cultural experiential learning sessions
cross-cultural understanding. Cross-cultural understanding & communication
30 hours)
Second Language Acquisition (30 hours)
Japanese language Study 30 hours ¡
Upgrading of Japanese language
1 year
January-
proficiency Language Enrichment Component
Internship Enhancing of Self-autonomous and Professional Development Component
December¡ learning & problem-solving Action Research planning & implementation
practitioner’s skills
NOTE: Cohort 1-5
Syllabus Review in 2011 (Cohort 6&7)

12. CPD related
Learning
Experience

13. Toward Self-directed CPD Sharing
Community
Collaborative
Action
PD Activities Experienced
Skills/Sharing
Research of Practices
Portfolio
Development Problem Solving
Skills
Journal
Writing Self-Monitoring
Skills
Training Programme Duration
Reflective Skills

15. WHAT IS
CPD?
WHY CPD?

16. Beyond
Training:
A Glimpse into
The “Reality”

17. The
Study
TARGET GROUP: 41 LOCAL TRAINED TEACHERS
RESPONDENTS: 16 TEACHERS (RS & DS)

18. The Findings

19. Rate the following activities during the training programme according to their benefits or usefulness in training
you as a Japanese language (JL) teacher.
Not so Extremely
Not beneficial at all Beneficial/Useful Mean
beneficial/useful beneficial/useful
Reflective writing (as in
journal, reflection 0.0% (0) 6.3% (1) 68.8% (11) 25.0% (4) 3.19
reports etc.)
Action Research Input 0.0% (0) 6.7% (1) 40.0% (6) 53.3% (8) 3.47
Action Research
Presentation (Seminar 0.0% (0) 7.1% (1) 64.3% (9) 28.6% (4) 3.21
Participation)
Portfolio Development 0.0% (0) 14.3% (2) 50.0% (7) 35.7% (5) 3.21
Yahoo Group (Sharing
0.0% (0) 28.6% (4) 42.9% (6) 28.6% (4) 3.00
Community)
Other (please specify)
Others:
Knowledge of culture
Japanese Cultural Exposure - Very useful
visit to those school have japanese language and hot potato are good

20. Samples of reasons given about the activities being important
and applicable in their professional development as teachers
Certainly because the activities guide us and give
us ideas to be used in the new situation as a JL
teacher
self-
Most of the activities (reflective writing/ journal, portfolio) are for my own self-
learning. I learn to correct and improve myself through them. They are really
handy teaching references at most of the times.

21. The training really helped me in being a
better teacher - a more reflective and
aware person. I came to know various ways
for me to improve myself & my teaching
skill - especially through the action
research.
<S2: In service/5 years; JLT/1 year; DS>
Reflective writing and action research
experience is a great learning experience
that have helped me personally to become
a better teacher today
<S3: In service:/10 years; JLT/4 years; DS>

22. CPD
Challenges

23. • Only 66.7% of the respondents claimed that
they are committed in promoting their CPD.
• 50% of the respondents admitted that they
did not write any reflection specifically.
• 37.5% did not carry out any sort of action
research at all.
• 35.7% did not update their professional
portfolios.

24. Areas of challenges identified:
• Time
• Support
• Self-discipline/self-
motivation

25. Reflection writing has been scarce due to
overloaded work in school. Only one action
research had been carried out, but it had to be
done during non-school hours, which not only tire
out the pupils, but the teacher as well. Yahoo
group does not seem to work as everyone is too
busy to share, and portfolio development has been
discontinued.
<S15: In service/5years ; JLT/2 years; RS>

26. a) Write reflection after every class
b) 2 years in these school do 1 simple action
research to know the motivation level of my
student , but no time to complete it.
c) Don’t have facilities (laptop, internet) to go in
yahoo group before this. After having facilities,
ask my friend to invite me to join the group but
nobody really help, all say don’t know.
(Lack of skill to use). This group only benefit
those who good in using computer.
d) Throughout the year, have some web
searching and add some new handouts but only
tidy up the file end of the year.
<S5: In service/11 years; JLT/5 years; DS>

27. The activities are important
in ensuring my career as JLT
is something that is not static
but developing. But to apply
those activities in my career
life demands time and
energy. Other work burdens
pose a hindrance.
<S3: In service/10 years ;
JLT/5 years; RS>

28. The
Implication

29. IMPORTANCE
• Self-awareness –JL teachers should develop self-
awareness in regard to the importance of their
own continuing professional development (CPD)
as Japanese language teachers.
• Sharing Practices - Teachers should be willing to
share teaching-learning resources or any other
related materials in helping each other.
• Support System – The teachers should be
encouraged and “urged” once in a while:
“Conducive environment”

30. Writing reflections is important, it should be done at least after every
lesson. I truly understand that, but I still have not made it a habit.
Action research is also very important, reading findings of others
helps a teacher improve, better understand, able to see from other
angles and aspects her students or her lessons. I know it is
professionally important and I do like to read about it, but again, I do
not make it a habit when I know I should. Using yahoo group or other
online means is a truly useful way to share with other teachers.
Unfortunately, so far, what I did was only getting ideas from others
through websites via the internet. My only contribution through online
means is mostly with friends within cohort 1 and 2, and mostly about
sharing ideas for exam questions. Updating portfolio too is
undoubtedly crucially important. I usually make a mental-note to file
up my creation and work of classroom activities handouts and exam
question papers. Sadly, as I embarrassedly have to admit, it never pass
that phase 'mental-note'.
For people like me, 'time and opportunity' perhaps have to be forced
upon.
<S14: In service/11 years ; JLT/3 years; RS>

31. PROPOSED ACTIONS
SELF- • Professional
REGULATION Learning • Ongoing & Continuous
Plans Learning
NETWORKING • Local
• Oversea • Sharing of Practices
LEARNING • Personal
• Support System
growth
COMMUNITY • Professional
development

32. CONCLUSION

33. LIFELONG LEARNING
• CPD Practice towards
Lifelong Learning

34. FUTURE RESEARCHES
• CPD of Senior Teachers of JL trained under
LEP
• Motivation among JL Teachers
• Changing of Mindsets: Ways to “LEARN”,
“UNLEARN” & “RELEARN”

35. CURRENT RESEARCH: Self Directed CPD
An initiative: JL Professional Community
• Burdenless commitment
– Technological as well as personal
• Realistic goals & expectation
– Mastery is not achieved overnight
– CPD is a journey not a destination
• Progressive growth & development
– Extrinsic & Intrinsic motivation & Comradeship
– Values in learning & sharing community

36. A POINT TO PONDER ON…
“Who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”
–John Cotton Dana

37. Acknowledgement
• 16 respondents of the study
(Cohort 1 -4)
• JFKL namely, the former directors, HODs &
lecturer advisors
• Respective Divisions in MOE (BPG, BPK, BPSH,
BPSBPSK)
• Dr Mohd Sofi bin Ali (Former Director of IPBA)
• Fellow colleagues/comrades in schools
• Former native speaker colleagues
• Former students & fellow colleagues of IPBA/IPG
KBA

38. QUESTIONS?

39. THANK YOU
E-mail:
ackean05@gmail.com