International Joint Class with University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Held
October 21, 2015
TUFS has conducted a Joint Education Program in cooperation with partner universities abroad. This education program includes international joint classes, and other educational experiences.
As part of the program, from Sept. 4th to 9th, the 5th Japan-Germany Tandem Training Camp was carried out at Kusatsu Seminar House, a cooperative shared facility for national universities.
In this camp, TUFS German major students and Japanese major students of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) learned their major languages and cultures in tandem. This year, 27 TUFS students and 22 FAU students took part.
In the tandem training, the major activity of this camp, students interviewed their tandem partner, asking about a certain topic and inciting information and ideas. While listening to a partner student, the interviewer student took notes and wrote an essay in their language of study. After writing an essay, students corrected each other’s essays, then exchanged opinions, polished their essays, and read them aloud as pronunciation practice. Four training sessions took place and each session lasted three hours.
In addition to the tandem training, students also conducted research on onsen (Japanese hot spring) and performed short plays in Japanese and German. Spending six days with German student of the same generation, and through the tandem training and group activities, TUFS students formed friendships with them.
In addition, by helping the FAU students with learning Japanese and answering questions about Japan and its culture, TUFS students deepened their understanding of their own culture and language. In addition, “Japanese Language Training for Erlangen University”, which was designed for 17 FAU students, took place from September 10th to 18th, at the National Olympics Memorial Youth Center (Yoyogi, Tokyo).
As part of a summer class, “”TUFS graduate students arranged this language training from the ground up, including designing the curriculum, making teaching materials, and conducting classes.
