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Summary of Hanabi

Why Use Japanese Sources?
A rationale for including Japanese sources in Australian curriculum.

Hanabi and the English Curriculum
A guide to using Hanabi in the English curriculum and reference to the strands and student outcomes of English-A Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools.

Hanabi and the LOTE (Japanese) Curriculum

Student Activities
Additional teaching and learning activities to use in the classroom.

Japan Web Links
Annotated links to information on the Web from and about Japan.

Annotated Bibliography
An annotated guide to other relevant resources.

Summary of Hanabi
The sources included in Hanabi are all texts from or about modern Japan. Some are by Japanese authors while others are by non-Japanese who have lived and worked in Japan. A variety of text types is included. The book is made up of six sections:

Section	Summary
The haiku of Madoka Mayuzumi	An introduction to the haiku form and a seventeenth century example by 'the master' Matsuo Basho. Examples of Madoka Mayuzumi's modern haiku. An article by Robert Garran about Madoka Mayuzumi's work and the reaction to it in Japan. The article includes a section about Matsuo Basho. Student activities.
The tanka of Machi Tawara	An introduction to the tanka form and a twelfth century example. 'So, Good Luck', a sequence of modern tanka by Machi Tawara. Student activities.
Images of Japan--'A child's world'	A double-page spread of photographic images of Japan, suggesting the world of childhood. Student activities.
Images of Japan--'Doing something different'	A double-page spread of photographic images of Japan, suggesting the world of adolescence and young adulthood. Student activities.
Tatemae and honne	A short piece by Yoshiharu Abe and Leonie Boxtel, focusing on a language issue and raising questions about whether people always say exactly what they mean. Student activities.
Manga	An introduction to manga, the popular Japanese 'comic' form. An extract from Frederik L Schodt's book, Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, exploring the way manga are written and read in Japan. An article by Rosemary Iwamura about the popular girls' manga character, Sailor Moon. Student activities.

Student activities are provided under the following headings:

• Understanding
  Encouraging students to think about what is being said in the texts after a first reading.

• Oral Work and Discussion
  Intended to promote deeper thought and, often, a variety of interpretations of the texts. Suggestions are included for discussions, role plays, oral reports and the like.

• Writing
  Suitable for extended student writing and usually requiring either 'analytical' or 'creative' responses.

• Further Exploration
  Ideas for independent or guided student research, often involving the use of a library or the Internet.

Why Use Japanese Sources?
Teachers of English are accustomed to using texts in translation in the classroom but Japanese texts have rarely featured. This is in part because of a lack of readily available material, particularly appropriate contemporary sources.

The texts included in Hanabi: Sources from Japan for the Secondary English Classroom are a contribution towards remedying this situation. They are contemporary and likely to be of interest to Australian students in years 10 and 11.

But why should Australian students study texts from Japan? There are persuasive reasons:

• Contemporary Japan's vibrant literary and popular cultures produce many texts worthy of study in their own right.
  
• Relationships between Japan and Australia are closer today than ever before. Japan is one of Australia's biggest trading partners -- it is an important market for Australian exports and there are high levels of Japanese tourism and investment in Australia.
  
• Australian students often have limited knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture. In some cases, stereotypes persist about Japanese people. The study of sources from Japan can assist in challenging these stereotypes and promoting greater understanding.
  
• Although there are many differences between Japanese and Australian culture, the two countries have much in common. They are both 'first-world', 'developed' societies in a region of predominantly 'developing' countries. Both are substantial donors of humanitarian and other aid. Both face the problems and challenges of competing internationally in the global economy.

Hanabi and the English Curriculum
Hanabi can either form the nucleus of an English course for a period of time or can be used to provide supplementary material.

In the English classroom, the primary intention can not be to teach 'about' Japan or Japanese culture and, in any case, it would be unrealistic to expect a short book such as this to do so.

At the same time, many Australian students have little understanding of modern Japan and Hanabi provides a contribution to their increased understanding. The texts are modern and encourage comparison with Australian culture. As well, there are specific opportunities for students to consider the influence of language on cultural practice, again inviting comparisons with Australia.

Hanabi provides opportunities for students to achieve a range of outcomes, at Level 6 and above, as specified in English- A Curriculum Profile for Australian Schools:

Teachers are advised to consult their local State or Territory curriculum documents for ways in which student activities may be adapted to locally developed criteria.

Hanabi and the LOTE (Japanese) Curriculum
For students studying Japanese language, the book provides valuable material for cultural studies. Opportunities are also provided for such students to use their Japanese language capabilities, particularly in comparing the translations included with original Japanese texts.

Access Asia | Japan | WWW Links | Bibliography | Hanabi | Student Activities

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