Guidelines for Working with Japanese Interns

An increasing number of primary, intermediate, secondary and area schools in New Zealand are making use of a Japanese intern to assist with the learning and teaching of Japanese, as well as to familiarise pupils with the culture and conventions of Japan.

These interns are secured via a range of agencies. They are young people, usually in their early 20's, who wish to improve their English and experience the way-of-life in another country.
With the introduction of Japanese language into the curriculum in an increasing number of primary and intermediate schools, some schools see the intern as the natural teacher of this subject. The extent to which the intern is used in this capacity raises a number of issues.

In recognition of these issues, the Management Committee commissioned the writing of a booklet to offer guidelines to schools in the best use of their Japanese intern's time consistent with established professional practice and current regulations. It is acknowledged that while hosting an intern can be extremely beneficial to a school, it can also be a lot of hard work. This booklet seeks to offer ways to maximise the benefits and keep the work manageable.

These guidelines are intended for all schools: primary, intermediate and secondary. They have been prepared both for classroom teachers of Japanese and senior management in the schools. The guidelines include a section of practical classroom activities.

Adele Scott, Senior Lecturer at Massey University College of Education, has written the material. Adele has many years experience in teaching Japanese at secondary schools. She consulted widely both in New Zealand and Australia in putting the booklet together.

The term intern is used throughout these guidelines to refer to any Japanese native speaker helper in the classroom. In many cases the intern is an unpaid volunteer who is untrained and unqualified to teach Japanese. Some schools employ a native speaker assistant under a subsidised scheme. Many of the points mentioned in these guidelines are also relevant for schools employing paid assistants.

Booklets have been provided free of charge to all schools known to be teaching Japanese. Contact Naomi Collins for further information or here to download a copy of the booklet on guidelines for Japanese Interns.

UPDATE: Over the course of 2005, these guidelines will be updated. When the update has been completed, a notice will be posted via NZJNET.