Below are answers to the most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Japanese for Non-native Teachers Summer Institute workshop.

1. Who is eligible for these workshops?
Non-native speaking teachers of Japanese at the K-16 level (both current and future teachers) are eligible for this language maintenance professional development opportunity. This online workshop is not for just non-native speaking Japanese educators in the U.S. but are available to non-native speaking Japanese educators around the world who have the willingness to participate and a computer with an internet connection. For more information, contact Stephen Tschudi at sfleming@hawaii.edu.

2. When is the application deadline?
For this particular workshop, we have rolling admissions, which means whenever we receive an application submission, our selection committee decides (within two weeks of submission) whether to accept or reject it, and this is done until the workshop is filled up. The maximum number of participants accepted for the workshop will be around 20. Because of this, we encourage potential applicants to submit their online applications as soon as possible. The online application form will become available from mid-December. [NOTE: The application period for the workshop has closed.]

3. Do I get to come to Hawai‘i (as with other NFLRC Summer Institutes)?
Sorry! Because the entire workshop takes place in cyberspace via the internet, there is no need for participants to leave the comfort of their homes (even though we're sure many would love the tropical change in scenery). The benefit, however, is that participants save a lot of money this way (see #4).

4. How much does it cost to participate in this web-based workshop?
It's FREE! We do not charge participants for being in the workshop. If you get accepted and you have a computer, a web browser, and an internet connection, you'll be all set.

5. How much time do I need to devote to the workshop each day? What should I expect?
We recommend that during the 2-week workshop each participant be prepared to devote 4 hours a day for online/offline work. Remember that this chunk of time is devoted to your professional development and language maintenance and the prime beneficiary of all your efforts is you (and your students). Participants will form an online learning community in which they will perform role-play tasks, hold discussions, and share compositions.

6 . What about the time difference? I'm in a time zone quite a few hours ahead/behind Hawai‘i Pacific time. Will this affect my participation?
The actual time of day you choose for your 4 hours is up to you. The workshops are asynchronous and participants read and post queries, input, and their work into the online classroom at their convenience. The basic experience of the workshop is like a real classroom staggered over time.

For further questions about the workshop (e.g., content, structure, etc.), please contact Stephen Tschudi.

For further questions about applying to the workshop, please contact Jim Yoshioka.