During an interview interaction, Koji Sato delves into the rising phenomenon of Japanese language acquisition in India, the expanding career opportunities for language aficionados, and The Japan Foundation's efforts to bolster this educational growth.
What are the current developments in Japanese Language Education in India? Is there a noticeable increase in interest?
Yes, it keeps growing. According to the Survey on Japanese-Language Education Abroad, which the Japan Foundation conducts every three year, twenty-year ago, the number of learners in India was just more than 5,400. The record in 2012 was about 20,000 and the one in 2021 was about 36,000. 2021 survey was heavily affected by COVID-19, so I think in 2024 survey we will see more steady increase in learners. And since the survey covers only those who learn at institutions, you should know that there are another lakhs or more of people who are studying through tutoring, or self-learning using online materials or apps. Many institutes also have started to provide online courses.
What opportunities await Japanese language enthusiasts in India?
20 years ago, during my first term at the Japan Foundation, New Delhi, the Japanese language used to be taught at only limited higher educational institutes or public organizations. The motivation of the learners was also limited to either working in the tourism industry or teaching at schools.
As the bilateral relations between India and Japan develop year by year, business opportunities between the two also have increased steadily. In the recent survey, the percentage of those who choose future job opportunities in India as a purpose of learning is far more in India than the average in the world.
On high political level both the government agree on increase of economic cooperation and investment. Thus, the opportunities of Indians and Japanese working together at workplaces surely will increase, and Japanese language proficiency will be strong selling-point for entry.
How does the education of the Japanese language contribute to fostering Japanese cooperation?
At the actual working places of Japanese cooperation, high-level communication on technical matters and policy matters become necessary and those who are capable are really in need. Not all the Japanese specialists in the fields are necessarily fluent in English hence The fields require Indian specialists with high Japanese proficiency.
Another merit of learning the Japanese language is to acquire actual knowledge of the culture and customs of Japanese society, which helps them adapt themselves to another set of value codes. Of course, the effort of adaptation is required for both sides, but I want to stress that with the participation of Indian youths with high proximity to Japanese work culture, cooperation will work more successfully.
Could you please outline the initiatives undertaken by the Japan Foundation, to encourage Japanese language education in India?
The challenge in India is scarcity of teachers and learning opportunities vis-à-vis the increasing demand for learning Japanese language. To solve this issue, the government of India and Japan signed MOC on the promotion of Japanese language in 2017 and based on that launched Teachers Training Centre in 2018, where The Japan Foundation executes the courses. Since then, more than 100 Indian nationals from many parts of the country have completed 360-hour certificate courses and many of them are teaching Japanese language now. The governments and the JF also work to assist educational institutions which have
wish to start new language courses, by providing course designs and syllabus and training local teachers.
JF provides infrastructure of studying Japanese Language in India, through such programs as Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), JFT-Basic, and self-run language course called JF-Koza.
We also develop varieties of self-learning materials on the web, such as ‘IRODORI Japanese Online Course’ (https://www.irodori-online.jpf.go.jp/) and JF Japanese e-Learning Minato’ (https://minato-jf.jp/). I hope the information of access will reach many people in India who want to start learning Japanese but find it difficult to find any opportunity where they live.