Professor Motoko Tabuse

Global Competency and Japanese for Professional Purposes

Michigan is known for a heavy concentration on manufacturing, particularly automotive-related companies. With over 500 Japanese American companies, Michigan presents unique business opportunities for Japanese language learners. This presentation will describe: i) Eastern Michigan University’s (EMU) unique business Japanese program—its curriculum and course contents — and describe its close relationships with local business establishments, ii) Collaborative efforts used to promote Japanese language education among the state-wide Japanese language teachers’ association, JTAM, the Japanese Consulate, Business establishments, and local K-16 public and private educational institutions. These collaborative activities can provide ideas for participants to utilize in business language classrooms.

More recently Japanese business practices have changed to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Several major changes of business practices in Japan are discussed so they can be incorporated in the post-COVID-19 business language education. More specifically, enhancements to the current Japanese business degree program will be introduced that incorporate the concepts of the global competency, recent technology developments, and finally communications with Japanese business companies and recruiters and alumni.

About Professor Tabuse

Motoko Tabuse received a Ph.D. in Foreign Language Education from the Ohio State University in 1992. Since then she has been a professor of Japanese at Eastern Michigan University in Michigan where she teaches Japanese including business Japanese to undergrad and graduate students. At EMU, she created a Japanese business degree program-Japanese and International Trade-I. Currently she is the Director of the School of Japanese at Middlebury Language Schools in Vermont and she is developing an online graduate course, Japanese for Professionals. She is the Section Editor of Japanese Language and Literature, AATJ’s journal. She has served as President of AATJ, Chief Reader of AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam, Japanese Language Education Committee member at CULCON, and the College Board AP World Languages Consultant. She has given lectures on business Japanese language education and conducts Japanese language professional development workshops in Australia, Japan, Singapore and USA.

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