Episodes
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Episode 20 of the Japancasting Podcast with Prof Steve McCarty brings to you Bilingual Perspectives on Language Teaching: The View from the Goal. This is the soundtrack of an April 2023 conference presentation for the Japan Association for Language Teaching. Steve McCarty teaches Bilingualism and Intercultural Communication classes at Osaka Jogakuin University.
ABSTRACT: An attainable goal for language learners is to function in plural languages according to their own needs and purposes. A bilingual perspective starts from that realistic goal. Learners in Japan tend to overly idealize L2 (second or foreign language) mastery (or being bilingual), so it becomes other people’s business. Monolingual teachers tell students by their example, “go where I have not gone,” whereas a bilingual teacher says, “come to my state of functioning.” This presentation details a paradigm shift from the predominant monolingual second language acquisition (SLA) paradigm to a developmental bilingual perspective.
The slideshow is available to read while listening to the podcast, at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369825283
or to download from LINK
The presentation was also pre-recorded and posted as a video for YouTube users: https://youtu.be/F0zeEIPRIhw
Publications on Bilingualism: https://japanned.hcommons.org/bilingualism/
All podcasts and videos: https://japanned.hcommons.org/multimedia/
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Episode 19: The Japanese and Foreign Languages
At Matsuyama Shinonome College in southwestern Japan, Steve McCarty was teaching an intensive course on Translation between Japanese and English. Two professors there, Kiyoshi Shioiri and Mima Saeki, agreed to be interviewed about the history of languages in Japan. For 16 minutes we discussed how the Japanese language formed thousands of years ago to the classical period (7th-11th Centuries), and foreign languages influencing Japan all the way to the present. Then we discussed the attitudes of Japanese people nowadays toward foreign languages, cultural factors why they have such difficulty acquiring English, how Japanese is very different from other languages, and getting the meaning across in translation and interpretation.
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Episodes manquant?
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Osaka Jogakuin College students report on their visit to Chittagong, Bangladesh. It has a history of poverty and persecution of Burmese refugees. The college (Wilmina is its nickname) has contributed money to start and maintain a charitable hospital, including for children. The students speak bilingually, so it provides a lesson in either Japanese or English as a Foreign Language.
After the students’ 18-minute recorded presentation, one of the students is interviewed for 5 minutes. That script is below to read while listening:
Steve McCarty interviews Osaka Jogakuin College students about Bangladesh hospital
#1 What is the relationship between OJC and CHC? (her group’s PPT slide shows Wilmina Children's Hospital, supported by Osaka Jogakuin College, in the CHC hospital in Chittagong)
O.K. our relationship between OJC and CHC was started in 1992 when our senior graduates donated some money instead of using it for a graduation party and built a children’s hospital at CHC. Then, we students started to visit CHC since 1995.
#2 Bangladesh is mostly Islamic, but what are some minority groups?
Many Bengali people are Islamic, but in Chittagong, there are 13 tribal peoples and they immigrated from Burma. They are almost all Buddhist and some people are Christian.
#3 What will happen to Bangladesh with global warming?
It will flood and almost all the land will sink under the sea because Bangladesh is really low, so it can be easy to sink. Moreover, even now, floods often happen in Bangladesh.
#4 Some of the nurses don't look South Asian. They look more Southeast Asian. Who are they?
They are tribal people, not Bengali people. Because CHC accepts many minority people.
#5 What is the Community Health Program? (It looks interesting because they try to prevent health problems before people need to go to the hospital.)
It is one of the CHC’s activities. Their activities are vaccination for children, giving lectures on family planning, and so on. They do these activities outside of CHC such as at a tribal village.
#6 Are Bangladesh people so happy although they are so poor economically?
I think almost all Bangladesh people looked very happy. Because they always smiled when we said hello and we tried to talk. They try to live, although poor. And they have many troubles, not only economic problems.
#7 What did you learn about yourself in Bangladesh?
I learned many things. I learned our sense of values is not always the right things. The thing is that I thought I could understand, but I realized I could not understand. And I noticed that Bangladesh people are proud of their country despite their hard living conditions. This visit became a signal to enter these problems and be concerned with Bangladesh. In addition, I am able to make a chance to look at the problems around us over again. My feeling and learning cannot be expressed completely here.
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Peace Dialogue among Religions: Influence of Religions on Laws and Moral Values | Ep_17
This is a 7-minute stage play performed by four first-year students at a women's college in Japan. This peace dialogue shows how religions have influenced the laws and moral values of their societies. It could be useful for studying world religions, laws, values, or English as a Foreign Language (EFL).
All Japancasting Episodes are available here:
https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast
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Moving ahead to understand Japan and the world of today, Steve McCarty is taking us into his own life and learning. His passion to explore the culture of Japan has been exceptional and he has always demonstrated the highest regard for the cultural richness of Japan.
As he moves ahead to get a book on his life, we get this opportunity to listen about his passion and learning, from him! This 23-minute presentation at the University of Hyogo in Kobe goes more deeply into the biography of Steve McCarty than appears in his long chapter in the new book A Passion for Japan. Formative influences discussed include Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, Tibetan yoga, and Zen. Places include Boston, the Taos Pueblo area of New Mexico, San Francisco, Honolulu, Shikoku island, and Osaka. People encountered include Alan Watts, Ram Dass, Allen Ginsberg, Barbara Durkee (Lama Foundation founder), Edwin O. Reischauer; and in Japan: Donald Keene and the Dalai Lama. Then brief stories about life in Japan include Steve’s international family, playing baseball, English teaching innovations, and research discovering Asian religions syncretized in a mandala of mountains. Steve has thus been an active witness of history as Eastern thought influenced the West, aspiring to be one of those bridge persons.
The illustrated slideshow can be downloaded if desired from https://doi.org/10.17613/rbj8-w718 and the chapter “Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku” is available at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361566172 or https://www.academia.edu/82383623 This episode is a recording of the presentation, hence, the quality of the audio is not in an HD format. Prof Steve speaks with clarity of expression as well as voice, so we expect a good learning experience for you.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Hubhopper, Gaana etc.
---------------Japancasting Podcast is based on the content by Prof Steve McCarty.About Steve McCarty: born in Boston, a longtime Professor of English in Osaka, a Japanese government lecturer, and the World Association for Online Education President. Asian Studies specialist, fluent in Japanese, and highly cited author. The author’s homepage can be accessed here.
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Questions from India about Japan | Japancasting Podcast | Ep_15 - BLOG LINK
Another half-hour like Episode 8 about what India and other countries can learn from Japan. Parveen Sharma says, “Today we are here to interview Prof Steve again and get his insightful, thought-provoking, and experienced observations on various questions… Prof Ramesh Sharma has been one of the founders of this project and… He has shared some questions and observations”:1.How does Japan maintain religious harmony? 2. What makes the Japanese so punctual in terms of time management? 3. What has made Japan a technology leader, as the society freely uses tech devices for daily life activities? 4. Japan is a great combo example of natural beauty and technology giant industries. How is this balance maintained? 5. Japan is a geriatric society. What values are the younger generations provided with that they respect their seniors? 6. Japan's education system focuses on "manners first before knowledge". How does the Japanese Education System build this character in its students? 7. What do you have to say about English Language Teaching and Learning in Japan... How do they see this language?
For much further information, the first and last answers refer to the popular new book A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives. Steve’s chapter "Discovering Japanese Fusion of Religions on the Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku" can be freely accessed at Academia.edu – embed link to: https://www.academia.edu/82383623 - or ResearchGate – embed link to: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361566172
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Students of Professor Steve McCarty won the annual Osaka Jogakuin University Presentation Contest with this 3-minute discussion. Bullying occasionally happens in a group-oriented society as an outlet for frustrations, but the students never excuse it. They give examples of YouTube, sumo wrestling, and mobile phone harassment. They examine the causes of bullying in Japan and propose solutions.
The script is available to read while listening to the podcast: Causes and solutions for bullying in Japan
Visit - https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast
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Episode 13: South Korea and Japan Peace Dialogue -Prof. Steve McCarty
Osaka Jogakuin College first year students perform a 4-minute dramatic role play they created for the annual Peace Dialogue Contest. They speak a little Japanese and Korean as well as English, and show lively Osaka personalities. They try to overcome historical conflicts between Japan and South Korea that are still problems today. They discuss politicians visiting the Yasukuni Shinto shrine in Tokyo, which honors Japan’s soldiers before and during World War 2. They also try to reconcile a dispute over an island called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.Script, with Korean words written phonetically in Japanese or Romanized on the Blog -
EklavyaParv.com
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Similar Proverbs in Chinese, Japanese and English | Ep_12
Blog - https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast/562-similar-proverbs-in-chinese-japanese-and-english
This 7-minute multilingual podcast will be of interest to those who would like to hear some Chinese and Japanese as well as the English of Asian students. Visiting a women's college in Western Japan, teaching an intensive course on Translation, there were two Chinese and two Japanese students. The project was to explain in their native language as well as in English. Five interesting English proverbs were selected, and the question was if there was a similar way of thinking in their culture. Researchers usually focus on cultural differences, but the existence of similar proverbs arising independently in the East and the West would point to universally human wisdom. The five proverbs are:
Actions speak louder than wordsAdvice when most needed is least heededLook before you leapPenny wise, pound foolishIgnorance is bliss -
Japancasting Podcast enters into the 11 Episode journey with Prof McCarty making us know and understand the Japanese Culture and History in a straightforward manner. His explanations and energy have been identical to the same zeal for learning found everywhere in the world. We easily identify with him and his efforts.
BLOG LINK - https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast/559-non-violence-of-okinawans-and-african-americans
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Stakes and Stakeholders in the Japanese Educational System in Japancasting Podcast by Steve McCarty with Parveen Sharma, Ramesh C Sharma
BLOG LINK for the Podcast Outline and Summary -
https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast/556-stakes-and-stakeholders-in-the-japanese-educational-system
This is a 26-minute presentation on Japanese education given to American schoolteachers visiting Osaka Jogakuin College. It is a critical view, and the situation has become more relaxed overall since the time of this presentation, which was delivered in 2005, but the fairly complete picture of factors affecting education in Japan is still a relevant set of issues.
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As Prof Steve said about this episode: "My sons were going through Japanese public schools, and I tried to show the system from their viewpoint and that of my Japanese wife. Doing homework, for example, is a struggle against human nature. My wife tells them what they need to do to reach their goals, but, with so many gadgets to enjoy, they have to get into what anthropologists call a mood of willing. Since the time of this speech, the educational situation in Japan has become more relaxed, and the lazy boys have grown up to be surprisingly successful in Tokyo in the IT and entertainment industries."
A Family goes through Japanese Education
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Japanacasting Podcast reaches the 8th Milestone with this extensive and amazing interview of Prof Steve McCarty. The talk relates to modern times. He is so subtle in his answers that you cannot stop wondering about the precision of these ideas. When he says that being modern is not being Western - he erases a huge amount of doubts from our minds.
He explains how Japan has become an ideal land with flawless discipline and healthy life.When it comes to learning Japanese, he has logical answers about the worth and weightage of the Japanese Language. He has been truthfully honest with us when we listed the limitations of Japan in terms of intercultural communication. About India, we do have him telling us that we are much more than spices and Agra!
Parveen Sharma and Steve McCarty!
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This is a 28-minute question and answer session after a regular presentation on "Japanese People and Society" for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Participants on government scholarships for graduate school just arrived from India, Vietnam and Guatemala. They had questions on religion, the role of women, male-female relationships, and families in Japan.
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This 11-minute podcast discusses the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites. Comparing Japan with Central Asia, it can be seen how Japan’s cultural treasures are very well preserved, but some sites in poor countries [for example, in Varanasi, India] that should be World Heritage Sites do not get enough community or outside support. This podcast explains how the Great Buddhas of Bamiyan did not get protected and were destroyed. This is a case of what “falling through the cracks” means. Furthermore, in discussing UNESCO’s acceptance of Japan’s Kii Mountain Range sacred sites, a deep cause of discrimination against women is revealed.
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Japancasting Podcast is an attempt to unearth the intricacies of Japanese Culture. This, however, does not mean that there are complexities in the culture and history of Japan. But, we still see that there is a lot of depth in it, which can be a thing to feel amazed at. With Prof Steve McCarty, we are bringing episode 05 of the Podcast and invite you to visit the shared links as well.Episodes 2-4 were dedicated to understanding incredible legends connected to the island of Shikoku.
This nearly 10-minute episode discusses the Pilgrimage of Shikoku, the difficulty of historical accuracy, and separating the objective study of religions from religious faith or practice. Scholars or educators can get personally involved with religions, but it is very different to investigate the same religious phenomena through the academic study of religion.
This talk suggests further readings such as guidebooks to Shikoku and encyclopedia articles by the author, which can be found under https://japanned.hcommons.org/japanology or https://wilmina.academia.edu/SteveMcCarty/Japan - with links to Japancasting audio and videos of Japan under https://japanned.hcommons.org/multimedia
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A gripping legend about the origin of Japan's most famous pilgrimage seems to prove reincarnation. This five-minute podcast recounts the miracle story and then poses discussion questions, which have been used educationally with groups to get at the underlying purpose of the legend.
Reincarnation or What? Stone-Hand Temple and the Pilgrimage of Shikoku
Script: The Legend of Emon Saburo (listen to the podcast to hear the introduction and discussion questions as well).
Online EducationYou can subscribe to the Japancasting Podcast on Podchaser or Subscribe/Follow on Spotify.
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This podcast briefly summarizes and suggests discussion questions about the Bunraku story “Keisei Awa no Naruto.” Anime fans are familiar with Naruto, but it is actually the port city on Shikoku island nearest to the Osaka-Kobe area on the main island of Japan. Awa is the old name for Tokushima Prefecture, where this Bunraku is still performed. A puppet play would be an entertainment fit for a child, you might think. But this is a story of the utmost sadness or pathos of the human predicament. It is also similar in a way to the tragedy “Oedipus Rex,” the play by Sophocles in ancient Greece. Oedipus could not escape his fate, and neither could this poor family.
Read the Transcript:
https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast/546-fatalism-and-pathos-in-a-bunraku-puppet-play
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The Woman Diver: Discovering Deep East Asian Values
One of the oldest professions is that of the diver for pearls or humbler offerings of the sea. Akiko Takemoto and Steve McCarty have translated a heart-rending story from various Japanese versions, as a prehistoric legend moved from oral to written traditions over millennia. To help readers ponder its significance, brief discussion points for college or secondary school classes follow the story.This podcast renders the ancient folktale "Ama" into English, investigates its origins, and attempts to interpret its timeless significance. From a prehistoric oral tradition, it evolved into the temple chronicle of Shidoji in Kagawa Prefecture and a Noh play with its setting there. In modern times the ama are women who dive for pearls and the like, but from the earliest times, men and women dove for seaweed, fish, and so forth. The story thus becomes "The Woman Diver" with the division of labor, whereas the title was originally or simply "The Diver," who was in any case a woman. The following translation is based on the Noh script, Kagawa folktales, and legends, but the central motifs remain perennially the same: the woman makes the ultimate sacrifice for her husband, to raise the future status of her son.
READ the TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://eklavyaparv.com/edusomedia/japancasting-podcast/545-japancasting-the-woman-diver-ama-folktale
Read more on Academia
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Japancasting Podcast with Steve McCarty - Introduction and Trailer
Japancasting Podcasts by Steve McCarty are mostly short, free podcasts giving insight into Japan. There are lectures, interviews with professors, English or bilingual performances by students, and lessons that schools or universities may use. For everyone interested in Japan, including learners of English or Japanese.
New Episode - Every Tuesday
Podchaser Code UFJSDlpeOkGstSNMyYN8
