Japanese Language Education Committee (JLEC)
Recognizing that Japanese language education plays a vital role in introducing a new generation of students from the United States to the U.S.-Japan dialogue, the CULCON Japanese Language Education Committee (JLEC) explores policy recommendations to strengthen the field. Initial JLEC studies yield recommendations to explore of the following:

• Expand programs, including study tours to Japan and grants that give students incentives to learn Japanese;
• Strengthen programs to support Japanese language courses now at risk of being discontinued;
• Strengthen efforts to raise awareness among local governments and local communities about the importance and benefit of Japanese language education and foreign language education in general;
• Engage those who have qualifications and interest in or connection to Japan, such as former JETs, families of U.S. Forces in Japan and U.S. business persons in Japanese language education; and
• Investigate the efficacy of utilizing IT to broaden and support Japanese language education including in remote locations.

The U.S. of JLEC members are:

• Len Schoppa, Jr., Director, Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics, The University of Virginia; U.S. CULCON Panel/Co-Chair
• Shinichi Hori, General Manager of Washington D.C. Office, Mitsui & Co. (USA)
• Deanna Marcum, Managing Director, Ithaka S+R; U.S. CULCON Panel
• Susan Schmidt, Executive Director, American Association of Teachers of Japanese (AATJ)
• Motoko Tabuse, Professor, Department in World Languages, Eastern Michigan University; Immediate Past President of AATJ

The Japanese members of JLEC are:

• Masako Egawa Professor, Graduate School of Commerce and Management, Hitotsubashi University; Japan CULCON Panel/Co-chair
• Robert Campbell, Professor, Department of Comparative Literature and Culture, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo
• Suzuko Nishihara, Executive Director, Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa, the Japan Foundation
• Matthew S. Sussman, Executive Director, Japan-U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan)
• Masayuki Suzuki, Managing Director, Japanese-Language Department, the Japan Foundation
• Koichi Tanaka, Counselor, Mitsui & Co., Ltd.

As of CULCON XXVIII on June 5, 2018, JLEC has been rolled into the Education Review Committee (ERC). For information on JLEC’s initiatives, click here for the last JLEC report submitted for CULCON’s 28th Plenary Session: Japanese Language Education Committee Report.