日本語の履修に関する現状 

The Current Status of Japanese Courses

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大学入学資格試験でもあるＨＳＣコースでは、一貫性に欠くと見られる履修基準が設けられており、特に日本語を含む４つのアジア言語コースに於いてその傾向が強く、受験生や保護者が戸惑うことが多々あります。NSW州では、HSCの履修科目として履修できる言語コースには多種多様な言語/レベルのコースがあり、日本語に関しては現在下記の３つのレベルのコースとなっています。そこでは各レベル毎に履修基準が設けられています。

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＊日本語Beginnersコース

＊日本語Continuers、Extensionコース

＊日本語Japanese in Context コース

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There are inconsistent eligibility criteria applied to some HSC courses.  The inconsistencies are particularly prominent for the four Asian language courses including Japanese, which often lead to confusion for students and their parents.  There is a wide variety of languages at different levels offered for the HSC in NSW.  The following three courses are currently available in Japanese. Students must meet the eligibility criteria to enrol in these courses. 

• Japanese Beginners

• Japanese Continuers + Extension

• Japanese in Context

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日本語の履修問題点

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その１・履修基準・その曖昧さと一貫性の欠如

 

現在NSW州では、日本語Continuers コースを選択する場合、以下の履修基準を満たす必要があります。NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)サイト

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＊Y10の申込時点から遡って過去10年間で通算で日本居住歴が3年未満であること

＊小学校入学以降日本語を指導言語とする正規教育を受けた年数が1年未満であること

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この履修基準によって、「保護者のどちらかが日本人という事実だけで、家庭内で日本語を常時話していると 判断され、本人の日本語能力に関わらず、希望のコースが選択できない場合があります。」及びに小学校一年生以上の日本の教育課程を一年間以上受けている場合 にも、Continuersコースは選択出来ない”ような履修条件が設けられています。

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Issues Related to HSC Japanese

 

1. Eligibility Criteria, their Ambiguity and Lack of Consistency 

 

In NSW, students who wish to take the Japanese Continuers course must fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

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* Students have had no more than three years residency in the past 10 years in a country where the language is the medium of communication.

* Students have had no more than one year’s formal education from the first year of primary education (Year 1) in a school where the language is the medium of instruction.

 

Due to the eligibility criteria, students are often unable to take the Continuers course even if the course is best suited to their Japanese proficiency.  If one of their parents is Japanese, they are deemed to be using Japanese for sustained communication at home and is considered ineligible to take the course irrespective of their Japanese proficiency. Furthermore, students are ineligible to take the Continuers course if they have had more than one year’s formal education from the first year of primary education in a school where Japanese is the medium of instruction.

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​​​その２・言語コース間のギャップと差別

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アジア四言語以外の言語のContinuersコースは、10年間当該言語で正規教育を受けた生徒も受けられ、当該言語国での滞在年数や家庭での使用言語を問われることはありません。しかし、日系の生徒の場合、１年以上日本語で正規教育を受けた、過去10年間で3年以上日本に住んでいた、家庭で単純な日常会話を日本語で交わしているというだけでContinuersコースを履修することは認められJapanese in Contextコースを履修するか、日本語履修を諦めざるを得ない状況となっています。アジア四言語以外は、HSC前に積み重ねた子供や家庭での努力ならびに当該言語に触れる環境が有利に働くが、アジア四言語の場合はそれが不利となります。

 

履修条件があるため、Continuersコースを受ける資格がないと判断されたが、Japanese in Contextコースはハードルが高すぎるので日本語学習をあきらめざるをえないといったコース間のはざまに落ち込んでしまう生徒がいます。

 

その一方で2010年にセルビア語のHSC ContinuersコースでNSW州一位となった生徒は教育大臣の表彰を受け、地元紙にその記事が載っていました。その子はセルビア語が第一言語であるが、HSCのセルビア語Continuersコースは、セルビア語で日常会話をしているだけでは難しく、州トップの成績をおさめることができたのは、献身的に（言語）教育をしてくれた母親のおかげであると語っています。

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Discrepancies and Discrimination between Language Courses

 

For language courses other than the four Asian languages, the Continuers course is available to students who have had formal education for as long as ten years in schools where the relevant language is the medium of instruction.  They are not questioned about the number of years spent in the country of the language in question or about the language spoken at home.  However, students with a Japanese background are considered ineligible to take the Continuers course if they have had more than one year of formal education in a school where Japanese is the medium of instruction, lived in Japan for more than 3 years in the past 10 years, or speak very basic Japanese at home.  Their choice is to enrol in the In Context course or opt out of studying Japanese for their HSC.  In addition, students are ineligible for the In Context course if they have been educated beyond the age of ten in a school where the medium of instruction is Japanese.  The only choice available for such students is the Literature course which requires reading comprehension equivalent to students in Year 9 in Japan.  For languages other than the four Asian languages, effort by the students and their families to extend the students’ language capabilities and providing opportunity for exposure to the relevant language work to their benefit.  For the four Asian languages, such effort and environment disadvantage the students.

 

There are students who are considered ineligible for the Continuers course but find the In Context course far too difficult.  Such students fall in the gap between the courses and have no choice but to give up studying the language of their choice.  

 

On the other hand, there was an article in a local newspaper in 2010 about a student who came first in NSW for the HSC Continuers course in Serbian and was given an award by the Minister of Education.  Serbian was her first language but the student said that HSC Serbian Continuers was difficult for someone who simply speaks everyday Serbian. She said that she was able to score the highest result in the state because of her mother who dedicated herself to teaching Serbian to her.

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その３・言語以外の科目の差別

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英語、数学、音楽などの科目には難易度の異なるコースがあり、例えば音楽にはMusic 1とMusic 2があります。音楽家を家族に持つ子供は幼少時から音楽に親しみ、家庭でのサポートもあり、音楽の個人レッスン等も受けている場合が多いですが、Music 1の受講資格は失わないし、より難しいMusic 2の受講を強制されることもありません。一方アジア四言語については、履修資格基準の下で生徒の生い立ちが問われ、子供が幼少時から言語に親しめるよう家庭でサポートしたことや 子供が土曜学校などで努力して勉強したことで、希望のコースの履修資格はないとみなされ、難易度の高いコースをとるか、当該言語の履修を諦めるしかない状況となっています。つまり、他の科目ではHSC前に積み重ねた子供や家庭の努力が有利に働くが、アジア四言語の場合は不利となっています。

 

Discrimination in Subjects Other than Languages

 

There are differentiated courses in subjects such as English, Mathematics and Music.  For example, there are Music 1 and Music 2 courses. Children from families with musicians tend to be surrounded by music from a very young age, supported at home to learn music and often taken private music lessons.  Such students do not lose the eligibility to study Music 1 nor are they forced to take the more difficult Music 2.  However, when it comes to the four Asian languages, the students’ upbringing is questioned under the eligibility criteria.  Indeed, if the students’ families supported them at home from a young age to become familiar with a language other than English or the students studied at community language schools, they are often considered ineligible for the course they wish to take.  Their choice is to take a course that is too difficult for them or to give up studying the language altogether for their HSC. Effort on the part of the students and their families before the students’ HSC years work to their credit for all subjects but not for the four Asian languages.

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その４・Japanese in Contextコース導入後

 

2012年より履修可能になったJapanese in Contextコース* がアジア４言語のみのためにつくられました。以前のBackgroundコースに代わるJapanese and Literatureコースという日本の中学校３年生以上の国語力を要する コースも現在では最低必要人数が満たされないため休止されてしまいました。それでもまだまだ根本的な問題解決にはいたっておらず、HSCで日本語学習継続をすることができにくい状況となっています。

 

After the Introduction of the Heritage Course

 

Heritage courses, now called in Context courses, became available for the four Asian languages in 2012.  As a result, some students who are considered ineligible for the Continuers course are now able to continue studying Japanese for their HSC, instead of their only choice being the very difficult Background Speakers Course, called Japanese and Literature, which require Japanese proficiency of Year 9 students who are born and raised in Japan which is discontinued and not offered for the HSC.  However, fundamental problems are yet to be solved making it difficult for many students to continue their study of Japanese for their HSC.

 

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その５・日本語Japanese in Contextコースを教える学校の少なさ

現在NSW州でJapanese in Contextコースを教えている学校は、NSW School of Languages（旧：Open High School)（NSW州立言語専門通信教育ハイスクール）とSecondary Collage of Languages, Chatswood Centreの二校のみ。また日系生徒数が少ないため、日本語教員がいる学校でもJapanese in Contextコースを開設していないのが現状です。

 

Limited Availability of Schools Teaching Japanese in Context 

 

Currently, there are only two schools which teach the Japanese in Context Course in NSW: NSW School of Languages (formerly Open High School) and Secondary Collage of Languages, Chatswood Centre.  Due to the small number of Japanese background students, schools do not offer the In Context course even if they have Japanese teachers.