Abstract
Ochanomizu University (Tokyo) has started the new course, “Introduction to Sign Language Studies”, from the academic year 2010. This course has a position in the interdisciplinary liberal arts education programs of the University, Which are systematically introduced in 2008. In this course, Primarily, the well-trained deaf teacher, as a native signer, gives Japanese Sign Language (JSL) lessons to the students by the natural approach method, in other words, without any spoken language. The class-size is small (nearly15-18). Secondarily, the hearing lecturer, as a JSL-Japanese interpreter, talks on the JSL, the Deaf people and the life-history of herself by spoken language. The aim of “JSL in the liberal arts” is not only to learn the JSL itself, but also to attain cross-cultural awareness by coming into contact with a different culture, that is “Deaf culture”.
