A New Role for Japanese Language Teachers As Seen in Cross Discipline Freshman Academic Writing Classes:

Considerations for Creating a Learning Environment for Students Across Academic Departments

Abstract

Japanese language teachers instructed Freshman Academic Writing courses for approximately 2000 students across academic departments. The focus of the courses was the research process and for students to choose the research topic based on their own interests, without the instructor choosing any theme. This paper illustrates the method for classifying student's topics using the library classification scheme. In particular, it discusses the formal structure achieved and the relationship between student interests and fields of study. In conclusion, it considers how Japanese language teachers can engage in creating a framework for more open Freshman Education.