2009 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Education of the mainstream language in a multicultural society -Australian Adult English Program-
| Project/Area Number |
20730536
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Sociology of education
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| Research Institution | Sagami Women's University |
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Principal Investigator |
WATANABE Yukinori Sagami Women's University, 学芸学部, 講師 (60449113)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2008 – 2009
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| Keywords | オーストラリア / 移民 / 英語教育 / Adult Migrant English program / AMEP Research Centre |
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| Research Abstract |
This research project examines the Australian Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), a federally-funded settlement program through the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The objective of the project is two-fold: first, it aims to illuminate the role of AMEP research Centre (AMEP RC, 1989-2009), particularly with regards to the experience of its researchers and administrative staff. The AMEP RC was established at Macquarie University, Australia, in 1989 in order to improve the AMEP Program and provided various research and development services until 2009. Second, the project endeavors to explore the ways in which AMEP RC's experience can be meaningfully applied to Japan's future language program for adult migrants.
To this end, I conducted interviews and fieldwork with seven staff members of the AMEP RC, including the Executive Director, in August 2008. The interviews lasted approximately 60 to 90 minutes and the following questions were asked; a) their role at the research
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centre, b) their experience in conducting research projects and providing other types of AMEP- related services, c) their motivation and goals as researchers and d) challenges they face at the research centre.
The main findings of the project are as follows: The AMEP RC; 1) selects research topics based on the needs of clients and a wider society as well as the academic expertise of its researchers, in consultation with the funding body, DIAC, 2) conducts a various types of research and provide teacher development workshops and 3) reports its research outcomes to DIAC. This flow ensures that the program is constantly enhanced based on findings from their cutting-edge research. At the same time, however, it was also voiced that the funding arrangement accorded limited flexibility to the AMEP RC in terms of selecting research topics, for example. In addition, several staff members raised their concern regarding the condition of their employment at the research centre. The majority of the staff members were hired on a contract basis, and they expressed a great deal of stress from having to perform at work and look for further employment at the same time.
In conclusion, the project found that the AMEP RC played an important role in improving the quality of the AMEP Program and the AMEP model has significant potential for the Japanese system, particularly in terms of integrating research findings into settlement programs. However, the funding process and hiring schemes employed at the AMEP RC may not be directly applicable. Further study is needed to elucidate what types of hiring and funding processes are most effective in the Japanese context. Less
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