Oosutoraria Nihongo Kyooiku Kenkyuu Saizensen Oyobi Shoorai no Tenboo

This paper discusses the latest development and new challenges that we are faced within Japanese language education in Australia, and suggests some strategies to answer new needs of learners and of the changing world. We first briefly review the development of Japanese language education in Australia over the last three decades, and then examine some latest theories and practices in Japanese language education with a focus on those led by Australian academics. Drawing on the analysis, the paper suggests that Japanese education in Australia, playing a leading role internationally, needs to meet new challenges in the changing world, including changes of learners' needs, introduction of new technology, changing social, political and financial status. Further, the paper suggests that a more open-minded multilingual approach to using Japanese as a second language, including code-mixing of Japanese in English, needs to gain a higher status in educational contexts in the Australian multilingual society and in the world.