The Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Brawijaya received a special visit from Prof. Utsunomiya Hiroaki, a language education expert from Shizuoka University, Japan. This visit was organized by the “Hikari” Study Group and attended by a number of lecturers and students from the Japanese Education and Literature Program.
Also present at the event were Dr. Sri Aju Indrowaty, M.Pd., from the Japanese Education Program, Mr. Agus Budi Cahyono, M.Litt., and Dr. Dra. Ismi Prihandari, M.Hum., and Mrs. Aliffia Rachmawati, S.S., M.Li., from the Japanese Literature Program. In addition, there were three students who attended this meeting, one of whom will soon leave for Japan to participate in the Japan Foundation Program for 44 days.
In this forum, Prof. Utsunomiya presented the results of his latest research entitled **これからの言語教育 (Kore kara no Gengou Kyouiku)**, which means “The Future of Language Education.” He emphasized that the future of language education is greatly influenced by how individuals view their surroundings. Through various interesting examples, he illustrated how each individual can have a different perception in understanding something.
One example given is a simple illustration of the difference in perspective between two people looking at the same picture, where one person sees it as a bird’s beak, while the other sees it as a rabbit. In addition, Prof. Utsunomiya also discusses the differences in meaning in Japanese based on context, such as:
リンゴを食べる (Ringo wo Taberu/Eating Apples)
リンゴを剥く (Ringo wo Muku/Peeling Apples)
ぽかぽか陽気 (Poka Poka Youki/Warm Cheerful)
ぽかぽか殴る (Poka Poka Naguru/Warm Blow)
お!すごいね (O! Sugoine/O Great)
は?すごいね (Ha? Sugoine/Ha Great)
Through these examples, Prof. Utsunomiya showed how the meaning of a sentence can differ depending on the situation, context, and pronunciation. This is different from pragmatic studies which focus more on the use of language in a particular context.
After an hour-long presentation interspersed with interactive Q&A, the meeting ended with a group photo session, leaving a deep impression on all participants.
This visit was a valuable moment for the “Hikari” Study Group and students of the Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Brawijaya, enriching their insights on the future of language education and the importance of understanding context in language use. (TIM/U PR/ Trans. Iir)
