Japan Foundation Virtual Ryuugaku 2 (VR2)

Full Project name: Virtual “ryuugaku” for real interactions and job-hunting: supporting Covid online teaching of Japanese language oral and written production skills 2: Empowerment through SDGS

Active from/to: September – November 2021

Research Team: Prof. Marcella Mariotti (Principal Investigator), Japanese language specialist M.A. Shoko Nishida (Coordinator), M.A. Gaia Varone (Junior Coordinator)

Participants: 39 Ca’ Foscari University of Venice students and 28 students from 14 universities in Japan (Akita University, Oita University, Kyoto University, Ritsumeikan University, Chukyu University, St. Andrews University, Kobe University, University of Kochi, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Nanzan University, Kyushu Women’s University, Kobe Shinwa Women’s University, Kyoto Institute of Technology)

What is this project about?

Given the success of its first edition, Virtual ryuugak 2 was created with the aim to continue providing students of Japanese language a virtual study abroad program without limiting participation by language competency levels, but instead encouraging students to mix between classes as it would happen in real society while focusing on SDGs as topics of discussion.

The Virtual Ryuugaku 2 project applied an “horizontal” exchange even within the free conversation classes (jiyū kaiwa), where 10 native Japanese teachers and about 190 Ca’ Foscari students were involved in total. The project proved to be a fundamental part of the Japanese Language Education course, offering a real fieldwork for student-teachers who guided the online Discord groups with students from Japan, as well as the in-class activities of their peers.

Even this time, the project  helped to further expand the content of online platforms dedicated to Japanese language teaching and learning such as Jalea and Jalea Business while also becoming a place where students could reflect on SDGs and on their role as active citizens of the world. Thirteen different channels were organized according to the 17 goals of SDGs.

The participants were actively involved in communication through the chats, video meeting and the activities to write the 104 blog articles.

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