In foreign language education, “articulation” is the sequencing and coordination of instruction from one level of language study to another, and from one subject area to another: a good program of articulation help students to make smooth transitions as they develop their language proficiency. Most commonly, in the United States, “articulation” refers to the smooth transition of students from high school language programs to continuing study at the college or university level.

Successful articulation is important not only for the success of individual students, but also for helping our society to achieve higher levels of language proficiency, especially in less commonly taught and more difficult languages like Japanese. Ensuring that students can make smooth transitions from one program to another will encourage them to continue their language study and become self-motivated and lifelong learners.

This section of ATJ’s website provides resources for learning about it, promoting it, and achieving it in the Japanese field, both in the United States and around the world.

Articulation in the United States

“Increasing Foreign Language Procifiency through Well-Articulated Study”, a 2007 article in the NECTL Review by Linda M. Wallinger of the Virginia Department of Education:
http://www2.dickinson.edu/prorg/nectfl/reviewarticles/59-wallinger.pdf

The Center for Advanced Research on Langauge Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota provides information on a number of projects to promote articulation:
http://www.carla.umn.edu/articulation/

One important development in promoting articulation from high school to college Japanese language programs was the introduction in 2007 of a Japanese Advanced Placement (AP)© Program by The College Board. Information on the AP© Japanese Language and Culture program is available online at:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_japaneselang.html

ATJ in 2008 published an issue of its Occasional Papers focusing on Articulation Initiatives in the United States. The publication is available at:
http://www.aatj.org/atj/publications/occasionalpapers/OccPapers_8.pdf

Articulation around the World

Professor Yasu-Hiko Tohsaku (University of California, San Diego), president of ATJ in 2009-2010, addressed the 2010 International Conference on Japanese Language Education (ICJLE) in Taipei about the need for uniform articulation standards in Japanese language education worldwide. The text of his talk, in Japanese, can be found here.

“Foreign Language Program Articulation from High School to University,” an overview of programs around the world that promote the articulation of language proficiency from the Human Resources Development Working Group of APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation):
http://hrd.apec.org/index.php/Articulation_of_Language_Proficiency_Programs