[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 24 (Friday, February 28, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S1800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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             THE JALEX (JAPANESE LANGUAGE EXCHANGE) PROGRAM

 Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, it is my pleasure to take a moment 
to recognize JALEX, the Japanese Language Exchange Program. Since its 
inception in 1992, the JALEX Program has made valuable educational 
contributions to students in the United States preparing to function in 
an increasingly global environment.
  There are few Americans who would dispute the importance of providing 
our young people with an education that will prepare them to function 
effectively in the world. It is the responsibility of our educational 
system to prepare them to be competitive and cooperative in this global 
environment. You will be pleased to know that this kind of preparation 
is happening through JALEX, a unique program funded by the Center for 
Global Partnership of the Japan Foundation and administered by the 
Laurasian Institution.
  JALEX is unlike many exchange programs because it is reciprocal, 
pairing novice teachers from Japan with mentor teachers of Japanese in 
the United States at the precollegiate level. The program is designed 
to mutually benefit teachers from Japan and teachers and students in 
the United States. JALEX began as a modest prototype serving 18 schools 
in 5 States and has grown to serve 76 schools and community 
organizations in 20 States, including 18 cities in my home State of 
Indiana. JALEX also operates in Washington, Oregon, Utah, Kansas, 
Missouri, Nevada, Tennessee, Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, 
Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Connecticut, 
Maine, and Vermont.
  In the process of achieving its mission--enhancing Japanese language 
instruction in the United States and classroom experience for native 
Japanese teachers of Japanese-as-a-foreign-language study--the program 
also provides opportunities for meaningful cultural exchange for 
thousands of American citizens.
  Since 1985, the study of Japanese in United States schools has grown 
rapidly. Despite the comparative difficulty of Japanese and the 
longstanding appeal of Romance languages, interest in and demand for 
Japanese language instruction has continued to grow on a global scale.
  JALEX began in 1992 when President Bush and Prime Minister Miyazawa 
acknowledged the essential role of enhanced Japanese language training 
to advance global partnership between the two nations. During the Tokyo 
summit in May l996, President Clinton and Prime Minister Hashimoto 
vowed to further promote exchange programs between young people of 
Japan and the United States as a means of strengthening this bilateral 
relationship.
  The Center for Global Partnership of the Japan Foundation and the 
Freeman Foundation should be applauded for their generous support of 
this program. Their support provides participating schools an 
invaluable resource of a native Japanese teaching assistant in the 
classroom as well as materials, stipends, and professional development 
opportunities for United States teachers.
  The approximate value of the annual benefits provided by the JALEX 
Program to each school is conservatively estimated at $30,000. The 
Japanese language programs would not be as strong without the support 
of JALEX. The program has also provided several JALEX participants--
teachers, administrators, and students--the opportunity to visit Japan. 
These activities are provided at no cost to local school districts and 
without U.S. Government tax dollars.
  Because of JALEX, our leaders of the next century, will be able to 
direct our Nation on a global scale with a greater sensitivity and 
awareness to cultural and national differences.
  I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the JALEX Program 
for the contributions it has made toward fostering cultural 
understanding and respect.

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