Steve McCarty was born in Boston and became a full Professor in Japan. He currently lectures for Osaka Jogakuin University. From 2004-2024 he lectured for the Japanese government foreign aid agency JICA on Japanese People and Society. At Kansai University from 2015-2020 he taught international ICT classes and held a unique Global Faculty Development position. Since 1998 he is the World Association for Online Education (WAOE) President. NEW: Digital Education and Skills Working Group Expert Member, EU-funded Indo-Pacific European Hub for Digital Partnerships (2024-2027). His CV lists 253 publications, plus presentations on 101 different topics (including 9 international conference keynote addresses), with 603 citations recognized by Google Scholar. His work spans online education, bilingualism, language teaching with technology, Japan, Asia, faculty development, and the academic life.
Presentation for a university class on Bilingualism and Japanese Society, connecting two areas of... more Presentation for a university class on Bilingualism and Japanese Society, connecting two areas of applied linguistics: bilingualism and language acquisition. It explains levels of bilingualism and types of language acquisition, where it is possible to have two native languages. It is explained clearly for students, so it may be of general interest to people concerned with languages. It was recorded by Zoom to show the speaker full screen at the beginning and end, with mainly a narrated PowerPoint slideshow, therefore the author calls this technique Zoomcasting.
This brief paper first explains what a discipline is by clarifying the difference between a field... more This brief paper first explains what a discipline is by clarifying the difference between a field and a discipline. Then it explains what online education is, as an academic discipline. It discusses disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity issues relevant to all academic fields. The paper suggests a method for discerning the most salient definitions, particularly for technical terms in a new field, by placing terms in their historical, disciplinary. and cultural contexts. The paper thus explains how the terms distance education, e-learning, and online education - often used interchangeably - have a different meaning. The development of online education from a new field into an academic discipline is traced, particularly since 1996 through the example of wholly online academic conferences. Then the current situation of emergency remote teaching is contrasted non-judgmentally with professional online education that aims to surpass face-to-face learning outcomes in some ways through the affordances of online media, which students will also use in their future workplace. Furthermore, the dimension of institutional culture is represented in a dialogue with an Indian academic. The expectation of an online education sector of IT specialists coming to the rescue of teachers thrust online is countered by arguing for the professional development of all teachers. With online or blended learning continuing in future education and daily life, universities are needed to exercise their full disciplinarity and steward the professions in society, while academics share knowledge globally.
This book explores theoretical and practical aspects of implementing mobile language learning in ... more This book explores theoretical and practical aspects of implementing mobile language learning in university classrooms for English as a Foreign Language in Japan. The technologies utilized, such as smartphones, iPads, and wi-fi, integrate students’ hand-held devices into the campus network infrastructure. The pedagogical aims of ubiquitous mobile learning further incorporate social media, blended learning, and flipped classroom approaches into the curriculum. Chapter 1 defines mobile language learning within dimensions of e-learning and technology-assisted language learning, prior to tracing the development of mobile learning in Japan. Chapter 2 documents the sociocultural theory underpinning the authors’ humanistic approach to implementation of mobile technologies. The sociocultural pedagogy represents a global consensus of leading educators that also recognizes the agency of Asian learners and brings out their capability for autonomous learning. Case studies of universities, large and small, public and private, are organized similarly in Chapters 3 to 5. Institutional/pedagogical and technological context sections are followed by detailed content on the implementation of initiatives, assessment of effectiveness, and recommendations for other institutions. Distinct from a collection of papers, this monograph tells a story in brief book length about theorizing and realizing mobile language learning, describing pioneering and original initiatives of importance to practitioners in other educational contexts.
Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, pr... more Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, proprietary technology, and finances slowed its momentum. Now podcasting is more popular than ever. This short article thus traces the author’s pioneer and current CALL podcasting projects, reconsidering the foundations and pedagogy of podcasting. With Indian collaboration, the award-winning Japancasting channel has been renewed. Topics of podcasts include Japanese Traditions & Religions, Contemporary Society & Education, and Comparative Culture. Japancasting host sites and free episodes are linked from the Web page https://japanned.hcommons.org/multimedia
Journal of Online Education, New York University, May 24, 2020
Brief paper invited to elucidate the pandemic situation in Japan, teaching online, and how educat... more Brief paper invited to elucidate the pandemic situation in Japan, teaching online, and how education may change after the pandemic. The author sees many current practices continuing in the form of increased blended learning and online innovations in daily life.
One of the first academic journal articles on podcasting, now with more than 140 citations found ... more One of the first academic journal articles on podcasting, now with more than 140 citations found by Google Scholar. See also more recent articles such as "Online Education as a Discipline" (2021) at https://wilmina.academia.edu/SteveMcCarty or Multimedia and e-Learning sections at https://japanned.hcommons.org
Media in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 2010
This book chapter, released to open access in 2015, shows what became possible pedagogically with... more This book chapter, released to open access in 2015, shows what became possible pedagogically with Web 2.0 technologies, how far the author was willing to go, behind student lines, to motivate foreign language learners in Japan.
This article examines, in terms of intercultural communication and foreign language education, wh... more This article examines, in terms of intercultural communication and foreign language education, whether or not online education and constructivism can be congruent with Japanese learning styles, and how far a globalized classroom could be realized in Japan. Compared to other articles and book chapters by the author on educational technology, this brief article gives more emphasis to the cultural issues involved in global online education.
Global communications were realized in an intensive course at the national University of Tsukuba ... more Global communications were realized in an intensive course at the national University of Tsukuba Graduate School of Education entitled Online Education in Theory, Practice, and Applying the Internet to English Education. Synchronous and asynchronous Internet voice technologies integrated into learning management systems in Australia and the U.S. were accessed by the instructor and students from a computer classroom in Japan. Online education mentors in the U.S., England, Malaysia, and Brazil engaged the students in audioconferences, chats and other forms of Web-based communication. Screen shots of the learning environments are included, plus a final report by the graduate students.
This concise report on a three-hour workshop at Prince of Songkla University in May 2019 includes... more This concise report on a three-hour workshop at Prince of Songkla University in May 2019 includes photos and two new formulations for researchers and educators: a History of e-Learning (timeline of educational technologies) and a chart of Levels of Involvement with Technology. Participants were also shown on the spot how to set up an e-portfolio, where to access mobile apps for foreign language learning, and how to set up an effective Google Scholar profile. With a Thai professor as the example, the report recounts the moment when the power of Google algorithms, interoperable with global research repositories, was demonstrated, as her publications and citations all suddenly appeared on the computer lab screen.
Education India Journal: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education, Jul 29, 2020
Surprising answers to questions from an Indian academic viewpoint clarify the field of online edu... more Surprising answers to questions from an Indian academic viewpoint clarify the field of online education, the current emergency remote teaching, the future of blended learning, who should have online education skills, a weakness of Indian Academia, and how non-Western universities can improve their global standing.
A new method to discern which definitions of technical terms are correct, by contextualizing acad... more A new method to discern which definitions of technical terms are correct, by contextualizing academic fields such as e-learning and English as a Foreign Language into their actual cultural/institutional, disciplinary, and temporal/historical dimensions.
Pioneer technical research with Japanese professors from three universities, for instance anticip... more Pioneer technical research with Japanese professors from three universities, for instance anticipating location-based services like Groupon, and public service information embedded in the environment to be accessed by mobile phones in the event of sudden disasters.
Wireless Ready e-Proceedings: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language Learning, Jun 2007
The opening keynote address of the first Wireless Ready symposium is explained and documented in ... more The opening keynote address of the first Wireless Ready symposium is explained and documented in this proceedings paper. The auditorium presentation was conducted simultaneously in the 3D virtual world Second Life, visible and audible on another large screen from a second computer at the podium, attended in the virtual world by avatars of educators in other countries. Numerous Web 2.0 technologies could thereby be shown both as objects and media of instruction.
Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning APACALL Webinar 2022, May 6, 2022
Invited Presentation at a Webinar based at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. AB... more Invited Presentation at a Webinar based at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. ABSTRACT: Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, proprietary technology, and finances slowed its momentum. Now podcasting is more popular than ever. This presentation therefore traces the author’s initial and current CALL podcasting projects, reconsidering the foundations and pedagogy of podcasting. MAIN SLIDES: Explanatory Concepts / Japancasting revived in 2022 in India / Podcasting Pedagogy / Conclusions. NOTE: On the title page of the PDF there is a link to the very clear 28-minute Zoom recording to watch the presentation on YouTube.
Online Teaching Japan Summer Sessions, Aug 24, 2020
This presentation places online education in a disciplinary context, charting historical, pedagog... more This presentation places online education in a disciplinary context, charting historical, pedagogical, institutional and cultural dimensions of e-learning. The evolution of online academic conferences is of particular relevance. Online education is seen in a broad sense, and as a pan-disciplinary set of meta-skills and knowledge beyond subject matter expertise. After the lecture, the discussion addresses the current emergency remote teaching situation globally, and what new structures are forming for online educator development events and organizations. There is much content in this PDF and links for further reading. Or see the YouTube link to listen to the Zoom recording of the presentation.
Pioneering short article published in the UK in 2001, now updated to maintain its relevance. "Int... more Pioneering short article published in the UK in 2001, now updated to maintain its relevance. "Internet educational technology is becoming another literacy that challenges and empowers scholars across all disciplines."
This article presents both a historical picture of online education and a colorful diagram of its... more This article presents both a historical picture of online education and a colorful diagram of its essential concepts for brainstorming. There is a brief recounting of developments leading to the improbable formation of the World Association for Online Education (WAOE). Online education and related terms were defined in a graduate school class on online education, while the WAOE organization provided online mentors for the graduate class at a national university near Tokyo.
Proceedings of the 2nd International Wireless Ready Symposium, Feb 20, 2009
The presenter used his Japanese literacy and knowledge of social media at an early stage to enhan... more The presenter used his Japanese literacy and knowledge of social media at an early stage to enhance the integrative motivation of students toward English as a Foreign Language by engaging them in their Japanese-language-only social network Mixi. This Proceedings article was expanded into the much-cited (but not freely available online) book chapter "Social Networking Behind Student Lines in Japan" in the Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning (ISBN 978-1-60566-190-2).
Opening Keynote Address at the “Wireless Ready: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language... more Opening Keynote Address at the “Wireless Ready: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language Learning” symposium held at NUCB Graduate School, Nagoya, Japan on March 24, 2007. The presentation was conducted simultaneously in the 3D virtual world Second Life from a second computer in the auditorium, attended by avatars of educators in other countries. Various Web 2.0 technologies could thereby be shown both as objects and media of instruction. This is the colorful slideshow; for the Proceedings article, see More Info / Links / URL below.
Presentation for a university class on Bilingualism and Japanese Society, connecting two areas of... more Presentation for a university class on Bilingualism and Japanese Society, connecting two areas of applied linguistics: bilingualism and language acquisition. It explains levels of bilingualism and types of language acquisition, where it is possible to have two native languages. It is explained clearly for students, so it may be of general interest to people concerned with languages. It was recorded by Zoom to show the speaker full screen at the beginning and end, with mainly a narrated PowerPoint slideshow, therefore the author calls this technique Zoomcasting.
This brief paper first explains what a discipline is by clarifying the difference between a field... more This brief paper first explains what a discipline is by clarifying the difference between a field and a discipline. Then it explains what online education is, as an academic discipline. It discusses disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity issues relevant to all academic fields. The paper suggests a method for discerning the most salient definitions, particularly for technical terms in a new field, by placing terms in their historical, disciplinary. and cultural contexts. The paper thus explains how the terms distance education, e-learning, and online education - often used interchangeably - have a different meaning. The development of online education from a new field into an academic discipline is traced, particularly since 1996 through the example of wholly online academic conferences. Then the current situation of emergency remote teaching is contrasted non-judgmentally with professional online education that aims to surpass face-to-face learning outcomes in some ways through the affordances of online media, which students will also use in their future workplace. Furthermore, the dimension of institutional culture is represented in a dialogue with an Indian academic. The expectation of an online education sector of IT specialists coming to the rescue of teachers thrust online is countered by arguing for the professional development of all teachers. With online or blended learning continuing in future education and daily life, universities are needed to exercise their full disciplinarity and steward the professions in society, while academics share knowledge globally.
This book explores theoretical and practical aspects of implementing mobile language learning in ... more This book explores theoretical and practical aspects of implementing mobile language learning in university classrooms for English as a Foreign Language in Japan. The technologies utilized, such as smartphones, iPads, and wi-fi, integrate students’ hand-held devices into the campus network infrastructure. The pedagogical aims of ubiquitous mobile learning further incorporate social media, blended learning, and flipped classroom approaches into the curriculum. Chapter 1 defines mobile language learning within dimensions of e-learning and technology-assisted language learning, prior to tracing the development of mobile learning in Japan. Chapter 2 documents the sociocultural theory underpinning the authors’ humanistic approach to implementation of mobile technologies. The sociocultural pedagogy represents a global consensus of leading educators that also recognizes the agency of Asian learners and brings out their capability for autonomous learning. Case studies of universities, large and small, public and private, are organized similarly in Chapters 3 to 5. Institutional/pedagogical and technological context sections are followed by detailed content on the implementation of initiatives, assessment of effectiveness, and recommendations for other institutions. Distinct from a collection of papers, this monograph tells a story in brief book length about theorizing and realizing mobile language learning, describing pioneering and original initiatives of importance to practitioners in other educational contexts.
Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, pr... more Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, proprietary technology, and finances slowed its momentum. Now podcasting is more popular than ever. This short article thus traces the author’s pioneer and current CALL podcasting projects, reconsidering the foundations and pedagogy of podcasting. With Indian collaboration, the award-winning Japancasting channel has been renewed. Topics of podcasts include Japanese Traditions & Religions, Contemporary Society & Education, and Comparative Culture. Japancasting host sites and free episodes are linked from the Web page https://japanned.hcommons.org/multimedia
Journal of Online Education, New York University, May 24, 2020
Brief paper invited to elucidate the pandemic situation in Japan, teaching online, and how educat... more Brief paper invited to elucidate the pandemic situation in Japan, teaching online, and how education may change after the pandemic. The author sees many current practices continuing in the form of increased blended learning and online innovations in daily life.
One of the first academic journal articles on podcasting, now with more than 140 citations found ... more One of the first academic journal articles on podcasting, now with more than 140 citations found by Google Scholar. See also more recent articles such as "Online Education as a Discipline" (2021) at https://wilmina.academia.edu/SteveMcCarty or Multimedia and e-Learning sections at https://japanned.hcommons.org
Media in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning, 2010
This book chapter, released to open access in 2015, shows what became possible pedagogically with... more This book chapter, released to open access in 2015, shows what became possible pedagogically with Web 2.0 technologies, how far the author was willing to go, behind student lines, to motivate foreign language learners in Japan.
This article examines, in terms of intercultural communication and foreign language education, wh... more This article examines, in terms of intercultural communication and foreign language education, whether or not online education and constructivism can be congruent with Japanese learning styles, and how far a globalized classroom could be realized in Japan. Compared to other articles and book chapters by the author on educational technology, this brief article gives more emphasis to the cultural issues involved in global online education.
Global communications were realized in an intensive course at the national University of Tsukuba ... more Global communications were realized in an intensive course at the national University of Tsukuba Graduate School of Education entitled Online Education in Theory, Practice, and Applying the Internet to English Education. Synchronous and asynchronous Internet voice technologies integrated into learning management systems in Australia and the U.S. were accessed by the instructor and students from a computer classroom in Japan. Online education mentors in the U.S., England, Malaysia, and Brazil engaged the students in audioconferences, chats and other forms of Web-based communication. Screen shots of the learning environments are included, plus a final report by the graduate students.
This concise report on a three-hour workshop at Prince of Songkla University in May 2019 includes... more This concise report on a three-hour workshop at Prince of Songkla University in May 2019 includes photos and two new formulations for researchers and educators: a History of e-Learning (timeline of educational technologies) and a chart of Levels of Involvement with Technology. Participants were also shown on the spot how to set up an e-portfolio, where to access mobile apps for foreign language learning, and how to set up an effective Google Scholar profile. With a Thai professor as the example, the report recounts the moment when the power of Google algorithms, interoperable with global research repositories, was demonstrated, as her publications and citations all suddenly appeared on the computer lab screen.
Education India Journal: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education, Jul 29, 2020
Surprising answers to questions from an Indian academic viewpoint clarify the field of online edu... more Surprising answers to questions from an Indian academic viewpoint clarify the field of online education, the current emergency remote teaching, the future of blended learning, who should have online education skills, a weakness of Indian Academia, and how non-Western universities can improve their global standing.
A new method to discern which definitions of technical terms are correct, by contextualizing acad... more A new method to discern which definitions of technical terms are correct, by contextualizing academic fields such as e-learning and English as a Foreign Language into their actual cultural/institutional, disciplinary, and temporal/historical dimensions.
Pioneer technical research with Japanese professors from three universities, for instance anticip... more Pioneer technical research with Japanese professors from three universities, for instance anticipating location-based services like Groupon, and public service information embedded in the environment to be accessed by mobile phones in the event of sudden disasters.
Wireless Ready e-Proceedings: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language Learning, Jun 2007
The opening keynote address of the first Wireless Ready symposium is explained and documented in ... more The opening keynote address of the first Wireless Ready symposium is explained and documented in this proceedings paper. The auditorium presentation was conducted simultaneously in the 3D virtual world Second Life, visible and audible on another large screen from a second computer at the podium, attended in the virtual world by avatars of educators in other countries. Numerous Web 2.0 technologies could thereby be shown both as objects and media of instruction.
Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning APACALL Webinar 2022, May 6, 2022
Invited Presentation at a Webinar based at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. AB... more Invited Presentation at a Webinar based at the University of Southern Queensland in Australia. ABSTRACT: Podcasting originated as a new form of audio broadcasting, but by 2006, issues of ease of use, proprietary technology, and finances slowed its momentum. Now podcasting is more popular than ever. This presentation therefore traces the author’s initial and current CALL podcasting projects, reconsidering the foundations and pedagogy of podcasting. MAIN SLIDES: Explanatory Concepts / Japancasting revived in 2022 in India / Podcasting Pedagogy / Conclusions. NOTE: On the title page of the PDF there is a link to the very clear 28-minute Zoom recording to watch the presentation on YouTube.
Online Teaching Japan Summer Sessions, Aug 24, 2020
This presentation places online education in a disciplinary context, charting historical, pedagog... more This presentation places online education in a disciplinary context, charting historical, pedagogical, institutional and cultural dimensions of e-learning. The evolution of online academic conferences is of particular relevance. Online education is seen in a broad sense, and as a pan-disciplinary set of meta-skills and knowledge beyond subject matter expertise. After the lecture, the discussion addresses the current emergency remote teaching situation globally, and what new structures are forming for online educator development events and organizations. There is much content in this PDF and links for further reading. Or see the YouTube link to listen to the Zoom recording of the presentation.
Pioneering short article published in the UK in 2001, now updated to maintain its relevance. "Int... more Pioneering short article published in the UK in 2001, now updated to maintain its relevance. "Internet educational technology is becoming another literacy that challenges and empowers scholars across all disciplines."
This article presents both a historical picture of online education and a colorful diagram of its... more This article presents both a historical picture of online education and a colorful diagram of its essential concepts for brainstorming. There is a brief recounting of developments leading to the improbable formation of the World Association for Online Education (WAOE). Online education and related terms were defined in a graduate school class on online education, while the WAOE organization provided online mentors for the graduate class at a national university near Tokyo.
Proceedings of the 2nd International Wireless Ready Symposium, Feb 20, 2009
The presenter used his Japanese literacy and knowledge of social media at an early stage to enhan... more The presenter used his Japanese literacy and knowledge of social media at an early stage to enhance the integrative motivation of students toward English as a Foreign Language by engaging them in their Japanese-language-only social network Mixi. This Proceedings article was expanded into the much-cited (but not freely available online) book chapter "Social Networking Behind Student Lines in Japan" in the Handbook of Research on Web 2.0 and Second Language Learning (ISBN 978-1-60566-190-2).
Opening Keynote Address at the “Wireless Ready: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language... more Opening Keynote Address at the “Wireless Ready: Podcasting Education and Mobile Assisted Language Learning” symposium held at NUCB Graduate School, Nagoya, Japan on March 24, 2007. The presentation was conducted simultaneously in the 3D virtual world Second Life from a second computer in the auditorium, attended by avatars of educators in other countries. Various Web 2.0 technologies could thereby be shown both as objects and media of instruction. This is the colorful slideshow; for the Proceedings article, see More Info / Links / URL below.
Details how the author provided videos in real time to stakeholders back in Japan of students stu... more Details how the author provided videos in real time to stakeholders back in Japan of students studying abroad in New Zealand.
A Passion for Japan: A Collection of Personal Narratives, Jun 2022
This chapter traces the eventful biography of Steve McCarty vis-à-vis Japan. The story spans deca... more This chapter traces the eventful biography of Steve McCarty vis-à-vis Japan. The story spans decades from graduate school specializing in Japan to discovering an astonishing syncretism of Asian religions. Along the way, the author gained a Japanese family and became a rare foreign full professor in 1993. Anecdotes vividly portray daily life, mostly on the southern island of Shikoku, but also in Nagoya and Osaka. Playing on many baseball teams brought the author into popular groups where members are frank and humorous. Functioning in daily relationships in Japanese, a college teaching career, and researching original sources were all motivating to improve language skills and adapt to the culture. The author led language teaching and research organizations, and collaborated on multilingual guidebooks to Shikoku with local teachers. After moving to Osaka in 2004, all family members became surprisingly successful. Invited by the government to regularly introduce Japan to visiting officials from around the world, it became clear that everything learned about Asia, the Japanese language, culture, and people proved useful and provoked reflection. Chapter sections: Why Japan? Formative Years from Boston to Honolulu > Glimpse of a Promising Research Area: Japanese Fusion of Religions > Moving to Japan > Playing Baseball for Language Fluency and Acculturation > Teaching English > Marriage and Family Life > Intercultural Communication and Bilingualism > The Pilgrimage Island of Shikoku > Buddhism and Shinto > Major Sites of Buddhist-Shinto Syncretism > A Synthesis of Asian Religions in a Mandala of Mountains > Notes [References].
Gyankosh Journal of Educational Research, Jun 27, 2023
Three consecutive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism were Amoghavajra of India, Huiguo of China, and... more Three consecutive patriarchs of Esoteric Buddhism were Amoghavajra of India, Huiguo of China, and Kūkai of Japan. This paper foregrounds the usually taken-for-granted but vital historical role of language education and translation in the international spread of religion and culture. There had to be sufficiently educated bilingual or multilingual priests to translate Buddhist scriptures and to travel internationally before the golden age of East Asia could be realized, with Emperors in T'ang Dynasty China and Heian Period Japan welcoming foreign representatives and patronizing Buddhism. Japan's great saint Kūkai was educated in Chinese and Sanskrit, thus able to contribute to Sino-Japanese relations as well as to systematize Buddhism and other Asian religions. This paper analyzes a biography of Kūkai that also illustrates the issue of voice in translations. A translated work ideally speaks with one voice, that of the original source, with the translator remaining invisible. Yet in this case, the Japanese-English translator has a distinct writing style in her second language, while the biographer alternates between a flowery classical Chinese rhetorical style and blunt intrusions into the story, which in turn reflect the ambivalence in quotations from Kūkai. Disparate voices can therefore be discerned along with the linguistic and cultural issues involved in a Sanskrit-Chinese-Japanese-English chain of communication.
This article goes deeply into psychology and comparative cultural identity, particularly East-Wes... more This article goes deeply into psychology and comparative cultural identity, particularly East-West differences in the basic worldviews people can have, such as I-You, Us-Them, I-Nature, We-Nature, or I-Universe, with Eastern peoples tending more to live in a social reality. The author shares insights into Zen and other observations from long experience in Japan, after previous studies of Western philosophy and depth psychology.
Haiku poetry developed over centuries in Japan, taking on such distinct characteristics that prot... more Haiku poetry developed over centuries in Japan, taking on such distinct characteristics that protective Japanese haikuists regard it as an inimitable part of their literature, aesthetics, and culture. At the same time, teachers all over the world have children write “haiku” poems in their own languages. There are also many English haiku contests and anthologies, some including Japanese judges, sponsors, editors or entrants, suggesting the internationalization of haiku. Therefore to decide between the conflicting claims as to whether non-Japanese are able to write real haiku poetry or not, the essential characteristics of this genre must be clarified.
A pechakucha presentation allows only 20 seconds to describe each of 20 slides, so this slideshow... more A pechakucha presentation allows only 20 seconds to describe each of 20 slides, so this slideshow consists of mostly photos by the author of beautiful sites in Kyōto that those planning to visit can search for online. Kyōto Buddhist temples, Shintō shrines, and the great festivals like the Gion Matsuri hark back to the Heian Period (794-1185). Festivals and community events in Kyōto reenact that period, with elaborate costumes that can be seen in the last several slides. The temples and shrines are each organized by season from spring to changing leaves in autumn, or winter snow. Many of the photos are of strolling gardens attached to the religious sites that visitors often miss.
This published Japanese-English guidebook to the island of Shikoku, emphasizing its culture and h... more This published Japanese-English guidebook to the island of Shikoku, emphasizing its culture and history, has been available by permission on the Web in French, Spanish, and Dutch at European Websites, as well as this English-Japanese version since 1997. Most of the chapters are bilingual, with English and Japanese alternating for those studying either language. In this way, non-Japanese people can learn Japanese language and culture at the same time, while local Japanese people studying English can also learn how to express their cultural heritage in English.
Creation myths from ancient Greece are compared with their Japanese counterparts from the early 8... more Creation myths from ancient Greece are compared with their Japanese counterparts from the early 8th Century Kojiki (古事記, Records of Ancient Matters). This fusion essay is a summation of previous book sections by Greek and Japanese scholars on the element of fire, including Prometheus. Interpretation of the symbolism by the author brings out similarities and differences between European and Asian cultures. (The fusion essay on the element of air, including Eros and Psyche, is also available at this site).
Creation myths from ancient Greece and Rome are compared with their Japanese counterparts from th... more Creation myths from ancient Greece and Rome are compared with their Japanese counterparts from the early 8th Century Kojiki (古事記, Records of Ancient Matters). This fusion essay is a summation of chapter sections by Greek and Japanese scholars about figures including Eros and Psyche. Interpretation of the symbolism by the author brings out similarities and differences between European and Asian cultures. (The fusion essay on the element of fire, including Prometheus, is also available at this site).
『香川短期大学紀要』 [Kagawa Junior College Journal], Mar 1988
The ama are women who dive for pearls. This bilingual paper renders the ancient Japanese folktale... more The ama are women who dive for pearls. This bilingual paper renders the ancient Japanese folktale "Ama" into English, investigates its origins, and attempts to interpret its timeless significance. From a prehistoric oral tradition it evolved into the temple chronicle of Shidoji in Kagawa Prefecture and a Noh play with its setting there. Beneath the Buddhism and Sophoclean drama of an ideal woman making the ultimate sacrifice for her husband, it is to raise the future status of her son. 日本語によるノートや概要も付いている。
Two papers on the Jungian psychology of Asian religions from M.A. coursework at the University of... more Two papers on the Jungian psychology of Asian religions from M.A. coursework at the University of Hawaii. "Equations of Freedom with Enlightenment" analyzes Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, and Zen as to the meaning of liberation. Then "This World as a Symbolic Body of the Buddha" analyzes the Shingon Buddhist cosmology of Kukai and its Tantric predecessors in India, culminating in the notion of Buddhahood in this body.
Journalistic online article about the dual national "haafu" in Japan. There is a completely unenf... more Journalistic online article about the dual national "haafu" in Japan. There is a completely unenforced law that they have to choose one nationality at age 22. With Naomi Osaka turning 22, a policy better left ambiguous might be smoked out to the detriment of biculturals with one Japanese parent.
Why does East Asian common sense often seem like the opposite of Western thought? This short essa... more Why does East Asian common sense often seem like the opposite of Western thought? This short essay outlines broad differences between East Asian and Western societies, while showing how Indian thought is closer to Western than East Asian ways of thinking.
Bewildering archaeological discoveries, combined with layers of lore from many religions, have be... more Bewildering archaeological discoveries, combined with layers of lore from many religions, have been associated with the Elephant's Head Mountain Range (Zōzuzankei) on Shikoku Island. A comparative Asian perspective, with reference to religious syncretism of the Heian period in Japan, leads to the conclusion that premodern Japanese viewed the whole Elephant's Head Mountain Range as a sacred area and a mandala that practitioners could traverse.
The author did in situ research for an M.A. in Asian Religions on Japan's greatest saint, Kūkai, ... more The author did in situ research for an M.A. in Asian Religions on Japan's greatest saint, Kūkai, in his birthplace of Zentsūji, along the Pilgrimage of Shikoku that symbolically recapitulates his career, and at Kōya-san, the mountaintop monastery south of Kyōto that Kūkai founded in the early 9th Century. Kūkai was a key figure igniting the golden age of the Heian Period, but little was known outside of his home region about his origins and supportive social network before this investigation. The author relied on classical and contemporary historical sources in Japanese, including interviews with Buddhist priests.
Shikoku is best known for a pilgrimage of 88 Buddhist temples, a thousand-mile clockwise circumam... more Shikoku is best known for a pilgrimage of 88 Buddhist temples, a thousand-mile clockwise circumambulation of the island. The pilgrimage of Shikoku symbolically recapitulates the career of Japan's great saint, Kūkai or Kōbō Daishi (774-835), from birth to enlightenment.
Mount Kōya (Kōya-san) was founded in 816 by imperial decree for Kōbō Daishi [Kūkai] (774-835), wh... more Mount Kōya (Kōya-san) was founded in 816 by imperial decree for Kōbō Daishi [Kūkai] (774-835), who had returned from the T'ang dynasty capital of Ch'ang-an imbued with Chinese civilization and Indian Mantrayana Buddhism.
LuzDelMes Tri-Anthology Virtual Conference, Nov 1, 2020
Keynote address slideshow with links to the Zoom recording and related publications. The ancient ... more Keynote address slideshow with links to the Zoom recording and related publications. The ancient intuitive language of images is still within us. People have always lived myths and taken lessons from legends. The lore and iconography of the Pilgrimage of Shikoku provide vivid examples. Poetry relies on metaphors, while true haiku communicate through nature symbolism. Although the author's research and practice span e-learning, bilingualism, language teaching, Japan, Asia, and the academic life, this keynote address shows his even broader personal interests including depth psychology, comparative culture, and East-West philosophy.
Journalistic article behind the scenes with young geisha in Kyoto, cosplayers, illustrated with l... more Journalistic article behind the scenes with young geisha in Kyoto, cosplayers, illustrated with large, gorgeous photos.
Review of a collection of papers showing the actual linguistic and cultural diversity of Japan fr... more Review of a collection of papers showing the actual linguistic and cultural diversity of Japan from ancient times to the present.
The Japan Times quoted the author extensively in a recent article on bilingual education. The rep... more The Japan Times quoted the author extensively in a recent article on bilingual education. The reporter agreed to share the full interview with the Japan Association for Language Teaching Bilingualism Special Interest Group (JALT Bilingualism SIG) publication Bilingual Japan. Asked why the level of English in Japan remains low, the author goes well beyond the standard explanations to diagnose deep cultural barriers. Then the author defines bilingual education, cites a successful example in Japan, and suggests balancing the input and opportunities for communication in Japanese and English. Next, the author touches upon current trends stemming from parental and societal recognition of the value of becoming bilingual. Finally, the author tackles the populist slogan that the Japanese do not need foreign languages, presenting individuals with a choice of lesser or greater freedom.
Highly cited, second of three in the series Understanding Bilingual Education. The previous paper... more Highly cited, second of three in the series Understanding Bilingual Education. The previous paper briefly introduced bilingual education and the varying purposes behind using certain languages as the medium of instruction in schools. This paper will show the main types of bilingual education, according to worldwide research. Weak or strong forms are distinguished by bilingual outcomes among students. The third paper will take a pedagogical approach in showing how various cases of school systems can be analyzed into types of bilingual education.
Child Research Net > Language Development & Education , Sep 27, 2013
This article applies a developmental bilingual perspective to language teaching. It shows how bil... more This article applies a developmental bilingual perspective to language teaching. It shows how bilingualism clarifies the effectiveness of language teaching approaches, bilingual development at different ages, the viewpoint of students, the societal context of language teaching, and language acquisition.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education , Apr 2010
This article presents several approaches to understanding bilingualism concepts. One approach is ... more This article presents several approaches to understanding bilingualism concepts. One approach is learning through experience, including academic activities, an intercultural family, and becoming bilingual. Bilingualism is the study of languages in contact at various levels. Therefore another approach to understanding bilingualism is to view situations in terms of four levels: the individual, family, society, or schools (bilingual education). Since the best conditions for language acquisition depend on the situation, this article aims to clarify viewpoints from which to understand bilingualism concepts.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education, Jun 2, 2010
A variety of ways that different types of parents can raise their children to be bilingual in Eng... more A variety of ways that different types of parents can raise their children to be bilingual in English and Japanese. Part 3 in the series Understanding Bilingualism. The most read (and cited) article at the Child Research Net site, it is available in English and Japanese (日本語版) at the links below.
A conversation between bilingualism researchers about a Japanese teacher who was a returnee from ... more A conversation between bilingualism researchers about a Japanese teacher who was a returnee from living abroad in childhood and concerned whether she was bilingual or semilingual (without mastery of either language). The authors illustrate with their long experience of raising children to be bilingual how semilingualism is largely a myth based on idealizing bilingualism, a tyranny of the native speaker model. Individual bilingualism is not a matter of perfection or balance but rather a matter of degree. Like the common type of receptive bilingual who understands a second language but has not needed to speak it, so-called semilingualism is usually just a type of bilingualism. Nearly all problems attributed to plural languages are actually social problems, where the person simply differs from mainstream expectations. This conversation can thus ease some concerns of imperfect bilinguals and intercultural parents.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education, Apr 11, 2014
This Taxonomy of Bilingualism series classifies various phenomena into levels of bilingualism, wi... more This Taxonomy of Bilingualism series classifies various phenomena into levels of bilingualism, with a view to language teaching. After explaining the levels, this first article focuses on the individual level of bilingual development.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education, Apr 18, 2014
Second in a three-part Taxonomy of Bilingualism series: the focus of the family level is how to r... more Second in a three-part Taxonomy of Bilingualism series: the focus of the family level is how to raise children to be bilingual, while the societal level encompasses various social issues such as language communities and government policies toward linguistic minorities.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education, Apr 25, 2014
Third and last in the Taxonomy of Bilingualism Series: the school level is bilingual education, a... more Third and last in the Taxonomy of Bilingualism Series: the school level is bilingual education, and the academic level is bilingualism as a discipline in applied linguistics.
Japan Association for Language Teaching JALT Osaka Back to School 2023 Conference, Apr 23, 2023
Presentation slideshow for the Japan Association for Language Teaching JALT Osaka Back to School ... more Presentation slideshow for the Japan Association for Language Teaching JALT Osaka Back to School 2023 Conference. Best to click on the title page link and watch the Zoom pre-recording. ABSTRACT: A goal for language learners is to function in plural languages according to their own needs and purposes. A bilingual perspective starts from that attainable goal. Learners in Japan tend to idealize L2 mastery or being bilingual, so it becomes other people's business. Monolingual teachers tell students by their example, "go where I have not gone," whereas a bilingual teacher says, "come to my state of functioning." This presentation thus details a paradigm shift from the predominant monolingual second language acquisition (SLA) paradigm to a developmental bilingual perspective.
Child Research Net: Language Development & Education , Feb 2, 2009
The words "bicultural" and "biculturalism" are occasionally used, but it is evident that their me... more The words "bicultural" and "biculturalism" are occasionally used, but it is evident that their meanings are not clearly understood. In Japan "bicultural" is often a label in preference to "half" for children of mixed parentage regardless of their actual personality. Yet most basically, "bicultural" should mean that two cultures are operative in one person, or at least that one person can operate in two cultures.
This brief article provides a procedure and a rubric for grading student essays online, even if t... more This brief article provides a procedure and a rubric for grading student essays online, even if the class meets in person, which is a kind of blended learning. The type of essay in this case is a five-paragraph summary, reflection, and response paper. This approach can be adapted to the situation of other teachers. Students develop writing and analytical skills in their second language, connect an assigned article to their own experience, and express their own reasoned views, so they can enjoy the assignment even if it is graded. The value of a rubric like this is less about grading than showing students the necessary elements of the assigned paper, what they need to do, and what is particularly important.
Child Research Net: Language Development and Education , Jun 21, 2013
The discipline of bilingualism in applied linguistics is the study of different languages that co... more The discipline of bilingualism in applied linguistics is the study of different languages that come into contact at various levels in the same social space or person. Active bilingualism research groups in Japan show, on the one hand, a fascination with an idealized view of dual language proficiency that is virtually out of reach as a goal. On the other hand, bilingualism principles and worldwide research findings serve the imperative of international families to raise well-adjusted bilingual children. This article aims to clarify the various meanings of bilingualism, and to show how understanding bilingualism developmentally makes it a realistic and appropriate goal of language learning.
Understanding Bilingual Education series: first of three articles. What is bilingual education, a... more Understanding Bilingual Education series: first of three articles. What is bilingual education, and what purposes does it serve? This article introduces bilingual education and clarifies why there are such diverse patterns of languages used in education. Then a second paper shows how various school systems in Japan and the world can be analyzed into types of bilingual education. Weak or strong forms of bilingual education will be distinguished in terms of bilingual outcomes among students. Finally, a third paper takes a pedagogical approach, offering lesson plans and realistic cases of school systems to analyze.
Last in the three-part series Understanding Bilingual Education. With the information and charts ... more Last in the three-part series Understanding Bilingual Education. With the information and charts from the first two papers, the role of languages in any school system can be analyzed in terms of types of bilingual education. This paper takes a pedagogical approach in providing lesson plans that have been used in Content-Based English as a Foreign Language university classes on Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. Ten realistic cases of school systems in Japan and the world are presented for analysis, and a checklist of ten items provides further criteria. Referring to the chart of ten aims in the first paper, and the ten types of bilingual education detailed in the second article, various school situations around the world can be analyzed in terms of established criteria in the field of bilingualism.
Brief summary of a conference presentation, with colorful charts that illustrate the scope of bil... more Brief summary of a conference presentation, with colorful charts that illustrate the scope of bilingualism as a discipline.
Colorful PDF slideshow of a presentation at the Japan Association for Language Teaching Kobe Chap... more Colorful PDF slideshow of a presentation at the Japan Association for Language Teaching Kobe Chapter. There is much to read in the slideshow on all aspects of bilingualism in Japan, and the presentation contrasts a developmental bilingual perspective with the usual native speaker-oriented and monolingual second language acquisition paradigm.
A bilingual perspective on the benefits of studying abroad for Japanese students of English. See ... more A bilingual perspective on the benefits of studying abroad for Japanese students of English. See the links to English and Japanese versions of the interview. 日本語版のインタビューへのリンクも、以下にあります.
This article shines a bilingual perspective on common fallacies in the English language teaching ... more This article shines a bilingual perspective on common fallacies in the English language teaching field. The street lamp syndrome refers to research and practices of convenience that quantify everything or miss the big picture, like someone looking for his lost keys under the street lamp because there is more light there.
This essay endeavors to explain the characteristics of life that AI can never have. The author ta... more This essay endeavors to explain the characteristics of life that AI can never have. The author takes off his academic hat here and speaks from direct experience.
English has become the global academic lingua franca. In recent years English-medium Instruction ... more English has become the global academic lingua franca. In recent years English-medium Instruction (EMI) programs have rapidly developed at universities where English is a foreign language. The need for Faculty Development (FD) for the success of EMI programs has most recently begun to be recognized. This paper briefly reviews FD for EMI, then reports on an actual Global FD program in Japan, with more than two years of complete data on individual faculty consultations. The university aimed to encourage regular faculty members to teach in English, but their expressed needs reveal broader international academic concerns. UPDATE: The Japanese version is now available in the Links section (論文の日本語版は、Links / URL のところで参照).
Why and how to set up and customize a Google Scholar Profile step-by-step that is effective for m... more Why and how to set up and customize a Google Scholar Profile step-by-step that is effective for maximizing citations, academic networking, and curating an online list of publications.
This short article introduces a process that the author calls "career tapering." Whether citizens... more This short article introduces a process that the author calls "career tapering." Whether citizens, sojourners, or immigrants, most employed residents of Japan and many other countries will be unable or unwilling to retire. The natural desire to choose the terms of transitions, however, runs into customary age limits in the case of higher education in Japan, usually 65 for full-time and 70 to 75 for part-time employment. Combined with stereotypical dismissiveness towards older people, a sudden loss of status can be vertiginous. Yet there is a great demand for the services that older professionals can perform in education, society, and academia internationally. Language teaching or other duties could be gradually decreased and improved in quality, while the teacher remains at least as active outside of institutions. Quality of life can be better than ever, with more free time to create and curate. Lifelong learning can accord with lifelong interests. Published by the Japan Association for Language Teaching (JALT) Lifelong Language Learning (LLL) Special Interest Group (SIG).
Straight answers to questions definitive of the academic life: What is a university? What is a pr... more Straight answers to questions definitive of the academic life: What is a university? What is a professor? Who are the colleagues of a person in higher education? What should be learned in graduate school regardless of the field of specialization? To what extent can a human being live by academic standards and ethics? See the link at the bottom of the article for the rest of the series: 2. "The Idea of the University" and 3. "Upholding Professional Standards and Ethics."
This article discusses the nature of the academic life, what a university is or should be. But un... more This article discusses the nature of the academic life, what a university is or should be. But universities today are under siege, threatening to compromise the ideals that scholars have upheld for generations if not millennia. Recently the direction of universities is constantly being contested, so only some representative arguments can be presented here. This article will also turn to other authors to characterize the classical idea of the university that is always worth reconsidering.
This article applies principles from the first two articles in the series to further clarify the ... more This article applies principles from the first two articles in the series to further clarify the nature of education and the exemplary life of the educator. Ethics will be distinguished from values and morals, with professional ethics added to academic ethics. The role of educators in society is suggested, with examples given of how professional ethics are upheld or violated. In order to clarify standards and to uphold ethics in the real world of experience, it is necessary to challenge unethical practices, because there is quite a difference in outcomes in each individual and society depending on whether educators live the academic life or not.
PDF slideshow with captions briefly explaining the charts and photos. The face-to-face presentati... more PDF slideshow with captions briefly explaining the charts and photos. The face-to-face presentation to Thai and Japanese university students and staff is particularly for a group visiting from Rangsit University near Bangkok, Thailand. The presenter is a Japan specialist teaching classes at Osaka Jogakuin University on Intercultural Communication and Bilingualism. The presentation briefly discusses what culture is, world cultures and values, and comparative culture, mentioning other countries including Japan, Thailand, and India. The main topic is American culture and multiculturalism. The U.S. is diverse and multicultural, so it is difficult to generalize about what American culture is, but some American traditions are presented along with cultural research findings. The presentation aims for objectivity as well as frankness, so readers may draw their own conclusions.
11th International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences Proceedings, 2019
Proceedings paper in conjunction with the opening keynote address on the 2019 conference theme of... more Proceedings paper in conjunction with the opening keynote address on the 2019 conference theme of Global Digital Society: Impacts on Humanities and Social Sciences. The topic of disruptive technology and our calling suited the author's background in online education and international faculty development. The author has also worked for the impact to go the other way, from the Humanities and Social Sciences to new technologies, which tend to be rudderless or even dangerous unless guided by ethics and, in education, pedagogy. Thus the paper recommends interdisciplinarity and outlines the history of e-learning.
International Webinar on New Spaces and Emerging Dialogues: Fresh Perspectives on Teaching/Learning of Foreign Languages, Oct 1, 2020
Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, Distinguished Speaker Zoom presentation slides... more Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, Distinguished Speaker Zoom presentation slideshow with screenshots and links for research. The presentation shows how global faculty development represents surprisingly specific actions to bring educators and university faculties up to global academic standards. In the current world situation, teaching online is suddenly universal, and lifestyles will continue largely online. For language teachers, the presentation considers many online educational technologies in terms of constructivist pedagogy, data processing requirements, and ease of use for students and teachers. NOTE: There is a link to the Zoom recording of the presentation in this PDF slideshow. The video is 28 minutes of lecture with clear sound, then 14 minutes of Q&A, turbulent at times, but interesting interactions with the New Delhi leaders and participants.
Osaka Jogakuin College Journal 『大阪女学院短期大学紀要』, Mar 1, 2015
This paper shows what individual stakeholders can do to raise the global rankings of their univer... more This paper shows what individual stakeholders can do to raise the global rankings of their university along with the academic profile of scholars who publish. In order to receive due recognition, many specific strategies for optimizing university Websites, research repositories, and Google Scholar Profiles are recommended, according to the stated criteria of global university ranking organizations and Google Scholar, along with generally effective Web practices and an ethic of openness. The rankings of eight leading private universities in the Kansai region of Japan (Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe) are compared and analyzed in terms of internationalization and publications, showing where universities are outperforming their peers (in one case) or underperforming (in most cases), which indicates great scope for improvement in world rankings. However, this is shown to be best achieved by involving all possible stakeholders in the public face of the university on the Web, and by treating their teachers well.
As Academia is reconstituted in cyberspace, Web presence is becoming synonymous with academic rec... more As Academia is reconstituted in cyberspace, Web presence is becoming synonymous with academic recognition, both for individuals and institutions. This article introduces criteria of global university ranking organizations, then focuses on how to optimize Web presence and academic recognition with an ethic of openness. See Files for links to further articles on "Setting up an Effective Google Scholar Profile" and "University Website Optimization and Google Scholar for Academic Recognition."
Based on a technology in language teaching conference presentation, this article summarizes how i... more Based on a technology in language teaching conference presentation, this article summarizes how individual faculty members can be heroes by helping to raise the global ranking of their university, according to the specifications of Google Scholar and good practices in campus Website development. For a fuller explanation see the link at this site to "University Website Optimization and Google Scholar for Academic Recognition."
A review of the University of Hong Kong Knowledge and Discourse Conference just before the revers... more A review of the University of Hong Kong Knowledge and Discourse Conference just before the reversion brought post-colonial and cross-cultural issues to a climax. This report may provide some historical depth as recent events show that the grass is not necessarily greener on the other side.
Japan Association for Language Teaching Joint Mini Conference of JALT’s Accessibility in Language Learning & Lifelong Language Learning Special Interest Groups, Feb 26, 2022
A colorful presentation slideshow on what the author calls "career tapering" - with a link to the... more A colorful presentation slideshow on what the author calls "career tapering" - with a link to the Zoom recording on YouTube. Whether citizens, sojourners, or immigrants, most employed residents of Japan and many other countries will be unable or unwilling to retire. The natural desire to choose the terms of transitions, however, runs into customary age limits in the case of higher education in Japan, around 65 for full-time and 70 to 75 for part-time employment . Combined with stereotypical dismissiveness towards older people, a sudden loss of status can be vertiginous. Yet there is a great demand for the services that older professionals can perform in education, society, and academia internationally. This presentation illustrates how language teaching duties can be gradually decreased and improved in quality, while the teacher remains at least as active outside of institutions. Many suggestions are offered on how to have a better quality of life than ever, enjoying more free time to create and curate. Lifelong learning can accord with lifelong interests.
International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences, May 2, 2019
Slideshow of the opening keynote address on the conference theme of Global Digital Society: Impac... more Slideshow of the opening keynote address on the conference theme of Global Digital Society: Impacts on Humanities and Social Sciences, at Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand. The topic of disruptive technology and our calling could not be more suitable for someone who works on international faculty development by leading the World Association for Online Education since 1998. At the same time, the author has worked for the impact to go the other way, from the Humanities and Social Sciences to new technologies, which tend to be rudderless or even dangerous unless guided by ethics, and, in education, pedagogy. In collaboration with Prof. Gráinne Conole (National Institute for Digital Learning, Dublin City University, Ireland), the presentation includes a history of e-learning.
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