Blessed with a temperate climate and the beauty of nature, the city and suburbs of Vancouver attract a large number of young people who visit for business and pleasure, or long-term study at language schools, universities, or graduate schools. In recent years, especially in the midst of the economic bubble, a new group of immigrants has appeared in this region, moreover, adding to the generation that immigrated to Canada before World War II. The Japanese-American community is especially active in this western gate to Canada, and at the University of British Columbia, approximately one hundred Japanese students participate annually in the year long UBC-Ritsumeikan Academic Exchange Programme. This paper will introduce methods used to maximize resources in the large local community of Japanese to help students of advanced Japanese (4th year university level) in their study of the language and culture. In addition, activities for use in advanced classes by teachers in areas without Japanese communities or teachers of summer language courses will be suggested.
In general, advanced language learners lack the level of fluency, vocabulary, paraphrasing skills, and communicative expression prescribed by ACTFL-OPI. This study will show how class activities can be divided into volunteer partnerships and guest speaker events in order to help strengthen these areas. While native speakers' participation in the classroom is not a new technique, this program is unique in that activities are not limited to language exchange or conversation tables with Japanese people, but instead include actual immersion into Japanese culture through local resources. In addition to discussing the advantages for students, this paper will also demonstrate how programs using Japanese volunteers in the classroom can help foster the development of future language teachers.