Speaker
Abstract section 1: Relevance
Experiential and community-based learning can make language education meaningful by linking classroom study with real-world activity (Kolb, 1984). Research also shows that authentic communication tasks and audience awareness help build communicative competence (Hyland, 2018; Lim, 2021). In Japan, rice cultivation and sake production have been explored as educational settings connecting agriculture, culture, and learning (Harada, 2015; Tsaprilina, 2020). This presentation introduces a sake-making project in which students grow rice, observe brewing, and create English explanations for international audiences. It highlights how participation, community collaboration, and cultural engagement can deepen motivation, strengthen communication skills, and turn local tradition into language learning.
Abstract section 4: Outcomes/results
Participants will see how experiential learning and community collaboration can support meaningful language education. Examples of student work will demonstrate how learners transformed their experiences of rice cultivation and sake brewing into English explanations designed for international audiences. Interaction with local residents, area students, and international participants encourages students to consider diverse audiences and communication contexts. The project also illustrates how traditional cultural practices such as rice cultivation and sake production can function as interdisciplinary educational platforms linking language learning, cultural heritage, and community engagement, echoing recent educational initiatives in Japan that use agriculture and sake culture as learning environments.
Abstract section 3: Content/method
The presentation describes the structure of the project, including rice planting, harvesting, and collaboration with a local brewery. Students document their experiences and develop explanations of sake production and rice culture for international audiences. Rather than translating existing Japanese descriptions, students create original English materials based on observation, participation, and interaction with community members. Examples of student work, community events, and classroom activities integrating agriculture, culture, and language learning will be presented.
Abstract section 5: References
Akita Prefectural University. (2025). Student-led sake brewing project “Kiwamu” integrating rice cultivation, brewing, and product development. Akita Prefectural University.
Connor, U. (2023). Intercultural rhetoric. In A. Barron & Y. Gu (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of intercultural pragmatics. Cambridge University Press.
Government of Japan. (2020). The Japanese and rice. Government of Japan Public Relations Office.
Harada, S. (2015). Study of fact finding survey on learning through experience of rice-farming in elementary school. Annual Report of Researches in Environmental Education.
Hyland, K. (2018). Metadiscourse: Exploring interaction in writing. Bloomsbury.
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences. (2025). Agricultural science education programs for high school students focusing on rice breeding and agriculture. JIRCAS.
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
Lim, H.-J. (2021). Can an intercultural rhetoric intervention improve academic performance? An exploratory study using Korean EFL students. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 54, 101037.
Niigata University Sakeology Center. (2020). Interdisciplinary research and education on sake culture and production.Niigata University.
Tsaprilina, O. V. (2020). 稲作文化と日本語の表現 [Rice cultivation culture and expressions in Japanese]. 国際文化研究紀要.
Abstract section 2: Contribution/research questions
This university sake project is an experiential learning initiative in which students grow sake rice, participate in the brewing process, and create English materials explaining Japanese sake culture. Students collaborate with local residents, students, and international residents, creating a cross-generational and intercultural learning environment. This presentation will demonstrate how firsthand cultural participation and community engagement can support authentic language use and student-generated communication about local culture.
| Title | From Rice Fields to Global Audiences: Teaching Sake Culture |
|---|---|
| Teaching Context | College and university education |