ITJ is a professional development program for busy Japanese language teachers that provides convenient access to six key resources. 1. ITJ offers a number of Internet-assisted courses organized into convenient modules. Most of these modules can be completed within fifteen to twenty hours of on-line activity spread over a four-week block of time. 2. ITJ provides teachers easy access to Internet resources to enrich their classroom teaching and professional development. 3. ITJ also provides a single place where teachers can learn about current events in the field of Japanese language education. This would be of interest to elementary, middle school, and high school teachers. 4. In the future ITJ will provide a convenient means for Japanese language educators to share and exchange teaching materials that they have created. 5. ITJ is also working to provide a convenient way of communicating with fellow Japanese language teachers and specialists across the United States and around the globe.Once developed the ITJ Teachers Lounges will be an exciting addition to this on-line professional development resource. 6. Through special arrangements with quality publishers and book distributors, ITJ will soon offer convenient on-line access to select Japanese language textbooks and teaching materials.

© 1997 The Laurasian Institution