Developing the Background Knowledge Sample Clauses

Developing the Background Knowledge. No students participating in this project majored in performing arts. Some of them had an interest in theater or had experienced theatrical plays before; however, from chatting with the students, the teacher found that none of them had any knowledge of puppet theaters at the beginning of this project. Therefore, it was considered necessary to develop their background knowledge first. The teacher arranged two opportunities for the students to do field study. In both, the students used their L1, Japanese. The first was a visit to the Japanese traditional marionette theater company Isshi-za, where the puppeteer explained traditional puppets in Japan and his productions. The students also learned how to hold and operate a puppet (see Figure 2). Secondly, they visited executives of the Foundation Modern Puppet Theater, which is the leading puppet organization in Japan and has introduced both Japanese and overseas puppet theaters to Japanese audiences. The students interviewed the executives and learned about puppet cultures in Japan and in other countries, especially those participating in the 2018 AVIAMA General Assembly.