The Bible undoubtedly places a premium on the importance of communication and how we treat one another using our language. “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Eph. 4:15 NIV); “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer to everyone” (Col. 4:6); “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Prv. 18:21). Humans have been given the privilege of using words to communicate with one another. With that privilege comes the responsibility to yield our words in love and in truth that we may bring glory to God. Amazingly, the Gospel of John teaches us that Jesus Himself is the Word. We are made in His image, thus we communicate using languages, and, in the central part of our being, have a yearning to be connected to God and to one another. When we use language, we demonstrate perhaps the most profound reflection of His image. It is through language that we come to know God.Through language, we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds. Through language, we love one another.

Our world language department is based on the principle that we use language as a means to love God and one another, and that it is also a venue to discover truths about God, ourselves, and others. Whether it is the home language or a foreign language, we believe that learning languages allows students to grow academically, spiritually, and socially. To this end, our language teachers aim to instill in our students CAJ’s Student Objectives by:

Teaching the value of cultures and the people in them (Faithful Caretakers)

Cultivating an appreciation and discipline required for learning the target language (Responsible Learners)

Developing the four language skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in order to nurture and articulate thoughts, emotions, perspectives, and ideas (Discerning Thinkers)

Providing opportunities to work together using the target language (Productive Collaborators)

Cultivating a biblical understanding of how to use our language to share our experiences with one another, teach one another, learn from one another, and edify one another (Effective Communicators)

Above all, through the teaching of languages, we strive to provide students with the opportunity to seek God’s truth and grow in understanding ourselves, each other, and the world around us, in order to love and serve Japan and the world for Christ.