Abstract:

Demotivation, lack of progress, loss of direction, exhaustion, overwhelmed mind, boredom... How many teachers and students alike come to this point in foreign language teaching and learning! The point of extreme density where and when both parts are ready to give up. The last 12 months under the severe circumstances of a pandemic which has affected all levels of our lives have even intensified the above feelings. And this is only one of the many challenges we need to cope with in 21st century.

The present research suggests an interdisciplinary approach to foreign language teaching. It has been generated through examples from the classroom at the Japanese Studies Department at Sofia University "Saint Kliment Ohridski", Bulgaria. It is based on the holistic understanding of teaching and learning as everyday processes shared by human beings all around the world. It combines the concept of "hana" (flower) presented in the field of dramaturgy by famous Japanese drama expert Motokiyo Zeami in the end of 14th and first half of 15th century and the zen buddhist understanding of "practice" and lifepath. It is this "practical" reference that makes the theories work smoothly in a classroom (even virtual one).

The methodology suggests how teachers and students alike need to see the learning process as a process similar to the biological cycle of a flower development which comes to the sublime point of full bloom - the moment of highest educational density and effect on both sides. The examples which illustrate the theory are taken from successful practices from the classroom of Japanese Studies BA program - one of the most successful programs of Sofia University even in times of a pandemic. It is believed that the appoach might be helpful to collegues around the world to make the best of their efforts and transform the moment of teaching into a moment of blooming.

Keywords:

Philosophy of education, zan buddhism, foreign language teaching, japanese studies.