My Japanese classes/lessons included practices to develop skills of speaking/talking, reading, listening, writing, interacting, and constructing/performing students’ own dialogues by pairs/groups or by oneself and learning Japanese used in travelling in Japan. Speaking practice sometimes used the pictures, concepts or topics from the brochures of the Japan National Tourism Organizations, Jenta, Nichigo Press, Daily Telegraph etc.

My Intermediate 2 has finished Unit 8, Genki Book 1 and began using Japanese for Busy People, Book 2. – The reason of the change of the textbook was that Genki Book 1 is based on the topics of a university student’s life in Japan, whereas Japanese for Busy People, Book 2 for a working person of non-Japanese origin who lives in Japan. In addition, the former book is slow (but with more exercises given for grammar teaching) with many explanatory paragraphs that are mostly in English. And the latter book has much more stimulating and practical concepts, names and words for adult learners who wish to visit or live in Japan. (However, when it comes to the dialogues in each Unit of the above books, Genki Book 1 is better than Japanese for Busy People. That is the former has more clear, beautiful pronunciations and ways of readings.                                                                      My above class (Intermediate 2) seems happy to use Japanese for Busy P. Book 2 and accepted for the course book from now onwards. So, that will continue. Kanji teaching will go together with teaching each Unit since the back of the book has the Kanji teaching Units.

Also, for the above class, I will continue using some units or pages Real Life Japanese (by C. Dibble & S. Matsumoto, UNICOM, Tokyo, 2001 (+ cd) for teaching Travel Japanese.

I have 2 students for weekly tutorials (different tutorials). Both are Beginners 2 levels. We use Genki Book 1 and its script pages of the back of the book (currently learning Katakana script) apart from some other handouts for esp. script learning and vocab increase (and its application to make sentences). Both students are keen learners, knowledgeable at Japanese culture and highly motivated, so it is enjoyable to teach.

Regarding the news from Japan through the media, I spoke about the following in my lessons.

The Japanese Imperial Couple, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, visited Peleliu Island (part of the west Pacific island nation of Palau) (7 April, 15, NHK News, shown on SBS TV). The visit was the Emperor’s personal wish esp. after they/he could not do so when he wished a decade before at his visit to other island. The visit was to commemorate those who had lost their lives during WWI and they visited monuments dedicated to Japanese and American soldiers on Peleliu Island. The Royal visit was absolutely welcomed by all in the island and it was almost sensational. The head of the country and others said the Royal visit was excellent for the two nations’ new relationships. One fourth of the total population of the country is Japanese descendants. (similar report to that topic can be seen at the online artile of the Japan Times – http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/09/national/emperor-empress-visit-wwii-cenotaph-palau/#.VUg1qvmqpBc.

Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson

5.5.15