These articles compare how opinions are expressed in English and Japanese. http://www.cis.doshisha.ac.jp/kkitao/library/student/reading/pictures/pic_i_3.htm http://www.japanintercultural.com/en/japanesebusinessetiquetteguide/begToDisagreeHandlingDifferencesOfOpinion.aspx Page 24 of this booklet (page 26 of the PDF) talks about some of the cultural features involved in expressing opinions in Japanese. http://www.jetro.go.jp/costarica/mercadeo/communicationwith.pdf These resources could be used to teach students explicitly about Japanese culture, specifically...
Continue reading...Teaching and Learning
Response to Tajino and Tajino (2000): Native and Non-Native – What Can They Offer?
This post is from a course that I took. I had to make blog posts for the course and I decided to move the posts over here when the course finished. Tajino, A., & Tajino, Y. (2000). Native and non-native: What can they offer? ELT Journal, 54(1), 3-11. I like...
Continue reading...Response to Clark (1997): Developing Voices
This post is from a course that I took. I had to make blog posts for the course and I decided to move the posts over here when the course finished. Clark, J. (1997). Developing voices. Keynote address delivered at the AFMLTA Conference, Hobart. I think the most important line...
Continue reading...Resource: About Japan — A Teacher’s Resource
This site is offered by the Japan Society (New York). There are many teaching resources on a variety of topics on this site. Link: http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/page/japaneducation_home
Continue reading...Resource: NHK World
This site broadcasts news about Japan in English. Students can read, listen to, or watch the news. This site could be used in a variety of ways to help students familiarize themselves with issues in Japan. Japanese news (in Japanese) would be too difficult for most students to understand, so...
Continue reading...Resource: Hiroshima Panorama Project
This website offers three photos of Hiroshima after it had been bombed with a nuclear weapon. The website shows sections of panoramic photos of the city, and you can also order print versions for $25. These would be very valuable resources to use in a class about Hiroshima and the...
Continue reading...Resource: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
This site could be used in a class that talks about the history of the war from the Japanese perspective (as a part of the “moving between cultures” outcomes). Link: http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.html
Continue reading...Resources: Bonjinsha
Bonjinsha is one of the best places to shop for Japanese teaching materials, including textbooks, flashcards, and test materials. There is a store in Kojimachi that every Japanese language teacher should make a trek to at least once in his/her life! It is one thing to read about Japanese materials...
Continue reading...Resource: Billboard Japan Hot 100
Learning about pop music in another language can motivate students to want to learn more about that language. The Billboard site lists the latest top 100 songs in Japan, which could serve as a starting point for a research project on J-pop or a teacher could use it to keep...
Continue reading...Resource: JapanesePod101.com
JapanesePod101.com offers a wide range of podcasts and videos that can help students review what they have learned in class or learn new material independently. The site offers some content for free, but some can only be accessed by paying a membership fee. Teachers could also make use of the...
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