Preadvanced Japanese

symbol ❖ indicates that there is an audio file for that section. The Main Texts, Our Opinions, and all the Drills have audio files. In addition, each chapter contains video files of natural and unscripted interviews with native speakers on the theme. Viewing these videos, students can observe facial expressions, gestures, mannerisms, tone of voice, shifts in speech styles, dialects, and other communicative and cultural elements that are not typically presented in a textbook. Q: How do we learn Kanji? When we read, we recognize words and phrases and their readings, rather than individual symbols. We process the sounds and comprehend the meaning. When we encounter an unrecognized written word, we try to “sound out” and guess its meaning and reading. If we focus on individual Kanji and their meaning in English, this may hinder leaning how to read. For this reason, we need to learn Kanji using meaningful words and phrases, their readings, and their English meanings, instead of focusing on the original meaning of individual kanji character in isolation. This is also critical in developing your scanning skills, which is essential for functional reading. You can make your own custom kanji /vocabulary lists using the online reading tools as mentioned above. In this textbook, major kanji words and expressions from the main texts are listed in Kanji Drills. The accompanying audio provides their correct readings. There are pauses before and after the model reading. The recommended procedure for these drills is to first try sounding out each word and test your memory during the first pause, check the model reading with the audio, and then repeat the model yourself during the second pause. Make sure you speak aloud. Once you become comfortable reading the words, you are then ready to start writing. This follows the pedagogical principle that a passive activity should precede a productive activity. Production is easier when you have already established a solid visual memory. To learn kanji stroke order, there are many excellent sites on the Internet. Find one that works for you. Q: What other activities can supplement this textbook? Upon completing each chapter in the textbook, students are ready to engage in more expanded linguistic activities and assignments utilizing what they have learned. These activities include team debates, PowerPoint presentations, speeches, interviews, videoconferences, emailing/texting, essay writing, online research, translations, blogs and online review writing. Suggested topics for these activities are listed at the end of each chapter as まとめ , Summary.