4. The structure of Interactive Japanese 1
The textbook is divided into seventeen lessons each of which should require about three hours of
class time to complete. The lessons themselves are divided into subsections which deal with new
language points, conversation, oral practice, sociocultural notes, grammatical explanations,
listening, reading, or writing. The language sections typically comprise:
an introduction in which the new point is explained.
a conversation which illustrates the point functionally using a situation likely to be encountered
by students when interacting with Japanese people.
· a practice section which often involves an information gap activity requiring oral pair-work.
Throughout each lesson are notes on language usage, Japanese culture and society, and
summaries of the key language patterns which need to be mastered.
The last sections of Lessons 1-15 cover the writing of hiragana and twenty four kanji with an
emphasis on stroke order and proportion.
From an educational standpoint Interactive Japanese 1 includes both structural / functional and
communicative features. Its explicit focus is upon communicating information in realistic
situations with the implicit introduction and reinforcement of basic grammatical structures.
Language points are introduced systematically according to a spiral structure which continues in
subsequent volumes. When a new grammatical point is first introduced only its key features are
practiced. Further details are introduced when the structure is again encountered in a different
situation. Rather than explaining each grammatical point in exhaustive detail before moving on
to the next, this spiral structure allows each grammatical structure to be revised and extended
each time it is encountered.
This has a positive effect on student learning and motivation because new material is not made
overly complex. Since a new point often involves aspects of previously encountered material it
can be speedily assimilated and used giving students a sense of achievement all allowing class
time to be used for activities which involve students rather than extensive explanation. The
practice of new structures is through pair-work which requires the exchange of information by
repeatedly using the target language pattern within a meaningful context. This obviates the need
for mechanical drills and focuses students' attention on the process of information exchange.
Since each lesson comprises a number of subsections, each relating to a new point, classes can
be structured flexibly. Breaks can be made at a number of points in each lesson so it is not
necessary to cover a complete lesson in each class. The sectional structure allows classes to be
more stimulating for students and less demanding for teachers because the focus of the lesson
shifts from teacher to tape player to student pair to textbook and back to teacher a number of
times during a lesson. The result is a more student-centered class and reduced teacher talking
time which allows the teacher time to monitor the progress of the class and individual students.
This structure also makes reference to the tape and indexes quick and convenient.
The textbook is divided into seventeen lessons each of which should require about three hours of
class time to complete. The lessons themselves are divided into subsections which deal with new
language points, conversation, oral practice, sociocultural notes, grammatical explanations,
listening, reading, or writing. The language sections typically comprise:
an introduction in which the new point is explained.
a conversation which illustrates the point functionally using a situation likely to be encountered
by students when interacting with Japanese people.
· a practice section which often involves an information gap activity requiring oral pair-work.
Throughout each lesson are notes on language usage, Japanese culture and society, and
summaries of the key language patterns which need to be mastered.
The last sections of Lessons 1-15 cover the writing of hiragana and twenty four kanji with an
emphasis on stroke order and proportion.
From an educational standpoint Interactive Japanese 1 includes both structural / functional and
communicative features. Its explicit focus is upon communicating information in realistic
situations with the implicit introduction and reinforcement of basic grammatical structures.
Language points are introduced systematically according to a spiral structure which continues in
subsequent volumes. When a new grammatical point is first introduced only its key features are
practiced. Further details are introduced when the structure is again encountered in a different
situation. Rather than explaining each grammatical point in exhaustive detail before moving on
to the next, this spiral structure allows each grammatical structure to be revised and extended
each time it is encountered.
This has a positive effect on student learning and motivation because new material is not made
overly complex. Since a new point often involves aspects of previously encountered material it
can be speedily assimilated and used giving students a sense of achievement all allowing class
time to be used for activities which involve students rather than extensive explanation. The
practice of new structures is through pair-work which requires the exchange of information by
repeatedly using the target language pattern within a meaningful context. This obviates the need
for mechanical drills and focuses students' attention on the process of information exchange.
Since each lesson comprises a number of subsections, each relating to a new point, classes can
be structured flexibly. Breaks can be made at a number of points in each lesson so it is not
necessary to cover a complete lesson in each class. The sectional structure allows classes to be
more stimulating for students and less demanding for teachers because the focus of the lesson
shifts from teacher to tape player to student pair to textbook and back to teacher a number of
times during a lesson. The result is a more student-centered class and reduced teacher talking
time which allows the teacher time to monitor the progress of the class and individual students.
This structure also makes reference to the tape and indexes quick and convenient.