Features of This Book

Katsudoo and Rikai should both be seen as main study materials. Decide which to choose
based on your learning objectives. In addition, Katsudoo and Rikai use the same topics. If

Marugoto: Japanese Language and Culture is a coursebook that is based on the JF
Standard for Japanese Language Education. It has the following features.

● Japanese Levels of JF Standard for Japanese Language Education

you use both, you can make progress in your overall Japanese proﬁciency.

● Intercultural Understanding
Marugoto offers learning in both language and culture. There is help with interculturalunderstanding in various places, such as the situations of the conversations, contents ofMarugoto employs levels that correspond to the six stages of the JF Standard forthe conversations, photographs and illustrations. Learn about Japanese culture, reﬂect on

Japanese Language Education (A1-C2). Marugoto (Elementary2) is A2 level.

your own culture and deepen your intercultural understanding.

A2 level

3月3日

・Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of mostimmediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local
geography, employment).
・Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchangeof information on familiar and routine matters.

日本文化センターで、すしをつくりました。
とてもたのしかったです。
If I compare Japanese food with Australian food, theyboth rely on fresh ingredients and the natural tastes ofthe fresh ingredients.

・Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background,immediate environment and matters in areas of immediateneed.
Source: JF Standard for Japanese● Managing Your Own Study

Language Education 2010Users Guide Book

It is very important to evaluate and manage your learning by yourself in order to keep

(2nd edition)

going in language learning. Make a record of the Japanese language and culture you havestudied using the portfolio. When you look at the portfolio, you can clearly understand yourown learning processes and your accomplishments.

How to Use This Book
● Two Marugoto coursebooks:

Katsudoo and Rikai

Marugoto offers two methods of study aimed at enabling you to communicate using
Japanese: Katsudoo and Rikai .

1 Course Flow
The Marugoto (Elementary2 A2 Rikai ) course is designed with study of communicative
language competences, mainly the language structures that underlie communication, at

Katsudoo : a coursebook for communicative language activities

its heart (Japanese script, vocabulary, grammar and sentence patterns). The suggested

・ For people who want to start using Japanese immediately

class length for one lesson is around 120-180 minutes. In the middle and at the end of the・ The objective is to gain practical ability communicating in everyday situations.

course, you will do Test and Reﬂection 1 and 2.

・ You will practise listening to and speaking Japanese a lot.

Course Example : with a class length of 120 minutes

Rikai : a coursebook for communicative language competences
・ For people who want to learn about Japanese・ The objective is to study the features of the Japanese language that arenecessary for communication.

120 minutes × 10

120 minutes × 8

lessonlessonlessonlesson

1

10

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・ You will systematically study how Japanese is used in communication.
Test and Reﬂection 1
12

Test and Reﬂection 213

2 Topic and Lesson Flow

Each topic contains t wo lessons. Look at theLanguage and culture

photographs and talk about what you think the topic

Think about how certain culturalis. Look at the basic sentences and check what you

aspects of Japan are revealed

are going to study in this lesson.

in the way Japanese is used inconversation.

Before You Study
There are some questions about the topic. Thispreparation is to help you imagine the contents of
the lesson, which will make it easier to understand.
Reading
Read a short text related to thetopic. You should look carefully at

Writing

the context in which the grammar

Yo u w i l l w r i t e a s h o r t t e x t

and sentence patterns are used.

related to the topic. First, write
about yourself, referring to themodel text. Then, you will write

Japanese Script and Vocabulary

everything out again by yourself

You will practice the Japaneseon the worksheet (p167) . Once

characters and words used in thisyou have written your text youlesson. Organising words into topics

will put it in your portfolio.

is an effective way to learn new

PDF : URL → p17

Kanji

vocabulary.

Words related to the topic are displayed in kanji. You

Vocabulary index, etc. : URL → p17

should first learn how to read the kanji. Kanji learned

Nihongo Check

during the Starter(A1) and Elementary1(A2) Courses are

Af ter the clas s, checkalso used in every lesson.

by yourself whether
you understood how to use theConversation and Grammar 2-4

Japanese you encountered inthis situation.

Audio ﬁles : URL → p17● Model Conversation

Nihongo Check（p194-p199） PDF : URL → p17

Read silently while listening to therecording, notice what grammar isused, and ﬁgure out what it means.

Icons● Sentence Structure
You will be able to learn sentence
structure and grammar rules.
● Practice
Practise using the grammar within

Rate your Japanese study
using the Nihongo Check

Audio soundAdd to your portfolio

Listen and checkthe context/situation. Use the audio
recording to check your answers.

Yuko-sanJapan

14-san : In Japanese, san is put after other people's
names to show respect or politeness.（Tanaka-san ）Paku-san(Pak)Kyasii-san(Kathy)

Shin-san(Singh)

Karumen-san(Carmen)

Korea

U.K.

India

MexicoTanaka-san

Kawai-sanJapanJapan

Norika-sanYoshida-sanJapanJapan

Rupa-san(Rupa)
India

Ishikawa-sanJapanYan-san(Yang)

Kaara-san(Carla)

Tairaa-san(Tyler)

Malaysia

FranceU.K.

15

3 Activities for Intercultural Understanding

6 Related Information

Marugoto is a course where you study language and culture together. You should use

Marugoto Portal Site

Japanese and experience Japanese culture outside the classroom as well.
・ Look at Japanese websites

・ Watch Japanese dramas and ﬁlms

・ Go to Japanese restaurants

・ Go to events related to Japan・ Talk to Japanese friends and acquaintances

https://www.marugoto.jpf.go.jp/en/

You can download the resources and access the websites listed below free of charge.

● Resources to use with the textbook
・ Audio ﬁlesTalk about the things you have experienced outside the classroom with your classmates.

・ Sakubun worksheets
・ Vocabulary index
・ Phrase index

4 How to Manage your own Learning

・ Kanji word list

１） Nihongo Check・ Nihongo Check

Do theNihongo Check(p194-p199) when you finish a lesson. Look back on yourstudy and write comments. You can write in your preferred language.

● Learning support websites
・ MARUGOTO Plus・ MARUGOTO Words

Examples of comments

・Now I can make slightly longer● Teachers

resources

sentences in Japanese.
・I enjoyed practising Japanese in thelesson about travel.
・I'd like to know more kanji readings.

２）Portfolio
Make a record of both your study and experiences of Japanese language andintercultural understanding. In order to reflect, put the following kinds of things into
your portfolio.
① Nihongo Check② Tests③ Writing assignments（ Sakubun ）④ Records of experiences with Japanese language and culture

5 Tests
For information about the procedure and contents of the tests, see Test and Reﬂection(p101-p102 and p168-p169).

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