Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes
1. Standard Lesson Structure (approx. 120 min per lesson)
View the Topic Title Page / Before You Study (approx. 5 min)By viewing the topic title page and “Before You Study” questions, students get a glimpse of the context
and situations in which they will use the Japanese being studied (characters, vocabulary, sentence
structures, grammar).
Japanese Script and Vocabulary (approx. 30 min)Because new words are included in addition to those introduced in Katsudoo, students should
download the <Goichoo> (word book) and reference it while completing the “Japanese Script andVocabulary” tasks. This can be done before studying. Students will practice vocabulary by looking at
the illustration and selecting the correct answer, sorting words into antonym pairs or groups, andcollocation (combining frequently used nouns and verbs, and selecting the appropriate word for thecontext), among other methods. For the question “Which is different?” (pg. 37, 77, 119, etc.), there is
not just one correct answer. Students can choose any of the options, so long as they clearly explain
why it is different from the rest. It is important that students can understand the meaning of the words
and sort them into categories.
There are four to six kana dictation questions (vocabulary level, special mora, etc.) per lesson. How
to use the grid squares is explained when going through Lesson 3. Sounds that are contracted withothers and cannot be counted as one beat are written utilising small squares (on pg. 37, the 「しゃ」in 「かいしゃいん」 is one beat, resulting in a total of five beats). Meanwhile, double consonant
sounds that can be counted as one beat are written in the full-sized squares (on pg. 46,「おっと」has
one beat each, resulting in a total of three beats).

Kanji are introduced at the word level from Lesson 5 onwards. The selected kanji are related to the
topic. After this introduction, conversations and reading comprehension passages will use kanji, while
practice questions will generally use kana with a few exceptions (日本、東京、～月～日).
※The thought process behind the teaching of Japanese script (Hiragana, Katakana)
Script should be taught by first setting a goal according to the needs of the course. In this book, thegoal is for students to be able to read 80% and write 60% of the included words by the end. As such,the number of romaji decreases past the second half of the coursebook. Please note that as theability to read kanji is the main goal, this coursebook does not introduce the writing of kanji.

1© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Conversation and Grammar ➁, ➂, ➃ (approx. 50 min)
While listening to the audio track for the opening conversation, it is important that students
understand the meaning, function, and form of the sentence structures and grammar in relation to thecontext/situation. Next, students visually check the sentence structure and conjugation using thestructure diagram. Students practice skills such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing withincertain contexts/situations before finally expressing themselves in Japanese.
※Katsudoo and Rikai differ in how they present sentence structures. Unlike Katsudoo, which only
focuses on the content needed to complete the tasks, Rikai covers things rarely used in conversationin order to show the sentence structure in its entirety. It is particularly important for teachers using
both Katsudoo and Rikai to check for these differences. [See pg. 4-5 of this document, “Comparison
Table of Sentence Structures”]
There are two types of audio icons: the plain audio icon and the “Check” icon. Listed below are thethree types of activities that utilise audio tracks.
(1) Audio icon (listening comprehension practice):
Students listen to the conversation, understand the meaning, and answer the questions (seepg. 38, etc.)(2) “Check” icon (grammar/sentence structure practice):
Students fill out the written questions. They then confirm their answers by listening to theaudio track in which the correct answer is spoken (see pg. 39, etc.)(3) Audio icon → “Check” icon:
Students listen to the audio conversation, understand the meaning, and answer thequestions.
Next, they reconstruct the content of the conversation (e.g., completing a sentencesummarising the conversation by filling in missing information), later confirming theiranswers by listening for the correct answer in the “Check” audio track (see pg. 137, 139, etc.)
Reading, Writing (approx. 30 min)Students consolidate the Japanese they have learnt through conversation by applying it to other skills(reading, writing).
For the reading section, students read a short text related to the topic. They develop their reading
ability by using the information from the text to complete a few simple questions. Then, after reading,
students further understand the text by giving their impressions and comparing the content to theirown surroundings, thus relating the text back to themselves.
For the audio track accompanying the reading section, the recommended usage is to “read the text
first, then read the text together with the audio”. However, if pressed for time, you can skip to the2© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

second step. By reading the text together with the audio, students will begin to recognise and processcharacters more quickly.
For the writing section, students trace and practice writing characters in Task 1⃣, followed by writing
their own composition in Task 2⃣. Having students write full sentences on their own promotes theirunderstanding of and adherence to the structure of Japanese writing. Students will use thecomposition they wrote in Task 2⃣ during the “Test and Reflection” section (refer to pg. 99). These
exercises should not be simply assigned or read and checked later by only the teacher. The oddnumbered compositions can be found in this volume of “Marugoto”, while the even-numberedcompositions can be found and downloaded from the “Marugoto” website.
Nihongo Check (approx. 5 min)Students evaluate themselves on a three-point scale depending on whether or not they can answer
the “Let’s Speak in Japanese” questions while using the grammar/sentence structures and basic
sentences. (The "Let's Speak in Japanese" section refers to a column in the Nihongo Check list foundon pg. 194-197.) There is space for them to write any comments (thoughts, impressions) in their native
language. Students share with the class if time allows.

3© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Comparison Table of Sentence Structures
Listed below are the differences in sentence structures between the Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai and
Katsudoo coursebooks.
LessonRikai

Katsudoo

L3

N wa N desu / janai desu / desu ka(Negative form is not covered)

Watashi mo N desu / watashi wa N mo

The particle “mo” is not covered →L5

dekimasu
L6

N wa i-adj desu / i-adj kunai desu

(Negative form is not covered)

L7

N ni (wa) N ga imasu / N wa imasen /(“imasu” is not covered)dare ga imasu ka / nan-nin imasu ka
N wa i-adj desu / i-adj kunai desu / i-adj(Negative form is not covered)desu kaL9

Ima nan-ji desu ka / ~ji desu

(Not covered)L10~jikan V-masu / nan-jikan V-masu ka(Time range is not covered)~wa doo desu ka(Not covered)

L11

N ga dekimasu / N wa dekimasen(Negative form is not covered)

L12

N ni / x V-masu(Not covered)

Itsu / doko de N ga arimasu ka / nani ga

Only “(raishuu) N ga arimasu” is covered.

arimasu ka

Nothing else is covered.

V ni ikimasu“Mi ni ikimasu” is covered as a set phrase

Issho ni V-masen ka / V-mashoo“Mi ni ikimasen ka” and “ikimashoo” arecovered as set phrases

L13

N de N o orimasu

Only “N de orimasu” is covered

L14

N ni N ga arimasu / N ni N ga arimasen(Not covered)4© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

N ni N ga arimasu ka / N ni nani ga(Not covered)arimasu ka

L15

L16

L17

L18

N wa N ni arimasu / N ni wa arimasen(Not covered)N wa N ni imasu / N ni wa imasen(Not covered)V-mashita / V-masen deshita(Not covered) →L17

B wa A ni N o moraimasu(Not covered)

Kore, sore, are

Only “kore” is covered

N o kudasai“Kore, kudasai” is covered as a set phrase

i-adj katta desu / i-adj kunakatta desu

(Negative form is not covered)na-adj deshita / na-adj janakatta desu

(Negative form is not covered)~. Soshite, ~.

(Not covered)V-tai desu / V-takunai desu

“Ikitai desu” is covered as a set phrase

5© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

2. Points to note for each topic
Topic 1: Japanese
Lesson 1: Hello
Learning Hiragana
Start by introducing Japanese characters (the different types, their usage, etc.) using resources suchas “Writing” on the Marugoto Plus website (https://marugotoweb.jp/) as a reference. This website(“Hiragana”, “Katakana”) also features animations for showing the stroke order and exercises formatching the characters to their pronunciation. It is recommended that you introduce this website tostudents as a means of individual study outside the classroom.
1. Reading practice
The aim of the exercises is to match the characters (hiragana) to their Japanese pronunciation.
Although each exercise has audio available, the “audio icon” indicates that students should listen first
and then answer, while the “check icon” means students should answer first and then listen for
confirmation. In this coursebook, romaji is used as an aid until students remember (become familiarwith) Japanese characters and their pronunciation. Depending on students’ native language, it may
be necessary to teach romaji notation, as well as pay attention to the gap between the pronunciationsuggested by the romaji and the actual Japanese pronunciation.
2. Writing practiceWith the words for greetings, take note of the pronunciation and notation of long vowels and theparticle “は (wa)”.
Lesson 2: Would you say that again?
Learning Katakana
The exercises follow the same format as for hiragana.
Katakana is used for expressing foreign words and the names of places and people. Students will try
recognising their own names and their classmates’ names, as well as the names of related countries
and towns. They will also work towards writing their own names in Japanese. At this time, please draw
attention to the fact that some sounds deviate from their original pronunciation into Japanese sounds.

6© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Topic 2: Myself
Lesson 3: Nice to meet you➁ Conversation and Grammar
The setting can be a get-together for international exchange, a volunteer Japanese language class, orsomething similar. Carla-san has seen Kim-san and mistaken her for the teacher. This lesson involves
conversational exchanges between people who have just met.
➄ Reading
The perfect topic for this book, the contents focus on an international couple and how they use
language for mutual understanding. Students might enjoy discussing any international couples aroundthem.
Lesson 4: There are three people in my family➁ Conversation and Grammar
Being able to talk about one’s own family is sufficient for the A1 level, so students need only
understand how usage differs when talking about other people’s families. They do not have tomemorise this.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
Take note that “nan-sai desu ka” is used when discussing children’s ages, while “oikutsu desu ka” isused for adults. Teach students that “oikutsu desu ka” is used between adults.

Topic 3: Food
Lesson 5: What kind of food do you like?
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
In Task 2⃣, “misoshiru” is grouped with “nomimasu”. Recall that in Katsudoo, the combined set “gohan

to misoshiru” is grouped with “tabemasu”.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
While gathered at a table to eat together, students talk using their favourite food and drinks as a topic
of conversation. Take note that the particle “wa” is used for negative sentences, as in “~wa sukijanai

desu”.

7© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes➂ Conversation and Grammar
Students learn about the positive and negative forms of (non-past) verbs, as well as the frequency
adverbs "yoku" and "amari" that accompany them. In Task 5⃣, students rearrange the sentences
themselves, and then check their answers by listening to the audio track.
➃ Reading
Breakfast is being shared between a three-person family: the parents and their (adult) daughter. What
the parents and child want to eat are slightly different. Students read the passage and understandwhat each person likes. Question 2 might be more realistic if you first propose a situation where thedaughter, who lives alone, is thinking about what to prepare for breakfast if her parents come to visit.
That way, students can approach the question from the perspective of the daughter.
Lesson 6: Where are you going to have lunch?
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
For Task 2⃣, note to students that adding “ya” to a dish name is a way of referring to a store that sellsthat dish. Adding “san” on top of that implies a sense of familiarity. In conversation, using “san” might
be preferable to avoid sounding brusque. For sushi and soba, note the additional use of “o” in“osushiya-san” and “osobaya-san”.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
While “~ga suki desu” was taught in Lesson 5, Task 2⃣ of this section features the structures “sukina~” and “kirai na~”. When adults mention their own preferences in conversation, they rarely use“kirai na~”. As such, students do not practice “kirai na~” in conversation in Katsudoo. In Rikai,
however, it is covered in a simple exercise to introduce the na-adjective form while also showing
students antonyms for “suki”.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
Task 3⃣ covers the affirmative and negative forms of i-adjectives (non-past tense). In this lesson, only"~kunai desu" that is easily used for noun modification is introduced. “~ku-arimasen” will not becovered.
For the Task 4⃣ conversation, students first rearrange the sentences and come up with answers. They
then check their answers by listening to the audio track.
➃ ReadingThis section resembles reviews of shops by users on a restaurant referral website or similar. Students
think about which shops would be good for each of the three people based on their circumstances.
Money, time, and dislikes are reflected in the illustrations, so students should look at them forreference when reading the text.

8© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Topic 4: Home
Lesson 7: There are three rooms in my home
➁ Conversation and Grammar
Suppose a scenario where you are inviting people over for a chat or a homestay, and talking about
your house. Here, students learn the sentence patterns “[place] ni (wa) [thing] ga arimasu” and“[place] ni (wa) [person, animal] ga imasu”. The “wa” in “[place] ni (wa)” is used when beginning aslightly longer chunk of dialogue or explanation. In Task 5⃣, students fill in the brackets with single
characters (i.e. particles) such as “ni”. However, it is not wrong to write (ni wa).
Lesson 8: It's a nice room
➁ Conversation and Grammar
This section involves asking where things are located when helping out at a friend’s house or justvisiting. Students learn to indicate position with the sentence pattern “[object] wa [base object] no[position] desu”. Take note that in Katsudoo, this expression indicates where an object should beplaced, while in Rikai, it expresses where an object is currently located.
➃ Reading
The author’s father has famous items from around the world in his room. Students read andunderstand how these items are displayed on the shelf. Have fun by thinking about what kind of
person the father is (someone who likes travelling, a businessman who travels worldwide for work, asociable person who has friends from various countries, etc.), or what kind of famous items can befound from the students’ home countries.

Topic 5: Daily Life
Lesson 9: What time do you get up?
➁ Conversation and Grammar
Task 1⃣ involves the characters looking at a world clock and talking about the differences in time. An
exchange like this is occurring because Singh-san is from India and Carla-san is from France. Take
note that the options in Task 2⃣ Part ➀ are a mixture of asa / yoru, and gozen / gogo. For 1:00 in themorning and 2:00 in the morning, most people will likely answer gozen rather than asa. For the pairbased conversation in Task 2⃣ Part ➁, one person (A) will close the textbook and ask about 2 to 3
countries out of India, France, Egypt, New Zealand, and America. Another person (B) will answer while9© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

looking at the world clock. You can also include students’ home countries in addition to the countries
listed.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
In Task 2⃣ Part ➀, have fun by treating the fact that each person wakes up at a different time due totheir occupation or lifestyle as another part of cultural understanding. The action of filling in the verbs
in Task 5⃣ (1) encourages students’ understanding and retention of the sentence structure “~ji ni~suru”. Students talk about themselves in Task 3⃣, helping them build relationships amongst eachother. It is important that students feel a sense of accomplishment from being able to say what theywanted to say.
Because A1 level students need to prepare in advance, have them note down the times (numbers)
and then speak. Rather than speaking in detail about their activities from when they wake up to when
they go to bed, have them instead speak about activities of their choice that best convey their own
lifestyle, as per the example in Task 5⃣. In place of “mainichi isogashii desu”, you can teach students
phrases such as “nonbirishite imasu / tanoshii desu” as necessary.
➃ ReadingStudents learn and understand the various types of lifestyles there are. Students may enjoy comparing
the daily activities of Tanaka-san and Kristina-san with their own.
Lesson 10: When is convenient for you?
➃ Conversation and Grammar
In ➁ and ➂, students gradually study dialogue used for the purpose of matching schedules. Adults
are likely familiar with the term “残業” (overtime). “~wa, dame desu” is a convenient phrase for A1
level learners. Ideally, students use “sumimasen” together with this phrase, paying attention to their
way of speaking in order to not sound harsh.
➄ ReadingStudents read a passage similar to the dialogue on scheduling. If students have a schedule book, havefun by encouraging them to write in it in Japanese.

10© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Topic 6: Holidays and Days off 1
Lesson 11: What’s your hobby?
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
In Task 1⃣, students sort the words into categories. By using the <Goichoo> (word book), a more vivid
presentation of the vocabulary is possible.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
Assume a setting where people at a party or somewhere similar are exchanging self-introductions.
Students get to know each person a bit better by listening to their hobbies and interests (i.e. favourite
genres). In Task 2⃣, students can have fun thinking about what kind of people the four characters are
and which character they are most similar to.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
The sentence patterns are “~ga dekimasu” and “~wa dekimasen”. This lesson involves a conversation
centred around foreign languages and cultures. Appearing in the Task 1⃣ and Task 2⃣ conversations,the characters who are learning about foreign languages and cultures as a hobby are a direct reflectionof the students themselves. Students should have fun practising as if it was themselves.
➃ Conversation and Grammar
Describing how you spent your holiday is expressed with the sentence structure including a verb(~masu) with a place (~de) or frequency adverbs (yoku/tokidoki/amari/zenzen). For Task 2⃣ havestudents first think about which of the four activities they personally would like to do and where, andthen listen to the audio track, which will certainly be interesting. In Task 3⃣, students look closely at
the pie charts and answer the questions. The charts summarise, by gender, the results of a survey
asking people whether they go shopping on their days off. While some might assume that women
generally like shopping more than men, have students try to think about whether this rings true for
their home countries or themselves.
➄ ReadingStudents read the self-introductions to find someone they want to be friends with. Rather than having
students read without direction, this will increase the students’ motivation to read.
Lesson 12: Shall we go together?
➀ Japanese Script and VocabularyStudents reference materials at the end of the book (Calendar, pg. 193) and answer the questions.
➁ Conversation and Grammar

11© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

Students learn the sentence pattern “(when) ni (where) de (what) ga arimasu” appearing in theconversation between two people viewing an event poster or similar in order to say the time and placeof an event. This structure is used to describe facts based on an information source, as in Task 3⃣
Part ➀, not as a conversational exchange. Here, the verb “arimasu” refers to an event occurring. The
use of “arimasu” to express a thing’s existence or physical location (e.g. heya ni eakon ga arimasu) iscovered in Lesson 7 and Lesson 14.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
For having a conversation about holiday activities, students use phrases containing the conjugatedform of verbs (masu form). The Task 2⃣ phrase “V-masu ni ikimasu” expresses intention. However,the verbs being used are drawn from vocabulary that is in line with this lesson’s topic (miru, kiku, kau,

shashin o toru, karaoke o suru).
Like Task 2⃣, the Task 3⃣ phrases also use V-masu form, this time for expressing one’s acceptance or
agreement in response to an invitation: “issho ni V-masenka” and “V-mashoo”. Ideally, this type of
exchange should be practised in pairs.
➃ Reading
Emails are a convenient tool for when you want to invite a friend somewhere. Here, students read andextract information from an email.

Topic 7: Towns
Lesson 13: How are you going to get there?
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
In Task 1⃣, the options for mode of transport (a-e) and where to catch it (f-j) are arranged in a waythat may be confusing, so go over their location with students.
For the question in Task 2⃣, there may be more than one answer. Students can choose any of theoptions, so long as they can clearly understand why it is different from the rest.
In Task 5⃣, the kanji 「～口」 is read “guchi” as in “iriguchi (entrance)” and “deguchi (exit)”. It is not
introduced as the kanji for kuchi (mouth).
➁ Conversation and Grammar
This section covers a sentence structure for talking about one’s travel route and mode of transport:"(starting point) kara (destination) made / (mode) de ikimasu." Use the illustrations as an aid forunderstanding.

12© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes➂ Conversation and Grammar
Similar to Section ➁, this section covers a sentence structure for expressing one’s travel route andmode of transport, “(place) de (mode of transport) ni norimasu / o orimasu”. As the amount of particles
has increased significantly, they may require management.
④ Conversation and Grammar
Suppose an exchange at a hotel or similar, regarding what mode of transport to take to a destination.
Before listening to the conversation in Task 2⃣, first go through the conditions presented by each of
the four characters, as well as how to read the possible answers. You can have students think about
and imagine what kind of advice they would give the person.
➄ Conversation and Grammar
This section is a conversation between a taxi driver and a passenger. This situation involves a very
specific conversation, so rather than applying their language abilities to create sentences, students
should listen to the formulaic conversation instead. As such, for this task, students first listen to theentire conversation, choose the phrases based on what they remember, and then listen once more tocheck their answers. Students should cover up the possible answers when listening.
➅ ReadingStudents read an email exchange about how to get to a party venue and how to meet up on the day.
Unique to this section is the rewritten memos of the previously read email, used as the possible
answers to confirm understanding.
Lesson 14: It’s a famous temple➁ Conversation and Grammar
This section involves talking to a friend about what kind of place your hometown is. In Task 2⃣, byusing the adjective modified nouns, guide students to be able to think independently about andrecognise i-adjectives and na-adjectives. Task 3⃣ features the existential sentence, “(place) ni (thing)ga arimasu”. The activity involves students writing sentences about their hometown and then sharing
this information by speaking in pairs. It would be good if students are able to follow a similar exchange
to that of Task 1⃣.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
This section involves calling a friend who has not shown up to a meeting and checking where they
currently are. Task 2⃣ introduces the structure “(building) wa (~no mae / ushiro / …) ni arimasu” sothat students can more thoroughly describe their location. Task 3⃣ is practice for expressing theexistence of a person using “imasu”.

13© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes④ ReadingIn this section, students compare the sentences against a map. Before reading the sentences, havestudents try saying what they can understand from the map. Just saying the name of each location(art gallery, restaurant, etc.) is fine, however, you can also challenge students to include the building’s
relative location. If students do the former, then reading the sentences (a-f) under Question 2 willserve as revision.

Topic 8: Shopping
Lesson 15: Cute!
In <Katsudoo>, Topic 8 focuses on the act of shopping and dealing with people at a store. However,in <Rikai>, the focus shifts to interactive conversations about shopping, presents, etc. Take note that
because of this, different sentence structures will be covered.
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
In Task 2⃣, it's fine if students understand how to use Japanese counters and use the ones they need.
They do not need to practise until they can remember them all. (Refer to materials at the end of thebook on pg. 192.)➁ Conversation and Grammar
Carla-san’s birthday is coming up, so Suzuki-san is asking what she would like. Task 2⃣ Part ➀ is a
bit more broad, with each person talking about what they want in general.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
Task 2⃣ Part ➀ is unique in that the conversation content is summarised in sentences, making theactivity slightly more difficult.
④ Conversation and Grammar
Complimenting a person’s belongings is considered a common way of starting a conversation,
however, it might be interesting to have students think about whether this is different in their culture.
Students learn the past-tense form (affirmative and negative) of the verbs “kau” and “morau”, aspeople will often talk about what they “bought (katta)” or “received (moratta)”. As this will be the firsttime they learn the past tense, you do not need to teach any more than the three verbs used in the
topic. In Task 3⃣ Part ➀, students hear what (1) was given and by whom (2) in increments. Writing
will take time, so it's fine if they can write two sentences in Task 3⃣ Part ➁. For A1 level learners,
being able to produce explanatory sentences like this is not of high importance, so you do not need to14© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

practise this out loud. Similarly, it is fine if in Task 4⃣ they can speak shortly about themselves by
splitting "~o moraimashita" and "~ni moraimashita."➄ ReadingRoberta-san and Sakai-san are friends (see Lesson 7).
➅ WritingThis activity involves explaining, in written sentences, something you bought last week. As such,
students can draw their item in the blank box or attach a photo, receipt, etc.
Lesson 16: I’ll take this.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
Unlike in <Katsudoo>, students learn the three demonstrative adjectives “kore, sore, are”. However,you can also give a simple explanation of each: close to the speaker (ko~), far from the speaker (a~),
and somewhere in between (so~). See pg. 192 for the readings of numbers.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
The grammar structure is pictured as “~o kudasai”, however, in the conversation on pg. 147, which isthe same scene shown in <Katsudoo>, the particle is dropped to “kore, kudasai”. Briefly explain how
particles are often dropped in spoken Japanese. Aim for students to be able to hear this in listening
practice and be able to speak themselves without using particles.

Topic 9: Holidays and Days off 2
As the final topic, in this chapter students will review the previous topics.
Lesson 17: It was fun➀ Japanese Script and VocabularySome of the illustrations in Task 2⃣ fall short of conveying the meaning of each adjective. While only
one answer is specified, it's possible that students will come up with multiple answers. As such, it isnecessary to check if there are mismatches between the meaning students want to convey and themeaning in Japanese. Do this using translational equivalents, for example.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
The conversation takes place after a holiday break, with the characters chatting about what they did.
As such, they speak in past tense. In order to talk about their holiday activities and describe how theyfelt, the past-tense of verbs (“V-mashita” “V-masendeshita”), and past-tense adjectives (i-adjectives

15© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes[“~katta” “~kunakatta desu”], na-adjectives [“~deshita” “~janakatta desu”]) are introduced andpractised. The negative past-tense “~kuarimasen deshita” for i-adjectives is not introduced.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
As in Part ➁, the conversation involves talking about one’s activities on their day off, however, thistime the characters did not do anything special. This section covers the structure “doko ni mo / nanimo V-masen (deshita)”. Not everyone excitedly goes out and does something because it's a day off,
and it’s likely more than a few students will relate to this. The important thing is that these students
are able to express themselves.
④ ReadingThis section involves students reading a blog written about each character’s days off. Reading while
listening to the audio track is also recommended, as it is interesting to see how each writer’s tone ofvoice brings out their personality and feelings.
Lesson 18: I would like to visit Kyoto next time
➀ Japanese Script and Vocabulary
In Task 5, there are two ways of reading 日本 as “nihon” or “nippon”.
➁ Conversation and Grammar
This section involves telling a friend about your experiences during a trip in Japan. To talk about theirexperiences in order, the conjunction "sorekara" is practised in Task 2. In this task, students constructsentences from the memo. As such, it is best to check they understand how the content of the memo
is turned into a sentence by first taking a close look at the memo and the example provided. The
general flow of the task is: students look at the memo → think about what sentence they would write→ look at the possible answers, and while comparing them to their own sentence, pick the bestanswer. If short on time, students can choose from the possible answers immediately after looking at
the memo. Use the illustration as a reference for places around Tokyo.
➂ Conversation and Grammar
The conversation involves commenting about your experiences during a trip and giving yourimpressions. For this purpose, students use “demo” or “soshite” to combine two adjective-based
sentences. As shown in the example below, commenting only about the negatives can soundinappropriate when talking between adults (as in B-1). However, the use of “demo” resolves theconversation to a positive conclusion (as in B-2), proving a practical technique. In such cases, makesure the sentence after “demo” uses an adjective with positive connotations.

16© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Rikai – Teachers Notes

A : Soba wa doo deshita ka.
B-1 : Taihen deshita.
B-2 : Taihen deshita. Demo, oishikatta desu.

④ Conversation and Grammar
Continuing with their experiences during a trip, students learn to use “V-tai desu” to say what theywant to do next time, connecting the conversation with the future. This time, students express theirintent to try something they did not experience before. The negative form “V-takunai desu” is hard touse in this context, so it has only been included as practice for conjugating verbs.
➄ ReadingStudents read and understand the content of the passages about the two character’s trips. While thepassages are a bit long, students should try reading them as revision for this lesson. In Wang-san’s
photo, she is standing in front of the Five-Story Pagoda (gojuu no too) of Sensoo-ji. Although Yamadasan visited Hiroshima, her impression of the city was positive and simple: “totemo yokatta desu.

soshite, kiree deshita.” She does, however, express that the next place she would like to visit isNagasaki, also the site of a nuclear bombing. Students should think about how the two locations,
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, are connected.

17© 2013 The Japan Foundation