Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes
1. Standard Lesson Structure (Sample Lesson Plan – Topic 3)T3 Food – Lesson 5: Do you like meat? (90-120 min)
Activity

Aim

Example teaching flow

Time

Develop

Activating

Looking at the photos, students discuss what they

5 min

an ideabackgroundexpect to learn in the topic in their native language orof theknowledge,

language of instruction. For this topic, students may

topic

building motivation

expect to cover topics about food, how to order at arestaurant, situations where they are eating withsomeone, etc.

Check

Clarification of

Read the Can-do goals and think of a setting where

Can-dolearning goals

they may be useful given each student’s

goals

circumstances.

1. What kind of food do you like? (30-40 min)<Setting 1 Can-do 9: Talk about your favourite foods>
In this setting, while looking at the line-up of food at a buffet, you ask a friend what they would
like and offer to get it for them.
1-1

Introduction of[Before listening] Give students approximately 1

Listenvocabulary

minute to look at the photos and script on pg. 42.

and[While listening] Listen to the audio and point to therepeatphoto.

10 min[After listening] Pair work: One person reads the
vocabulary aloud with the aid of romaji. The otherperson will listen and point to the corresponding
photo. Take turns.
Note:●

The audio uses full sentences rather than
individual vocabulary units. Students will focus on
picking out food-related vocabulary (e.g., “meat”)

1© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

from the sentence. Have them listen multiple
times.
●

Students choose and remember vocabulary that isrelevant for themselves. They do not need tomemorise all the vocabulary.

1-2

Listening activity[Preparation] Listen to the example, go over the

10-15

Listen(by listening tosetting and what to do.

minthe audio,

Note:understand theUsing the illustration and situation as hints, havesetting, context

students try to follow along while listening. As longand situation

as they can understand the part of the audio that

where therelates to the listening task objective, they don’t

sentence patterns

need to understand the whole audio. Being able toand vocabulary

skip over unnecessary information is also

are used)important.
[While listening] Listen to questions 2-5. Establish
the key point before listening, and replay the audio
multiple times, focusing on different points.
[After listening] Check students’ answers, withstudents answering from a list of choices orvocabulary. Students do not have to answer in full
sentences. To smoothly transition to Task 1-3 “Talkin pairs”, ask students to recall what expressions
were used in the conversation. If they cannot
remember, replay the audio multiple times,
instructing students to pay attention to theexpressions. Use the example sentences in the side
note to explain “mo” and “to” in simple terms.

1-3 Talk

Speaking activity[Preparation] Look at expressions in the pair

10-15

in pairs(the goal is for theconversation and go over the structure.

minstudents to be able

[Speaking] Practise the expressions using techniques

to express

such as shadowing. After practising in pairs, students

themselves whilesubstitute the vocabulary in the boxes with their own

2© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

referring to thewords. The teacher gives feedback as to whether the

expressions)conversation works. Use the example sentences in theside note to explain “ga” in simple terms.
Note:●

Students can refer to the expressions in class anddo not need to memorise them at this stage.
However, try to avoid reading directly from thecoursebook. By talking in different pairs,

students should gradually become able to speak
without looking at the textbook.
●Shadowing is an activity where students listen to
the audio and echo it without referencing thecoursebook. While listening, students deepen theirunderstanding by thinking about the meaning andsimultaneously improving their speaking fluency.

2. Would you like a coffee? (30-40 min) → Use a similar structure to part 1 for the following<Setting 2 Can-do 10: Offer someone a drink>
In this setting, you intend to get your friend a drink while looking at the drink options at a buffet.

3. Do you always eat breakfast? (20 min)<Setting 3 Can-do 11: Talk about your breakfast>
In this scenario, you are having a conversation while eating breakfast after bringing food from thebuffet to the table.
Pg. 45 is based on a setting where hotel guests are being interviewed by staff trying to improvethe breakfast buffet.
Can-doReflection on

Students check the Can-do goals and write a

5-10

Check

today’s learning

comment. Students talk about their comments in theirminnative language. If time allows, students can present
and share their comments with the class.

3© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

T3 Food – Lesson 6: Where are you going to have lunch today? (90-120 min)
Activity

Aim

Example teaching flowTime

1. Where are you going to eat today? (40-50 min)<Setting 1 Can-do 12: Say what your favourite dish is><Setting 2 Can-do 13: Talk with a friend about where to go for lunch>
In this setting, you have gone out to eat lunch with a colleague/friend and are talking near a rowof restaurants. The person with the information about the restaurants leads the conversation,
while the other follows their recommendation.
2. Let’s eat hamburgers (40-50 min)<Setting 1 Can-do 14: Read a menu>
Use the knowledge you already have to understand realistic (or close to realistic) textual
information within the context.
<Setting 2 Can-do 15: Order food and drinks at a hamburger shop>
For this conversation, you are ordering food for lunch at a restaurant.
Life and Culture (5-10 min)●Students look at the pictures and speak with their classmates or teacher, in their native
language or language of instruction, about what they noticed or any related experiences.
The teacher should ask students questions to encourage their awareness.
Example questions:●oWhat does the photo show? Does it look appetising? What are they eating?

oHave you dined at a similar restaurant before?

oWhat would you like to try from these?

oHow are they eating their meal? → Do you see people standing to eat often?

After class, students are expected to engage in activities such as using the internet toresearch their interests, visiting a Japanese restaurant in-person, making Japanese
friends on Facebook, etc. Through these activities, it is hoped that students will grasp theabstract concept of “culture” and understand that people in Japan are individuals just likethemselves. They will develop the knowledge that, like their own culture, Japanese culture

is complex, varied, and changes over time, and relate this knowledge back to themselves.
Note:●

It is important to have discussions with different people so students can reflect on their own
perspectives and become open to others’ perspectives. Teachers should play the role offacilitator as students share information amongst themselves, and help students deepen theirrealisations.

4© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes●

The teacher can offer information about the photos. However, the teacher’s explanation
should not become the lesson’s main focus.

●

As “Life and Culture” will involve using students’ native language or language of instruction, if
the teacher cannot speak the language, they should request support (from other teachers,
volunteers, etc.).

Can-doReflection on

Students check the Can-do goals and write a

5-10

Check

today’s learning

comment. Students talk about their comments in theirminnative language. If time allows, students can present
and share their comments with the class.
※The thought process behind the teaching of Japanese script (Hiragana, Katakana)
Script should be taught with the goal established according to the needs of the course. In thispresent volume, the goal is for students to be able to read 60% of the words contained by the end
coursebook. Therefore, all words taught in the coursebook include romaji to aid reading. Writing islimited to short phrases such as copying names and set expressions, etc.

2. Points to note for each topic
The notes on each topic include the following:
1. The writers’ intention (in regards to the chosen setting, vocabulary, and expressions)
2. Points to note when teaching grammar (refrain from over-explaining, simply explain thenecessary components to complete a task)
3. How to teach lessons that prioritise understanding (sentence patterns and grammar are nottaught in the beginning. Start with listening, and allow students to discover the necessary
grammatical elements themselves through the activities.)
4. Supplementary sociolinguistic information
5. The intention behind “Life and Culture” photos and how to use them5
© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Topic 1: Japanese
In Lesson 1, students learn to recognise the different types of Japanese characters and writing
systems. In Lesson 2, students learn the patterns for the characters and their pronunciation.
Lesson 1: Hello① Hello [Can-do 1: Exchange greetings]
When asked “How do people greet each other in Japan?”, a typical answer might be “b. bowing”, but
explain to students that there are also other ways to greet aside from bowing. A good discussion point
may be the distance between people when bowing (in Japan, it’s often said that people stand a fairdistance apart from each other).
Task 2⃣ “Listen and repeat” introduces the various ways of saying “goodbye”. From the illustration,
students can see that “Osaki ni shitsureeshimasu” ⇔ “Otsukaresama deshita” is appropriate for awork setting. Illustrations 6 to 9 demonstrate three situations where “sumimasen” is used. You candiscuss with students why “sumimasen” can also be used to express gratitude lightly.
Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” should be practised while paying attention to gestures and the distance
between people during greetings. If it’s difficult for students to walk around the classroom, they canstand and greet people from where they are.
② Hiragana/Katakana/Kanji [Can-do 2: Recognise Japanese characters]
Challenge students to find “Hello” in Japanese out of its equivalent written in 11 different languages:
English, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, German, Thai, Russian, Hindi, Mongolian, Japanese, and Burmese(listed from left to right). There are different ways to express “konnichiwa” in other languages, butjust focus on the writing here. Let students know that Japanese contains five different writing systems
if we were to include romaji and Arabic numerals. Next, show students the newspaper and magazine
excerpt and have them pick out hiragana, katakana, and kanji characters. Being able to understandeven a little from looking at a newspaper or magazine is a good motivator for beginner learners. The
multiple writing systems of Japanese may be daunting to students, but try to get them excited about
the diversity of characters.
③ What Japanese is there around you? [Can-do 2: Recognise Japanese characters]
The two photos display Japanese signage in the streets of two cities: Paris (left) and Bangkok (right).
Ask students whether they’ve seen Japanese writing in their country, and ask them to share any
photos. Show students that they can also learn outside the classroom from the real world.

6© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Lesson 2: Would you say that again? [Can-do 3: Use basic classroom expressions]① Present!
② Please listen③ Would you say that again?
Students cover the different ways of responding to a roll call. After having students guess the meaningof phrases from the given photos, move on to Task 2⃣ “Listen and repeat”. Encourage students to use
Japanese both in and outside the classroom as much as possible.
④ Hiragana and katakana
Pronunciations to watch out for are highlighted in colour on the Japanese syllabary chart.
⑤ Names [Can-do 4: Write your name and country in Japanese]
Students match the words written in katakana with the alphabet equivalent. Have students recognise
the differences between contracted sounds, long sounds, and double consonants from the notecomparing “ro-shi-a” (3 beats), “ma-ha-ti-i-ru” (5 beats) and “shu-mi-’-tto” (4 beats). Then, whilereferencing the syllabary chart, have students write their name and country on a name tag. The nametag can be downloaded from the Marugoto website. Students can place their name tags on top of theirdesks or also use them as business cards in Lesson 3. They can later file them into their portfolio.
<Life and Culture> Names
Look at the photo and text on “Mao-chan” and have students think about which words refer to her
surname, first name, style of address. Have them guess when different honorifics (“chan”, “san”,“sama”, “kun”, and no honorific) are appropriate from the images, then explain their general usage.
For example, “chan” is often used for children, “kun” for young males, and “sama” when addressing
customers. Addressing others without an honorific title usually only occurs between people who arevery close (typically among men). “san” is generally used to show respect for someone, e.g., “Manager
Matsushita” can also be called “Matsushita-san”. As this differs by country, for example, it may becommon to use first names from the first meeting or more customary to use titles and positions,discuss this with the students.

7© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Topic 2: Myself
Lesson 3: Nice to meet you① Nice to meet you [Can-do 5: Give a simple self-introduction]
Have the students observe the scene portrayed in the illustration of an international exchange party,
then have them guess what party-goers might talk about in that scene (e.g., names, birthplaces,
languages, etc.) First, have students listen to the audio track while looking at the illustration andunderstand who is talking with whom. Then, move on to the second step of asking their names. After
reviewing their answers, briefly explain the use of “E?” and “Sumimasen. Moo ichido…” when you
can’t hear/understand something. Also explain the use of particle “ne” for confirmation.
Foreign names may be difficult to pick out, so have students practise saying names slowly like “no-da” or “ku-ri-su-ti-i-na”, one beat at a time. In Satou-san’s case, she spells her name out as “sa-tou” to match the hiragana spelling. However, it may also be pronounced as “sa-to-o”.
② I am currently studying [Can-do 5: Give a simple self-introduction]
Before Task 1⃣ “Listen”, look at the map and go over the names of countries with students. The audio
track introduces different ways to respond to the question “Where are you from?”, such as “chuugoku

desu” and “chuugoku-jin desu”.
Before Task 2⃣ “Listen”, go over what the characters’ names and languages are. After checking theanswers, check that students understand the phrases “dekimasu,” “dekimasen,” and “benkyoo-chuu

desu.”In Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”, the role-play situation involves asking someone whether they know yournative language (e.g., Chinese). If your partner can speak or is learning your native language, thiswould be perfect for mutual understanding. Have students discover the pattern from the side note“kankoku, kankoku-jin, kankoku-go”, and have them think about whether it can be applied to othercountries.
③ What is your occupation? [Can-do 5: Give a simple self-introduction]
It may be difficult for students to identify people’s occupations from the photos, so before attempting
Task 1⃣ “Listen”, have them try to guess the different occupations depicted in the photos. If students
are curious about how to say their own occupation in Japanese, you can teach them new vocabulary.
However, using the sentence structure “~de hataraiteimasu” is convenient to avoid introducing too
many new words.

8© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes④ Business cards [Can-do 6: Recognise the parts of a business card]
There are business cards for four people: an office worker, a public servant, an engineer, and a teacher.
Have students guess what kind of information is included based on their general knowledge ofbusiness cards (company name, department, address, phone number, etc.). Using the romaji as a
guide, have students read out the names on the business cards. Discuss the differences between
surnames and given names, and male and female names. Make students aware of any differences in
the ordering of surnames and given names compared to their own country.
Next, look at the photo of someone handing over their business card and have students guess when
and where it is appropriate to use “hajimemashite…” (e.g., in the office). In pairs, students exchange
greetings while exchanging the business cards made in Lesson 2. Let students know that it is common
to turn your business card around in Japan so that the other person can read your name. Briefly explain
the very formal expression “...to mooshimasu”, although students don’t need to practise this.
Lesson 4: There are three people in my family
As per the illustration on pg. 37 (centre), the setting for this lesson involves people talking whilelooking at photos.
① There are three people in my family [Can-do 7: Talk briefly about your family]
In Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat”, students practise kinship terms in relation to “watashi” (the self), as
well as how to count people. Before attempting Task 2⃣ “Listen”, look at the photos and check thatstudents understand which person is “watashi”. At the A1 level, it is fine for students just to be able
to talk about their own families. So that they don’t need to remember all the kinship terms, havestudents talk in pairs while pointing at the illustration on pg. 36 (family tree) for Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”.
② How old are they? [Can-do 8: Tell someone about your family, using a family photo]
The conversation involves talking about the age of someone in a photo and where they live. In Japan,
making positive comments like “kakkoii,” “wakai,” and “kiree,” is thought to improve relationships; try
discussing this with the class. As the phrase “kono hito” is used, “kono” is introduced as new
vocabulary. However, it is not necessary to introduce “sono” and “ano” at this stage. Similarly, because“doko ni sunde(i)masuka” is treated as a set phrase, it is not necessary to explain the te-form of verbs.
Before attempting Task 2⃣ “Listen”, have students match the photos to the answer columns and checkthey understand what to write in the answer columns. Students can write in hiragana, romaji, or theirnative language. When talking in pairs, it would be fun for students to share their own photos of theirfamily or friends, but the photos from pg. 36 to pg. 39 can also be used instead. Be aware that pg. 38
and pg. 39 will involve students listening to and using “~sundemasu” (where “i” is dropped), which iscommon in spoken Japanese. (The same applies to Lesson 7.)9© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes<Life and Culture> Family
Briefly explain that in Japan, how you refer to your own family members is different to how you refer
to someone else’s family. Have students compare this with their own country. It is not necessary to
set aside time for practising kinship terms.

Topic 3: Food
Lesson 5: What kind of food do you like?
① Do you like meat? [Can-do 9: Talk about your favourite foods]
The conversation takes place during a buffet-style breakfast at a hotel while the speakers wait theirturn to get food. The coursebook includes photos of both Western-style and Japanese-style breakfast
food. While rice is a staple food in Japan, bread is also widely eaten. Explain to students that “h. gohan”
means cooked rice, but it can also refer to meals in general, hence the words “asa-gohan” for“breakfast” and “hiru-gohan” for “lunch”. Also, depending on the ratio of broth to solid ingredients andthe amount of each in a single mouthful, you can either “eat” or “drink” miso soup. Hence, thecommonly-used phrase ““gohan to misoshiru” o tabemasu” is used here.
Because the audio track in Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat” is structured in sentences it may be good topronounce each word out loud for students beforehand. After that, first follow along with the audio
track and visually check the vocabulary, then second, check that the students understand “tabemasu”
before playing the track again and having students repeat the phrases.
Following on from Task 1⃣, Tasks 2⃣ “Listen” and 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” involve the phrase “~suki desu” inlistening practise (conversation input) and pair-based conversation practise. With the conversation
taking place in front of a buffet, for students to utilise the vocabulary learnt in this lesson, the question“nani ga suki desu ka” becomes the conversation starter, rather than “suki na ryoori wa nan desu ka”.
To ensure students focus on listening to the names of their favourite foods, go through the grammar
point “N to N” after listening to all the conversations. Before starting the pair-based conversation task,
briefly go through the particles “ga” and “mo”. At this point, you can bring up the equivalent word for“mo” in the students’ native language if it exists. Although not included as a grammar side note in thecoursebook, be aware that “ga” is used for affirmative sentences, whilst “wa” is used for negative
sentences. Try to keep this explanation as simple as possible.
② Would you like a coffee? [Can-do 10: Offer someone a drink]
This section has a similar structure to ①. Introduce new vocabulary (drinks), and have students listen
to and practise the conversation in pairs. This time, the conversation takes place at the drinks corner10© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notesof the buffet, where someone is getting a drink and asks if the other person would like the same (referto the illustration). As such, the pair-based conversation does not use any interrogative words (e.g.,“What would you like to drink?”). Instead, the question takes on the meaning “(I am having a coffee.)
Would you (also) like a coffee?”.
③ Do you always eat breakfast? [Can-do 11: Talk about your breakfast]
Task 1⃣ “Listen” involves people engaging in small talk at breakfast. Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” involves
hotel guests being asked to take a survey to help improve the buffet service. Students will use theiranswers to the survey questions during their conversation practise in pairs. Briefly explain themeaning of the grammar “yoku” and “amari” and their usage (e.g., “amari...nai”).
In the illustration portraying phrases used before and after eating, the character is not holding her
hands together in prayer. Although there are personal and generational differences (andregional differences as well, although in primary education the majority of students are taught to bring
their hands together before eating), this was originally a Buddhist custom. This gesture has been
avoided so that there will be no issue with a student imitating the illustration, even if they are of afaith besides Buddhism.
Lesson 6: Where are you going to have lunch today?
① Where are you going to eat today?
[Can-do 12: Say what your favourite dish is][Can-do 13: Talk with a friend about where to go for lunch]This lesson involves work colleagues or university friends having lunch together during their lunch
break. The situation is set in an area lined with various stores, or alternatively, a shopping centre foodcourt. You can ask students whether they have tried any of the dishes shown in the photos. For
example, the food on top of the udon is ebi no tempura (prawn tempura). Soba is eaten with a dipping
sauce, which is visible in the top-right corner of the soba image.
Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” is a short conversation using the names of dishes. Rather than explaining thegrammar point “suki na N”, simply present it as an expression. The focus here is having students
respond using the dish names, so it is fine for them to use “nani ga suki desu ka?” as the opening
question.
Task 3⃣ “Listen” involves identifying where they are going to eat for lunch and what kind of restaurant
it is from the audio, so play the audio track at least twice, focusing on one aspect at a time. Because
the adjectives “yasui desu”, “oishii desu”, and “hayai desu” are keywords, you should check themeaning and pronunciation with students before listening to the audio.

11© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

The meaning of “ano mise” should be demonstrated in Task 4⃣ “Talk in pairs.” The people in theillustration are pointing a slight distance away. From about the hamburger shop, it would be “sonomise.”② Let’s eat hamburgers[Can-do 14: Read a menu][Can-do 15: Order food and drinks at a hamburger shop]
The menu prices do not need to be read aloud, but romaji has been added solely for student reference.
Draw students’ attention to the pronunciations of “hitotsu” and “futatsu”. You can prepare a physicalversion of the menu or other props for students to use during their conversation practise.
<Life and Culture> Fast food restaurants
This section introduces six types of fast-food restaurants typically used in Japan when you want aneasy meal to eat as soon as you order. At these restaurants, you can order a quick and inexpensive
meal. One example is “tachi-gui-soba”, where you stand and eat soba or udon at a food stall, often
found inside train stations. They are convenient for people with only a short time to eat while waiting
for their train, but customers do not and cannot stay long. It may also be interesting to compare thelocalised menu and price variations of McDonald’s and other fast-food restaurants with chainsworldwide.

Topic 4: Home
The title page includes two photos. The first is a Western-style house in a new residential area. The
second is a traditional Japanese house in a townscape. Both architectural styles can be found inmodern Japan.
Lesson 7: There are three rooms in my home
The setting for this lesson is an email from a person living in Japan (Sakai-san) to their friend(Roberuta-san) who lives far away from them (i.e., a foreign country), inviting her to visit their home.
The overall aim of this lesson is for students to practise talking about their homes (architectural style,location, facilities, etc.).
① My house is small [Can-do 16: Say what kind of home you live in]
In Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat”, it is fine to not go over the lines connecting the four people to various
locations on the map of Japan. First, play the audio track and have students listen for the type ofhouse each person lives in. “Apaato” and “manshon” are not strictly differentiated. However, smaller

12© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

buildings are generally called “apaato”, while larger buildings are called “manshon”. 3 is a traditional
Okinawan-style house (a one-story bungalow), and 4 contrasts it with a modern Japanese-style house.
The Task 2⃣ “Listen” audio track includes a summary covering four details about each person’s house:(1) Where it is located, (2) What type of house it is (same as in Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat”), (3)Whether they live with others, and (4) What their house is like. Students listen to the audio while
pointing to the corresponding map locations and photos. As (4) involves students choosing the correct
adjective out of two options (one of which will be voiced in the audio), before listening, have students
guess the meaning of each adjective using the illustrations as a guide. The answers should be easy
to imagine from the pictures, so encourage students to check their guesses. “~ni sunde(i)masu” wasintroduced in Lesson 4 as a set phrase. In this lesson, however, “sundeimasu” is used rather than“sundemasu” as the phrase appears in monologues and email writing. (As in Lesson 4, an analysis of
the te-form conjugation of verbs and the meaning of “~teimasu” is not given at this stage).
In Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”, students talk about themselves using the same dialogue from Task 2⃣“Listen”. When talking about what type of house they have, it is possible their house is neither an“apaato” or “manshon”, so students may instead use loan words such as “flat” or “condominium” (orequivalent in another language). As necessary, you can specify what words can be used in this task.
After practising in pairs, invite students to perform the dialogue in front of the class, and discuss
whether other students have the same or similar house types.
② My house has air conditioning [Can-do 17: Say what you have in your home]
Listen to the Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat” audio track and point out the names of the objects in theroom. Since many are borrowed words from English, there is a note with markers indicating the beats(●) and pitch accent (￢ for high, － for low) for each object name to help students with their Japanese
pronunciation. After going through each word, students should try practising their pronunciation.
In Task 2⃣ “Listen”, students listen to the audio track and take note of what and how many furniture
items or electrical appliances each person has in their house. The words for counters can be found in
the note Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” at the bottom of the same page. Before attempting the activity, havestudents listen to the counters (hitotsu ~ muttsu), checking that they understand their meaning.
In Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”, students talk about themselves using the same dialogue from Task 2⃣“Listen”. When beginning a larger chunk of speech, students add “wa” to “watashi no ie ni (wa)” at
the beginning of their dialogue. Make students aware that when talking about multiple things in theirhouse, they should use “~mo arimasu”.
③ Please come and visit [Can-do 18: Write an email inviting someone to your home]
Using the content learnt in ① and ②, students will write an email inviting someone to come visit. The
sentence structure “chikaku ni ~ ga arimasu” has been added to encourage the recipient to visit.

13© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Students can fill this sentence with phrases such as “ookii depaato” or “oishii resutoran”, or they canwrite the name of a famous attraction (in their native language is fine).
Students can complete the email in either hiragana or romaji. (The task sheet can be downloaded
from the Marugoto website, and once it is finished, added to the portfolio.)
Lesson 8: It’s a nice room
This lesson involves the person invited in Lesson 7 coming to visit. Before they arrive, the host tidies
up their room with the help of a friend. Then, once their guest arrives, the host shows them aroundtheir house. Students later imagine they are the guest going out and exploring the area, and attempt
activities such as reading nameplates and address plates (地名表示).
① Whereabouts is the doll? [Can-do 19: Ask/Say where to put things in the room]
Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat” Part (1) introduces the naming of objects in a room. Play the audio track
and point out each object as it is voiced. Next, pick an object at random using the sentence structure“~ga arimasu”, and have students point to the object on the page. In Part (2), explain how to describe
the object’s location or position. Note to students that if the box is used as a reference point, thesentence follows the order “hako no~”. After listening to the audio track and pointing out the object
locations (on top, inside, under, beside), you can repeat the exercise by giving the students locations
at random.
Task 2⃣ “Listen” involves helping a friend clean up their room before their guest arrives. The person
helping uses the phrase “N wa doko desu ka (Where is N?)”, but what is inferred is “N wa doko ni

katazukemasu ka, okimasu ka (Where do I put away/place N?)”. Similarly, the response “N no N ni
onegaishimasu (N of the N, please)” infers the meaning “~ni oite kudasai (Please put it [place or
prepositional phrase])”. As per the illustration of the doll and box (on the right-hand side), draw anarrow connecting each object to its correct location in the room.
Using the above illustration of the room, in Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”, students try placing each object indifferent locations as if tidying up their own room.
② Welcome / Thank you for having me [Can-do 20: Visit / Welcome a friend]
This section showcases a conversation between a host and a guest/visitor.
The phrase “doozo agatte kudasai” is used when inviting a guest in as they remove their shoes and“step up” into the house.
The phrase “itadakimasu” was introduced in Lesson 5. In addition to being said before a meal, it isalso said when drinking tea that has been served to you.
If you are curious about an item in the room, you can point to it and ask, “kore, nan desu ka”.

14
© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

You can then express your thoughts on the item with phrases such as “ii heya desu ne ”, “(ocha,)oishii desu ne”, or “(kore,) kiree desu ne” (students will learn how to combine adjectives and nouns
in Lesson 14. Here, the only instance of adjective + noun is “ii heya”).
The use of “sumimasen” when being shown to the bathroom can be linked back to Lesson 1, wherestudents learnt that “sumimasen” can be used to express gratitude lightly.
③ This is my room [Can-do 21: Show someone around your home]
In Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat”, students point to the different room names as they listen to the audio
track and try to guess and check what each room is.
Task 2⃣ “Listen” involves showing a guest around your house.
Following on from Task 2⃣ “Listen”, in Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs”, students use the sentence structure“koko wa ~ desu” when practising showing someone around their house (as such, “soko” and “asoko”
are not needed). While this mainly involves students talking about a floor plan of their house, to makethings interesting, other students can assume the role of a house guest and respond with phrases
such as “ii heya desu ne” or “hiroi desu ne”.
④ My friend’s house is here [Can-do 22: Recognise the name and address on signs]
Have students match the handwritten house address on the note to the correct address plate in thephotos taken from around the city (kanji shape recognition). This is one example of an A1 level task
students can accomplish even if they cannot completely read the Japanese characters (in their heador aloud). Point out to students that 田島一男 is a person’s name, while 杉並区永福 3 丁目 53 is anaddress. It is good to discuss what the determining factors were and share strategies in their native
language.
<Life and Culture> Rooms
Some students may have seen the interior of a Japanese house from anime, manga, or movies, or
experienced a Japanese home during a visit to Japan. As such, they may already know some facts
about Japanese homes, such as taking your shoes off when you enter a house, the presence of rooms
lined with tatami mats instead of flooring, or the use of futons instead of beds. Students can sharesimilar experiences or facts, and learn from the photos that modern Japanese houses are becoming
more Western (in coexistence with traditional Japanese-style houses).
Photos: (1) Children’s room (where a child studies and sleeps), (2) Dining room/kitchen (a “face-toface” type or “counter” type kitchen where you can watch your family while doing housework), (3)Japanese style room and futon (during the day, futon is packed away in an oshiire (large closet) sothat the room can be used as a living room. At night, the futon is taken out again, and the room is used
for sleeping. The photo to the lower-right shows the oshiire, where futon amongst other things are15© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

stored), (4) Japanese style room (if separated into two rooms using sliding doors called fusuma, by
opening the fusuma, it can then be used as one large room).
With the question “heya o doo tsukaimasu ka”, students compare who uses a room, with whom, andhow, to their own homes. You can discuss with students any design innovations, advantages, etc., therooms have.

Topic 5: Daily Life
Lesson 9: What time do you get up?
① I wake up at 6 o’clock [Can-do 23: Say the time you do something]This section involves talking about one’s daily activities as per the illustrations on pgs. 62-63. Because
people’s lifestyles vary greatly, asking and talking about each other’s daily activities is a good topic
for communication. Note that in the audio, “okimasu” is spoken as one chunk with “roku-ji han ni.”Replay the audio multiple times, pointing out the verbs and the clock times as they are voiced.
Although it is easier to understand the situation by listening to the whole schedule from 6:30 am to12:30 am, based on the level of the students, it could also be good to have them listen to small sections
like the time or the verb. Lastly, as a review, also listen to the audio for the note containing various
time expressions.
In Task 2⃣ “Listen”, students listen to an appended version of the first audio track and select the times.
In Task 3⃣ “Listen”, students listen to the dialogue and select the verbs. Exercises for Time and Verbs
have been split into two stages due to the amount of new vocabulary being introduced.
② How early! [Can-do 23: Say the time you do something]Students should view the illustrations before listening to the audio track. Have them guess theoccupations of each person in the illustration (office worker, sumo wrestler, manga artist, politician,singer) and what time they wake up. Have fun with the different times each person wakes up andgoes to bed based on their occupation. After going through the answers, briefly explain “~ji ni” and“~ji goro”. For more practise, you can have students try saying “time + goro” while looking at the time
expression side note on pg. 62. After checking their understanding of the phrases “hayai desu ne” and“osoi desu ne”, have students attempt the Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” pair-based conversation.
③ Every day is busy [Can-do 24: Talk about your daily routine]
Students listen to a day in the life of Yoshida-san’s family of four: Yoshida-san, his mother, his wife,and his son (a high school student). The dialogue for this task is relatively long, so before listening,go through the clock times and verbs in the illustration and have students try to guess the answers.

16© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

After checking their answers, you can discuss with students how dinnertime varies depending on eachfamily member’s lifestyle. For Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs”, rather than listing activities one by one fromwhen they wake up to when they sleep, students should pick someone in Yoshida-san’s family with asimilar daily routine and use it as a model. Their answers should be around 5-6 sentences.
Lesson 10: When is convenient for you?
① On Tuesdays I go to school at night [Can-do 25: Talk about your schedule for the week]
Take note that the audio is structured in sentences rather than single words, as in “raishuu no

getsuyoobi ni byooin ni ikimasu .” Replay the audio track multiple times as you go through the exercise(as was done in Lesson 9) so that students understand the scenario “talking about one’s weekly
schedule”. Afterwards, have students thoroughly practise time phrases, as well as words for weekly
and weekend activities.
Before listening to the Task 2⃣ “Listen” audio track, go through the schedule book illustration. After
listening, briefly explain “~kara~made ” using the grammar side note on pg. 67, and check thatstudents understand the sentence “Abe-san wa getsuyoobi kara kin’yoobi made kaisha ni ikimasu ”.
Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” involves talking about one’s schedule in order to coordinate with the otherperson, hence the question “anata to tomodachi wa itsu hima desu ka (When are you and your partner
free?)”.
② Anytime is fine [Can-do 26: Talk about when to have a party]
This section involves Kim-san calling her friends to decide a date for Carla-san’s birthday party. To
keep the conversation simple, Kim-san only asks whether they prefer Saturday or Sunday. Note thatfor Task 1⃣ “Listen”, the setting is established with Question 1 and then omitted from number 2
onwards. Before listening to the audio track, check that students understand who the characters are,as well as the meaning of 土, 日, etc. After confirming when the birthday party will be held, check
students’ answers about the availability of the three characters. Prior to this, you can teach students
phrases such as “itsu ga ii desu ” and have them say “Joy-san wa nichiyoobi ga ii desu ”. For the Task
2⃣ conversation, don’t worry if there isn’t a date and time that suits everyone. It is a good opportunity
for students to be able to express their unavailability in Japanese with “~wa, dame desu ”.
③ Congratulations! [Can-do 27: Write a birthday card]
In this section, students read a card written by Carla-san’s friend for her birthday party. After listening
to the audio track, have students practise the phrases “tanjoobi omedetoo ” and “kanpai ” which areuseful to know at parties. If possible, you can encourage students to write a card in Japanese.

17© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes<Life and Culture> Morning and evening
Students view the morning and evening activities of people living in the city.
Around 8-9 am:① An elementary school student going to school in groups (shuudan-

tookoo), ② A mother sending her child to kindergarten on a bicycle calleda mamachari, ③ The “commuter rush” at a train station
Around 8-9 pm:④ A sports gym, ⑤ Nomikai (drinking parties), ⑥⑦ Children attending
cram school

Topic 6: Holidays and Days off 1
Lesson 11: What’s your hobby?
① My hobby is sports [Can-do 28: Talk about your hobbies]
The setting is a matchmaking party and involves people talking about their hobbies in the hopes offinding someone they like. There is a lot of new vocabulary, so students need only remember what ismost useful to them. If it is not present, the instructor should provide the word.
② I do photography on my days off [Can-do 29: Talk about what you do on your days off]
In Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs”, explain the meaning of the adverbs of frequency yoku, tokidoki, amari andzenzen before having students practise speaking in pairs. The chart shows high-frequency words(yoku) in bright colours and low frequency (zenzen) in pale colours.
The overall aim of this lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to become acquainted by
exploring what they have in common. As such, after the pair-based conversation, invite students toshare what they discovered they have in common.
Lesson 12: Shall we go together?
① Will you go see it?
[Can-do 30: Recognise information on posters and calendars for events][Can-do 31: Say whether or not you will attend an event]
While looking at the information on the event posters and calendars, students address their friends orinvite them to an event, etc. The conversation could take place in the international exchange cornerof an organisation, such as The Japan Foundation, or somewhere that stocks information on upcoming18© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

events, such as a tourist bureau. Alternatively, it could take place in a breakroom or lobby, where thespeakers are viewing any information sources they have at hand.
The posters have been arranged on a two-page spread. Draw students’ attention to how event prices
and dates (month, day) are said. In particular, go over the Japanese pronunciation of the different
currencies of the students’ countries. Also introduce the pronunciation of dates, as this is the firsttime they have been shown. It may be useful to reference the resources located at the end of the book(pg. 143). However, because this topic involves listening while looking (i.e., listening to the event
schedule while looking at the posters and calendars), there is no need for students to practise until
they can remember and pronounce the dates and times correctly.
Although there is kanji written on the posters, students should try to guess their meaning from theother information on the poster. For example, they may guess the meaning of 日時 or 日程 after seeing
what appears to be the event date written immediately after.
Task 2⃣ “Listen” and Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” involve asking someone whether or not they are going toan event (Sumo wrestling). While this conversation is quite simple, the person asking may be checking
if you are going so that they can offer to go together, or because they are giving away tickets. As such,
this conversation can spark communication. In cases where the person being asked cannot answer
for sure, “tabun” proves an important and useful word to know.
② Why don’t we go see it together? [Can-do 32: Talk about whether or not you can go out withyour friend]
The setting is the same as Section ①. In Task 1⃣ “Listen”, students listen to conversations between
two people. Each pair is viewing the event calendar and inviting each other to an event. To make thisactivity more realistic, students should also listen for the event dates and note them down (i.e.,
listening comprehension) while looking at the calendar. As mentioned before, there is no need forstudents to practise or memorise the pronunciation of every date and time. If studying overseas,
students should attempt the conversation in Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” as if they were inviting a Japaneseperson to an event in their hometown or country. For that reason, it is good to prepare some
information on local events to share with students.
<Life and Culture> Japanese Seasonal Events and National Holidays
This section includes a list of seasonal events (pictured) and national holidays in Japan. Briefly explain
the seasonal events as students look at the photos. Discuss what events the students enjoy in theirhometown/country or want to introduce to people from overseas, and when they are. Students should
say the event month and day in Japanese, but can say the event name in their native language. If theteacher is able to prepare beforehand, it is good to research through a Japanese travel guide or similarsource how local events are described and expressed in Japanese.

19© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

You can also share information about events held by The Japan Foundation or other Japan-relatedorganisations. You can then ask students whether they are going to the event or not, giving them achance to use “tabun” right away.

Topic 7: Towns
The theme for this chapter is “travel/transport”. The opening photo is of the scramble crossing in frontof Shibuya Station. It is one of Tokyo’s most visited tourist spots.
Lesson 13: How are you going to get there?
➀ Please take me to the hotel[Can-do 33: Recognise station and taxi signs][Can-do 34: Show a taxi driver a note and say your destination]
Lesson 13 involves asking hotel staff for instructions on how to get to your destination in your travel
location. There are photos in Task 2⃣ “Read/Recognise” and Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” depicting station
entrance/exit signs and a vacant taxi sign, respectively. Although small and difficult to see, ensure
students look at the photos closely as they are key to Can-do 34.
The taxi conversation in Task 3⃣ involves using your own capabilities at the A1 level to get from theairport to the hotel. Showing the taxi driver the destination written on a note is key for an A1 leveluser. To find out the time required to get there, students can simply ask, “tooi desu ka?”. The bottom
right illustration includes the phrase “koko de ii desu” for when you want to hop off midway.
② You can take the bus to Sakura Park [Can-do 35: Say how to get to a particular destination]
The conversations in sections ② and ③ occur after arriving at the hotel via taxi. This section involves
asking at a hotel or some other place what method of transport is recommended to get to yourdestination (see the bottom right photo on pg. 87). The illustration for “benri desu” depicts a bus
timetable for multiple buses. Please explain the illustration if students have trouble understanding it.
If studying overseas, students practise the conversation in Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” as if they wereexplaining the local area to a resident Japanese person.
③ How do I get to Asakusa? [Can-do 35: Say how to get to a particular destination]
Task 1⃣ “Listen” involves a transfer between modes of transport. Here as well, using notes is key for
an A1 level user. Although “mazu” is spoken once in the audio track, because it is not used in the pairbased conversation, it does not appear in the coursebook. Briefly go through just the meaning usingtranslational equivalents or other methods. In Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs”, when asking about transfer

20© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

information and other slightly complicated details, the phrases “moo ichido itte kudasai” and “koko ni

kaite kudasai” are useful. Encourage students to try these phrases even during practise.
Lesson 14: It’s a famous temple➀ Where is the temple? [Can-do 36: Say how to get to a destination, using a map]
In Task 1⃣ “Listen and repeat” Part (1), students point out the location of various buildings on the map
while listening to the audio track for “~wa koko desu”. Part (2) is preparation for Task 2⃣ “Listen”,
where you are near your destination but unsure how to get there. In this situation, in order to confirm
the directions, you approach a passer-by on the street while showing them the map you are holding
and ask them to explain the route. This map only shows the vicinity of the destination and not thewider area.
Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” uses the same map, but this time it is important for students to actually pointout their current location, the route, and the destination while speaking.
As demonstrated by the use of notes in Lesson 13 and maps in Lesson 14, the focus here is using
visual aids to achieve effective communication at the A1 level.
② Where are you now? [Can-do 37: Say where you are now over the phone]This section involves calling a friend who has not shown up to a meeting or a friend you have arranged
to meet with, and checking where they are. Assume the person calling out of concern is a local, while
the person receiving the call is a traveller or similar, who is not familiar with the area or language. The
caller will go to meet the other person.
③ When does it close? [Can-do 38: Recognise opening/closing times on shop noticeboards]
The photos depict signs and other things you might see in places you visit during a trip: 1. a tourism

centre, 2. & 5. eateries, 3. an ATM and 4. a zoo. The readings include romaji, with students inferring
their meaning.
<Life and culture> Japanese Towns (things you come across in town)
View the photos of various things in Japanese cities. Discuss whether they exist in students’
hometowns and whether they are the same or slightly different despite serving the same purpose.

You can also have students consider things that are not found in their cities but are in Japan, whythat is, and what kind of needs they meet for people living in Japan (for example, 5. “chuurinjoo,” aparking area for bicycles).

21© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Topic 8: Shopping
Lesson 15: Cute!
➀ What is that? [Can-do 39: Talk about what you want to buy]
Carla-san, who plans to return to her home country temporarily, has come to Asakusa to buy souvenirs
with the help of Suzuki-san. As long as students can understand the setting from listening to Task 1⃣“Listen” audio track, there is no need to follow up with a practise exchange such as “are, nan desuka” “shuriken desu”. Try using gestures when introducing the meaning of “koo yatte” (written on theside note), as it is a useful phrase for explaining something.
② I want a cute handkerchief [Can-do 39: Talk about what you want to buy]
This section involves viewing and talking about souvenirs in a shop. Look at the souvenirs (photos ad and the item counters) and the souvenir list written by Carla-san (top of pg. 95). Go through thevocabulary and item counters, then have students attempt Task 1⃣ “Listen”. Students only need tounderstand what is necessary for this lesson, so just briefly practising the counters is fine. Listen to
the audio for Task 1⃣ in two stages: for 1⃣-(1) focusing on what they are talking about (listening forthe gist), and for 1⃣-(2) focusing on who the items are for (listening for detail). The Task 2⃣ pair-based
conversation (pg. 96) involves a traveller to Japan who is buying souvenirs. You can introduce
vocabulary not listed on pgs. 94-95 according to language level and time available in class. Have funby letting students make their own souvenir lists. It is fine if they write in romaji.
③ Where can I buy it? [Can-do 40: Talk about where to shop for something you want]
In this section, Suzuki-san is helping Carla-san with shopping. Teach “kaemasu ka” as a set phraseused when shopping. You do not have to explain the potential form. Note that if taking place overseas,
the Task 2⃣ pair-based conversation will involve helping a Japanese who has come to your hometown
with shopping. For example, suppose an exchange where the person from Japan asks “taishiruku ga

hoshii desu. doko de kaemasu ka”, and the person from Thailand replies “jimutonpuson (a famous
store) ga ii desu yo” or “saiamusukuea (a place with many silk stores) ga ii desu yo”.
Lesson 16: I’ll take this➀ How much is it?
[Can-do 41: Make a brief comment on things in a shop][Can-do 42: Read prices]
Carla-san and Suzuki-san have moved on from Asakusa to other parts of the city (Shibuya, Ginza).
They look at passers-by and the items in surrounding stores (clothes in the display window),
expressing their thoughts in simple terms.

22© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Go through the clothing-related vocabulary. Note that the audio for Task 1⃣ “Listen” is structured inchunks rather than single words, as in “ano pantsu, kakkoii”. You can also use it to practise vocabulary
by playing the audio again and pointing. In Task 2⃣ “Listen and repeat”, students practise the phrases
while viewing the photos. Sometimes men might say “waa, takee”, but introduce this only as needed.
Task 3⃣ “Listen” goes through clothing-related vocabulary, then how to read numbers (see pg. 142).
Read “¥2900” as a price list. Although they can read the price display, have students try pronouncing
it a few times in the form “(a wa) nisen kyuuhyaku-en” so that they can tell a Japanese person theprice. However, students do not need to keep practising until they can say it. Just ensure that they
can understand the prices from listening to the conversation.
② Are there other colours? [Can-do 43: Do some shopping]In Task 1⃣ “Listen”, students practise important vocabulary and phrases that enable them to shop.
When speaking in Task 2⃣ “Listen and repeat”, students replace the words in the white boxes withdifferent sizes (S/M/L) and colours (10 colours), so make sure to review the relevant vocabulary.
③ I’ll take thisTake note that “kite mitemo ii desu ka” appears for the first time here. At A1 level, students need only
adapt the conversations they have memorised to suit the scenario. Draw students’ attention to things
like gestures, interpersonal distance, and facial expressions.
<Life and culture> Souvenirs
Buying snacks as souvenirs is common in Japan, so this section features snacks from various regions.
Be careful not to concentrate on the topic of flavour. Focus on the purpose and act of buying souvenirs.
Discuss things like whether it is common to buy snacks as souvenirs in students’ home countries andthe range of people they buy souvenirs for (neighbours, friends, colleagues, etc.). It may be interesting
to mention how each region in Japan has its own unique snacks and that they serve to promote local
industries.

23© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Topic 9: Holidays and Days off 2
As the final topic, students will review the previous topics in this chapter.
Lesson 17: It was fun➀ My holiday was fun[Can-do 44: Read a short blog][Can-do 45: Say what you did on your days off]
[Can-do 46: Say briefly what you thought about your days off]
This lesson involves work colleagues or friends telling each other on the weekend or post-vacation
how they spent their holiday.
Task 1⃣ “Read/Recognise” is in the form of a blog, featuring personal recounts that have been posted
with photos. Students read the blog posts while viewing the photos. You should introduce how emojis
are used frequently, along with their meaning. At this point, there may already be students who can
picture writing their own blog in Japanese.
In Task 2⃣ “Listen”, there are two things to listen for: (1) What did they do during their holiday, and(2) How did they feel about it. Students should focus on (1) during the first listen and (2) on thesecond. However, since this is the final topic, for some students, it is fine not to specify what to listen
for beforehand. In such cases, playing the audio track twice is still encouraged.
② I didn’t do much [Can-do 45: Say what you did on your days off]
This section follows on from ➀ Task 2⃣ “Listen”, where students heard stories from people who did
something during their holiday. This time, students hear from people who didn’t do anything special.
Some adult learners might relate to spending one’s days off quietly rather than doing something
special. After listening to the conversation, you can try asking students what they think.
③ I will visit there again[Can-do 46: Say briefly what you thought about your days off]
[Can-do 47: Write a short blog about your days off]
Here, there is a particular emphasis on expressing one’s thoughts.
In Task 1⃣ “Listen”, students listen to the various thoughts and feelings of people who attended thesame event (pg. 107, bottom left). For Q1, although Number 3 Kawai-san’s answer is vague in thescript, her attitude in the audio track is negative. Students should try judging from the tone of voice.
For Kawai-san, the answer is “iie”.

24© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes

Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” is a conversation recalling past events in students’ hometowns. Be aware thatthey will want to use past-tense. Supplement the guide script with necessary expressions such as“kotoshi no~” (when the event has just ended), “kyonen no~”, and “kono aida no~”. Although theguide script uses just the bare minimum two phrases for commenting on the event (yokatta desu, maa

maa deshita), students can also try the expressions at the bottom of pg. 107.
Task 3⃣ “Write” challenges students to write their own blog posts. In this activity, they will post aphoto and write about two things: what they did and how they felt about it. Given that there are limits
to what they can express in words, students should include some real “evidence” to make the blog
come to life, such as photos, event tickets, or pamphlets (including cut-outs).
Lesson 18: I would like to visit Kyoto next time
① I arrived in Japan today[Can-do 48: Read a simple email][Can-do 49: Say what you did on your travels]
This section involves telling friends about your holiday travels. Paulo, from the main cast of characters,
and his grandmother, Maria, make their first appearance. Maria emigrated from Japan at a young age
and is now visiting Japan with her grandson after many years. While this background is somewhat
complex, it shows students one aspect of Japanese speakers living abroad.
Task 1⃣ “Read / Recognise” follows up the blog in Lesson 17, with Lesson 18 involving reading emails
sent to a friend. Illustrations are used here, but originally the text was accompanied by photos. The
message is conveyed in combination with this visual information. For the third email, “(soba wa) taihen

deshita. Demo, oishikatta desu.”, briefly explain the meaning of “demo” by giving its translational
equivalent (for example). For the purpose of friendly international exchange, this chapter introduces
comments that are not overly negative and which end on a positive note.
In Task 2⃣ “Listen”, “~nichi-me” and “sorekara” are written in the coursebook as they are necessary
when listening to the conversation. Before attempting listening comprehension, you should briefly
teach students the meaning of these words (translating is fine). “Sorekara” is used to list the actions
in chronological order. Here, Maria is talking about what she remembers doing on her trip.
Task 3⃣ “Talk in pairs” is slightly complicated, so be careful not to lose track of the flow of theconversation. Souvenirs are covered in Topic 8 (Shopping). For the phrases “kore, doozo” and “doomoarigatoo gozaimasu” when handing the souvenir over, if possible, have students perform the exchangewith a box or bag that looks like a souvenir.

25© 2013 The Japan Foundation

Marugoto: Starter (A1) Katsudoo – Teachers Notes② I would like to visit Kyoto next time [Can-do 50: Say where you want to go next time]
In Task 1⃣ “Listen”, there are two things to listen for: (1) What did they do, and (2) Where do theywant to go next. Students should focus on (1) during the first listen, and (2) on the second. Again,
because this is the final topic, for some students, it is fine not to specify what to listen for. However,playing the audio track twice is still encouraged. The photographs show tourist attractions in 4
different locations. As Task 2⃣ “Talk in pairs” will take quite some time, and many other tourist
locations are covered in the “Life and Culture” section, it is recommended that you only utilise thefour locations included here.
For the activity in Task 2⃣, students talk about their own travels. Have them think of answers to thequestions, take notes, and then do Q&A in pairs. For the purpose of revising the entire coursebook, a
lot of questions have been included. Ensure students attempt at least questions 1 (where did you go?),6 (what did you do?), and 7 (how was it?). If overseas, many students may choose to talk about trips
they took domestically or to a neighbouring country, rather than Japan. In such cases, try pairing
students with a Japanese person, if possible. That way, they can provide tourist information to their
Japanese partner by sharing their travel experiences. If what they say can be useful to others, this will
strengthen students’ motivation to communicate. It is good to have a map in class to see where each
student travelled.
<Life and culture> Japanese Sightseeing Areas
While viewing the photos and map of Japan, discuss with students where they would like to visit. It
might be fun to show students a tour pamphlet or similar. It is recommended that instructors collectsome basic information on the tourist attractions displayed on the map.
It might be interesting to have students try to think about famous places in their home country andcategorise them into natural wonders, temples/shrines, castles, cities with unique characteristics, etc.
Comparing them to Japan and other countries may also be interesting.

26© 2013 The Japan Foundation