This Japanese language support app for students in need of Japanese language instruction was conceived by Ishikawa, a Japanese language support volunteer in Kashiwa City, Chiba Prefecture, and developed with advice from Kondo, Baba, Fujino, and Kato, members of the Kashiwa City Children's Japanese Language Support Association.
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Irasutoya for allowing us to use many of the illustrations (including modified versions) from the app.
This app was created with the hope that students in need of Japanese language instruction will be able to quickly adapt to school life and learning situations by mastering basic Japanese.
The "School Scenes" section is designed to help students acquire vocabulary, while the "Textbook Verbs" section is designed to systematically teach grammar. Both sections include audio.
These two pillars make this a learning support tool that can be used both in Japanese language support situations and at home.
App Features
Based on experience in the field, this app has two main functions: "School Scenes" and "Textbook Verbs."
1. School Scenes
We have selected 13 situations that frequently appear in school life and learning situations.
1. Morning Meeting/End of Day Meeting
2. Lunch
3. Cleaning
4. Studying
5. Math (1)
6. Math (2)
7. Science
8. Music
9. Physical Education
10. Field Trip
11. Evacuation Drill
12. Items to Bring
13. Physical Condition/Mood
Each situation includes 21-25 carefully selected vocabulary words, including frequently used nouns and verbs, accompanied by illustrations. Clicking on an illustration plays audio, followed by the text. The gradual presentation of audio and text reduces the student's burden and aids comprehension. Repeatedly imitating the audio helps students master pronunciation and naturally memorize the shapes of kanji they haven't yet learned.
In addition, verbs that appear in a situation can be conjugated and practiced from the "Verbs in Textbooks" screen. Students can choose from a single situation, multiple situations, or all 13 situations, with all 168 verbs. Verbs can also be displayed in order of submission or randomly. This book is designed to help children who are confused after arriving in Japan adjust to school life as quickly as possible.
2. Textbook Verbs
The other pillar is "Textbook Verbs." Verbs from the following introductory textbooks widely used in Japan are included for each textbook:
• "Hiroko's Fun Japanese 1" (Bonjinsha)
• "Learn Japanese" (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
• "Children's Japanese 1" (Three A Network)
• "Mieko's Japanese" (Mie Prefecture International Foundation)
• "Minna no Nihongo I" (Three A Network)
Verbs are arranged in the order of the lesson presented, allowing you to practice the present, past, negative, and past negative conjugations of both the "masu" and "dictionary" forms. Additionally, you can practice by verb group I, II, or III, or by ending. You can also choose to view verbs by lesson, multiple lessons, or all lessons, and you can view them in the order of submission or randomly.
This feature allows supporters to teach verb conjugation in line with their own textbooks without the need for supplementary materials. Students can also practice at home, making it an effective tool for homework and independent study.
For more advanced practice of converting between the five conjugation forms, including the "te" form, please use the "Japanese Verb Conjugation App," based on this app's predecessor, "Minna no Nihongo I."
Japanese Language Learning Steps
The ideal Japanese language education generally follows the following flow:
1. Survival Japanese: Greetings, expressions for physical condition, subject names, names of familiar objects, etc.
2. Basic Japanese: Acquire characters and notation, vocabulary, and grammar.
3. Skill-Specific Japanese: Learning reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.
4. Subject-Integrated Learning: Learning to link Japanese language with subject content.
Many children find their new culture unfamiliar, especially immediately after arriving in Japan, so mastering "Survival Japanese" is an important first step. Whether they feel comfortable during this period will have a significant impact on their subsequent adjustment to school life. In Kashiwa City, supporters conduct "pull-out lessons" using introductory textbooks that are easy for supporters to teach, and students progress through the learning process in stages.
Current Status of Japanese Language Support
In recent years, as the number of foreigners living in Japan has increased, the number of students attending Japanese schools who require Japanese language instruction has also been increasing year by year. According to a May 2023 survey by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the number of students requiring Japanese language instruction has reached 69,123, nearly double the past 10 years. There are 9,932 schools nationwide with at least one such student. The residential areas have also expanded, with students currently residing in 1,080 cities, towns, and villages.
Kashiwa City is among the areas with a relatively high population, classified as a "municipality with over 100 residents," second only to the 88 cities, towns, and villages with over 200 students. The Kashiwa City Children's Japanese Language Support Association works with the city to provide Japanese language support to students through "pull-out lessons."
We hope that this initiative, born out of Kashiwa City's Japanese language support practices, will be of great help to many students who need Japanese language instruction and multicultural and multilingual children in their Japanese language studies, and will help to enrich their school life.
