Teaching Resources

JF Japanese e-Learning Minato

Online platform

Created by the Japan Foundation New

The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai has released the Japanese language learning platform JF Japanese e-Learning Minato, to provide an opportunity to study Japanese for people who wish to begin learning but cannot attend an actual Japanese language school. Its main course is the Marugoto Japanese Online Course, which gives an integrated learning experience through interactive e-learning materials covering listening, speaking, reading and writing.

MARUGOTO+

Online platform

Created by the Japan Foundation

MARUGOTO+ (MARUGOTO Plus) is a website where users can learn about Japanese language and culture alongside the contents of Marugoto: Japanese language and culture, a coursebook which uses the JF Standard as a basis. Users can practise real-life Japanese while watching videos that deepen understanding of everyday situations, in order to achieve various Can-do goals. The Starter A1 site has been updated.

Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese

Online platform

Created by the Japan Foundation

A growing number of young people are studying Japanese because they are attracted to Japan's cool culture. For them, the Japan Foundation has developed Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese. The programme features mini-dramas by up-and-coming actors together with clear and fun explanation by animated characters. Alongside language study, it is designed to help learners develop an attitude conducive to cultural understanding.

Erin's Challenge! I Can Speak Japanese (App)

App

Created by the Japan Foundation

An app for studying beginner-level vocabulary and expressions in an engaging way through card games, manga and quizzes, and for checking how much you were able to remember.

Ready Steady NihonGO!

Scheme of work

Created by the Japan Foundation

A unique scheme of work for teaching Japanese at Key Stage 2, produced jointly by Japan 21 (now the Japan Society) and the Japan Foundation London. The scheme comprises ten structured 45-minute lessons, with comprehensive teachers' notes, National Curriculum links and a set of accompanying Culture Notes. The course is available free online; a CD-ROM version is also available from the Japan Society.

JF Standard for Japanese Language Education

Framework

Created by the Japan Foundation

JF Standard is a tool to help Japanese teachers consider how Japanese can be taught, and how learners' achievements can be assessed.

NIHONGO e-na Portal for Learning Japanese

Portal

Created by the Japan Foundation

The site features various websites and online tools useful for studying Japanese, and aims to provide support for learners all over the world who are looking for fun ways to study.

Minna no Kyozai Site

Teaching materials

Created by the Japan Foundation

Minna no Kyozai is a website for Japanese-language teachers around the world to create suitable teaching materials for their students. It features resources, a forum and advice on creating effective learning materials.

IRO DORI: Japanese for Life in Japan

Online platform

Created by the Japan Foundation

Using IRO DORI, Japanese learners can increase their abilities in Japanese communication in order to get on with daily life in Japan. IRODORI offers fundamental Japanese communication skills for learners living or working in Japan.

Genkou Youshi Template

Template

For creating Word documents with Japanese written in vertical columns.

200 Kanji Image Cards

Mnemonic collection of 200 GCSE set Kanji, individually downloadable.

200 Basic Kanji Flashcards

Flashcards for GCSE Kanji, arranged by stroke order

Ready, Steady, NihonGO!

Scheme of work

Created by the Japan Foundation

A unique scheme of work for teaching Japanese at KS2, produced by the Japan Foundation London and the Japan Society. It comprises ten 45-minute lessons designed to be delivered by a Japanese native speaker teacher working with the class teacher. Each lesson is clearly structured, with comprehensive teachers' notes, National Curriculum guidelines and a set of accompanying Culture Notes.

JFL Japanese Scheme of Work for primary schools (JSOW)

Scheme of work

Created by the Japan Foundation

JSOW is based on The National Curriculum in England, 2013 and consists of A1-level tasks from the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education, developed by the Japan Foundation in 2010 on the concept of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

Resources for Primary Japanese

Reading list

Created by the Japan Foundation

A Japan Foundation compiled list of useful publications for teaching primary level Japanese. Most of them are available to loan from our Book Loan Service.

Learn Japanese with Bocchi & Pocchi

Video

Supported by the Japan Foundation

Bocchi & Pocchi are a cute pair of socks created by artist, children's book author and illustrator Noriko Matsubara. In short, fun YouTube videos they introduce children to basic Japanese phrases and vocabulary: an ideal resource for teachers and parents of younger children. The videos are created as part of an outreach project by Newcastle University, supported by the Japan Foundation Sakura Network programme.

力CHIKARA Japanese Teaching Resources for Secondary Schools

Course materials

Created by the Japan Foundation

CHIKARA is a comprehensive set of teaching resources to support the GCSE curriculum. The resources are designed for students to learn the structure of the Japanese language and to practise it in a communicative setting.

List of Resources for GCSE

Reading list

A Japan Foundation compiled list of useful publications for teaching GCSE. Most of them are available to loan from our Book Loan Service.

Rajakumar Sensei's Japanese Page

Workbooks

Supported by the Japan Foundation

GCSE Japanese workbooks created by Anne Rajakumar, Head of Japanese at Hockerill Anglo-European College. The workbooks cover the GCSE syllabus and form a beginner's course taking between two and four years to teach. They come in a multimedia version linking to accompanying video tutorials, and a PDF version to download, print and write in.

“I Can Write In Japanese” KS4 Revision Materials

Workbook

Supported by the Japan Foundation

Developed by the UK team of the J-GAP (Japanese Global Articulation Project). Taking the theme of expressing one's self, it aims to enable students to use the grammar and sentence structures learned at KS4 correctly and in context. Tasks progress from low to high level in stages, so students of varying ability can use it, and it includes actual questions from the Japanese GCSE.

AJALT Japanese For Young People: teacher's manual

Teacher's manual

GCSE Japanese Listening Practice Files

Listening

Sound files and accompanying worksheets designed for practising the listening component of GCSE Japanese.

Created by Kita no Kai

List of Resources for A Levels

Reading list

A Japan Foundation compiled list of useful publications for teaching A Level. Most of them are available to loan from our Book Loan Service.

Reading materials for AS Japanese: Motto Yomu Chikara

Reading

Supported by the Japan Foundation

Three units of reading materials complementing the Chikara for Reading resources already available from the Japan Foundation. They provide reading texts and grammar exercises along with cultural information, to help students bridge the gap between GCSE and A Level.

Created by the Motto Yomu Chikara Project Team

AJALT Japanese for Young People: Teacher's Manual

Japan Foundation Sydney Japanese Classroom Resources

Classroom resources

Created by the Japan Foundation

Enrich your Japanese classroom with a collection of resources for all learners from the Japan Foundation, Sydney. Although designed for the Australian education system, there is plenty here for teachers and learners of Japanese in the UK.

Japanese Taster Lesson Resource Activity Pack (draft version)

Activity pack

Created by the Japan Foundation

Created by the Japan Foundation London for teachers and JTS Programme volunteers looking for ideas for one-off sessions in Japanese. It is packed with games, activities and lesson ideas for introducing basic Japanese language and culture to primary and secondary school pupils.

Japanese Language Homestay Pack (2001)

Phrasebook

A guide for young learners with useful phrases for doing a homestay with a Japanese-speaking family. Produced in 2001 by the Japan Foundation London and the Japan Festival Education Trust.

Japanese Reward Stickers

Classroom resources

Created by the Japan Foundation

Designed by the Japan Foundation London for teachers to print on label paper and give to their students. The label template used is Avery L7161.

Class Acts

Video

A video created for Japan 2001 documenting success stories from the UK Japanese classroom and demonstrating best practice in teaching Japanese in the UK secondary sector. If you are teaching at a UK school and are thinking of offering Japanese, you may be eligible to receive a free copy: email info.language@jpf.go.jp for more information.