Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I

Authors

  • Ryan Francis Lidster Indiana University Dept. of Second Language Studies Marshall University Dept. of Modern Languages

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jll.2021.169

Abstract

The release of a new edition of the widely used Japanese textbook Genki has been widely anticipated. While most of the changes are subtle and aesthetic, there are noticeable improvements, especially in the efforts taken to better represent the diversity of the Japanese learner population. However, the textbook's unsystematic treatment of vocabulary and grammar reflect a teaching philosophy that, already dated when the first edition was published twenty years ago, has only drifted further from the field of second language pedagogy. The disjointed treatment of literacy and oracy skills make it difficult to understand what is "integrated" about the course it provides. Great teaching can still be achieved using Genki, but it will require considerable creativity on behalf of teachers, especially those concerned with demonstrating how progress through the textbook aligns with measurable outcomes or gains in proficiency.

Author Biography

Ryan Francis Lidster, Indiana University Dept. of Second Language Studies Marshall University Dept. of Modern Languages

Ryan Lidster is a PhD Candidate in Second Language Studies at Indiana University, specializing in language assessment and the teaching and acquisition of phonology. His research focuses particularly on the acquisition of L2 Japanese phonemic length. He has taught English and Japanese in the US, Canada, and Japan, and currently teaches Japanese and Linguistics in the Modern Languages Department at Marshall University.

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Published

2021-04-21