Living Japanese - Karen Colligan-Taylor

Living Japanese: Diversity in Language and Lifestyles (Ikita Nihongo: samazama na kotoba, samazama na seikatsu) draws students into the lives of thirty-three Japanese from ages seven to seventy-five. As students listen to diverse viewpoints on cultural and social issues, they will develop an extensive vocabulary and become accustomed to natural speech and linguistic differences.

The workbook contains a transcription of all interviews, a cultural introduction to each topic, a complete vocabulary list, and grammar explanations. Furigana are provided in the transcriptions and notes to facilitate reading. Discussion questions encourage students to research the topics further, to think about and discuss recurrent themes, to speak or write about the topic in terms of their own culture or experience, and to seek out the views of native speakers.

The DVD/workbook will facilitate development of the five major skill areas delineated in the National Standards for Japanese Language Learning.

A DVD of spontaneous interviews exploring twenty topics, including:
Family, living environment, household crafts, architecture
Farming for health, eating habits in a fast-paced society
Issues faced by children, working women, and the elderly
Student life; views of marriage among young people
Anime, manga, revival of traditional arts
Ways of viewing and valuing nature, environmental education
Buddhist thought on the interrelatedness of all things
Japanese songs and their context
Childhood memories, including school life during World War II
Linguistic differences, Japanese Sign Language