Did you know that we now have Japanese materials?

Just like our English materials, they’re free and publicly available! You can access them from our Lesson Materials page by choosing  “Japanese materials” from the dropdown menu on the right.

As you can see, we currently have two categories. Describing Pictures is basically the Japanese equivalent of our English Describing Pictures course.

The Read and Discuss lessons focus on building students' vocabulary and speaking skills through interesting articles and fun exercises. The lessons are designed for levels 2-10 (from Beginner to Proficient).

But, I’ll stop talking now and let you all get the inside scoop from the woman behind it all — Yuko-san!

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, I’m Yuko. I like to watch sumo wrestling and play catch with my dog, Dodger! 

Interesting! I hear you have a background in languages?

Yes, so I studied in Canada and both my undergrad and graduate studies were in applied linguistics, with a focus on English and Japanese pedagogies. The best part of my studies was that we didn’t only learn about teaching. We also had the opportunity to work directly with students studying those languages at the university.

What got you interested in Canada?

I’ve always associated Canada with majestic nature, a relaxed lifestyle, and other peaceful things, and I thought it’d be great to learn English in a nice environment like that.

And what got you interested in languages?

The first time I encountered English was in middle school. While the process of memorizing vocabulary and grammar rules felt mechanical, it was interesting to use those rules to express myself in another language.

Then, when I studied in Canada, I started to think that it’d be great to teach either English or Japanese. So in the first two years of university, I took some intro courses in linguistics, studying things like the phonologies and grammar of different languages as well as the relationship between thought and language. 

I enjoyed these courses enough to major in applied linguistics and also pursue graduate studies in the same field.

Are there any similarities or differences between Japanese and English pedagogy?

I think they both share the idea that we should first lower a learner’s “mental barrier” to learning, for example, by choosing materials that they can relate to. The idea that it’s important to not just study a language, but also to learn about the culture behind it is also common to both. 

As for differences, I don’t think there are any big differences between teaching two languages. I think greater differences arise when you teach students with different backgrounds and motivations.

Did you have any difficulties learning English?

Well, I’m not too good at speaking, even in Japanese. So there are some occasions where I cannot put the right words together in English, and that really stresses me out. 

Funnily enough, I don’t have this problem when writing in English. It’s as if my brain and hands are directly connected. But when I have to speak, somewhere in my nervous system, a link gets cut off!

However, from my time studying abroad up to now, no one has ever made an unpleasant face or cut me off because of my English. So I’m very thankful for all these people who took the time to understand me. I try to be like them when someone tries to talk to me in Japanese as well.

It's reassuring to hear that you have been through the struggles of learning a language. What's your role on the materials team by the way? 

I’ll focus on the Japanese materials, as I have been more involved in this project recently. 

Most of our Japanese lessons are short reading materials. We have eight themes, including culture, travel, education, and food. I come up with topics to write about, but many ideas also come from other non-Japanese team members, including my partner who is JLPT N1-certified.

Together, we’ve also devised detailed guidelines for each level dictating what vocabulary and grammar are appropriate, how long passages should be, and what exercises would be most fun and effective.

Would you say there are any differences in perspectives between native and non-natives when developing materials?

Yes, definitely! While I always aim to use natural and easy-to-understand expressions, it’s helpful to have staff members who’ve actually studied the language check my work. 

They’re also great at detecting what types of cultural concepts learners might struggle to understand, in which case they’ll suggest different ways to explain it or visuals to illustrate it. 

What would you say is the strength of our materials?

Our team consists of diverse members from English-speaking countries like the US, UK, and New Zealand but also from other parts of the world, like Serbia and Taiwan. Some of our material developers were also tutors on our platform. And each lesson is the product of repeated discussions, corrections, and revisions, which is why I think the quality is so good.

👋 That’s it for now! 

We hope you enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at our Japanese materials. If you’re interested in learning Japanese, make sure to take a look for yourself! In the meantime, happy tutoring!