Social Networking Approach to Japanese Language Teaching is a timely guide for Japanese language teachers and anyone interested in language pedagogy. The book outlines an innovative approach to language instruction which goes beyond the communicative approach and encourages a global view of language education and curriculum development through the use of social networking. It showcases diverse examples of how social networking can be harnessed and incorporated into everyday language classes to increase learners' curiosity and engagement in real cultural and global interactions. While the focus is on Japanese language teaching, the concepts explored can be applied to other languages and teaching contexts. This book will benefit teachers of any language as well as linguists interested in language pedagogy.

Social Networking Approach to Japanese Language Teaching is a timely guide for Japanese language teachers and anyone interested in language pedagogy. The book outlines an innovative approach to language instruction which goes beyond the communicative approach and encourages a global view of language education and curriculum development through the use of social networking. It showcases diverse examples of how social networking can be harnessed and incorporated into everyday language classes to increase learners' curiosity and engagement in real cultural and global interactions. While the focus is on Japanese language teaching, the concepts explored can be applied to other languages and teaching contexts. This book will benefit teachers of any language as well as linguists interested in language pedagogy.

The First Edition of Yookoso!: An Invitation to Contemporary Japanese was warmly and enthusiastically received by Japanese language instructors not only in North America, but also abroad. The preliminary chapters entitled "Getting Started" were a First Edition feature that many instructors and students found especially useful and effective for their introductory Japanese courses. In response to this positive response, we have revised and expanded these preliminary chapters as a primer to introduce learners to the Japanese language, providing them with a basic foundation for learning Japanese.. Yookoso!: Getting Started with Japanese has been developed according to two basic premises: (1) proficient communication in the second language is the goal of foreign language instruction, and (2) the primary function of language is to allow people to communicate, interact, and negotiate meaning. Yookoso!: Getting Started with Japanese provides a starting point for oral and written communication and helps students to develop proficiency in the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, as well as in cultural awareness. With this emphasis on interaction in the classroom, students enjoy learning Japanese.. The Yookoso! materials and approach have been extensively tested with beginning students of Japanese. In our experience, students become proficient in Japanese more quickly using the Yookoso! approach. The flexible framework of the Yookoso! materials accommodates various approaches to language teaching and different learning styles.