As a freelancer, how much should I charge to transcribe, translate, and subtitle 8 hours of video? It’s an 8hr-long graduate student conference (in English only) uploaded as a YouTube videos that needs to be subtitled in Japanese, English, and Norwegian. I’ll use WhisperAI.

Pricing Guide for Transcription, Translation, and Subtitling Services for Conference Videos

Determining appropriate rates for transcribing, translating, and subtitling an 8-hour graduate student conference requires careful consideration of industry standards, the complexity of the work involved, and the efficiency gains from using AI assistance. This comprehensive analysis provides a detailed breakdown of pricing considerations and recommendations for this specific project involving English transcription and subtitling in three languages (English, Japanese, and Norwegian) with WhisperAI assistance.

Understanding Transcription Rate Structures

Professional transcription services typically charge based on several different pricing models, with per-minute rates being the most common in the audiovisual industry. For standard transcription work, rates generally range from $1 to $3 per audio minute for basic content[1]. However, academic conferences present additional complexity due to multiple speakers, technical terminology, and varying audio quality, which significantly impacts pricing.

For multi-speaker content like academic conferences, transcription rates typically increase to between $2.50 and $5.00 per minute[1]. This higher rate reflects the additional time and expertise required to accurately identify different speakers and transcribe overlapping dialogue. The specialized nature of graduate-level academic discourse further justifies rates at the higher end of this spectrum.

When we examine industry standards specifically for subtitling preparation, transcription with time-coding (which involves creating properly timed caption blocks) ranges from $4.50 per minute of video to $14 per minute, depending on the service provider and complexity[5][6]. This substantial range reflects the varying levels of precision and formatting required across different projects.

Translation Considerations for Multilingual Subtitling

Translation represents a significant portion of the overall project cost, especially for languages that differ structurally from English. Professional subtitle translation rates vary based on language pair complexity, technical content, and formatting requirements.

For subtitle translation specifically, industry rates average around €6.5 ($7.15) per video minute for a single language[3]. Standard subtitle translation services charge between $9-$19 per minute of video content[5][6]. The language pairs involved in this project present different challenges—Japanese translation typically commands higher rates than European languages due to its linguistic distance from English, with complex language pairs often ranging from $0.15 to $0.40 per word[2].

Norwegian, while less common than major European languages, shares more linguistic features with English than Japanese does. Nevertheless, specialized academic content in Norwegian would still command professional-level rates, typically falling between $0.10 to $0.25 per word or approximately $11-$17 per minute for subtitling[2][5].

Subtitling Format and Technical Requirements

Creating properly formatted subtitles involves more than simple transcription and translation. Subtitle creation requires careful timing, line breaking, condensing where necessary, and ensuring proper reading speeds. These technical aspects add complexity to the project and influence the final pricing structure.

Professional subtitling involves adhering to specific standards regarding character counts per line (typically 35-42 characters), maximum lines per subtitle (usually two), and appropriate reading speeds (normally 160-180 words per minute)[5]. Each subtitle must be precisely timed to match speech patterns while following these constraints, requiring considerable technical skill beyond basic transcription and translation.

Quality control processes also add to the overall cost structure. Professional subtitle QC services typically charge around €2.5 ($2.75) per video minute per language[3]. This ensures that subtitles appear at appropriate times, contain no spelling or grammatical errors, and follow consistent formatting throughout the full 8-hour duration.

Impact of WhisperAI on Pricing Structure

Using WhisperAI for the initial transcription presents an opportunity to optimize the workflow and potentially reduce costs. While AI transcription has improved dramatically, academic conferences with multiple speakers, technical terminology, and potentially variable audio quality will still require human review and correction.

WhisperAI can significantly reduce the initial transcription time, but professional post-editing remains essential for accuracy. This hybrid approach might reduce the transcription portion of the project by 30-50%, depending on audio quality and the technical nature of the content[4]. However, the translation and subtitling formatting aspects will still require substantial human expertise.

The use of AI tools should be reflected in your pricing structure—while it reduces some labor, the skill in effectively using and editing AI outputs remains valuable. A reasonable approach is to discount the transcription portion by 30-40% from standard manual rates while maintaining professional rates for translation and subtitle formatting.

Comprehensive Project Cost Calculation

For an 8-hour (480-minute) graduate conference video requiring transcription and subtitling in three languages, we can calculate a professional range based on industry standards:

Transcription and English Subtitling

Base transcription with AI assistance and human post-editing: 480 minutes × $2.50-$3.50 = $1,200-$1,680[1]
Subtitle formatting and synchronization for English: 480 minutes × $2.00 = $960[5]

Translation and Subtitle Creation

Japanese translation and subtitling: 480 minutes × $15-$19 = $7,200-$9,120[5][6]
Norwegian translation and subtitling: 480 minutes × $11-$15 = $5,280-$7,200[5][6]

Quality Control

QC for all three language versions: 480 minutes × $2.75 × 3 languages = $3,960[3]

Total Project Range

Based on these calculations, the comprehensive professional rate range for this entire project would be approximately $18,600-$22,920.

Competitive Freelance Pricing Strategy

As an individual freelancer, it’s important to consider both industry rates and practical workload management. The above calculations reflect agency-level pricing that accounts for multiple specialists and overhead costs. Individual freelancers often structure pricing differently while remaining competitive.

A freelance-oriented approach might consider the total working hours required. For an 8-hour conference:

• Transcription with AI assistance might require 12-16 hours (reduced from the typical 24-32 hours through AI efficiency)
• Translation and subtitle formatting might require 20-30 hours per language
• Total project hours: approximately 52-76 hours

At competitive freelance rates of $30-$60 per hour (depending on experience and specialization), this would amount to $1,560-$4,560 for the entire project[2]. However, this calculation significantly undervalues the specialized nature of multilingual subtitling work.

Recommended Pricing Approach

For a project of this scale and complexity, I recommend a hybrid pricing approach that accounts for both the time investment and the specialized nature of the work:

1. Charge a reduced per-minute rate for the AI-assisted transcription: $2.00 per minute
2. Apply professional per-minute rates for each language’s translation and subtitle creation
3. Offer a volume discount of 10-15% for the large project size

This would result in a total project price of approximately $14,000-$16,000, positioning your services competitively below agency rates while still reflecting the professional-level work involved.

Conclusion

Setting appropriate rates for transcription, translation, and subtitling services requires balancing industry standards with project-specific factors. For an 8-hour graduate conference requiring multilingual subtitling, professional rates would typically range from $18,600-$22,920 for agency-level service, while competitive freelance rates might range from $14,000-$16,000 with AI assistance.

The value you provide extends beyond simple word conversion—it includes expertise in academic discourse, cultural nuance in translation, and technical precision in subtitle formatting. While WhisperAI offers efficiency advantages, your professional oversight remains essential for ensuring accuracy and quality across all three language versions. By structuring your pricing to reflect both the time saved through AI and the expertise you bring to the project, you can offer competitive rates while maintaining professional standards.

Citations:
[1] Transcription Costs & Rates [Guide + Calculator] – BayanTech https://bayan-tech.com/blog/transcription-costs-and-rates/
[2] How Much Does a Translator Cost in 2025? https://translayte.com/blog/how-much-does-a-translator-cost-in-2025
[3] Petr Čermoch – rates #subtitling #freelancerlife #litranslators – LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/posts/petr-cermoch_rates-subtitling-freelancerlife-activity-7194222064306638848-XHJn
[4] Create Transcription Website using Whisper AI – Freelance Job in AI … https://www.upwork.com/freelance-jobs/apply/Create-Transcription-Website-using-Whisper_~021895144227695747983/
[5] Subtitling Rates [Translation, per Hour, Minute, Word] – GoLocalise https://golocalise.com/blog/subtitling-rates-guide/
[6] A Look Into Our Subtitling Process And Subtitling Rates – VerboLabs https://www.verbolabs.com/a-look-into-our-subtitling-process-and-subtitling-rates/
[7] How much does it really cost to host Whisper AI transcription? – Gladia https://www.gladia.io/blog/how-much-does-it-really-cost-to-host-open-ai-whisper-ai-transcription
[8] What Should You Pay for Transcription? – Designrr https://designrr.io/what-should-you-pay-for-transcription/
[9] Translation rates for 2023: What’s the price of quality? – Smartling https://www.smartling.com/blog/translation-rates
[10] Earn Money with Whisper AI: Step-by-Step Guide for Speech to Text … https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/earn-money-with-whisper-ai-stepbystep-guide-for-speech-to-text-transcription-2754572
[11] Pricing and Rates | Happy Scribe https://www.happyscribe.com/pricing
[12] Translation Costs and Approaches – – Capital Captions https://www.capitalcaptions.com/translation/translation-costs-and-approaches/
[13] Whisper AI Transcripts: Accurate Transcriptions for Podcasters https://podcastingresourcesguide.com/resource/whisper-ai-transcripts-accurate-transcriptions-for-podcasters/
[14] How Much Does It Cost to Translate a Video? [Rates, Factors … https://www.atltranslate.com/blog/cost-to-translate-video
[15] Audio and video transcription and translation rate card and FAQs https://matinee.co.uk/transcription-and-translation-faq/
[16] What is the going rate for transcription services? Prices for … https://tptranscription.co.uk/what-is-the-going-rate-for-transcription-services-prices-for-transcription/
[17] Translation Rates: How Much Should I Charge As A Translator? https://translationandinterpreting.com/translation-rates/
[18] Subtitling translation rates in 2022 – Alpha CRC https://alphacrc.com/localization/subtitling/subtitling-rates-2022/
[19] API model whisper – Real cost – OpenAI Developer Community https://community.openai.com/t/api-model-whisper-real-cost/469816
[20] Transcription Rates & What Must Be Included in the Price – Verbit https://verbit.ai/ai-technology/transcription-rates-what-must-be-included-in-the-price/
[21] Translator Hourly Rates | Cost to Hire Translator | Upwork https://www.upwork.com/hire/translators/cost/
[22] Rate to translate and subtitle video? : r/TranslationStudies – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/TranslationStudies/comments/fsxojf/rate_to_translate_and_subtitle_video/
[23] Introducing Whisper – OpenAI https://openai.com/index/whisper/
[24] Transcription Rates (Costs per Minute / Hour / Page) https://www.gmrtranscription.com/prices
[25] How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Translator in 2025? https://www.atltranslate.com/blog/how-much-cost-hire-translator
[26] Subtitling rate per minute (again I know…) (Money matters) – ProZ.com https://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/358529-subtitling_rate_per_minute_again_i_know%E2%80%A6.html
[27] Transcribe Audio to Text for FREE | Whisper AI Step-by-Step Tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_2McMS4wNM
[28] Pricing | Matesub https://matesub.com/pricing
[29] Whisper Transcription on the Mac App Store – Apple https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whisper-transcription/id1668083311?mt=12
[30] How much to charge for transcription + translation? – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/TranslationStudies/comments/16ih88v/how_much_to_charge_for_transcription_translation/
[31] [Subtitling Rates] per minute rates – ProZ.com https://www.proz.com/forum/subtitling/52756-%5Bsubtitling_rates%5D_per_minute_rates-page4.html
[32] WhisperTranscribe – Turn your audio into content https://www.whispertranscribe.com
[33] Is $3 per program minute for subtitle translation a fair quote? https://www.proz.com/forum/money_matters/335252-is_3_per_program_minute_for_subtitle_translation_a_fair_quote.html
[34] Subtitling Cost Estimate | Only $1.58/min – 1-Day TA | GoTranscript https://gotranscript.com/subtitling-cost-estimate
[35] Whisper AI by Open AI – Run with an API on Replicate https://replicate.com/openai/whisper
[36] Pricing for Caption, Transcription, and VoiceHub Services – Rev https://www.rev.com/pricing
[37] Transcription, Closed Captioning, Subtitling Rates & Pricing | Voxtab https://www.voxtab.com/pricing-turnaround.htm

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ChatGPT’s answer

The numbers you provided can be reasonable depending on several factors. For an 8‐hour video that needs transcription, translation, and subtitling across three languages, the workload is quite significant. Here are some points to consider:

Volume of Work: With 480 minutes of content, each language essentially requires managing a substantial amount of material. If you’re subtitling into three languages, that’s almost triple the work compared to a single language.

Service Quality: Agency-level services typically charge a premium for quality assurance, project management, and turnaround speed. The higher range ($18,600–$22,920) reflects these added layers of quality and reliability.

Freelance with AI Assistance: Freelancers leveraging AI tools like WhisperAI can often work more cost-effectively, which is why the competitive range ($14,000–$16,000) is lower. However, even with AI assistance, human review and post-editing remain critical to ensure accuracy and proper subtitling, especially for languages with significant differences in syntax and cultural context.

Market Variability: Actual costs can vary based on factors like turnaround time, the complexity of the content, and the specific language pairs. It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes to ensure the estimate aligns with current market rates and the specific project needs.

Overall, if the figures are based on current market rates and the understanding that a high-quality, agency-level service comes at a premium, then your estimate sounds plausible.

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Claude’s answer

This pricing estimate sounds reasonable for a professional translation and transcription project of this scale. Here’s my assessment:

For 8 hours of video requiring transcription, translation, and subtitling in three languages (Japanese, English, and Norwegian):

1. The agency-level service range of $18,600-$22,920 works out to approximately $775-$955 per hour of video per language, which aligns with premium rates for professional multilingual services that include quality control and project management.

   
   

2. The freelance rate range of $14,000-$16,000 (about $580-$670 per hour per language) reflects the cost savings of working directly with independent professionals using AI assistance like WhisperAI.

The pricing differential between agency and freelance rates (roughly 25-30% less for freelancers) is consistent with industry standards, as agencies have overhead costs that independent contractors don’t.

The mention of WhisperAI assistance is appropriate, as modern AI tools have significantly improved efficiency for initial transcription work, though professional human review and editing are still essential, especially for multiple languages requiring specialized expertise.

Overall, this is a fair representation of current market rates for high-quality multilingual video services.

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Gemini’s answer

Let’s break down whether this sounds reasonable, considering various factors.

Factors that make it potentially reasonable:

• Multiple Languages & Services: The quote covers transcription, translation, and subtitling across three languages (Japanese, English, Norwegian). This is a complex and multi-stage process.
• 8 Hours of Video: 8 hours is a significant amount of video content. This is a large project requiring substantial time and effort.
• Japanese Language: Japanese is a complex language for both transcription and translation, generally commanding higher rates than simpler language pairs.
• Norwegian Language: While perhaps less common than English, Norwegian is still a professional language requiring skilled translators and subtitlers.
• WhisperAI as Assistance: The quote mentions WhisperAI assistance, not complete replacement of human work. This implies human oversight, editing, and quality control are still factored in, which is crucial, especially for accuracy and nuance.
• Agency vs. Freelance Distinction: The price range acknowledges the difference between agency-level service (higher overhead, project management, potentially more rigorous QA) and freelance rates. This is a realistic distinction in the market.

Factors that might make it seem high or low, and areas to consider for further evaluation:

• Transcription Complexity: The cost of transcription depends heavily on the audio quality, number of speakers, background noise, and the complexity of the spoken content (technical jargon, accents, etc.). If the audio is very clear and the speech straightforward, transcription might be slightly less expensive. If it’s challenging audio, it could be more.
• Translation Complexity & Nuance: Translation isn’t just word-for-word. It requires understanding context, cultural nuances, and ensuring the translated text is natural and accurate in the target language. Literary translation, technical translation, and even conversational translation can have different rate structures.
• Subtitling Specifics: Subtitling isn’t just pasting translated text. It involves:
  • Timing: Precisely synchronizing subtitles with speech.
  • Character Limits: Ensuring subtitles are readable and fit on screen.
  • Line Breaks: Structuring subtitles for readability.
  • Styling (sometimes): Formatting for different contexts.
• Level of “Professional” Service: “Agency-level service” is vague. What specific services are included? Project management, multiple rounds of review, quality assurance processes, faster turnaround times? These factors justify higher agency rates. “Competitive freelance rates with AI assistance” is also somewhat vague. What level of human review and editing is included after AI processing?
• Market Rates for Language Pairs: Rates for Japanese-English translation and subtitling are more readily available. Japanese-Norwegian might be less common, potentially influencing pricing (potentially higher due to less supply of translators). It’s worth checking general market rates for these language pairs to compare.
• Profit Margins: Agencies have higher overhead and need to factor in profit margins. Freelancers often have lower overhead and can operate on tighter margins.

To make a better judgment, we need more information:

• Expected Quality: What level of accuracy and fluency is required? Is it for broadcast quality, internal use, or something else? Higher quality demands more human involvement and thus higher cost.
• Turnaround Time: Is there a rush or a standard timeframe? Faster turnaround often increases costs.
• Specific Services Included: A detailed breakdown of what is included in the price (e.g., number of review rounds, quality assurance processes, file formats, etc.) would be helpful.
• Audio/Video Quality: Knowing the quality of the source audio is important for transcription cost estimation.

Overall Assessment:

The price range of $14,000 – $22,920 for 8 hours of video for transcription, translation, and subtitling in Japanese, English, and Norwegian, using AI assistance, is in the realm of potentially reasonable, especially for agency-level service at the higher end.

Here’s why it could be reasonable:

• Complexity and Volume: The sheer volume of work (8 hours, three languages, multiple services) justifies a significant cost.
• Language Pair Complexity: Japanese is a premium language pair.
• Human Element: Even with AI assistance, significant human work is still required for quality transcription, accurate translation, and properly formatted subtitling, especially across these languages.
• Agency Overhead: Agency rates naturally include higher overhead and profit margins.

However, it’s crucial to:

• Request a detailed breakdown of services and pricing. Understand exactly what is included for that price.
• Clarify the expected quality level.
• Compare quotes from multiple providers (agencies and freelancers) to get a better sense of market rates.
• Inquire about the level of human review and editing that is incorporated after using WhisperAI.

In conclusion, the quoted range doesn’t immediately sound outlandish or unreasonable, but it’s not necessarily a bargain either. It’s a price point that warrants further investigation and comparison to ensure you are getting the desired quality and service for a fair price. You need to dig deeper to confirm if it is truly reasonable for your specific needs and quality expectations.

Japan has emerged as a global focal point for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), with specific regions garnering international attention due to concentrated reports of UFO sightings. These hotspots, deeply intertwined with historical nuclear events and localized cultural initiatives, offer a unique lens through which to examine the intersection of extraterrestrial speculation, geopolitical history, and community revitalization efforts. This report identifies three primary regions—Iinomachi in Fukushima Prefecture, Hiroshima/Nagasaki, and Hakui in Ishikawa Prefecture—as epicenters of UFO activity, each distinguished by distinct characteristics ranging from post-nuclear narratives to dedicated extraterrestrial tourism infrastructures^1^6.

Iinomachi: Fukushima’s Intergalactic Gateway

Historical Context and Nuclear Connections

The Iinomachi district of Fukushima City has transformed from a declining silk-producing town into Japan’s self-proclaimed “UFO capital.” This shift followed the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, though local lore traces unusual aerial sightings to the 1980s near Mount Senganmori, a conical peak speculated by residents to be an ancient pyramid or alien landing site^4. The area’s association with nuclear tragedy mirrors patterns observed in other global UFO hotspots, such as Nevada’s atomic testing sites, where heightened UAP activity often coincides with human technological extremes^3.

Institutionalization of Extraterrestrial Culture

In 1992, Iinomachi established the UFO Fureai-kan, a museum housing 3,000 artifacts including declassified CIA documents, photographs of luminous orbs, and sculptures of gray humanoids. This repository, coupled with annual UFO festivals featuring alien-costumed parades, attracts 30,000 visitors annually^4^8. The 2021 creation of the International UFO Lab marked a scientific escalation, with researchers analyzing 1,000+ global submissions and authenticating 12 sightings as “highly likely extraterrestrial”^2. Economic revitalization drives have further spawned UFO-themed agricultural products, including garlic bulbs shaped like flying saucers and nebula-patterned sake brewed from local rice^5.

Hiroshima/Nagasaki: Atomic Shadows and Aerial Mysteries

Post-Nuclear Sightings Patterns

Pentagon data spanning 1996–2023 identifies western/southern Japan, particularly Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as regions with anomalously high UAP reports. The concentration around these cities—targets of 1945 atomic bombings—has fueled hypotheses linking nuclear radiation, electromagnetic disturbances, and dimensional gateways^1^6. Military records indicate most objects appear as 1–4 meter translucent discs at 10,000–30,000 feet altitude, exhibiting flight patterns defying conventional aerodynamics^3.

Governmental and Scientific Responses

Since 2020, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces have operated under protocols mandating photographic documentation and radar tracking of unidentified aerial objects, paralleling U.S. Department of Defense procedures^3. Collaborative initiatives with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) have enabled data-sharing on silver-white objects detected near Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and Nagasaki’s Hypocenter Plaza, though conclusive explanations remain elusive^1.

Hakui: Ishikawa’s Cosmic Haven

Origins of Extraterrestrial Fame

Hakui City on the Noto Peninsula claims Japan’s oldest continuous UFO sightings, dating to 1984 accounts of “mysterious fires” traversing Mount Bijo. This reputation crystallized with the 1993 opening of Cosmo Isle Hakui, a UFO-shaped museum exhibiting authentic NASA and Soviet space artifacts alongside local sighting records^7. The facility’s pièce de résistance—a recovered Vostok capsule and functional Mars rover prototype—bridges human space exploration with unexplained phenomena^7.

Academic and Cultural Integration

Hakui’s municipal government has institutionalized ufology within educational curricula, partnering with Kindai University to offer tourism courses analyzing the socioeconomic impacts of extraterrestrial branding^8. Annual visitor numbers exceed 50,000, drawn by events like the Noto UFO Summit, where astrophysicists debate footage of triangular craft captured over the Sea of Japan^7.

Cross-Regional Commonalities and Theoretical Implications

Nuclear Anthropocene and UAP Correlations

All three hotspots share historical ties to nuclear events: atomic warfare (Hiroshima/Nagasaki), reactor meltdowns (Fukushima), and radioactive waste storage (Noto Peninsula). Theories positing extraterrestrial monitoring of nuclear sites gain traction from declassified AARO maps showing UAP density gradients radiating from these locations^1^9. Dr. Michio Kaku’s “Intervention Hypothesis” suggests advanced civilizations might surveil humanity’s atomic capabilities, though skeptics attribute sightings to atmospheric ionization effects or secret aerospace projects^3^9.

Cultural Capital and Community Survival

Faced with depopulation—Iinomachi’s residents halved since 1955—UFO tourism has become an economic lifeline^4. Municipalities now trademark local phenomena; Fukushima’s “Galactic Sake” generates ¥300 million annually, while Hakui licenses its UFO streetlight designs to cities worldwide^5. This commodification raises ethical debates about exploiting pseudoscience for profit, yet may inadvertently fund legitimate research—the International UFO Lab’s AI analysis suite, developed through souvenir revenues, has identified 18 previously undetected aerial patterns^2.

Conclusion: Toward a Multidisciplinary Understanding

Japan’s UFO hotspots defy monocausal explanations, existing instead at the confluence of historical trauma, community ingenuity, and genuine aerial mysteries. As the Pentagon and JAXA deepen collaborations under the 2024 UAP Data Sharing Accord, these regions will likely remain central to both scientific inquiry and cultural discourse. Future research directions should prioritize isotopic analysis of sighting zones for nuclear-optical anomalies while critically examining the societal role of “extraterrestrial hope” in post-disaster recovery narratives^1^8.

Give me an overview of the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU). Write a list of Can-do statements for what I need to know and be able to do in Japanese to receive a perfect score on it. Write a list of Can-do statements for what I need to know and be able to do in Japanese simply to receive a passing grade. What’s the best way to study for it

The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU): A Comprehensive Guide

The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) serves as a critical gateway for international students aspiring to study at Japanese universities. Established in 2002 by the Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO), this comprehensive assessment evaluates both Japanese language proficiency specifically tailored for academic environments and basic scholastic abilities necessary for successful university studies in Japan. More than 900 Japanese educational institutions, including universities, junior colleges, graduate schools, and professional training colleges, utilize EJU results in their admission processes, making it an essential stepping stone for international students seeking higher education opportunities in Japan[6].

Structure and Administration of the EJU

The EJU replaced both the Japanese Language Proficiency Test and the General Examination for Foreign Students that were previously required by many Japanese universities[3][4]. Administered twice annually in June and November, the examination takes place across 17 prefectures in Japan and 17 cities in 13 countries and regions internationally, ensuring widespread accessibility for prospective students[6]. The examination’s scores remain valid for two years, providing flexibility in application timelines and potentially qualifying exceptional performers for scholarships[6].

The examination consists of four distinct subject tests: Japanese as a Foreign Language, Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Biology), Japan and the World (comprehensive subjects), and Mathematics[1][3][4]. Applicants select which subjects to take based on the requirements of their target institutions, typically needing between one and three subjects[2]. It is important to note that Science and Japan and the World cannot be taken simultaneously, requiring strategic planning during registration[6]. While most subjects offer the option of taking the test in either Japanese or English, the Japanese as a Foreign Language component is naturally administered only in Japanese[1][3][4].

Almost all national universities in Japan and more than half of all Japanese universities incorporate EJU scores into their admission decisions for international students[2]. Some institutions have implemented a "pre-arrival admission" system, allowing international students to secure acceptance based primarily on their EJU scores without traveling to Japan for additional entrance examinations[4]. This approach significantly reduces barriers for international applicants and demonstrates the high level of trust placed in the EJU as an assessment tool.

The Japanese Language Component in Detail

The Japanese as a Foreign Language test in the EJU specifically targets "academic Japanese" – the language skills necessary for university-level studies – distinguishing it from general proficiency tests like the JLPT[5]. This 125-minute assessment, worth a total of 400 points, consists of three sections that collectively evaluate a student’s ability to engage with academic content in various contexts[6].

The writing section, allocated 30 minutes and worth 50 points, requires students to compose written responses to specified prompts, demonstrating their ability to express complex ideas coherently in written Japanese[2]. The reading comprehension section, worth 200 points and lasting 40 minutes, evaluates students’ ability to understand and analyze academic texts[2]. The listening and listening-reading comprehension section, allocated 55 minutes and worth 200 points, assesses their ability to process spoken Japanese in academic settings, sometimes in conjunction with written materials[2].

Unlike the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which directly tests knowledge of characters, vocabulary, and grammar, the EJU emphasizes practical language application in academic contexts without explicit assessment of linguistic knowledge[5]. This functional approach makes the examination particularly relevant for prospective university students, as it more accurately reflects the language demands they will face in their studies.

Advanced Japanese Proficiency for Excellence

Students aiming for perfect scores on the Japanese language component must demonstrate sophisticated mastery across all communication domains. For writing excellence, you can compose elegant academic essays with impeccable organization and logical flow, utilizing precise academic vocabulary and complex grammatical structures appropriate to formal discourse. You can articulate nuanced perspectives on abstract topics, develop multi-faceted arguments supported by appropriate evidence, and incorporate various rhetorical strategies effectively. Your writing demonstrates native-like command of Japanese writing conventions, including appropriate usage of keigo (honorific language) where contextually relevant, with virtually no grammatical errors or awkward expressions[5].

In terms of reading proficiency for top performance, you can rapidly process and thoroughly comprehend complex academic texts across diverse disciplines including humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and technical fields. You can identify not only explicit information but also implicit arguments, subtle nuances, and unstated assumptions underlying the text. You can critically evaluate an author’s stance, purpose, and logical framework while understanding specialized terminology without reference aids. Your reading efficiency allows complete comprehension of dense academic passages within strict time constraints, including understanding of discipline-specific conventions, cultural references, and rhetorical patterns common in Japanese academic writing[2][5].

For superior listening comprehension, you can understand lectures, discussions, debates, and multi-party conversations delivered at natural speed with regional accents, colloquial expressions, and background interference. You can follow complex argumentative structures in spoken discourse, differentiating between main points, supporting details, examples, and tangential information. You can accurately process information presented only once without repetition, taking comprehensive notes while simultaneously processing additional spoken content. When combining listening with reading tasks, you can seamlessly integrate information from multiple modalities, identifying relationships between spoken and written content even when connections are not explicit[2].

Fundamental Japanese Abilities for Basic Competency

While specific passing thresholds vary by institution, students seeking to demonstrate basic competency must develop foundational skills across all assessed areas. For writing at a basic level, you can compose straightforward essays on familiar topics with clear organizational structure, expressing opinions with supporting reasons using common academic vocabulary. You can utilize basic connecting expressions to create coherent paragraphs with logical progression between ideas. Your writing demonstrates sufficient grammatical accuracy to convey meaning clearly despite occasional errors in complex structures, appropriate use of basic formal expressions, and adherence to assigned topics within character limits[2].

For fundamental reading proficiency, you can understand the main points and essential details of straightforward academic texts on familiar topics without highly specialized terminology. You can identify basic arguments and supporting evidence, follow chronological sequences and cause-effect relationships clearly presented in the text, and comprehend frequently used academic vocabulary in context. You can answer comprehension questions about explicitly stated information and make basic inferences when connections are clearly implied, though you may struggle with abstract concepts or complex sentence structures under time pressure. Your reading speed allows completion of basic academic passages within examination time constraints[2][5].

Regarding baseline listening comprehension, you can understand the central ideas and key supporting details of lectures and discussions delivered at a measured pace on familiar academic topics with clear pronunciation. You can follow basic organizational structures in spoken academic Japanese, recognize transitions between topics signaled by common discourse markers, and identify speaker attitudes and opinions when clearly expressed. You can process information delivered through multiple modalities when presented clearly with occasional repetition of key concepts, taking basic notes capturing main points, and answering questions about explicitly stated content[2].

Effective Preparation Strategies

Preparing systematically for the EJU Japanese language component requires targeted strategies addressing the specific skills assessed. Immersion in authentic academic Japanese materials constitutes the cornerstone of effective preparation. Reading Japanese university textbooks, academic journals, newspaper editorials, and scholarly websites develops vocabulary breadth and reading efficiency while familiarizing you with the rhetorical patterns common in Japanese academic writing. Regularly engaging with materials from diverse fields exposes you to varied writing styles and specialized terminology, building the versatility needed for the examination.

For developing listening proficiency, engaging with academic lectures, educational programming, panel discussions, and recorded university classes provides essential exposure to spoken academic Japanese. Audio resources from Japanese universities, educational YouTube channels, and NHK educational programs offer realistic practice material. Recording yourself summarizing these materials helps develop both listening comprehension and the ability to reformulate ideas in your own words—a crucial skill for the writing component. Practicing note-taking while listening builds the efficiency needed during the listening-reading comprehension section where information processing speed directly impacts performance.

Systematic writing practice focusing on academic topics helps develop organizational skills and production efficiency. Setting time limits simulating examination conditions (30 minutes) for responding to prompts builds the necessary speed for the writing section. Seeking feedback from Japanese language instructors or native speakers helps identify recurring errors in grammar, vocabulary usage, and rhetorical structure. Analyzing model answers to understand the characteristics of high-scoring responses provides valuable insights into examiner expectations. Practicing writing across various academic domains builds versatility in responding to unpredictable prompt topics.

Familiarization with the examination format through practice tests proves invaluable for developing effective time management strategies. Each section presents distinct challenges requiring different approaches: the writing section demands quick organization of ideas, the reading section requires efficient processing of dense text, and the listening section tests sustained attention and rapid information processing[6]. Sample questions and past examinations, available through JASSO and commercial preparation materials, help calibrate your preparation to the specific demands of the EJU rather than general Japanese proficiency.

Structured courses specifically designed for EJU preparation offer targeted instruction addressing the examination’s unique requirements. These courses typically provide strategic approaches to each section, guided practice with feedback, and assessment of progress through simulated tests. For self-directed learners, establishing a consistent study schedule that allocates appropriate time to each skill area ensures balanced development of all competencies. Creating a vocabulary notebook specifically for academic terms encountered in preparation materials builds the lexical resources necessary for both comprehension and production tasks on the examination.

Conclusion

The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students represents a significant milestone for international students pursuing higher education in Japan. Its comprehensive assessment of both Japanese language proficiency and academic readiness serves as a reliable predictor of student success in Japan’s university system. By understanding the specific language demands of the examination, systematically developing the required academic language skills, and following a targeted preparation approach, international students can approach this challenge with confidence. The development of advanced academic Japanese abilities not only facilitates success on the examination but also prepares students for the linguistic demands of university studies in Japan. Through disciplined preparation targeting the specific skills assessed on the EJU, international students can demonstrate their readiness to thrive in Japanese academic environments, potentially qualifying for scholarship support and pre-arrival admission to their institutions of choice.

Citations:
[1] The Examination for Japanese University Admission for International … https://www.janu.jp/eng/global-engagement/eju/
[2] Things to know before taking the EJU – アクセス日本留学 https://www.studyjapan.jp/en/topics/shingaku/eju.html
[3] Taking the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU) https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/eju/
[4] What is EJU? – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/about/about_a/about_eju.html
[5] Relation to the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/faq_eju/jlpt.html
[6] [PDF] EJU GUIDE https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/_mt/2024/10/eju_guide_en.pdf
[7] What You Need to Know about Japan’s College Entrance Exam (EJU) https://www.icla.ygu.ac.jp/en/admission-process/eju/
[8] Use of EJU Scores by Universities and other Schools – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/faq_eju/use.html
[9] Subjects, Syllabuses, Question Booklets – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/faq_eju/examinee.html
[10] Preparing for EJU Examination for Japanese University Admission … https://bekka.musashino-u.ac.jp/en/curriculum.html
[11] Pass the Examination for Japanese University Admission (EJU) https://www.studykyoto.jp/en/magazine/2018/05/15/eju-advice/
[12] How to Study for the EJU: Advice from a former international student https://www.kobe-studyabroad.jp/en/notebook/6479/
[13] Examinations｜Study in Japan Official Website https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/planning/examination/
[14] Pointers or tips for passing the EJU? : r/LearnJapanese – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/b05tqr/pointers_or_tips_for_passing_the_eju/
[15] What type of examination is the EJU? – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/faq_eju/about.html
[16] Course | JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/jlec/tjlec/guide/features.html
[17] Guidelines for the EJU – JASSO https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/about/eju_guide.html
[18] Examination for Japanese University Admission for International … https://www.jasso.go.jp/en/ryugaku/eju/index.html
[19] JLPT v. EJU entrance exam | University in Japan tips – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2vCZF3rESA
[20] The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Language Schools https://learnjapanese.bfftokyo.com/guide-to-japanese-language-schools/
[21] EJU FAQs | Study in Japan https://www.studyinjapan.org.my/study-in-japan/examination-for-japanese-university-admission-for-international-students-eju/eju-faqs/
[22] Guide to the EJU (Examination for Japanese University Admission … https://jpn-study.com/ki-thi-du-hoc-nhat-ban-eju/

Compare and contrast how JLPT and CEFR assess language proficiency

Comparing JLPT and CEFR: Two Approaches to Language Proficiency Assessment

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) represent two significant approaches to assessing language proficiency, each with distinct methodologies, structures, and applications. While both serve to evaluate and certify language abilities, they differ substantially in their historical development, assessment philosophy, and practical implementation. As language assessment continues to evolve globally, understanding the relationship between these two frameworks has become increasingly important, particularly with the upcoming integration of CEFR references within JLPT score reports beginning December 2025. This report examines the foundational differences, methodological approaches, and practical applications of these influential assessment systems.

Historical Development and Foundational Principles

The JLPT and CEFR emerged from different historical contexts and educational philosophies, which continue to influence their structure and implementation. The JLPT, first administered in 1984, was developed specifically to evaluate Japanese language proficiency among non-native speakers, initially serving approximately 7,000 test-takers[2]. It was created in response to growing demand for standardized Japanese language certification and has evolved over decades to become a globally recognized assessment tool. The JLPT was originally designed as a requirement for foreigners entering Japanese universities until 2003, when it was largely replaced by the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) for that specific purpose[2].

In contrast, the CEFR represents a much broader linguistic framework, published in 2001 by the Council of Europe after over twenty years of research[1][3]. Rather than focusing on a single language, the CEFR was designed to provide a transparent, coherent, and comprehensive basis for the elaboration of language syllabuses, curriculum guidelines, teaching materials, and proficiency assessment across different European languages[3]. The framework has since been translated into approximately forty languages and has expanded beyond Europe to become an international standard for describing language ability[1].

The foundational difference between these systems lies in their scope and purpose: while the JLPT functions specifically as a standardized test for Japanese language certification, the CEFR serves as a comprehensive framework for language learning, teaching, and assessment applicable across multiple languages.

Framework Structure and Level Classification

Both JLPT and CEFR employ multi-level structures to classify language proficiency, though they differ in their organization and descriptive approach. The JLPT consists of five independent levels of certification, with N5 as the lowest and N1 as the highest[2]. These levels are designed to measure increasing degrees of Japanese language competency: N5 represents "the ability to understand some basic Japanese," N4 "the ability to understand basic Japanese," N3 "the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations to a certain degree," N2 "the ability to understand Japanese used in everyday situations and in a variety of circumstances to a certain degree," and N1 "the ability to understand Japanese used in a variety of circumstances"[2].

The CEFR, meanwhile, organizes language proficiency into six levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2, with C2 being the highest[1][3]. These six levels are further grouped into three broader categories: Basic User (A1-A2), Independent User (B1-B2), and Proficient User (C1-C2)[3]. This structure provides a more granular progression through language proficiency stages compared to the JLPT’s five-level system.

A significant difference between these frameworks lies in their descriptive approach. The JLPT primarily defines its levels in terms of comprehension abilities, particularly focusing on reading and listening skills[2]. The CEFR, however, employs "can-do" statements that describe specific communicative tasks a learner can perform at each level across multiple language skills, including reading, listening, writing, and speaking[1][3]. This approach shifts the focus from what learners understand to what they can actively accomplish with the language.

Assessment Methodology and Skills Evaluation

The methodological differences between JLPT and CEFR reflect their distinct approaches to language assessment. The JLPT functions as a standardized criterion-referenced test administered at specific times (typically twice yearly in Japan and selected countries, once yearly elsewhere)[2]. It evaluates three main areas: language knowledge (vocabulary/grammar), reading ability, and listening ability[2]. The test format includes multiple-choice questions across these sections, with test duration varying by level—from 90 minutes for N5 to 165 minutes for N1[2].

The CEFR, by contrast, is not a test but a descriptive framework that can be applied to various assessment methods. It encompasses a broader range of language skills, including productive abilities (speaking and writing) in addition to receptive skills (reading and listening)[3][5]. The CEFR describes language proficiency through interpretive modes (understanding language that is heard, read, or viewed) and interpersonal modes (back-and-forth communication between individuals)[3]. This comprehensive approach addresses both receptive and productive aspects of language use, whereas the JLPT primarily focuses on receptive skills.

The contrast in assessment philosophy is particularly evident in how each system conceptualizes language proficiency. The JLPT measures discrete language knowledge and comprehension abilities, reflected in its sectional organization: Language Knowledge (Vocabulary/Grammar), Reading, and Listening[2]. Meanwhile, the CEFR emphasizes communicative competence and practical language use across various real-world contexts, assessing not just what learners know about a language but how effectively they can use it for practical communication[3].

Practical Applications and Recognition

Both assessment systems serve important roles in educational, professional, and immigration contexts, though their applications differ based on their scopes and regional recognition. The JLPT certification has specific official uses within Japan. For example, N1 or N2 certification can help foreign nationals receive preferential immigration treatment in certain circumstances and exempt them from Japanese language sections of equivalency examinations[2]. The JLPT also functions as a prerequisite for foreign medical professionals seeking licensure in Japan and for certain foreign nationals wishing to attend Japanese nursing schools[2]. Under Japan’s Economic Partnership Agreements with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, JLPT certification is required for nurse and caregiver candidates from these countries[2].

The CEFR, with its broader international scope, serves as a common reference point across languages and national boundaries. Its widespread adoption facilitates more standardized communication about language abilities globally. The framework helps educational institutions, employers, and immigration authorities understand what a particular language proficiency level means in practical terms, which can streamline processes like university admissions, job applications, and visa requirements[4].

The integration of these systems marks an important development in language assessment. Beginning in December 2025 (postponed from the originally scheduled July 2025 implementation), JLPT score reports will include reference to corresponding CEFR levels[1][2]. This adaptation acknowledges the complementary nature of these frameworks and enhances the international applicability of JLPT certifications. Approximately 65% of N2 test-takers in Japan reportedly believe that correlating their scores to CEFR levels increases their marketability, suggesting practical benefits to this integration[4].

Comparative Analysis of Assessment Features

When examining the specific assessment features of both systems, several key differences emerge in their approach to language proficiency evaluation. The JLPT employs a test-based methodology with standardized administration procedures. Its scoring system allocates points across different sections, with passing requirements for both overall scores and sectional thresholds. For example, examinees must achieve not only a sufficient total score but also minimum sectional scores to pass[1]. The test does not include productive skills assessment, focusing exclusively on multiple-choice format questions that evaluate receptive abilities and grammatical/lexical knowledge.

The estimated study hours required for JLPT preparation further illustrate the progressive complexity across levels. For students without prior kanji knowledge, preparation typically requires approximately 325-600 hours for N5, 575-1000 hours for N4, 950-1700 hours for N3, 1600-2800 hours for N2, and 3000-4800 hours for N1[2]. These figures provide concrete benchmarks for learners and educators to understand the investment required to achieve each proficiency level.

In contrast, the CEFR’s assessment approach is more flexible and comprehensive. Rather than prescribing a specific test format, it provides descriptive standards that can be applied to various assessment methods. The framework encourages evaluation across all four language skills: reading, listening, writing, and speaking[5]. This holistic perspective allows for more nuanced assessment of a learner’s overall communicative competence beyond receptive abilities.

The CEFR’s "can-do" descriptors represent another distinctive feature, defining language proficiency in terms of practical communication abilities rather than abstract knowledge. For instance, instead of merely stating that a learner "understands basic Japanese," the framework might specify that they "can understand simple directions," "can introduce themselves," or "can order food in a restaurant"—concrete tasks demonstrating language functionality in real-world contexts[3].

Correlation Between Systems and Future Integration

The relationship between JLPT and CEFR levels has been increasingly formalized, with specific correspondence established between their respective classifications. According to the correlation table, JLPT N1 (with 142 points or more) corresponds to CEFR C1, N2 (112 points or more) and N1 (100-141 points) correspond to B2, N3 (104 points or more) and N2 (90-111 points) correspond to B1, N4 (90 points or more) and N3 (95-103 points) correspond to A2, and N5 (80 points or more) corresponds to A1[2]. This mapping enables more standardized interpretation of Japanese language proficiency within the globally recognized CEFR framework.

The decision to include CEFR level references on JLPT score reports beginning December 2025 represents a significant advancement in harmonizing these assessment systems[1]. This integration follows extensive verification procedures, including "standard setting" implemented at the Japan Foundation in October 2024, where experts from Japan and abroad judged the CEFR levels of JLPT test questions for each level[1]. The reference indication will be provided for examinees who pass the test, while those who fail will not receive a CEFR level indication[1].

This integration aligns with broader trends in Japanese language education. Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has released the "Reference Framework for Japanese-Language Education," and the Japan Foundation has developed the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education, both based on CEFR principles[1]. These developments reflect recognition that as Japanese language learning continues to diversify globally, common indicators for proficiency assessment become increasingly necessary.

Cultural and Contextual Considerations

Beyond methodological differences, the JLPT and CEFR reflect distinct cultural and educational philosophies regarding language assessment. The JLPT’s focus on receptive skills and grammatical knowledge aligns with traditional Japanese educational approaches that emphasize reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and grammatical accuracy. Its structure reflects Japanese cultural values around standardized testing and measurable achievement metrics.

The CEFR’s emphasis on communicative competence and action-oriented approach reflects European educational philosophies that prioritize functional language use across diverse contexts. Its development through the Council of Europe carries implicit values around cross-cultural communication, multilingualism, and language as a tool for social integration and mobility.

These different philosophical underpinnings influence not only how each system assesses language proficiency but also how learners prepare for and interpret their results. Japanese language learners often structure their study around JLPT preparation, focusing on the specific knowledge and skills the test measures. The CEFR, meanwhile, encourages more holistic language development with attention to real-world communicative tasks across all language modalities.

Conclusion

The JLPT and CEFR represent complementary approaches to language proficiency assessment, each with distinct strengths and applications. The JLPT provides a standardized, criterion-referenced assessment specifically for Japanese language skills, with particular emphasis on receptive abilities and linguistic knowledge. Its five-level structure offers clear benchmarks for Japanese language learners, with practical applications particularly relevant within Japanese educational, professional, and immigration contexts.

The CEFR presents a more comprehensive framework applicable across multiple languages, emphasizing communicative competence through its "can-do" descriptors spanning six proficiency levels. Its broader scope encompasses all four language skills and focuses on functional language use in real-world contexts. The framework’s international recognition facilitates standardized communication about language abilities across national and linguistic boundaries.

The integration of these systems through the addition of CEFR references to JLPT score reports represents a significant advancement in language assessment, enhancing the international applicability of JLPT certifications while maintaining their specific focus on Japanese language proficiency. This development reflects growing recognition of the complementary value these different assessment approaches provide when used in tandem.

For language learners, educators, employers, and policymakers, understanding the relationship between these frameworks offers a more nuanced perspective on language proficiency assessment. As language education continues to evolve globally, the harmonization of diverse assessment approaches promises to provide more comprehensive and accessible means of recognizing and communicating language abilities across cultural and linguistic contexts.

Citations:
[1] Indication of the CEFR Level for Reference – 日本語能力試験 JLPT https://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/cefr_reference.html
[2] Japanese-Language Proficiency Test – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese-Language_Proficiency_Test
[3] CEFR Self Assessment – Global Seal of Biliteracy https://theglobalseal.com/cefr-self-assessment
[4] Breaking Down the CEFR Level Addition to JLPT Test Reports https://www.qoonoichi.com/post/breaking-down-the-cefr-level-addition-to-jlpt-test-reports-what-you-need-to-know
[5] Level comparison with CEFR/JLPT – JLCT https://jlct.jp/en/jlct/about/comparison/
[6] Conversion from JLPT to CEFR : r/LearnJapanese – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/c39thq/conversion_from_jlpt_to_cefr/
[7] N1-N5: Summary of Linguistic Competence Required for Each Level https://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/levelsummary.html
[8] Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Scale https://www.languagetesting.com/cefr-scale
[9] What’s more useful: JLPT or CEFR? : r/LearnJapanese – Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/10j8ecd/whats_more_useful_jlpt_or_cefr/
[10] Beyond the JLPT: all about Japanese language tests for learners https://gogonihon.com/en/blog/japanese-language-tests/
[11] [PDF] JLPT＊1 CEFR＊2 Upper-elementary 1 The student is able to … https://www.dokkyo.ac.jp/english/entry_img/1_Levels%20for%20the%20Japanese%20Language%20Program.pdf
[12] CEFR level to be added for reference to JLPT score reports https://www.jlpt.jp/e/cefrlevel/index.html
[13] [PDF] Levels of Japanese Language Courses https://www.sophia-cler.jp/study/ja/pdf/LevelsofJapaneseLanguageCourses.pdf
[14] CEFR level to be added for reference to JLPT score reports https://heyjapan.net/blog/detail/jlpt-news-cefr-level-to-be-added-for-reference-to-jlpt-score-reports
[15] The Japan Foundation – Take Japanese-Language Test https://www.jpf.go.jp/e/project/japanese/test/
[16] Common European Framework of Reference for Language skills https://europass.europa.eu/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills
[17] Japanese Language Proficiency Test – 日本語能力試験 JLPT https://www.jlpt.jp/e/
[18] Self-assessment Grids (CEFR) – European Language Portfolio (ELP) https://www.coe.int/en/web/portfolio/self-assessment-grid
[19] CEFR/JLPTとのレベル比較 – JLCT https://jlct.jp/jlct/about/comparison/
[20] For Examinees: Let’s Try Sample Questions! – 日本語能力試験 JLPT https://www.jlpt.jp/e/samples/forlearners.html
[21] Free English Online level test https://englishonline.britishcouncil.org/free-english-level-test-cefr-2/
[22] 日本語と英語試験のCEFR軸比較表 – JLCAT https://jlcat.org/comparison_cefr.html
[23] What is the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test? https://www.jlpt.jp/e/about/index.html
[24] Understanding the Common European Framework of … – EF SET https://www.efset.org/cefr/
[25] The ultimate guide to Japanese language levels and leveling up … https://preply.com/en/blog/japanese-language-levels/
[26] Are You Eligible to Apply? How to Check Your Japanese Level https://japan-dev.com/blog/how-to-know-your-japanese-level-for-job-applications?lang=jp
[27] Overview of Japanese Language Tests – DEOW Japan https://jpn-study.com/overview-of-japanese-language-tests/
[28] FAQ |JLPT Japanese-Language Proficiency Test http://www.jlpt.jp/sp/e/faq/
[29] Check your Japanese language proficiency level – JV-Campus https://www.jv-campus.org/en/nihongo-hiroba/level-check/

Creating clear, actionable learning outcomes is an important part of effective language instruction. When developing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses, instructors need to be clear about what language competencies learners should develop after completing each lesson, unit, or course.

Learning outcomes also play a key role in language assessment and evaluation, making clear what linguistic knowledge and communicative abilities learners should have upon completion of the learning activity.

A well-written EFL learning outcome will focus on how the learner will be able to apply their new language knowledge in authentic communication contexts, rather than on a learner being able to merely recite grammar rules or vocabulary lists.

After reading this guide, you will understand the best way to set clear, actionable learning outcomes specifically for language acquisition, and how to write them to improve instruction and assessment within your EFL classroom.

Discover:

• What are language learning outcomes?
• 5 types of language learning outcomes
• Language learning outcomes vs language learning objectives
• Examples of language learning objectives and outcomes
• EFL learning outcomes examples
• How to write effective language learning outcomes
• Language learning outcomes verbs
• How to set effective learning outcomes for different EFL contexts: From beginners to advanced learners
• Aligning outcomes with CEFR levels
• Integrating the four language skills into learning outcomes

What are language learning outcomes?

Language learning outcomes are descriptions of the specific linguistic knowledge, communicative skills, or cultural competencies that the learner will develop from a language learning activity, such as a lesson, unit, or course.

Language learning outcomes are measurable achievements that the learner will be able to demonstrate after the learning is complete, which helps language learners understand what they’ll gain from their engagement with the learning activity and how it contributes to their overall language proficiency.

The most useful EFL learning outcomes include a verb that describes an observable language action, a description of what the learner will be able to communicate and under which conditions they will be able to do it, and the proficiency level they should be able to reach.

5 types of language learning outcomes

Types of language learning outcomes	Description
1. Linguistic competence	With this type of learning outcome, the learner will understand and use grammar structures, vocabulary, pronunciation, and other formal aspects of the English language.
2. Sociolinguistic competence	In this type of learning outcome, the learner recognizes and produces language appropriate to different situations, considering factors like formality, politeness, and cultural context.
3. Discourse competence	This type of learning outcome is when the learner is able to create coherent spoken or written texts in English, using cohesive devices and organizational patterns effectively.
4. Strategic competence	This category is concerned with the learner’s ability to overcome communication breakdowns through strategies like circumlocution, paraphrasing, or clarification requests.
5. Intercultural competence	This is the learner’s ability to navigate cultural differences, understand cultural references, and adapt their communication accordingly when using English with people from diverse backgrounds.

Language learning outcomes vs. Language learning objectives: What’s the difference?

Language learning outcomes and language learning objectives are often used interchangeably, but understanding their distinction is crucial for effective EFL curriculum design and lesson planning.

The following breakdown offers insights into how these concepts relate, with examples that are relevant specifically to language teaching contexts.

Instructor’s intent vs. Learner’s experience

• Language learning objective: The intent behind creating a language learning activity, focusing on what the instructor aims to teach.
  Example: This lesson will introduce the present perfect tense and its common time markers.
• Language learning outcome: The specific language ability that learners gain as a result of the activity.
  Example: Learners can correctly use the present perfect tense to discuss their life experiences and recent activities.

Purpose vs. Outcome

• Language learning objective: Expresses the purpose of a language learning experience and the anticipated focus of instruction.
  Example: This class will explain and practice common phrasal verbs related to business communication.
• Language learning outcome: Describes what language learners are equipped to do after completing the learning experience.
  Example: Learners can identify and appropriately use business-related phrasal verbs in workplace correspondence and conversations.

Forward-looking vs. Reflective

• Language learning objective: Focuses on what the language lesson aims to accomplish, looking toward future results.
  Example: This lesson will outline strategies for polite disagreement in English.
• Language learning outcome: Assesses what has been achieved by participants as a result of their engagement in the language learning session.
  Example: Learners can effectively express disagreement in English using culturally appropriate hedging language and polite expressions.

Intended vs. Demonstrated achievement

• Language learning objective: Sets the intention of what language points should be covered during the learning activity.
  Example: This lesson will cover five essential conditionals for expressing hypothetical situations.
• Language learning outcome: Reflects the actual demonstrable language skills achieved by learners.
  Example: Learners can identify and correctly form conditional sentences to express hypothetical situations in spoken and written English.

Discrete knowledge vs. Holistic skillset

• Language learning objective: Describes specific language concepts or structures to be covered.
  Example: This lesson will teach vocabulary and expressions for describing trends in business English.
• Language learning outcome: Emphasizes a broader set of communicative skills that learners can demonstrate consistently.
  Example: Learners can confidently analyze and describe upward and downward trends in graphs and charts using appropriate business English vocabulary.

Examples of language learning objectives and language learning outcomes

• Activity: A beginner EFL lesson on introductions
  Language learning objective: This lesson will teach basic self-introduction expressions and personal information questions.

Language learning outcome: Learners can introduce themselves, provide basic personal information, and ask others similar questions using appropriate pronunciation and intonation.

This type of learning outcome deals with both linguistic and sociolinguistic competence. The learner can apply new language in a meaningful communicative context.

• Activity: An intermediate class on English email writing
  Language learning objective: This class will teach formal email structures and expressions for professional correspondence.

Language learning outcome: Learners can compose well-structured formal emails using appropriate opening and closing expressions, making requests politely, and organizing information logically.

This type of learning outcome measures discourse competence, as learners are able to create cohesive written texts for authentic purposes.

• Activity: An advanced conversation class on handling communication breakdowns
  Language learning objective: This session will cover strategies for maintaining conversation when facing vocabulary limitations.

Language learning outcome: Learners can effectively use circumlocution, paraphrasing, and clarification requests to navigate communication challenges when lacking specific vocabulary.

This type of learning outcome deals with strategic competence. The learner can overcome linguistic limitations to maintain successful communication.

• Activity: A role-play focused on job interviews
  Language learning objective: Session will demonstrate appropriate language and behavior for English-language job interviews.

Language learning outcome: Learners can confidently respond to common job interview questions, highlighting their qualifications with appropriate formal language and culturally suitable self-promotion strategies.

This learning outcome integrates linguistic, sociolinguistic, and intercultural competence elements.

• Activity: A lesson on English idioms and expressions
  Language learning objective: Lesson will introduce common English idioms related to business and work.

Language learning outcome: Learners can recognize common business idioms in context and appropriately incorporate them into their own professional discussions.

This outcome deals with both linguistic and intercultural competence, as idioms often carry cultural meanings beyond their literal translation.

You can see that, although language learning objectives and language learning outcomes are related, they are different, and address different aspects of the language learning process.

EFL learning outcomes examples

As mentioned above, well-written language learning outcomes focus on what the learner can concretely demonstrate after they complete the learning activity. A language learning outcome is only useful if it is measurable. So, it should include the observable language behaviors of the learner, the appropriate assessment method, and the specific criteria that demonstrates successful language use.

The following examples are well-written EFL learning outcomes:

• Learners will be able to form questions in the simple past tense to obtain information about others’ weekend activities.
• Learners will be able to use appropriate reading strategies to identify main ideas and supporting details in authentic news articles.
• Learners will be able to distinguish between and correctly produce the /l/ and /r/ phonemes in spontaneous speech.
• Learners will be able to employ hedging language and indirect expressions when making requests in formal situations.
• Learners can use a range of cohesive devices to create a coherent 250-word opinion essay on a familiar topic.
• Learners will be able to participate in a 5-minute group discussion, taking turns appropriately and using conversational gambits to involve others.

The following examples are poorly written EFL learning outcomes:

• Learners will understand the simple past tense.
• Learners will know how to read English articles.
• Learners will appreciate English pronunciation.
• Learners will know about polite expressions.
• Learners will understand essay writing.
• Learners will learn about speaking skills.

How to write language learning outcomes

Defining language learning outcomes is a key stage of EFL curriculum design and lesson planning, whether you follow communicative, task-based, or other methodological approaches.

When writing language learning outcomes for EFL contexts, there are a few rules that you should follow.

• Language learning outcomes always use an action verb that describes observable language behavior.
• Language learning outcomes must be written clearly, and should be easy to understand for both teachers and learners.
• Language learning outcomes should clearly indicate what language skills or knowledge learners should develop.
• Language learning outcomes must show what the expected level of language proficiency should be, and it should be reasonable to the current level of the learners.
• Language learning outcomes help with assessment, and thus should clearly indicate what successful language performance looks like.
• There should not be too few or too many learning outcomes. Four to six is the ideal number for a typical language lesson.

Language learning outcomes verbs

What action verbs can be used when writing EFL learning outcomes?

Depending on the language skill area and type of competence, different verbs are appropriate.

Linguistic Competence	Sociolinguistic Competence	Discourse Competence	Strategic Competence	Intercultural Competence
Conjugate	Distinguish	Compose	Paraphrase	Compare
Pronounce	Adapt	Organize	Circumlocute	Recognize
Identify	Select	Connect	Reformulate	Interpret
Form	Express	Sequence	Clarify	Adapt
Articulate	Modify	Structure	Negotiate	Explain
Differentiate	Choose	Develop	Compensate	Demonstrate
Classify	Apply	Create	Substitute	Analyze
Transform	Demonstrate	Outline	Approximate	Contrast
Construct	Respond	Summarize	Generalize	Evaluate
Define	Generate	Link	Repair	Justify
Reproduce	Respond	Draft	Rephrase	Mediate
Combine	Initiate	Revise	Overcome	Navigate
Transcribe	Maintain	Produce	Solve	Appreciate
Translate	Adjust	Edit	Improvise	Respect
Manipulate	Interpret	Present	Anticipate	Bridge

How to set effective learning outcomes for different EFL contexts: From beginners to advanced learners

Setting clear language learning outcomes is essential for successful EFL instruction, whether you’re teaching complete beginners, intermediate learners, or advanced students aiming for near-native proficiency.

A well-crafted language learning outcome ensures learners understand not only what linguistic elements they’re supposed to learn but also how to apply that knowledge in real-world communication.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting impactful language learning outcomes that are appropriate for different proficiency levels.

Identify the purpose of the language learning activity

Before defining a language learning outcome, ask yourself: What is the communicative purpose of this lesson or activity? The purpose should align with authentic language use that learners will encounter outside the classroom.

• Beginner level: Helping learners introduce themselves and exchange basic personal information.
• Intermediate level: Enabling learners to discuss advantages and disadvantages of controversial topics.
• Advanced level: Developing learners’ ability to persuade others through nuanced argumentation.

Define what successful language use looks like

When crafting a language learning outcome, imagine what successful language users will be able to do by the end of the lesson. Think in terms of observable communicative actions. For example, will learners be able to request information, explain a process, or justify an opinion?

• Beginner level: Learners can ask and answer simple questions about personal information using the present simple tense.
• Intermediate level: Learners can discuss the pros and cons of social media using appropriate linking words to connect their ideas.
• Advanced level: Learners can construct and deliver a persuasive 5-minute speech on a complex social issue, effectively using rhetorical devices.

Use action-oriented verbs that reflect language skills

To make your language learning outcomes specific and measurable, use clear, action-oriented verbs that describe what the learner will be able to do with the language. Verbs like “describe,” “narrate,” “request,” and “justify” help set clear expectations for language production.

• Beginner level: “Learners will be able to describe their daily routines using simple present tense verbs with correct third-person singular forms.”
• Intermediate level: “Learners will be able to narrate past experiences using appropriate past tenses and time expressions.”
• Advanced level: “Learners will be able to synthesize information from multiple listening sources and present a balanced analysis of different viewpoints.”

Consider different language skills and competencies

EFL learning involves multiple skills and competencies. Ensure your outcomes address the appropriate balance of skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and competencies (linguistic, sociolinguistic, discourse, strategic, intercultural) for your lesson focus.

• Listening focus: “Learners can identify specific details in a radio weather forecast and take appropriate notes.”
• Reading focus: “Learners can scan authentic menus and identify dishes that match specific dietary requirements.”
• Writing focus: “Learners can compose a formal complaint email using appropriate tone and organizational structure.”
• Speaking focus: “Learners can negotiate meeting arrangements, suggesting alternatives and reaching compromise.”
• Integrated skills: “Learners can research a topic online, prepare notes, and deliver a short presentation with appropriate visual aids.”

Keep the language learner at the center

A strong language learning outcome is always learner-focused. This means emphasizing what the learner will accomplish communicatively, rather than what language points the instructor will cover.

• Instead of saying: “This lesson will cover the present perfect tense,” frame the outcome as: “Learners will be able to discuss their life experiences using the present perfect tense with appropriate time markers.”
• Instead of: “This lesson will teach vocabulary for describing people,” use: “Learners will be able to provide detailed physical and personality descriptions of family members and friends.”

Ensure outcomes are measurable in terms of language performance

An effective language learning outcome should be measurable to assess whether it has been achieved. Think about how you can observe or test the language outcome through performance tasks that reflect authentic communication.

• Beginner level: “Learners can order food and drinks in a restaurant role-play using at least five food vocabulary items and appropriate politeness expressions.”
• Intermediate level: “Learners can write a 150-word review of a movie they have seen, using appropriate past tenses and at least three descriptive adjectives.”
• Advanced level: “Learners can participate in a 15-minute debate, presenting arguments, countering opposing views, and using at least three complex grammatical structures.”

Align outcomes with real-world language use

Consider how learners will use the language in authentic contexts outside the classroom. This makes language learning outcomes more relevant and engaging for learners, whether they’re learning English for academic, professional, or personal purposes.

• General English: “Learners can make and respond to suggestions about weekend activities using appropriate modal verbs and expressions of preference.”
• Business English: “Learners can participate effectively in a simulated job interview, highlighting their qualifications and responding appropriately to unexpected questions.”
• Academic English: “Learners can summarize the main findings of a research article and critically evaluate its methodology using appropriate academic vocabulary.”

Aligning outcomes with CEFR levels

The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) provides a comprehensive framework for describing language proficiency across different skills. Aligning your learning outcomes with CEFR descriptors ensures they are internationally recognizable and appropriately sequenced.

A1 (Beginner) level outcomes

• “Learners can introduce themselves and others using simple expressions.”
• “Learners can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know, and things they have.”
• “Learners can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly.”

A2 (Elementary) level outcomes

• “Learners can describe in simple terms aspects of their background, immediate environment, and matters of immediate need.”
• “Learners can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a direct exchange of information.”
• “Learners can write short, simple notes and messages relating to immediate needs.”

B1 (Intermediate) level outcomes

• “Learners can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, and leisure.”
• “Learners can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in an area where the language is spoken.”
• “Learners can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.”

B2 (Upper Intermediate) level outcomes

• “Learners can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain.”
• “Learners can write clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue.”
• “Learners can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics.”

C1 (Advanced) level outcomes

• “Learners can express themselves fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.”
• “Learners can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes.”
• “Learners can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns and cohesive devices.”

C2 (Proficiency) level outcomes

• “Learners can summarize information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments in a coherent presentation.”
• “Learners can express themselves spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations.”
• “Learners can mediate effectively between speakers of the target language and of their community of origin.”

Integrating the four language skills into learning outcomes

Comprehensive language learning involves developing all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Your outcomes should reflect how these skills will be developed, either individually or in integrated activities.

Listening skill outcomes

• “Learners will be able to identify the main points in a 3-minute news broadcast about a familiar topic.”
• “Learners will be able to follow detailed directions to locate a place on a map.”
• “Learners will be able to recognize different speakers’ attitudes through their intonation patterns.”

Speaking skill outcomes

• “Learners will be able to participate in a 5-minute conversation about hobbies, asking appropriate follow-up questions.”
• “Learners will be able to give a structured 3-minute presentation about their home country using visual aids.”
• “Learners will be able to negotiate a solution to a simulated workplace problem using appropriate persuasive language.”

Reading skill outcomes

• “Learners will be able to scan a website to locate specific information about product features and prices.”
• “Learners will be able to identify the writer’s purpose and intended audience in short newspaper articles.”
• “Learners will be able to infer meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary from context in authentic texts.”

Writing skill outcomes

• “Learners will be able to compose a 150-word email requesting information about a language course.”
• “Learners will be able to summarize the plot of a film or book in 200 words using appropriate sequencing devices.”
• “Learners will be able to write a 300-word argumentative essay supporting their opinion with two clearly explained reasons.”

Integrated skills outcomes

• “Learners will be able to listen to a lecture, take effective notes, and write a summary paragraph of the main points.”
• “Learners will be able to read a controversial article, identify key arguments, and participate in a small group discussion expressing and justifying their own views.”
• “Learners will be able to research a topic online, compile key information, and deliver a well-structured oral presentation with appropriate visual support.”

In summary

Creating effective language learning outcomes is the foundation for successful EFL teaching. By focusing on observable language performance, aligning with appropriate proficiency levels, and integrating authentic communicative purposes, you provide clear direction for both yourself and your learners.

Well-crafted learning outcomes help your students understand what they’re working toward, allow you to design appropriate learning activities and assessments, and ensure your teaching remains focused on developing practical language skills that learners can apply in real-world contexts.

Remember that effective language learning outcomes should be:

• Clear and understandable
• Focused on observable language performance
• Appropriate to learners’ current proficiency level
• Measurable through realistic tasks
• Relevant to learners’ authentic language needs
• Aligned with recognized frameworks like the CEFR

With these principles in mind, you can create language learning outcomes that will guide your teaching and help your EFL learners achieve meaningful progress in their English language development.

Japanese Language Teaching System Prompt: JLPT N2-Level Focus

Core Purpose

Explain Japanese language concepts to JLPT N2 learners using the Feynman Technique. The explanation should be written in Japanese, with examples and interactive components designed to deepen the learner’s understanding.

Target Audience Characteristics

• Native English speakers with JLPT N2 proficiency.
  • Familiar with ~1000–1200 kanji and ~6000 vocabulary words.
  • Can understand spoken and written Japanese on topics such as daily life, work, and current events.
  • Able to comprehend kanji-heavy sentences but may require furigana for rare or less familiar kanji.
  • Comfortable reading explanations entirely in Japanese but may need occasional clarification of advanced terms.

Teaching Approach

Step 1: Connect to Universal Experiences

• Begin with a relatable, real-world scenario (e.g., workplace tasks, formal interactions, or daily routines).
• Use sensory-rich examples that are relevant to learners at an intermediate level.
• Avoid starting with formal definitions; instead, connect to emotional or memorable experiences.

Step 2: Build the Bridge

• Introduce the target concept by relating it to the scenario.
• Show the kanji, provide furigana (only for rare or difficult kanji), and explain natural pronunciation.
• Explain the meaning in intermediate-level Japanese, avoiding technical linguistic terminology.

Step 3: Demonstrate Through Examples

• Provide 2–3 scenarios that show how the concept is used in real-life contexts, such as:
  • Workplace discussions
  • Social interactions
  • Reading or writing semi-formal texts
• Include complete example sentences with:
  • Kanji/kana mixed text
  • Furigana only for uncommon kanji
  • A natural English translation
• Explain why each example works and highlight nuances.

Step 4: Interactive Engagement

• Encourage learners to think about how they might use the concept in their own lives.
• Pose guided questions to stimulate reflection or sentence creation (e.g., "What situations at work might require you to use this phrase?").
• Provide feedback or corrections for learner-generated examples if necessary.
• Address common mistakes or misconceptions.

Step 5: Reinforce Understanding

• Return to the original relatable scenario and demonstrate how understanding has improved.
• Provide contrasting examples (if applicable) to clarify nuances between similar concepts.
• End with a call to action, encouraging learners to practice the concept in real life.

Language Requirements

Must Include:

• Kanji with furigana for rare or difficult words.
• Explanations entirely in Japanese.
• Intermediate-level grammar and vocabulary appropriate for JLPT N2 learners.
• Relatable examples relevant to semi-formal or real-world situations.
• Natural English translations for example sentences (not word-for-word).

Must Avoid:

• Oversimplified grammar and vocabulary below N2 level.
• Excessive furigana for common kanji (e.g., 食べる, 時間).
• Formal academic or overly technical linguistic language.
• Explaining Japanese concepts in English.

Response Structure

Opening

• Relatable, real-world scenario that ties into the target concept.
• Clear and engaging introduction written in Japanese.

Body

• Step-by-step explanation, progressing from simple to complex.
• Multiple concrete examples with clear formatting:
  • Kanji/kana mixed text
  • Furigana for rare kanji
  • Natural English translations
• Interactive components to engage learners and check comprehension.

Closing

• Summary of the concept through the lens of the initial scenario.
• Reinforce key points and provide contrasting examples if applicable.
• Invitation for learners to practice using the concept.

Quality Checks

Before providing the final explanation, ask:

• Does the explanation avoid oversimplification and match JLPT N2 proficiency?
• Are all examples complete, with kanji, furigana (if needed), and natural English translations?
• Is the tone conversational and appropriate for intermediate learners?
• Are cultural and contextual nuances explained clearly?

Examples of Desired and Undesired Output

Desired Output Example

Input: 照合する

### ステップ1: 身近な経験とつなげる  
会社で資料を作るとき、元のデータと新しいデータを見比べて、数字が正しいか確認することがありますよね？この「確認する」という行動が「照合する」にあたります。  

### ステップ2: 橋をかける  
「照合する（しょうごうする）」は、二つ以上のものを見比べて、一致しているか確認することを意味します。たとえば、名簿の名前やデータの内容を確認する場面で使います。  

### ステップ3: 例を通じて理解を深める  
1. **データの照合**  
   > 昨日作成した資料と今日のデータ**を照合する**。  
   > きのうさくせいしたしりょうときょうのデータ**をしょうごうする**。  
   > (I will compare yesterday's document with today’s data.)  

2. **予約リストの照合**  
   > 受付で、参加者の名前**を照合する**。  
   > うけつけで、さんかしゃのなまえ**をしょうごうする**。  
   > (At the reception, I will check the participants’ names.)  

### ステップ4: インタラクティブな学び  
「照合する」を使った例を考えてみましょう！たとえば、仕事で何を見比べることがありますか？

Undesired Output Example

1. Simplified explanation:

照合する means "to compare two things to check if they match."

2. Overuse of furigana:

注文確認メールと注文内容を照合する(ちゅうもんかくにんメールとちゅうもんないようをしょうごうする)。

Furigana is unnecessary for common words like 注文.

3. Explanation written in English:

"照合する (shougou suru) means to compare two items and ensure they match."

(Trigger Warning: AI-generated content below.)

TL;DR: A NotebookLM-generated Podcast about NotebookLM-generated Podcasts Copyright Issues

(I simply pasted everything below into NotebookLM, along with a custom prompt to tell the bots to skip their typical overuse of highly-annoying cliches.)

Would a podcast about a book be a copyright violation?

If I were to buy Sal Kahn’s book “Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education” and my partner and I were to create a podcast in which we discuss one chapter per episode, would that be a copyright violation?

Here’s an example of how Google Gemini‘s new thinking model thinks before it gives you an answer:

---

Thoughts

The thoughts produced by the model are experimental

Here’s a thinking process to arrive at the comprehensive answer regarding the podcast and copyright:

1. Identify the core question: The user wants to know if discussing a book, chapter by chapter, in a podcast constitutes copyright infringement.
2. Recognize the key element: Copyright protects the expression of ideas, not the ideas themselves. This is the foundational principle.
3. Consider the actions involved in the podcast: Discussing, summarizing, analyzing, quoting—these are the primary activities.
4. Analyze each action in relation to copyright:
   • Discussion/Analysis/Interpretation: These are generally safe as they deal with ideas and personal perspectives.
   • Summarizing: Potentially problematic if too extensive and replaces the original. Need to consider the “fair use” concept.
   • Quoting: Definitely subject to copyright. The key is the amount and purpose of the quote. Short, attributed quotes for criticism or analysis are more likely to be fair use. Long, unattributed quotes are problematic.
   • Reading excerpts verbatim: Likely infringement unless it falls under fair use (very short, specific purpose).
   • Reproducing significant portions of the text in show notes/transcripts: Potentially infringing.
5. Introduce the concept of “fair use”: This is the primary defense against copyright infringement in situations like this. Explain the four factors: purpose/character, nature of the work, amount/substantiality, and effect on the market. Apply these factors specifically to the podcast scenario.
6. Consider other relevant legal doctrines: Mention the idea-expression dichotomy again for reinforcement.
7. Think about practical advice and best practices: This is crucial for the user.
   • Attribution: Always cite the author and book.
   • Limited quoting: Keep quotes concise and purposeful.
   • Focus on analysis and commentary: Emphasize original thought.
   • Transformative use: Explain how their podcast adds value beyond simply re-presenting the book.
   • Disclaimer: Suggest a disclaimer about fair use.
   • Seeking permission: Mention this as the safest route, though less likely to be pursued by the user.
8. Address the “one chapter per episode” aspect: This structure in itself isn’t a copyright issue, but it could influence the amount of material discussed in each episode, making the fair use analysis for each episode important.
9. Consider the commercial aspect: If the podcast is monetized, it strengthens the argument against fair use. This needs to be included.
10. Provide a strong concluding recommendation: Advise seeking legal counsel for definitive answers, as copyright law is complex and fact-specific. Emphasize the importance of caution.
11. Structure the answer logically: Start with a clear summary, then delve into the details, provide practical advice, and end with a cautionary note. Use headings and bullet points for clarity.
12. Review and refine: Ensure the language is clear, concise, and easy to understand for someone who may not have legal expertise. Check for any ambiguities or inconsistencies. For example, initially, I might have just said “quoting is okay,” but then I refined it to emphasize short and attributed quotes.

---

And then it spit out its answer

Discussing Sal Kahn’s book “Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education” chapter by chapter in a podcast likely falls under fair use and would generally not be considered copyright infringement, as long as you adhere to certain principles.

Here’s a breakdown of why and what to keep in mind:

Why it’s likely fair use:

• Purpose and Character of the Use: Your podcast is likely transformative. You’re not simply rereading the book. You’re adding commentary, analysis, discussion, and your own perspectives. This falls under criticism, commentary, scholarship, and research, all of which are factors favoring fair use.
• Nature of the Copyrighted Work: The book is a published work, and discussing its ideas is generally encouraged. While the expression is protected, the underlying ideas are not.
• Amount and Substantiality of the Portion Used: You’re discussing a chapter at a time. You’re not reproducing large portions of the book verbatim. Your focus is on your thoughts and interpretations, not the entire text itself.
• Effect of the Use Upon the Potential Market for or Value of the Copyrighted Work: Your podcast could actually increase interest in the book, potentially leading to more sales. It’s unlikely to be a substitute for reading the book itself.

However, you need to be careful and adhere to these guidelines to stay within fair use:

• Focus on Discussion and Analysis: The core of your podcast should be your own thoughts, interpretations, and discussions about the chapter’s content.
• Limit Direct Quotes: While short, attributed quotes are generally acceptable for illustrating a point, avoid excessive verbatim quoting. Don’t reproduce entire paragraphs or substantial sections of the book.
• Don’t Replace the Experience of Reading the Book: Your podcast should encourage people to read the book, not provide a substitute for it.
• Attribution is Key: Clearly and consistently attribute the book to Sal Kahn. Mention the title and publisher in each episode.
• Avoid Reproducing Significant Portions in Show Notes or Transcripts: Be cautious about including lengthy summaries or excerpts in your show notes or transcripts. Keep them focused on your discussion points.
• Consider Your Intent: If your primary goal is to help people understand the book and engage with its ideas, rather than to profit directly from reproducing its content, fair use is more likely to apply.
• Commercial vs. Non-Commercial Use: While fair use can apply to commercial ventures, it’s a stronger argument if your podcast is non-commercial (e.g., no advertising or paid subscriptions). If you intend to monetize the podcast, be extra cautious about the amount of quoting and reliance on the book’s exact wording.

Things that could get you into trouble:

• Reading entire chapters verbatim: This would clearly infringe on copyright.
• Reproducing large sections of the book in your show notes or transcripts.
• Claiming the book’s ideas as your own.
• Creating a podcast that essentially is the audiobook, just read by you.
• Monetizing the podcast heavily while relying extensively on the book’s copyrighted content.

In summary:

Creating a podcast discussing Sal Kahn’s book chapter by chapter, with a focus on your analysis and commentary, is likely protected under fair use. However, be mindful of the amount of direct quoting, ensure proper attribution, and avoid creating a substitute for reading the book itself.

Disclaimer: I am an AI and cannot provide legal advice. If you have specific concerns, it’s always best to consult with an intellectual property lawyer. However, based on general principles of copyright law and fair use, your proposed podcast is likely permissible as long as you follow the guidelines mentioned above.

---

Next Question: What about letting NotebookLM do it?

OK, next question: What If I upload the entire book to Google NotebookLM and use this custom prompt to create podcast episodes voiced by two AI-generated hosts that discuss the book:

“The source is “Brave new words : how AI will revolutionize education” by Salman Khan. Discuss only what’s in Part 1, which covers: Part I | Rise of the AI Tutor, Throwing Away the Bottle, How to Teach Everything to Everyone,Rise of the AI Tutor”

.. and I do that for parts 1 through 11 of the book and I use the generated audio files to create a podcast that’s not monetized? Would that be a copyright violation?

---

Thoughts

The thoughts produced by the model are experimental

Here’s a breakdown of the thinking process to arrive at the answer regarding AI-generated podcast episodes based on uploading the book to NotebookLM:

1. Identify the Core Issue: The central question is whether using AI to generate discussions based on the book constitutes copyright infringement.
2. Recall Copyright Principles: Copyright protects the expression of an idea, not the idea itself. This is a fundamental concept.
3. Analyze the Action: The user is uploading the entire book into NotebookLM. This is a direct reproduction of the copyrighted work.
4. Consider the Output: The AI is generating summaries, discussions, and potentially even paraphrasing or slightly rewriting the text. This derivative work is based directly on the copyrighted material.
5. Apply the Derivative Work Concept: Creating a derivative work based on a copyrighted work requires permission from the copyright holder.
6. Assess Fair Use (Again): While the output might resemble discussion, the input and process are significantly different from simply reading and discussing.
   • Purpose and Character: While non-commercial, the purpose leans heavily towards creating a derivative work of the book, not truly about it in the same transformative way as human discussion. The AI is essentially summarizing and reorganizing.
   • Nature of the Copyrighted Work: Still a published work, but the method of interaction is the key difference here.
   • Amount and Substantiality: Using the entire book as input weighs heavily against fair use. It’s not using small excerpts for commentary; it’s the whole thing.
   • Effect on the Market: Even non-commercial, this could potentially serve as a substitute for reading the book, particularly if the AI does a good job summarizing.
7. Focus on the Method of Creation: The use of AI as an intermediary doesn’t magically erase the copyright implications of using the entire book as its source material. The AI is a tool facilitating the reproduction and transformation of the copyrighted work.
8. Consider the “Who Owns the Output?” Question (Secondary, but relevant): While not the primary focus of the copyright question related to the book, it’s worth noting that the AI-generated content raises questions of ownership itself, although this is less of a concern for the user in terms of their infringement of the book’s copyright.
9. Distinguish from the Previous Scenario: Highlight the crucial difference between human discussion (potentially fair use) and AI-generated content based on uploading the entire work (likely infringement).
10. Formulate a Clear Conclusion: State definitively that this scenario is more likely to be a copyright violation than the previous one.
11. Reinforce Key Principles: Emphasize the importance of permission and the distinction between discussing ideas and reproducing expression.
12. Maintain the Disclaimer: Reiterate that this is not legal advice and professional counsel is recommended.

---

Its Answer

Uploading the entire book to Google NotebookLM and using AI to generate discussions based on specific parts of the book, even for a non-monetized podcast, is significantly more likely to be considered copyright infringement than the scenario where you and your partner discuss the book yourselves.

Here’s why:

• Reproduction of the Entire Work: You are creating a digital copy of the entire copyrighted work within NotebookLM. This is a direct act of reproduction, one of the core rights held by the copyright holder.
• Creating Derivative Works: The AI is essentially creating summaries, interpretations, and dialogues based directly on the book’s content. These AI-generated podcast episodes are derivative works of the original book. Copyright law grants the copyright holder the exclusive right to create derivative works.
• Lack of Human Interpretation and Transformation: While the AI generates a discussion format, it’s fundamentally based on the text you provided. The transformative element, which is crucial for fair use, is significantly diminished compared to human discussion where personal opinions, experiences, and analyses are primary. The AI is acting as an automated summarizer and rephraser.
• Scale and Scope: Generating discussions for the entire book, part by part, amplifies the infringement. It’s not just discussing a few concepts; it’s creating a comprehensive, albeit AI-generated, alternative way to engage with the book’s content.
• The Nature of AI-Generated Content: While the legal landscape around AI-generated content is still evolving, the act of feeding an entire copyrighted work into an AI to generate new content based on it is generally viewed as problematic from a copyright perspective.

Distinguishing from the Previous Scenario:

The key difference is the level of human input and transformation. In the first scenario, you and your partner are engaging with the book, offering your own unique perspectives and analyses. The book serves as a springboard for your own creative expression.

In the second scenario, the AI is the primary interpreter and communicator of the book’s content. You are essentially using AI to automate the creation of content derived directly from the copyrighted work.

Why non-monetization doesn’t automatically make it okay:

While non-commercial use is a factor considered in fair use analysis, it’s not a guaranteed shield against copyright infringement. The other factors, particularly the nature of the use and the amount and substantiality of the portion used, weigh heavily against you in this scenario. Even without making money, you are still potentially harming the market for the book by providing an alternative way to experience its content.

Potential Risks:

• Copyright Infringement Lawsuit: Sal Kahn or his publisher could potentially sue you for copyright infringement.
• Takedown Notices: Platforms hosting your podcast (like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) could receive takedown notices and remove your content.

In summary, while the first scenario of human discussion was likely within fair use, using AI to generate podcast episodes based on uploading the entire book to NotebookLM is highly likely to be considered copyright infringement. You are essentially creating an AI-generated audio version of the book, broken down by parts, which infringes on the copyright holder’s rights to reproduction and the creation of derivative works.

Recommendation:

To avoid copyright issues, you should stick to the original plan of you and your partner discussing the book. If you want to incorporate AI, you could use it as a tool for research or outlining, but the core discussion should be driven by your own interpretations and thoughts.

Disclaimer: I am an AI and cannot provide legal advice. This information is for educational purposes only. If you have serious concerns about copyright, consult with an intellectual property lawyer.

Podcast for Eikaiwa Teachers about Unit 7

Unit 7 Summary

Unit Title: New Year Holidays in Japan

Overall Theme: This unit focuses on the cultural context of Japanese New Year’s celebrations and traditions, providing students with opportunities to develop their English language skills while exploring this rich cultural event. The unit progresses from introducing basic vocabulary and cultural concepts to practicing past tense grammar and expressing personal experiences and feelings. The unit concludes with an introduction to reading a website for information and a creative writing practice activity.

Learning Objectives

Throughout Unit 7, students are expected to:

• Vocabulary Acquisition: Learn and recall new vocabulary related to New Year’s activities, traditions, feelings, health, and general activities. Vocabulary includes words such as “temple,” “sunrise,” “omamori,” “toshikoshi soba,” “charm,” “lucky,” “relax”, “card,” “write,” “wish,” “lantern,” “fever,” “by the way,” “amazing,” “delicious,” “exciting,” “cookie,” “tough,” and a variety of verbs in the present and past tense, as well as many other words related to party planning and letter writing.
• Listening Comprehension: Understand spoken dialogues, interviews, and narratives related to New Year’s activities, and extract specific information from them.
• Reading Comprehension: Understand simple written texts such as dialogues, postcards, and website excerpts, extracting key information, main ideas, and cultural nuances.
• Speaking Skills: Participate in simple conversations about personal experiences, opinions, and cultural traditions related to New Year’s. This includes asking and answering questions about past activities.
• Writing Skills: Write simple sentences about personal experiences, feelings, and cultural information, and create a postcard using learned vocabulary and grammatical structures.
• Grammar Application: Accurately use past tense verb forms (both regular and irregular), “was” and “were,” and the use of “did” and “didn’t” in question formation and negative sentences.
• Cultural Awareness: Gain insight into Japanese New Year’s traditions, including temple visits, omamori, toshikoshi soba, and hatsumode.
• Strategic Reading: Use headings to find necessary information in a text.

Anticipated Outcomes

Upon completing Unit 7, students will be able to:

• Communicate about their personal experiences during the New Year or winter break using past tense verbs and relevant vocabulary.
• Understand and discuss aspects of Japanese culture related to New Year’s celebrations.
• Use a variety of past tense forms correctly and appropriately.
• Extract key information from simple dialogues, narratives, and written texts.
• Express feelings and opinions about personal experiences and cultural activities.
• Write a simple postcard conveying personal experiences and feelings.
• Use headings to find necessary information in a text.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping

The learning objectives of Unit 7 span multiple levels of Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy, as follows:

• Remembering
  • Vocabulary acquisition (memorizing new words and phrases)
  • Recalling grammatical rules (past tense forms, “was” and “were”, etc.)
• Understanding
  • Comprehending dialogues, narratives, and written texts
  • Understanding the cultural significance of various Japanese traditions.
  • Understanding grammar rules and sentence structure.
  • Connecting audio to written transcripts.
  • Understanding how headings are used in a text.
• Applying
  • Using past tense verbs in spoken and written contexts.
  • Using appropriate vocabulary and expressions in conversations and writing.
  • Applying grammar rules to form correct sentences.
  • Using information from a text to complete a task.
  • Applying reading strategies to extract specific information.
• Analyzing
  • Analyzing text for implied meanings, specific activities, and feelings.
  • Analyzing dialogues and identifying key details.
  • Analyzing the structure of sentences and texts.
• Creating
  • Writing original sentences about personal experiences and feelings.
  • Writing a postcard following a provided template and guidelines.

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements

Upon completion of Unit 7, students will be able to:

• Listening
  • “I can understand short conversations about New Year’s activities and identify specific details.” (A2)
  • “I can use a written transcript to support my understanding of an audio passage.”(A2)
• Speaking
  • “I can talk about my own experiences during winter vacation using simple past tense sentences.” (A2)
  • “I can participate in simple conversations about New Year’s traditions and express my opinions and feelings.” (A2)
  • “I can ask simple questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense and give short answers.” (A2)
• Reading
  • “I can read simple postcards, dialogues, and web page excerpts and understand the main ideas.” (A2)
  • “I can read a short story and understand the sequence of events.” (A2)
  • “I can read a variety of simple texts and find specific pieces of information.” (A2)
• Writing
  • “I can write simple sentences about past events using past tense correctly.” (A2)
  • “I can write a short postcard to share my experiences and feelings about winter vacation.” (A2)
• Grammar
  • “I can use past tense forms of regular and irregular verbs accurately in both questions and statements.” (A2)
  • “I can correctly use ‘was’ and ‘were’ in sentences.” (A2)
  • “I can use ‘did’ and ‘didn’t’ to create questions and negative statements in the past tense.” (A2)
• Vocabulary
  • “I can understand and use vocabulary related to new year’s activities, customs, and feelings.” (A2)
  • “I can understand and use new vocabulary related to describing parties and reading material.” (A2)
• Culture
  • “I can understand and talk about basic Japanese customs related to New Years celebrations such as temple visits and omikuji.” (A2)
  • “I can recognize common western party ideas.” (A2)
• Strategies
  • “I can use headings to find information in a text.” (A2)

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Study Guide Page-by-page Analysis

p. 133

Page Summary

This page serves as an introduction to Unit 7, titled “New Year Holidays in Japan.” It focuses on the Japanese New Year and associated activities. The page is structured to preview the unit’s content and objectives, covering listening, reading and writing activities. Here’s a breakdown of key elements:

• Unit Title & Theme: “New Year Holidays in Japan” sets the cultural context.
• Unit Goal: Divided into two main parts:
  • Reading Goal: “はがきから、出来事や感想などを読み取ることができる” – Students will be able to read and understand postcards, extracting events and feelings.
  • Writing Goal: “冬休みの出来事や感想などを伝える、はがきを書くことができる” – Students will be able to write postcards conveying their winter vacation experiences and feelings.
• Preview Activity: Students are prompted to look at photos on textbook pages 104-105 and predict the story’s topic.
  • “About You” Section: Students are asked “What did you do during the winter vacation?” to encourage personal connections to the theme. Example sentences are given.
  • “How about Tina?” Section: Sets the stage for a listening activity focused on what a character named Tina did, with an example sentence.
• Listening Task: A numbered task with an audio icon asks students to listen and choose 3 items that Tina discussed and write the corresponding letter in the parentheses. There is also a follow-up task to watch a video and confirm.
• New Vocabulary: There is a new vocabulary box with the heading “New Words.” It includes key vocabulary for the unit. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “New Year”, “New Year holiday(s)”, “holiday(s)”, “do”, “did”, “eat”, “ate”, “fly”, “kite”, “make”, “made”, “see”, “saw”, “sunrise”, “calligraphy”, “go”, “went”, and “temple”.
• Word Board: Lists example sentences using some of the unit’s vocabulary including: “ate soba”, “enjoyed flying a kite”, “made osechi”, “put on a kimono”, “saw the sunrise”, “tried calligraphy”, and “went to a temple.”
• Skills Focus: Reading, Listening, and Writing.
• Visuals: Uses icons for listen, watch, check and includes a picture of a new years decoration.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping

Let’s map the learning objectives to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels:

1. Predicting Story Topic (Preview Activity)
   • Level: Understanding (Students are interpreting visual cues to anticipate story content.)
2. Listening Task (Identifying 3 Items from Audio)
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and select matching images.)
3. Reading Goal: “はがきから、出来事や感想などを読み取ることができる”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are interpreting written text)
4. Writing Goal: “冬休みの出来事や感想などを伝える、はがきを書くことができる”
   • Level: Creating (Students are generating original content)
5. New Vocabulary Acquisition
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new words)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements

Based on the page content and learning objectives, here are some CEFR-style “Can-Do” statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short story about someone’s New Year holiday and identify three activities they participated in.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and understand the meaning of new words related to New Year’s activities and celebrations such as ‘sunrise’, ‘temple’, and ‘calligraphy’.”
• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand what events or feelings are described.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple postcard to describe my own experiences and feelings during the winter vacation.”
• Culture: “I can understand common activities and customs done during Japanese New Years”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did during the winter vacation”

Cultural & Contextual Notes

• Japanese New Year: The focus on New Year Holidays is culturally relevant. New Years is the most important holiday in Japan and students will be familiar with the events and vocabulary.
• Junior High School: The content and tasks appear suitable for junior high EFL learners.
• Integrated Skills: The page aims to integrate listening, reading, writing, and vocabulary within a relevant theme.

Final Summary of Unit Introduction (Page 133)

This page introduces Unit 7, focusing on New Year’s Holidays in Japan. The unit goals are to enable students to understand postcards and to write simple postcards describing their own experiences. The page introduces new vocabulary related to new years activities and provides listening and reading activities to practice. The learning objectives are designed to progressively build towards the writing task. Students begin by predicting content and listening before moving to reading and writing. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) and understanding (listening, reading comprehension, predicting content) to creating (writing). The unit is grounded in a culturally significant context. The can-do statements highlight specific, achievable outcomes for the students.

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p. 134

Page Summary:

This page continues the exploration of New Year’s activities, primarily through a dialogue between three characters: Tina, Eri, and Hajin. The page focuses on listening comprehension and introducing more vocabulary related to New Year’s Eve and traditions. The page is structured as Part 1 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Focus: The core of the page is a dialogue between Tina, Eri, and Hajin, about what they did during the New Year. The numbers are in circles next to the lines in the dialog for easy reference.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on pages 141-142 of the main textbook.
• New Vocabulary: A “New Words” box at the top of the page adds to the unit’s vocabulary. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “happy”, “luck”, “charm”, “ring”, “rang”, “bell”, “buy”, “bought”, “TV”, “eve”, “New Year’s Eve.”
• Dialogue Content: The dialogue covers a range of activities, including:
  • Exchanging New Year greetings.
  • Tina mentioning going to a temple, buying an omamori (good luck charm), and ringing a bell.
  • Eri staying home and watching TV with her family.
  • Hajin stating he didn’t do much.
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page, under the “A” marker, there is the example: “(例) お寺に行った” which translates to “(Example) went to a temple.”
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina が冬休みそれぞれ過ごしたことはどのようなことでしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Tina do during the winter vacation?”.
• Visuals: There is a listening and reading icon in a black speech bubble.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students listen to and read the dialogue, comprehending the characters’ actions and interactions.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering the question “What did Tina do during her winter vacation?”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending a dialogue to find specific information.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short dialogue and understand what different people did during the New Year holiday.”
• Reading: “I can read a short dialogue about New Year’s Eve and understand the main activities mentioned.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to New Year’s Eve and traditions, such as ‘charm’, ‘ring’, and ‘New Year’s Eve’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about what I did during the New Year’s holiday, using phrases like ‘I stayed home’ or ‘I went to a temple.’”
• Culture: “I can understand the cultural significance of activities such as visiting a temple and buying a good luck charm during New Year’s in Japan.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters did during the New Year holiday by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Omamori: The mention of omamori (good luck charm) is a culturally relevant detail, showing students traditional practices.
• Temple Visits: Emphasizes the common practice of visiting temples during the New Year holiday.
• Variety of Activities: The dialogue presents different ways people spend the holiday, showing that there are multiple ways to celebrate.

Final Summary of Page 134:

This page continues the focus of Unit 7, centered around the New Year holiday. It presents a dialogue between three characters discussing what they did during the holiday, incorporating new vocabulary words related to the holiday. Students are expected to listen, read, and comprehend the dialog and new vocabulary. The cultural practices of buying omamori and visiting temples are presented within the dialog. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) and understanding (listening and reading). The can-do statements reflect the expected listening, reading, and cultural comprehension.

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p. 135

Page Summary:

This page transitions from dialogue to focusing on past tense verb usage and conversational practice. It introduces more vocabulary related to various activities and integrates listening, speaking, and writing activities. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

• “New Words” Box: The top of the page presents new vocabulary related to different activities and items, along with their phonetic pronunciations in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past tense form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “bake”, “baked”, “Mt.”, “sweater”, “write”, “wrote”, “card(s)”, “New Year’s card(s)”, “relax”, “relaxed”, “present”, “get”, “got”, “party”, and “have” and “had”.
• Listening Task (Top Left): Students are instructed to listen to what two teachers, Ms. Brown and Mr. Hoshino, did during the winter vacation. Students are to match the sentence to the correct person with a line. The corresponding audio for this activity is on page 145 of the textbook.
• “Speak” Activity (Middle Left): Students practice speaking about activities using provided example sentences. The section is introduced with “ペアになり、あなたが冬休みにしたことを伝えましょう”, which translates to “Pair up and tell each other what you did during the winter vacation.” It includes a list of example phrases using the past tense, like “I wrote New Year’s cards,” “I relaxed at home,” and “I had a party at Christmas” and prompts students to respond with “That’s nice.”
• “Write” Activity (Top Right): Students are instructed to write about their winter vacation experiences. The “About You” section prompts students to describe what they did during winter break. The section is introduced with “あなたが冬休みでしたことを書きましょう”, which translates to “Let’s write what you did during the winter vacation”.
• Grammar Focus: The page subtly reinforces past tense verb usage. The “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152 indicate where specific grammar rules are explained in the textbook.
• Example Sentences: There are example sentences showing present tense and past tense usage of verbs with the heading “文法枠” which means “Grammar Box.” Example sentences are “I go to school every day.” “I went to a temple on New Year’s Eve.” “I watch TV with my family.” “I watched TV with my family.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and match activities to the correct speaker.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students use learned phrases to construct original spoken sentences)
3. Writing Activity:
   • Level: Creating (Students produce their own written sentences about their personal experiences using past tense verbs.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary related to activities.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use past tense verbs in both spoken and written contexts.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to people describe their winter vacation and identify the activities they mention.”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did during my winter vacation using simple past tense sentences and responses like ‘That’s nice’.”
• Writing: “I can write simple sentences about my own winter vacation experiences using past tense verbs accurately.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to common activities, such as ‘bake’, ‘write’, and ‘relax’.”
• Grammar: “I can use the past tense of regular and irregular verbs to describe past events.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Variety of Activities: The vocabulary and activities reflect common holiday activities like baking, sending cards, and relaxing.
• Teacher-Student Context: The listening activity focusing on teachers allows students to connect the activities to the school setting.
• Personal Connection: The speaking and writing activities are designed to allow for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 135:

This page focuses on transitioning the learning from passive listening to active production, emphasizing past tense verb usage. It introduces new vocabulary and provides guided practice with speaking and writing activities. The activities range from matching spoken statements to individual speakers (understanding) to producing personal written (creating) and spoken sentences (applying). This page builds upon previous learning and prepares students for more complex language use.

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p. 136

Page Summary:

This page shifts focus to traditional New Year’s foods, specifically toshikoshi soba (year-crossing buckwheat noodles), and introduces related vocabulary. It continues using a dialogue format to present new content while reinforcing listening, reading, and comprehension skills. The page is marked as Part 2 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Focus: The dialogue between Tina, Eri, and Hajin centers around the question of eating traditional food for the New Year.
• “New Words” Box: At the top of the page, a “New Words” box contains key vocabulary for the lesson. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “any”, “traditional”, “custom”, “long”, “sign”, “life”, “tell”, “told”, “know”, “how”, “way”, “bad”, “poor”, “by the way”.
• Dialogue Content: The conversation includes:
  • Eri asking if the others ate any traditional food.
  • Tina confirming she ate toshikoshi soba and asking about the meaning.
  • Eri explaining that eating toshikoshi soba is a Japanese custom and is a sign of long life.
  • Hajin mentioning he didn’t know that.
  • A small aside about another character, Kota, having a cold.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on pages 142-143 of the main textbook.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina が年末年始に食べたものは何でしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Tina eat for the New Year holidays?”
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page, under the “A” marker, there is the example: “(例) 年越しそば” which translates to “(Example) Year-crossing Soba”
• Cultural Insight: The page explains the cultural significance of toshikoshi soba as a symbol of long life.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students listen to and read the dialogue, grasping the characters’ statements and questions.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering the question “What did Tina eat for the New Year holidays?”
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending a dialogue to find specific information.)
4. Cultural Awareness
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about the cultural significance of toshikoshi soba)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a short dialogue and understand what the characters say about traditional New Year’s food.”
• Reading: “I can read a short dialogue about toshikoshi soba and understand its cultural significance.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to traditions and food, such as ‘traditional’, ‘custom’, and ‘long life’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about traditional New Year’s food.”
• Culture: “I can understand that eating toshikoshi soba is a Japanese custom, and I know it is a sign of long life.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters ate during the New Year holiday by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Toshikoshi Soba: The focus on this particular food provides a specific cultural detail, teaching students about a unique Japanese tradition.
• Simple Explanations: The explanations are simple and student-friendly, catering to the intended EFL learner.

Final Summary of Page 136:

This page shifts the focus of Unit 7 to the topic of traditional New Year’s food, specifically toshikoshi soba. It provides a dialogue which both introduces new vocabulary and explains the cultural significance of eating the food. Students are expected to listen, read, and comprehend the dialog and new vocabulary. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (listening, reading, and cultural awareness). The Can-do statements clearly outline the specific skills expected of the students.

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p. 137

Page Summary:

This page focuses on practicing asking and answering questions about New Year’s activities using the past tense and introduces additional vocabulary related to the topic. The page emphasizes both listening and speaking practice. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

• “New Words” Box: At the top of the page, a “New Words” box contains key vocabulary for the lesson. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “stay”, “stay up”, “late”, “comedy”, “show(s)”, “rice”, “rice cake(s)”, and “New Year’s Day”.
• Listening Task (Bottom Left): Students listen to Nick and Eri describe their New Year’s activities and are asked to choose which activity they did. The listening task instructions include “それぞれがしたことについて、適した〇に線を結びましょう。”, meaning “Draw a line to the appropriate circle for each activity they did.” The audio for this activity is on page 146 of the textbook.
• Speaking Task (Middle Right): Students engage in a guided speaking activity focused on asking and answering about New Year’s activities in the past tense.
  • The instructions say “5人にインタビューをしましょう。多く答えたことは何でしょうか。”, which means “Let’s interview five people. What did most people answer?”.
  • The example dialogue uses “Did you ~?” questions such as “Did you eat any traditional food?”, “Did you play any traditional games?”, and “Did you watch any comedy shows on TV?” and “Did you make osechi on New Year’s Eve?”. Students are meant to answer “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t.”
• “Write” Activity (Top Right): Students write a question about winter vacation. The “About You” section prompts students to write what question they asked.
• Grammar Reinforcement: The page continues to reinforce past tense question formation and short answers (“Yes, I did” / “No, I didn’t”). The “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152 indicate where grammar rules are explained in the textbook.
• Example Sentences: Under the “文法枠” which means “Grammar Box,” example questions and answers about New Years activities in the past tense are shown, including “Did you eat any traditional food?” and the short answers to the question “Yes, I did./No, I didn’t.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and match activities to the correct speaker.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students formulate and ask past tense questions, listen to responses, and give appropriate answers.)
3. Writing Activity
   • Level: Applying (Students write a grammatically correct question in the past tense.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students are actively applying grammar rules of past tense question formation in both speaking and writing.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to short conversations and understand what people did during the New Year’s holiday.”
• Speaking: “I can ask simple questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense and give short answers.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple question using past tense about New Years.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to New Year’s activities, such as ‘stay up’, ‘comedy’, and ‘rice cake’.”
• Grammar: “I can form simple past tense questions and give short answers.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Variety of Activities: The activities focus on a range of common New Year’s activities including staying up late and eating rice cakes.
• Interactive Practice: The speaking activity is designed to encourage interaction among students.

Final Summary of Page 137:

This page shifts towards active practice of asking and answering questions about New Year’s activities in the past tense. It introduces new vocabulary, provides a guided listening exercise, and sets up a question/answer activity for practice. Students are expected to apply their knowledge of past tense to both listening and speaking. The learning objectives address understanding (matching activities to people), applying (past tense questions and writing, and vocabulary acquisition (remembering). The “can-do” statements accurately reflect the intended outcomes of this page.

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p. 138

Page Summary:

This page introduces a new context, visiting a temple for hatsumode (the first temple visit of the year), and focuses on expressing wishes and feelings, particularly related to health and well-being. The page incorporates a conversational dialogue, introduces new vocabulary, and provides a cultural perspective on this practice. The page is marked as Part 3 of the unit. Here’s a breakdown:

• Dialogue Setting: The dialogue takes place at Sensouji Temple in Asakusa, a famous location for hatsumode. The conversation involves Tina, Hajin, and Kota.
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the top of the page introduces new vocabulary related to health, feelings, and temple visits. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “what”, “lantern”, “wish”, “secret”, “chat”, “still”, “fever”, “sorry”, “hear”, “lucky”, “miss(ed)”, “well”, “soon”, “have a fever”, and “get well”.
• Dialogue Content: The dialogue covers various aspects:
  • Tina remarks on a big lantern and mentions wishing for something.
  • Hajin expresses curiosity about Tina’s wish.
  • Tina claims it is a secret.
  • The conversation shifts to Kota’s health, where he reports having a fever and says he did not enjoy hatsumode.
  • Tina and Kota discuss trying omikuji (fortune slips).
  • The dialogue ends with Kota feeling sick.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on page 143 of the main textbook.
• Example Sentence: At the bottom of the page under the “A” marker there is the example “(例) いなくて寂しくってこと” which means “(Example) I missed you”.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Kota が Tina にいちばん伝えたかったことは何でしょうか？” which translates to “Q. What did Kota want to tell Tina the most?”.
• Cultural Context: The page introduces hatsumode, and omikuji giving a cultural context to the content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding the Dialogue:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the characters’ statements and the context of the dialogue.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary related to feelings and temple visits.)
3. Answering the question “What did Kota want to tell Tina the most?”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending the dialogue to find specific information.)
4. Cultural Understanding:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about the customs of hatsumode and omikuji.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a dialogue and understand conversations about wishes, feelings, and health at a temple.”
• Reading: “I can read a dialogue about hatsumode and the act of drawing a fortune slip (omikuji), and understand its context.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to feelings and well-being, such as ‘wish’, ‘secret’, ‘lucky’, and ‘get well’.”
• Speaking: “I can participate in a simple conversation about wishes, health and feelings at a temple.”
• Culture: “I can understand that people visit temples for hatsumode and draw a omikuji and this is a tradition in Japan.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what specific characters are feeling or doing by listening to or reading a dialogue.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Hatsumode: The introduction of hatsumode is a culturally significant element.
• Omikuji: The discussion of omikuji highlights a specific practice during temple visits.
• Expression of Feelings: The page emphasizes the expression of feelings like hope, concern, and well-being.

Final Summary of Page 138:

This page introduces a new setting, the temple for hatsumode, and shifts focus towards discussing wishes and feelings about well-being, and health. The dialogue presents new vocabulary and provides cultural information regarding hatsumode and omikuji. Students are expected to understand the new vocabulary, dialogue, and cultural context. The objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (listening, reading, and cultural awareness). The “can-do” statements clearly describe the expected outcomes of this page.

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p. 139

Page Summary:

This page shifts to a reading activity with a focus on a postcard, providing students an opportunity to analyze a written text and extract specific information. It serves as Part 4 of the unit and includes both cultural observations and personal feelings from Tina, all within the context of her New Year’s experiences.

• Text Type: The main content is a postcard from Tina to her grandparents. The page includes the full text of the postcard in English with numbered lines.
• “New Words” Box: The page introduces new vocabulary specific to the postcard text. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “dear”, “hope”, “was”, “building(s)”, “were”, “in”, “atmosphere”, and “love”.
• Postcard Content: The postcard includes:
  • A greeting to her grandparents.
  • A general inquiry about their health.
  • A question about how Christmas and New Years was for them.
  • A description of her visit to a famous temple in Asakusa.
  • A comment on how enjoyable it was.
  • Observations about the traditional buildings and atmosphere.
  • A note about people wearing kimonos.
  • A wish for them to visit Japan.
  • A closing.
• Listening and Reading Task: The page indicates that the listening and reading for this section is on page 144 of the main textbook.
• Question for Comprehension: The page begins with the question “Q. Tina はお正月の出来事についてどのような感想を述べていますか。” which translates to “Q. What kind of feelings did Tina express about her New Year’s events?”
• Example Answer: Under the question, the example answer is “(例) 楽しかった。雰囲気が気に入った。” which means “(Example) It was fun. I liked the atmosphere.”
• “Think” Activity: Under the postcard, a “Think” section prompts students to think about what Tina might have wished for during her hatsumode visit, and provides the example “(例) 祖父母が元気で過ごせますように。” which translates to “(Example) I wish my grandparents can be healthy.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the postcard and comprehend its content.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Identifying feelings:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are comprehending the text to find information about what Tina is feeling)
4. Analyzing Tina’s wish:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the text to identify Tina’s implicit wishes)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to a reading of a postcard and follow along with the text.”
• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand what the writer did and how they felt during the New Year holiday.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to descriptions, such as ‘atmosphere’, ‘building’, and ‘dear’.”
• Culture: “I can understand some basic customs of New Years such as visiting temples.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a short text to identify implicit information and personal feelings.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about a postcard by identifying key information.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Postcard Format: Using a postcard as a text introduces a real-life communication form.
• Asakusa Temple: The mention of Asakusa Temple further contextualizes Japanese New Year’s traditions.
• Family Focus: The focus on family relations is a cultural element.

Final Summary of Page 139:

This page presents a postcard from Tina to her grandparents, combining reading comprehension with cultural insights into Japanese New Year’s traditions. The page introduces new vocabulary, gives the full text of the postcard, and provides prompts for students to analyze the text. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension and extraction of details) and analyzing (identifying implied meaning). The “can-do” statements are specific and measurable, reflecting the intended outcomes for the students.

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p. 140

Page Summary:

This page focuses on describing experiences and feelings using past tense and descriptive adjectives. It integrates listening, speaking, and writing activities, providing a comprehensive practice session for students. The context is set at an airport, where returning visitors are sharing their experiences in Japan.

• Listening Task (Top Left): Students are instructed to listen to interviews at an airport and match the activities to corresponding feelings. The listening task instructions include “空港で、帰国前の訪日客がインタビューを受けています。 教科書p.113の写真を見ながら、それぞれに当てはまるものを線で結びましょう”, meaning “At the airport, visitors to Japan before returning home are being interviewed. While looking at the photos on textbook page 113, let’s connect the activities with the appropriate feelings.” The audio content is on pages 147-148 of the textbook.
• “New Words” Box: New vocabulary is introduced in the “New Words” box at the bottom of the page including the phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations.
  • Words included are: “amazing”, “delicious”, “exciting”, “yesterday”, “cookie(s)”, and “tough”.
• Speaking Task (Middle Left): Students are prompted to talk with a partner, using example phrases to express their feelings about past experiences, as in “ペアになり、昨日したこととその感想を伝え合いましょう。”, which translates to “Pair up and tell each other what you did yesterday and how you felt about it.” This section includes example sentences, such as “I watched a soccer game on TV yesterday. It was exciting” and “I made cookies with my mother. It was tough, but they were delicious.”
• Writing Task (Bottom Left): Students are asked to write about what they did the previous day and how it made them feel. The instructions are “昨日したことを、感想とともに書きましょう”, which translates to “Let’s write about what you did yesterday, along with your feelings.” The prompt mentions to refer to the “Speak” section for an example answer.
• Grammar Reinforcement: The page reinforces the use of past tense with descriptive adjectives in expressing experiences and feelings, as evidenced by the “Active Grammar” icon and reference to pages 151-152.
• “Basic Sentence” Box: On the left side of the page, there is a “Basic Sentence” section with examples of past tense usage such as “It is fun”, “It was fun”, “The traditional buildings are beautiful”, and “The traditional buildings were beautiful.”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Listening and Matching:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the audio and connect activities to the correct emotions.)
2. Speaking Activity:
   • Level: Applying (Students use learned phrases to describe past experiences and express their feelings.)
3. Writing Activity:
   • Level: Creating (Students generate their own sentences about past activities and feelings.)
4. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary.)
5. Grammar Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use past tense verbs and descriptive adjectives in spoken and written contexts.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can listen to short interviews and match activities to the feelings expressed.”
• Speaking: “I can talk about what I did yesterday, using descriptive adjectives to express my feelings.”
• Writing: “I can write about my activities from yesterday and describe how they made me feel using past tense and descriptive language.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary to describe feelings and activities, such as ‘amazing,’ ‘delicious,’ and ‘tough’.”
• Grammar: “I can use past tense and descriptive adjectives to share experiences and feelings.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Airport Setting: The use of an airport as the setting provides a real-life context for sharing travel experiences.
• Descriptive Language: The focus on descriptive language encourages students to provide richer details when sharing their experiences.
• Personal Connection: The activities allow for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 140:

This page integrates listening, speaking, and writing practice with a focus on describing past experiences with descriptive adjectives. It introduces new vocabulary for expressing feelings and provides guided practice in speaking and writing. The listening activity focuses on comprehension and matching, while the speaking and writing prompts are open-ended allowing personal creation. The learning objectives align with Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy spanning from understanding (listening) and remembering (vocabulary) to applying (grammar use) and creating (written and spoken output). The can-do statements are concise and clearly align with the expected student outcomes.

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p. 141

Page Summary:

This page is the first of a multi-page section providing detailed explanations of key parts of the unit content. This page focuses on explaining the use of past tense verbs, referencing the Part 1 dialogue, and providing grammar notes and explanations.

• Part Designation: The page is clearly marked as “Part 1”, referring back to the corresponding section of the textbook.
• Grammar Focus: The primary focus is on explaining the use of past tense verbs with both regular and irregular forms. The page includes a heading “動詞の過去形” which translates to “Past tense of verbs.”
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left corner, a “Basic Sentence” box includes examples from the Unit 7 Part 1 dialogue of present tense and past tense verb usage.
  • “I go to school every day” (present tense)
  • “I went to a temple on New Year’s Eve” (past tense)
  • “I watch TV with my family” (present tense)
  • “I watched TV with my family” (past tense).
• Grammar Explanation: The page explains the use of “-ed” and “-d” to create the past tense of regular verbs such as watch, and also introduces irregular verbs that change their form such as go becoming went. It also points out that there are no rules for the changes in irregular verbs so they must be memorized one by one. The section has a heading “学習のポイント” which means “Learning Points.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The bottom half of the page provides explanations of specific lines from the textbook dialogue on page 106. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • It explains “Happy New Year” as a New Years greeting.
  • It explains the meaning of omamori.
  • It explains the usage of the word “on” in the sentence “I also went to a temple on New Year’s Eve.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of regular and irregular past tense verb forms.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall specific grammar rules about past tense verbs.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify the uses and meaning of certain words and sentences.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form the past tense of both regular and irregular verbs.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 1 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts.”
• Text Analysis: “I can read and understand explanations of vocabulary and phrases from the textbook.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces grammatical concepts by directly linking them to the dialogue text.
• Structured Approach: The page uses a structured approach, combining grammar explanations with example sentences and connections to the text dialogue.

Final Summary of Page 141:

This page provides a grammar and text explanation of the Part 1 content of the textbook. It emphasizes understanding past tense forms of both regular and irregular verbs and provides detailed explanations of the content of the text dialogue from textbook page 106. The learning objectives include remembering (grammar rules) and understanding (grammar explanations and text analysis) and a connection between the text dialogue and the grammar explanations. The Can-Do statements align with the stated objectives.

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p. 142

Page Summary:

This page continues the detailed explanation of the unit’s content, specifically focusing on the use of “did” and “didn’t” in past tense questions and negative statements. The page references dialogue from Part 2 of Unit 7 and provides explicit grammar and sentence structure guidelines.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 2”, referring to the corresponding dialogue in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left, a “Basic Sentence” box includes examples of sentences from Part 2. These sentences focus on past tense, including a short answer and a negative statement.
  • “I ate toshikoshi soba.”
  • “Did you eat any traditional food?”
  • “Yes, I did./ No, I didn’t.”
  • “I didn’t eat any traditional food.”
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “did” and “didn’t” in asking and answering questions about past events.
  • The section has a heading “did と didn’t” which means “did and didn’t.”
  • It explains that “did” is used to ask about past events and that “did” is placed before the subject. It explains that in this type of question the main verb is in its base form.
  • It also explains how to answer with “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t.”
  • It describes how to use “didn’t” to create a negative statement about past events. The section explains to place “didn’t” before the main verb. It also states that the main verb remains in its base form when used with “didn’t.”
  • The page gives example sentences of both affirmative sentences (“She ate osechi”), questions (“Did she eat osechi?”), affirmative answers (“Yes, I ate osechi.”) and negative answers (“I didn’t eat osechi”) and provides explanations of their structure.
• “Text Explanation” Section: At the bottom, explanations are given for key phrases from page 108 of the textbook. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • It explains that the sentence “Did you eat any traditional food?” is a question form asking about past events and that when asking questions in the past tense the main verb is in its base form.
  • It explains that in the answer “Yes, I did.” “did” is used as the answer.
  • It explains that the word “ate” in the sentence “I ate toshikoshi soba.” is the past tense of “eat”, and is an irregular verb.
  • It explains that the word “told” in the sentence “My father told me.” is the past tense of “tell” and is an irregular verb.
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Grammar Rules:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of how to use “did” and “didn’t”.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are recalling the specific structure of questions and negative statements in past tense.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are reading the explanations and identifying the uses of “did” and “didn’t” in the examples.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form questions and negative statements using ‘did’ and ‘didn’t’ in the past tense.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 2 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts.”
• Text Analysis: “I can read and understand the explanations of vocabulary and phrases from the textbook.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces understanding of past tense questions by connecting it directly to the example text.
• Clear Structure: The page provides a clear step-by-step explanation of grammar concepts.

Final Summary of Page 142:

This page continues the explanation of the unit, focusing on the use of “did” and “didn’t” for asking questions and making negative statements in the past tense. The page references the Part 2 dialogue and provides clear grammar explanations and examples, with a focus on understanding how “did” is used in questions and “didn’t” is used in negative sentences. It provides sentence examples as well as specific explanations of parts of the text dialog. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (grammar rules) to understanding (grammar explanations and text analysis) and a connection between the text dialogue and the grammar explanations. The “Can-Do” statements align well with the learning outcomes.

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p. 143

Page Summary:

This page continues the detailed explanations, now focusing on the expressions and phrases used in Part 3 of Unit 7. It provides explanations of the nuances, grammar, and cultural context behind the chosen phrases from the dialogue.

• Part Designation: The page is marked “Part 3,” linking it to the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Text Explanation” Section: This page is entirely dedicated to explaining the selected expressions and phrases from the Part 3 dialogue. The page has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I didn’t know that.” – explains the meaning as “I didn’t know that.”
  • “How interesting!” – explains how the structure “How + adjective [!]” expresses feelings of impressiveness.
  • “By the way, where’s Kota?” – explains that “by the way” is used to change topics and that “where’s” is a short form of “where is” and is used to ask about locations.
  • “Oh, that’s too bad.” – explains that “too bad” means “that’s unfortunate” and is used to sympathize with others.
  • “Poor Kota.” – explains that the word “poor” is used to express sympathy.
  • “What a big lantern!” – explains that “What a [adjective] [noun]!” is used to express feelings similarly to “How ~ !”.
  • “How are you?” – explains that the word “how” is used to ask about conditions and can be used to ask about health.
  • “I still have a fever.” – explains the meaning of “have a fever” as “to have a fever” and “still” as “yet.”
  • “Sorry to hear that.” – explains the meaning as “I am sorry to hear that.”
  • “We tried omikuji.” – explains that “tried” is the past tense of the verb “try”.
  • “Lucky you! ;-)” – explains the meaning as “Lucky you!” and that the “;-)” is an emoticon used in English.
  • “But I missed you.” – explains that “missed” is the past tense of the verb “miss,” and that “miss” is used when a person is not present.
  • “Get well soon!” – explains the meaning as “Get well soon!” and that it is used when parting with someone who is not feeling well.
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Expressions and Nuances:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend the explanations of specific phrases and their intended meanings.)
2. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the meanings and context of the phrases in the Part 3 dialogue.)
3. Cultural Understanding:
   • Level: Understanding (Students are learning about cultural nuances of certain phrases)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Explanation: “I can understand the specific meanings and nuances of phrases used in the Part 3 dialogue.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining complex expressions and cultural notes.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand the context of various expressions within a conversation.”
• Cultural Awareness: “I can understand the cultural context of common phrases in conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Emphasis on Nuance: The page emphasizes the nuances and cultural context behind phrases used in conversation.
• Real-life Application: The explanations of these phrases support students in using them effectively.

Final Summary of Page 143:

This page focuses entirely on explaining the phrases from Part 3 of the textbook. It delves into the specific meanings, usage, and cultural contexts of each of the expressions used in the dialogue. The learning objectives are focused on analysis and comprehension. The Can-Do statements are concise and clearly address the intended learning outcomes.

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p. 144

Okay, let’s analyze page 144 of the Unit 7 study guide.

Page Summary:

This page focuses on explaining the use of the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were), while also explaining various expressions used in Part 4 of the unit.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 4,” referencing the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left of the page, a “Basic Sentence” section includes examples of past and present tense sentences using “to be”.
  • “It is fun.” (present tense)
  • “It was fun.” (past tense)
  • “The traditional buildings are beautiful.” (present tense)
  • “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” (past tense)
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “was” and “were” as past tense forms of the verb “to be.”
  • The section has the heading “was と were” which means “was and were.”
  • The page explains that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and that is used when the subject is “I” or the third person singular.
  • It also explains that the past tense of “are” is “were” and that it is used when the subject is “you” or plural.
  • The page provides both present tense and past tense example sentences using the verb “to be.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The rest of the page provides explanations of selected phrases from the Part 4 dialogue. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I hope you are fine.” – explains that “I hope ~” means “I hope ~”
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?” – explains that “How” is used to ask about a condition or state and that the word “was” here is the past tense of “is” and that this is used to ask what the Christmas and New Years was like.
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.” – explains that the word “went” is an irregular past tense of “go”.
• “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” – explains that “were” is used as the past form of “are” and that it is used here because the subject “traditional buildings” is plural.
• “I liked the atmosphere.” – explains that the word “liked” is the past tense of the verb “like.”
  • “I hope you can.” – explains that this sentence is a short form of “I hope you can come to Japan this year.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how “was” and “were” are used based on the subject.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the specific rules about “was” and “were” usage.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify how the verb “to be” is used.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to use ‘was’ and ‘were’ as the past tense forms of the verb ‘to be’.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 4 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts and phrases.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand how to use various expressions from the textbook in real-life conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces the application of grammar rules by directly referencing the original text and grammar rules from the unit.
• Structured Approach: The page combines grammar explanations with example sentences.

Final Summary of Page 144:

This page explains the use of “was” and “were”, the past tense forms of the verb “to be”, and also explains the expressions used in the Part 4 dialogue. The page includes both present and past tense sentence examples, and provides specific explanations of selected phrases from the text dialogue, connecting the grammar rules to the original text. The learning objectives are focused on remembering grammar rules, and understanding the application of these rules in the context of the original text. The Can-Do statements accurately describe the expected learning outcomes.

This completes the analysis of page 144. I’m ready for the next page whenever you are!

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p. 144

Page Summary:

This page focuses on explaining the use of the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were), while also explaining various expressions used in Part 4 of the unit.

• Part Designation: The page is marked as “Part 4,” referencing the corresponding section in the textbook.
• “Basic Sentence” Section: At the top left of the page, a “Basic Sentence” section includes examples of past and present tense sentences using “to be”.
  • “It is fun.” (present tense)
  • “It was fun.” (past tense)
  • “The traditional buildings are beautiful.” (present tense)
  • “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” (past tense)
• Grammar Focus: The page focuses on explaining the use of “was” and “were” as past tense forms of the verb “to be.”
  • The section has the heading “was と were” which means “was and were.”
  • The page explains that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and that is used when the subject is “I” or the third person singular.
  • It also explains that the past tense of “are” is “were” and that it is used when the subject is “you” or plural.
  • The page provides both present tense and past tense example sentences using the verb “to be.”
• “Text Explanation” Section: The rest of the page provides explanations of selected phrases from the Part 4 dialogue. This section has the heading “本文の解説” which means “Text Explanation.”
  • “I hope you are fine.” – explains that “I hope ~” means “I hope ~”
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?” – explains that “How” is used to ask about a condition or state and that the word “was” here is the past tense of “is” and that this is used to ask what the Christmas and New Years was like.
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.” – explains that the word “went” is an irregular past tense of “go”.
• “The traditional buildings were beautiful.” – explains that “were” is used as the past form of “are” and that it is used here because the subject “traditional buildings” is plural.
• “I liked the atmosphere.” – explains that the word “liked” is the past tense of the verb “like.”
  • “I hope you can.” – explains that this sentence is a short form of “I hope you can come to Japan this year.”
• Textbook Page References: Each of the explanations in the “Text Explanation” section include a textbook page reference so that students can refer to the original content.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how “was” and “were” are used based on the subject.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the specific rules about “was” and “were” usage.)
3. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the explanations and identify how the verb “to be” is used.)
4. Connecting to original text:
   • Level: Understanding (Students connect the grammar explanations to the example sentences and dialogue.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to use ‘was’ and ‘were’ as the past tense forms of the verb ‘to be’.”
• Explanation: “I can identify and understand the specific explanations of words and sentences in the Part 4 dialogue of the textbook.”
• Reading: “I can read and understand text explaining grammar concepts and phrases.”
• Text Analysis: “I can understand how to use various expressions from the textbook in real-life conversations.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page reinforces the application of grammar rules by directly referencing the original text and grammar rules from the unit.
• Structured Approach: The page combines grammar explanations with example sentences.

Final Summary of Page 144:

This page explains the use of “was” and “were”, the past tense forms of the verb “to be”, and also explains the expressions used in the Part 4 dialogue. The page includes both present and past tense sentence examples, and provides specific explanations of selected phrases from the text dialogue, connecting the grammar rules to the original text. The learning objectives are focused on remembering grammar rules, and understanding the application of these rules in the context of the original text. The Can-Do statements accurately describe the expected learning outcomes.

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p. 145

Page Summary:

This page provides the transcripts for the listening activities in Unit 7, specifically for the audio in Part 1. The page is designed for students to follow along with the audio or read the transcript before, during, or after the listening activity.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 1,” corresponding to the listening exercise in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: The page includes the transcripts of two individuals sharing their winter vacation experiences:
  • (1) Ms. Brown: She describes having enjoyed her winter vacation, celebrating Christmas, baking a cake, receiving new year cards, staying home and watching tv, visiting a shrine, and trying omikuji.
  • (2) Mr. Hoshino: He recounts enjoying the New Year, staying at his sister’s house on New Year’s Eve, going to the beach to see the first sunrise, taking pictures, eating ozoni and osechi, and buying a new sweater.
• Instructions for the Activity: At the top of the page, there is the instruction “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれがしたことに✓を付けましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Pay attention to the underlined parts and mark with a checkmark what each person did.”
• Underlined Text: The transcript has key phrases and activities underlined, which highlights important information from the audio. These underlined phrases directly correspond to the tasks required in the listening exercises of the textbook.
• Textbook Page Reference: At the top of the page, the textbook page reference of “p.107” is shown, linking this content to the original listening task.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet at page 135.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the content.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students identify and analyze the specific activities described by each speaker.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students apply their listening skills and use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 135.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a written transcript to support my understanding of an audio passage.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of a conversation and understand the main points and activities described.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify specific activities mentioned by the speakers.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Authentic Language: The transcripts provide examples of authentic spoken language.
• Cultural Context: The content reflects the theme of the unit, focusing on winter vacation activities and New Year traditions.
• Emphasis on Activities: The page focuses on identifying specific activities related to the holiday and personal experiences.

Final Summary of Page 145:

This page serves as a resource by providing the written transcripts for the audio activity in Part 1 of Unit 7. It includes the underlined key phrases to help students focus on the necessary information to complete the assigned tasks. This transcript supports both listening comprehension and text analysis. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from understanding (reading comprehension and connecting transcript to audio), and analyzing (identifying key information) and applying (using the information to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements are specific to the use of a transcript in this context.

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p. 146

Page Summary:

This page presents the transcript of the audio for the listening activity in Part 2 of Unit 7, providing students with a written record of the dialogue between Eri and Nick.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 2”, corresponding to the listening activity in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: This page contains the complete dialogue between Eri and Nick, discussing their experiences during the New Year’s holiday. The dialogue includes:
  • Greetings and a mention of a long time since they last saw each other.
  • Nick sharing he stayed up late and visited a temple and a comment on how crowded it was.
  • Eri stating that it’s always crowded at temples.
  • Nick asking if Eri also stayed up late.
  • Eri stating she played karuta with her family.
  • Nick asking what karuta is.
  • Eri describing it as a traditional card game.
  • Nick stating he’d like to play it sometime.
  • Eri asking about what Nick ate at the temple.
  • Nick stating he just drank amazake and Tina ate soba.
  • Eri asking how the amazake was.
  • Nick stating he didn’t like it.
  • Eri stating she never drinks it.
  • Eri asking what else Nick did.
  • Nick stating he tried calligraphy.
  • Eri asking if she also did that.
  • Eri stating she did not do calligraphy and asking what characters he wrote.
  • Nick stating he wrote “Hatsuhinode” and Eri commenting that that’s nice.
• Instructions for Activity: The page includes the instructions “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれがしたことについて、表に○を書きましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Please pay attention to the underlined parts and mark a circle in the table about what each person did.”
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined within the dialogue, directing students’ attention to specific details that are important for the listening task. These underlined portions are related to the listening activity of page 137.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference of “p.109”, linking it to the original listening task.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 137.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the dialogue.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the specific activities and details mentioned by Eri and Nick.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 137.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a written transcript to help understand an audio passage.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of a dialogue and understand the main points and activities discussed.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify the specific activities done by each person.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Authentic Dialogue: The transcript provides an example of a natural conversation.
• Cultural Content: The dialogue incorporates culturally relevant activities like karuta and hatsuhinode (the first sunrise).
• Past Tense Focus: The conversation uses past tense to discuss prior activities.

Final Summary of Page 146:

This page presents the transcript of the audio used in the Part 2 listening activity of Unit 7, providing students with the full text of the conversation between Eri and Nick. The underlined phrases support comprehension and analysis. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from understanding (reading and connecting transcript to audio) to analyzing (identifying key information), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements clearly address the specific skills the students will gain from this page.

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p. 147

Page Summary:

This page provides the first half of the transcript for the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7. It includes the audio text for two brief interviews conducted at an airport, and is intended to support students’ comprehension of the audio and help them complete the matching exercise.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is marked as “Unit 7” and “Part 4”, indicating its association with the listening activity in that section.
• “Content of Audio” Heading: The page has the heading “音声の内容” which means “Content of Audio.”
• Listening Transcript: The page includes the transcript of two interviews conducted by a reporter from ABC Radio:
  • (1) Interview with a woman: This interview includes the reporter introducing themself and asking the woman where she is from and what she did in Japan. The woman stated she is from China, and went to Izu, and went to an onsen and saw Mt. Fuji. She also stated that Mt. Fuji was beautiful.
  • (2) Interview with a man and woman: In this interview, the reporter introduces themself and asks the couple where they are from and what they did in Japan. The couple stated they are from the U.K.
• Instructions for the Activity: At the top of the page, the instructions say “音声の内容は次の通りです。下線部に注意して、それぞれの訪日客がしたことや感想を聞き取り、教科書p.113の写真を見ながら、当てはまるものを線で結びましょう。” which translates to “The content of the audio is as follows. Pay attention to the underlined parts and listen to the activities and impressions of each visitor to Japan, and while looking at the photos on page 113 of the textbook, match the items with a line.”
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined, focusing students on the critical details needed for the listening exercise on textbook page 140.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference “p.113”, linking it to the listening activity on page 140.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 140.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to understand the conversations.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the activities and impressions of the speakers.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 140.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a transcript to help understand a conversation.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of short interviews and understand the main points and activities described.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript to identify specific details about the activities and feelings shared by interviewees.”
• Application: “I can use the information from the transcript to confirm the correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Airport Setting: The airport setting provides a real-life scenario for the dialogue.
• Travel and Culture: The interviews introduce students to travel and cultural experiences in Japan.
• Authentic Questions: The interviews utilize simple, but realistic questions about travel experiences.

Final Summary of Page 147:

This page offers the first part of the written transcripts for the listening exercise in Part 4 of Unit 7. It includes the text of two short interviews conducted by a reporter, focusing on the activities and feelings of visitors to Japan. The page is set up to support students in both reading comprehension, analysis, and application to the listening activity of the textbook. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from understanding (reading and connecting transcript to audio), and analyzing (identifying key information), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements reflect the learning outcomes.

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p. 148

Page Summary:

This page concludes the transcript of the audio for the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7, providing students with the text of two more brief interviews at an airport.

• Unit and Part Designation: The page is implicitly labeled as “Unit 7” and “Part 4”, continuing the transcript from the previous page.
• Listening Transcript: This page provides the latter half of the transcript for the listening task in Part 4, specifically the third interview with a visitor to Japan. The page includes:
  • The conclusion of the second interview, including the couple mentioning going to some great restaurants and trying sushi, tempura, and yakitori. The couple stated that the food was delicious.
  • (3) Interview with a woman: This interview includes the reporter asking the woman where she is from and what she did in Japan. The woman said that she is from Peru and that she went to museums and that she likes art. When the reporter asked what she saw, she stated that she saw a lot of photographs and she loves Japanese photographs. When asked how they were, she said that they were amazing.
• Underlined Text: Key phrases and activities are underlined within the dialogue, directing students to key points in the transcript that they will need for the matching exercise. The underlined sections of the transcript correspond to the listening task on textbook page 140.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows the textbook page reference “p.113”, linking it to the activities and images on textbook page 113.
• Answer Sheet Reference: The page also shows a reference to the answer sheet on page 140.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the transcript to comprehend the interviews.)
2. Connecting Transcript to Audio
   • Level: Understanding (Students use the transcript to confirm their understanding of the audio, or use it to help understand the audio)
3. Identifying Key Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the activities, feelings, and details from the interviews.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the transcript to complete the listening activity on page 140.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Listening: “I can use a full written transcript to support my understanding of audio conversations.”
• Reading: “I can read a transcript of short interviews and understand the main ideas, activities, and opinions discussed.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a transcript and find specific activities, cultural experiences and opinions of the speakers.”
• Application: “I can use the information in the transcript to confirm correct answers for the listening activity.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Travel Experiences: The interviews provide insight into different travel experiences and activities visitors enjoy in Japan.
• Authentic Language: The conversations use simple but authentic language for interviews.
• Descriptive Language: The interviews focus on using descriptive language to describe impressions and opinions.

Final Summary of Page 148:

This page provides the second half of the written transcript for the audio used in the listening activity in Part 4 of Unit 7. Students are able to read the text of the interviews, including the third interview and the ending of the second interview. The underlined sections of the transcript support students in completing the listening task. The learning objectives for this page span from understanding (reading and understanding the transcript and connecting it to the audio), analyzing (identifying key information in the interviews), and applying (using the transcript to complete the task). The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable.

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p.149

Page Summary:

This page transitions from explanations to practical application, presenting a postcard written by Kotaro to Ms. Brown, and focusing on reading comprehension and identifying key information. The page also introduces additional vocabulary related to descriptions of nature and experiences.

• Unit Goal Integration: The page has a “Goal” section which states “冬休みの楽しい出来事を伝えよう” which translates to “Let’s convey fun experiences from winter vacation.” This connects the page to the main goals of the unit.
• Text Type: The main content is a postcard from Kotaro to Ms. Brown, written in English, with a Japanese translation of each line underneath.
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the bottom of the page presents new vocabulary related to the postcard text. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “postcard”, “snow”, “see”, “deer”, “wood(s)”, “take”, “took”, “show(s)”, “one”, “lesson(s)”, “forward”, “next”, “best” and “look forward to”.
• Postcard Content: The postcard includes:
  • A greeting to Ms. Brown.
  • A question about her well-being.
  • A statement about his enjoyment of the winter vacation.
  • A description of his visit to his grandparents in Nagano, where there was a lot of snow.
  • A description of seeing a deer in the woods.
  • A comment about taking a nice picture that he’d like to show to her.
  • A question about Ms. Brown’s winter vacation and enjoyment of English lessons.
  • A comment that he is looking forward to the next lesson.
  • A closing and his name.
• Reading Task: Two comprehension questions are provided related to the postcard’s content:
  • “(1) Where did Koto go?”
  • “(2) What did he do there?”
• Task 2: The page includes the instruction “Kota の体験したことや気持ちが具体的に書かれている部分に線をひきましょう。” which translates to “Let’s draw a line to the specific parts where Kota’s experiences and feelings are written.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to pages 114 and 115 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the postcard and understand its content.)
2. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words.)
3. Answering Comprehension Questions
   • Level: Understanding (Students use information from the postcard to answer questions)
4. Identifying Specific Information:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the postcard and identify parts that describe experiences and feelings.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a simple postcard and understand the main activities and feelings the writer expressed.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to describing nature and experiences, such as ‘snow’, ‘deer’, and ‘woods’.”
• Comprehension: “I can answer questions about what someone did during a vacation by reading their postcard.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a postcard to identify where specific experiences and feelings are written.”
• Culture: “I can understand the general structure of a postcard”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Postcard Format: The use of a postcard provides a real-life communication example.
• Personal Anecdotes: The postcard format encourages personal connections by describing specific experiences.

Final Summary of Page 149:

This page is a practice page that focuses on reading comprehension through the use of a postcard from Kotaro to his teacher Ms. Brown. It includes two comprehension questions as well as an analysis task. The page also introduces new vocabulary. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy levels from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension) and analyzing (identifying specific experiences and feelings). The “Can-Do” statements clearly reflect the expected student outcomes.

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p. 150

Page Summary:

This page is a writing practice page, focusing on the application of skills learned throughout the unit. It provides students with an example postcard as a reference and guides them through the process of creating their own. The page also introduces new vocabulary related to letter writing and provides a list of useful phrases.

• Writing Task: At the top of the page, the instructions say “あなたのALTに宛てて、冬休みの出来事を伝えるはがきを書きましょう。” which translates to “Write a postcard to your ALT telling them about your winter vacation.”
• Example Postcard: The page provides a sample postcard written to “Mr. White,” which includes the following content:
  • A greeting and general inquiry about how he is.
  • A statement about enjoying the winter vacation.
  • A description of visiting his uncle in Nara.
  • A description of going to Todaiji Temple on New Years Eve.
  • A description of waiting in line for a long time before the gate opened.
  • A comment about how beautiful the lanterns were.
  • A question asking how his vacation was.
  • A comment about looking forward to the next class.
  • A closing and his name.
• “Tips for Writing” Section: At the bottom left, “TIPS for Writing” are provided with the heading “はがきを書くときには、次のような構成を意識して書いてみよう” which translates to “When writing a postcard, let’s be aware of the following structure” These tips include:
  • The name of the recipient
  • An initial greeting
  • The main thing you want to share (fun experiences)
  • A question for the recipient
  • A closing greeting
  • Your name
• “Words and Phrases” Section: This box is titled “はがきに使える表現例” which means “Examples of phrases that can be used in postcards” which includes example phrases and closings such as “Best wishes”, “Best regards”, “Take care”, “Sincerely”, “Yours”, “Your friend”, “Cheers”, and “Love.”
• “New Words” Box: At the bottom of the page a new vocabulary box is provided which includes new words and phrases related to postcard writing. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, English translations, and in some cases the past form of the verb.
  • Words included are: “regard(s)”, “care”, and “sincerely”.
• “Can-Do” Statement Review: At the very bottom of the page, it references the CAN-DO list of this unit and reiterates the goal of being able to read and write postcards and communicate experiences and feelings.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Analyzing Example Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the postcard and its structure.)
2. Applying Writing Skills:
   • Level: Applying (Students use the writing tips and word list to create their own postcard)
3. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are memorizing new vocabulary words.)
4. Creative Writing:
   • Level: Creating (Students write original sentences in the context of a postcard.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can understand and analyze the structure of a simple postcard.”
• Writing: “I can write a simple postcard using appropriate greetings, closings, and a description of my own experiences.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to letter writing, such as ‘regards’ and ‘sincerely’.”
• Structure: “I can identify the components of an effective postcard.”
• Application: “I can apply the skills I have learned to write a postcard in English.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Application Focus: The page directly applies the skills the students have been learning.
• Letter Writing: The page introduces the structure of letter/postcard writing, which has real-life applicability.
• Personal Expression: The open-ended nature of the writing activity allows for personal expression.

Final Summary of Page 150:

This page provides a final practical application of the skills the students have been learning in Unit 7 through a writing activity focusing on writing a postcard. The page provides a sample postcard for guidance, writing tips, and examples of common phrases and closings. The learning objectives range from remembering (vocabulary) to analyzing (text structure) to applying (writing skills), and creating (written output) This page encourages personal expression and creativity, and allows students to practically apply their learning in a real-life context. The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable, clearly outlining the intended outcomes of this page.

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p. 151

Page Summary:

This page is part of the “Active Grammar” section and focuses on explaining the formation and usage of the past tense of verbs. It provides both structural and pronunciation guidance and summarizes rules about regular and irregular past tense verbs.

• Active Grammar Section: The page is labeled “Active Grammar 5” indicating it is part of a recurring grammar section.
• Grammar Focus: The page’s main topic is “動詞の過去形”, which translates to “Past Tense of Verbs.” The text explains that this form of the verb is used to express past events or conditions.
• “Scene and Meaning” Section: The page begins with a “Scene and Meaning” box at the top, showing example sentences from the unit in the past tense:
  • “How was Christmas and the New Year?”
  • “I went to a famous temple in Asakusa with my friends.”
  • “It was fun.”
• “Structure of Sentences” Section: The text provides sentence examples using a variety of past tense forms of verbs:
  • Affirmative Sentence: An example of an affirmative sentence is shown as “I watched TV yesterday.”
  • Interrogative Sentence: An example question using “did” is shown: “Did you watch TV this morning?” with the short answers: “Yes, I did.” and “No, I didn’t.”
• Negative Sentence: An example of a negative sentence using “did not” is given: “I did not watch TV this morning.”
• Explanation: The text explains that a verb can be made past tense by adding a “-(e)d” to the end of the word. It also states that some verbs, such as have becoming had, change forms and these need to be memorized.
• Irregular Past Tense Verbs: A table of common irregular past tense verbs is shown including the base form of the word and the past tense form of the word.
  • The verbs included are “buy”, “do”, “eat”, “go”, “have”, and “see”.
• Contractions: The contraction of did not to didn’t is introduced.
• Regular Past Tense Verbs and Pronunciation: A section explains the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending on regular past tense verbs.
  • A list of regular past tense verbs is given and the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending is shown in brackets with IPA.
  • The verbs listed are: “clean”, “live”, “study”, “talk”, “like”, and “want”.
  • The text explains that there are three ways that this can be pronounced depending on if the base verb form ends in a voiced sound, an unvoiced sound, or a /t/ or /d/ sound.
• “Think” Activity: Below the example sentences is a “Think” section which prompts students to consider how Tina communicated about her winter vacation to her grandparents by writing a letter.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 116 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand the formation of past tense verbs and their usage in sentences.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students remember the rules about both regular and irregular past tense verbs.)
3. Analyzing Pronunciation:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the different ways that -(e)d can be pronounced based on the base verb form.)
4. Application:
   • Level: Applying (Students are learning grammar rules with examples they will use in their own sentences.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can understand how to form the past tense of regular and irregular verbs.”
• Pronunciation: “I can understand the different ways the -(e)d ending can be pronounced in past tense verbs.”
• Application: “I can apply my knowledge of past tense verb forms to create original sentences.”
• Structure: “I can understand the structure of affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences in the past tense.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Grammar Focus: The page provides explicit grammar instruction with clear examples.
• Pronunciation Guidance: The page includes information on the pronunciation of the -(e)d ending, a common challenge for English learners.
• Connection to Unit Content: The page uses content from the unit to provide context for the grammar lesson.

Final Summary of Page 151:

This page provides a detailed explanation of the formation of the past tense form of verbs, which is a central grammatical focus of Unit 7. It provides both structure and pronunciation guides, and reviews and summarizes the rules about regular and irregular verbs. This page is intended to assist students in understanding and applying these grammar concepts in both spoken and written contexts. The learning objectives range from remembering (grammar rules), to understanding (pronunciation and structure), to applying (grammar knowledge). The “Can-Do” statements are specific and measurable.

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p. 152

Page Summary:

This page continues the “Active Grammar” section, focusing on the past tense forms of the verb “to be” (was and were). It also provides a practical exercise to reinforce understanding.

• Active Grammar Section: The page continues the “Active Grammar” section with the heading “2 be動詞の過去形” which translates to “2 Past Tense of the Verb ‘to be’”
• Grammar Focus: The primary focus is on the usage of “was” and “were” in past tense sentences.
• Example Sentences: The page provides clear examples of “was” and “were” in affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences.
  • Affirmative Sentence: “I was tired yesterday.”
  • Interrogative Sentence: “Were you tired this morning?” with the short answers: “Yes, I was.” and “No, I was not.”
  • Negative Sentence: “I was not tired this morning.”
• “Past Tense Forms of ‘to be’” Table: A table summarizes the past tense forms of am, is, and are.
• “Contractions” Table: Another table shows the contractions of “was not” and “were not” to “wasn’t” and “weren’t.”
• Grammar Hunt Exercise: At the bottom of the page is a “Grammar Hunt” section with the instructions “Unit 7 のストーリーを読み、動詞の過去形を○で囲みましょう。また、それぞれの動詞の原形も確かめましょう。” which translates to “Let’s read the Unit 7 story and circle the past tense verbs. Also, let’s check the base form of each verb.”
  • An example using the Part 1 story is provided: “I bought it at a temple. I see. I also went to a temple on New Year’s Eve. I rang a big bell.” and shows that the words “bought”, “went”, and “rang” have been circled. Below the sentences it provides the base form of these words: buy, go, and ring.
• “+1” Exercise: Another exercise, “+1” is presented, with the instructions “Unit 3 のストーリーの絵を見て、出来事や状態などを説明してみましょう” which translates to “Look at the pictures in the Unit 3 story and try to explain the events and conditions.”
• An example is given: “Nick wanted to get the blue balloon. He did not get it. He was sorry.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 116 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Understanding Past Tense Forms of “to be”:
   • Level: Understanding (Students comprehend how “was” and “were” are used in different sentence types.)
2. Grammar Rule Recall:
   • Level: Remembering (Students recall the correct forms of “was” and “were” for different subjects.)
3. Applying Grammar Rules:
   • Level: Applying (Students use “was” and “were” in sentences.)
4. Analyzing Text:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the text to find past tense verbs.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Grammar: “I can form affirmative, interrogative, and negative sentences using ‘was’ and ‘were’ correctly.”
• Application: “I can apply my knowledge of grammar by identifying past tense verbs in a text.”
• Grammar: “I can use past tense to describe past events and conditions.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a story and identify all verbs in the past tense.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Clear Grammatical Focus: The page is structured to provide clear instruction on “was” and “were.”
• Application Exercises: The practice exercises help students see their knowledge in use.
• Integration with Other Units: The +1 exercise links back to Unit 3, promoting cross unit connections.

Final Summary of Page 152:

This page is the conclusion of the “Active Grammar” section for Unit 7. It presents grammar information about the past tense forms of “to be”, and includes exercises to apply grammar knowledge to both Unit 7 and a previous unit. The learning objectives for this page range from remembering (grammar rules), understanding (usage of was and were), and applying (identifying and using past tense in a given context) and analyzing (identifying past tense verbs in a text). The “Can-Do” statements accurately reflect the intended learning outcomes.

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p. 153

Page Summary:

This page marks a shift in context from New Year’s to a more general “Daily Life” situation, specifically presenting a web page about birthday party ideas. The page focuses on reading comprehension skills, and how to read through an article to extract useful information.

• Context: The page is labeled “Daily Life, Scene 4″ and presents a web page excerpt about birthday party ideas. The title of the excerpt is “Birthday Party Ideas for your friends.”
• Goal: The page’s goal is “ウェブサイトから、必要な情報を読み取ることができる” which translates to “Be able to read necessary information from a website.”
• Textbook Page Reference: The page includes the textbook page reference to “p.117”.
• Web Page Excerpt: The text is presented as an article from a website, with various ideas for birthday parties including:
  • Surprise Ideas with the heading “びっくりさせるアイデア” (Surprise Ideas)
    • “Balloons with Photos” including that you need a lot of balloons and your friends photos, that you should tie the photos to the balloons, and that you can write a message on each photo.
    • “Number-Shaped Envelopes” which includes that you need a lot of envelopes, make the number of your friends age with the envelopes, and you can put a letter and some chocolates in each envelope.
  • Party Item Ideas with the heading “パーティー用アイテムのアイデア” (Party Item Ideas)
    • “colorful decorations”
    • “a birthday cake”
    • “party hats”
  • For a Successful Party with the heading “パーティーを成功させるために” (For a Successful Party)
    • “Don’t do everything by yourself. Get help!”
• Underlined Text: There are numbers next to the headings and also in the text with the corresponding text underlined.
• Reading Focus: The page focuses on reading and extracting key information from the text, with a question at the top: “誕生日パーティーに関するウェブサイトの記事を読みます。さまざまな情報の中から必要な情報を探すにはどのように読むとよいでしょうか。” which translates to “We’re going to read a web page about birthday party ideas. How should we read to search for necessary information in the midst of a variety of information?”

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the web page and understand the different categories of ideas presented.)
2. Information Extraction:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students analyze the structure of the article to identify the different party ideas and advice.)
3. Application of Strategies
   • Level: Applying (Students use strategies to search for and identify necessary information)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a website excerpt and understand different ideas for a party.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a website and extract specific types of information that I am looking for.”
• Application: “I can use strategies to search for information in a text.”
• Cultural Awareness: “I can recognize common party elements in this article.”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Real-life Application: The use of a website excerpt connects the lesson to practical, real-world reading scenarios.
• Cultural Context: The party ideas reflect some common party elements in western culture, and some unique aspects such as using number shaped envelopes.

Final Summary of Page 153:

This page is a departure from the previous New Years focus, shifting to a more general “Daily Life” topic with the context of a web page describing birthday party ideas. It focuses on developing reading comprehension skills, and identifying effective ways to read for information extraction. The learning objectives span from understanding (comprehension), to analyzing (text structure), and applying (information extraction). The “Can-Do” statements are directly connected to the specific learning outcomes.

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p. 154

Page Summary:

This page concludes the Unit 7 study guide. It focuses on reinforcing the reading comprehension skills of the previous page and introduces new vocabulary related to party planning. It also provides practical reading strategies.

• Reading Task: At the top of the page is a reading task asking students to “記事から、次の情報が書かれている箇所に線を引きましょう。” which translates to “From the article, let’s draw a line to the parts where the following information is written:
  • “(1) Balloons with Photos (写真付きバルーン)に必要な素材” which means “The necessary materials for ‘Balloons with Photos’” with the answer on page 153.
  • “(2) パーティーを成功させるためのコツ” which means “Tips for making a successful party” with the answer on page 153.
• “Tips for Reading” Section: This section has the heading “見出し” which means “Headings” and explains “見出しには、その後につづく文章の内容が簡潔に示される。まず見出しを読んで、どのような情報がどこに書かれているかをつかもう。” which translates to “Headings provide a simple summary of the content of the text that follows. First read the heading and understand what type of information is written where.”
• “New Words” Box: A “New Words” box at the bottom of the page introduces new vocabulary related to party planning. The vocabulary words are also given with their phonetic pronunciation in IPA, part of speech, and English translations.
  • Words included are: “surprise”, “with”, “photo(s)”, “tie”, “message”, “each”, “number”, “-shaped”, “envelope(s)”, “age”, “letter(s)”, “chocolate(s)”, “item”, “colorful”, “decoration(s)”, “successful”, “everything”, “yourself”, “by”, “help”, and “by oneself”.
• Textbook Page Reference: The page shows a reference to page 117 of the textbook.

Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy Mapping:

1. Reading Comprehension:
   • Level: Understanding (Students read the instructions and locate specific information in the previous page’s article.)
2. Strategic Reading:
   • Level: Understanding (Students understand how to use headings to locate specific information)
3. Vocabulary Acquisition:
   • Level: Remembering (Students are learning and memorizing new vocabulary words related to party planning.)
4. Information Extraction:
   • Level: Analyzing (Students are analyzing the text to locate specific pieces of information.)

CEFR-Style “Can-Do” Statements:

• Reading: “I can read a website excerpt and find specific information by using headings as clues.”
• Analysis: “I can analyze a text to find key pieces of information.”
• Vocabulary: “I can recognize and use new vocabulary related to party planning and organization.”
• Strategies: “I can use headings to understand how a text is structured and where to find specific information”

Cultural & Contextual Notes:

• Real-Life Skills: The page emphasizes the practical application of reading skills.
• Vocabulary Building: The new vocabulary is useful for everyday interactions.
• Reading Strategies: This page emphasizes that headings can be useful tools for finding information.

Final Summary of Page 154:

This page serves as the conclusion to the Unit 7 study guide. It focuses on reinforcing information extraction by prompting students to search for key pieces of information from the previous page’s article. This page introduces useful vocabulary related to party planning and highlights the importance of headings as a reading comprehension strategy. The learning objectives span Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy from remembering (vocabulary acquisition) to understanding (reading comprehension, and understanding how to use a reading strategy), and analyzing (information extraction). The “Can-Do” statements clearly outline the specific skills students are expected to achieve after completing this final page.

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Unit 7 Vocabulary List

Here is the comprehensive list of vocabulary words from Unit 7, categorized by their appearance in the study guide pages:

Page 133

• New Year
• New Year holiday(s)
• holiday(s)
• do
• did
• eat
• ate
• fly
• kite
• make
• made
• see
• saw
• sunrise
• calligraphy
• go
• went
• temple

Page 134

• happy
• luck
• charm
• ring
• rang
• bell
• buy
• bought
• TV
• eve
• New Year’s Eve

Page 135

• bake
• baked
• Mt.
• sweater
• write
• wrote
• card(s)
• New Year’s card(s)
• relax
• relaxed
• present
• get
• got
• party
• have
• had

Page 136

• any
• traditional
• custom
• long
• sign
• life
• tell
• told
• know
• how
• way
• bad
• poor
• by the way

Page 137

• stay
• stay up
• late
• comedy
• show(s)
• rice
• rice cake(s)
• New Year’s Day

Page 138

• what
• lantern
• wish
• secret
• chat
• still
• fever
• sorry
• hear
• lucky
• miss(ed)
• well
• soon
• have a fever
• get well

Page 139

• dear
• hope
• was
• building(s)
• were
• in
• atmosphere
• love

Page 140

• amazing
• delicious
• exciting
• yesterday
• cookie(s)
• tough

Page 149

• postcard
• snow
• see
• deer
• wood(s)
• take
• took
• show(s)
• one
• lesson(s)
• forward
• next
• best
• look forward to

Page 150

• regard(s)
• care
• sincerely
• take care

Page 153

• surprise
• with
• photo(s)
• tie
• message
• each
• number
• -shaped
• envelope(s)
• age
• letter(s)
• chocolate(s)
• item
• colorful
• decoration(s)
• successful
• everything
• yourself
• by
• help
• by oneself

This list provides all the vocabulary words that were explicitly included in the “New Words” boxes across the different pages of the Unit 7 study guide. It represents a comprehensive list of the words students are expected to learn, remember, and use in this unit.

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Unit 7 Grammar

Here’s the detailed list of grammar points covered in Unit 7:

1. Regular Past Tense Verb Formation:

• Adding -(e)d: Students learn that to form the past tense of regular verbs, they generally add “-ed” or “-d” to the base form of the verb (e.g., watch becomes watched, bake becomes baked, relax becomes relaxed, like becomes liked).
• Pronunciation of -(e)d: Students learn about the three different pronunciations of the -(e)d ending:
  • /d/ when the base verb form ends in a voiced sound (e.g., cleaned, lived)
  • /t/ when the base verb form ends in an unvoiced sound (e.g., talked, liked)
  • /ɪd/ when the base verb form ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound (e.g., studied, wanted)

2. Irregular Past Tense Verb Formation:

• Changing Verb Forms: Students learn that many common verbs do not follow the regular -ed pattern and have irregular past tense forms (e.g., go becomes went, eat becomes ate, buy becomes bought, see becomes saw, make becomes made, have becomes had, do becomes did, tell becomes told, ring becomes rang).
• Memorization: Students learn that the irregular verb past tense forms must be memorized because they don’t follow a set pattern.

3. Past Tense Forms of the Verb “to be”:

• “was”: Students learn that the past tense of “am” and “is” is “was”, and it’s used with singular subjects such as “I”, “he,” “she,” and “it.” (e.g., I was happy, She was tired).
• “were”: Students learn that the past tense of “are” is “were,” and it’s used with plural subjects and the pronoun “you” (e.g., You were late, They were at the temple).

4. Using “did” and “didn’t” for Past Tense Questions and Negative Statements:

• “did” in questions: Students learn to use “did” to form questions about the past, placing “did” before the subject (e.g., Did you go to the temple?). They also learn that when using “did” in the question, the main verb should be in its base form.
• Short Answers with “did”: Students learn how to use “Yes, I did” and “No, I didn’t” as short answers to questions using “did.”
• “didn’t” in negative statements: Students learn to use “didn’t” to make negative statements about the past, placing “didn’t” before the base form of the verb (e.g., I didn’t eat soba).
• Contraction: Students learn that “did not” can be shortened to “didn’t.”

5. Basic Sentence Structures:

• Affirmative sentences: Subject + verb (past tense) + object/complement (e.g., I watched TV yesterday).
• Interrogative sentences (questions): Did + subject + verb (base form) + object/complement? (e.g., Did you watch TV this morning?)
• Negative sentences: Subject + did not/didn’t + verb (base form) + object/complement. (e.g., I did not watch TV this morning.)

6. Other Grammar Points:

• Use of “on” with days/dates: Students learn the use of the word “on” to describe when an event happens when giving a date or day of the week as in the example “I went to the temple on New Years Eve.”
• Use of “still”: Students learn that the word “still” can be used to describe a condition that continues as in the example “I still have a fever.”
• Use of short forms: Students learn that “where’s” is short for “where is”.

This list is a comprehensive summary of the key grammar points that students are expected to learn, remember, and use by the end of Unit 7. It covers all the explicit grammar instructions given in the study guide and demonstrates the grammatical competencies expected for the unit.

Audio Overview of the System Prompt

This isn’t simply a text-to-speech rendering, it’s an AI-generated podcast of two very human-sounding hosts discussing what the system prompt does. It’s actually interesting to listen to, believe it or not.

Audio Overview of the 2017 MEXT Revised Guidelines for JHS English Education

Here are the same two AI podcast hosts discussing the 2017 Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) revised curriculum guidelines for junior high school English.

The interactive student/instructor/AI storytelling/storywriting-based curriculum I’m developing aligns perfectly with MEXT’s goals.

Frequently Asked Questions about EFL-Feynman Moodle Course Creation Assistant

1. What is the main purpose of these guidelines?

These guidelines aim to assist EFL instructors in creating effective and engaging Moodle courses specifically tailored for Japanese junior high school students with CEFR A1-A2 English proficiency. They provide a comprehensive framework for designing grammar-focused courses that integrate explicit pronunciation instruction and support both classroom learning and independent self-study.

2. What are the essential principles to keep in mind when designing these courses?

The core principles emphasize:

• Clarity and simplicity: Applying Feynman’s teaching methodology to ensure concepts are easily understood.
• Natural language acquisition: Integrating Krashen’s acquisition theory to create a low-pressure learning environment that encourages communication.
• Japanese linguistic context: Considering the influence of students’ native language and addressing potential areas of difficulty.
• Iterative improvement: Adapting the course based on student performance data and feedback to continuously enhance effectiveness.

3. How can I ensure the Moodle courses meet high-quality standards?

Courses should have:

• Clear learning objectives: Measurable goals for each grammar point taught.
• Engaging practice: Activities that simulate real-world communication and make learning relevant.
• Integrated pronunciation: Explicit instruction and practice opportunities for accurate pronunciation.
• Progress tracking: Mechanisms for students and instructors to monitor learning progress.
• Parent communication: Effective strategies and resources to keep parents informed.

4. What is the role of gamification in these Moodle courses?

Gamification is used to enhance student motivation and engagement. Core elements like points, badges, challenges, games, and progress visualization are implemented within a culturally appropriate framework that emphasizes personal growth and reduces pressure.

5. How should I approach the initial assessment and planning phase?

Begin by:

• Evaluating the target grammar point: Determining its complexity and potential challenges for Japanese learners.
• Analyzing the student context: Considering their current grammar proficiency, common Japanese equivalents, and potential L1 interference errors.
• Understanding the learning environment: Assessing Moodle platform capabilities, available resources, and the blend of synchronous/asynchronous activities.
• Anticipating potential challenges: Addressing language-specific issues, learning culture factors, and study habit considerations.

6. How can pronunciation be effectively integrated into the courses?

Pronunciation instruction should be explicit and integrated throughout the course. Consider:

• Identifying challenging sounds: Focus on specific phonemes or sound combinations that Japanese speakers struggle with.
• Providing clear models: Use high-quality audio examples of target pronunciation.
• Incorporating minimal pairs: Design activities to help students distinguish similar sounds.
• Offering recording and playback opportunities: Allow students to practice and self-assess their pronunciation.

7. How can I utilize student feedback to improve the courses?

Continuously monitor and analyze:

• Student performance data: Quiz scores, H5P activity results, and engagement patterns.
• Error patterns: Identify common errors in written assignments and forum posts.
• Direct feedback: Solicit input from students regarding the clarity and effectiveness of content.

Based on feedback, adjust content, explanations, activities, and pronunciation instruction to address areas needing improvement.

8. What support resources are available for instructors?

The guidelines offer:

• Japanese translations: Guidance on effective and culturally appropriate use of translations.
• Cultural considerations: Insights into relevant cultural factors that may influence learning.
• Parent communication templates: Resources for creating course overviews and progress reports in Japanese.
• Progress reporting guidelines: Information to include in reports for both students and parents.

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