Description:

Our Teaching Innovation project consists of developing a kanji character manual to complement the Japanese language textbook "Marugoto B1-1" (equivalent according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), published by the Japan Foundation in 2016. For the study of kanji characters, it is common to present them one by one, indicating their pronunciation and meaning. However, in advanced Japanese language courses, these characters are learned more effectively if presented within concrete examples of use, either as vocabulary made up of two or more kanji characters, or as expressions where the kanji character is accompanied by phonetic particles with grammatical functions. Marugoto, the first comprehensive four-skills book based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, also responds to this idea; however, it limits itself to offering a short list of kanji characters based on the syllabus. This list is too limited even for advanced-level students who continue to learn kanji characters independently. Faced with this situation, our project aims to create a supplementary manual of kanji characters that covers complete information on a large group of them and several exercises for students to use.
students can assimilate its use more easily.

Our textbook has eight different syllabi established following the structure of the Marugoto book, and each syllabus begins with the introduction of 15 new kanji characters and a vocabulary list created based on them. The selection process for these new kanji characters is based, first, on the list of 2,136 most frequently used kanji published by the Japanese Ministry of Education in 2010; and, second, on the amount of vocabulary that can be extrapolated from each kanji character. Following the results of the survey conducted with 17 intermediate-advanced level students in our grade, we have added the
stroke order of each new kanji character, other kanji characters that share the same radical and etymology, as well as several usage examples and form and reading exercises. The book also contains several columns that explain the cultural and historical background of the vocabulary provided by the kanji characters introduced.
Despite the lockdown due to COVID-19, the entire manual was completed using the available digital resources to coordinate the team responsible for developing the content. The lack of direct access to student instructors has meant that only a portion of the resulting syllabus has been shown to them. However, the start of the new academic year is expected to provide new opportunities to gather student feedback and refine the content, with particular emphasis on using this manual as a self-study tool.

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Publications:

• It is currently used as teaching material in Intermediate Japanese 2 and Intermediate-Advanced Japanese 1 classes in the Asian and African Studies degree.
• Its publication is scheduled by the UAM Publications Service, currently under peer review.

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