日本語NOW! NihonGO NOW!

Book excerpt: NihonGO NOW! Level 2 is an intermediate-level courseware package that takes a performed-culture approach to learning Japanese. This approach balances the need for an intellectual understanding of structural elements with multiple opportunities to experience the language within its cultural context. From the outset, learners are presented with samples of authentic language that are context-sensitive and culturally coherent. Instructional time is used primarily to rehearse interactions that learners of Japanese are likely to encounter in the future, whether they involve speaking, listening, writing, or reading. Level 2 comprises two textbooks with accompanying activity books. These four books in combination with audio and video files allow instructors to adapt an intermediate-level course, such as the second or third year of college Japanese, to their students’ needs. They focus on language and modeled behavior, providing opportunities for learners to acquire language through performance templates. Online resources provide additional support for both students and instructors. Audio files, videos, supplementary exercises, and a teachers’ manual are available at www.routledge.com/9781138305304. NihonGO NOW! Level 2 Volume 1 Textbook is ideally accompanied by the Level 2 Volume 1 Activity Book.