Summary about the textbooks
We examined the following three books:
1.新装版 実用ビジネス日本語 (Practical Business Japanese, New Edition)
- Publisher: ALC, ISBN-13: 978-4757410619]
2. 仕事のにほんごビジネスマナー編 (Shigoto no Nihongo: Business Manner)
[Publisher: ALC, ISBN-13: 978-4757414679]
3.中級から伸ばす ビジネスケースで学ぶ日本語 (Powering Up Your Japanese through Case Studies: Intermediate and Advanced Japanese)
[Publisher: The Japan Times ISBN-13: 978-4789015677]
Each textbook has its own focus and objectives. The first one contains basic information about strategic Japanese expressions that can be immediately used at work in Japan. The second book explains Japanese social protocol and business etiquette in 20 units with effective visual aid and summary. The purpose of the third textbook is to enhance the learner’s Japanese language proficiency through business case studies.
For this project, we decided to focus on the first two books, since they are 1) level appropriate and 2) provide more essential and practical information on Japanese workplace culture and the Japanese skills necessary for the prospective MISTI-Japan interns to acquire. Though out of scope for this project, the third textbook would be a good resource for our further development of teaching materials in the future.
Many patterns and expressions as well as cultural notes in our modules are taken from the first two textbooks mentioned above.