Marugoto Japanese Language and Culture is a course book that aims to develop the competences needed to carry out communicative activities using Japanese. This video of a JF Language Course was shot and edited in the Japan Foundation, São Paulo (Brazil) in order to introduce a lesson using Marugoto.

In the video the lesson takes place using a common language (Portuguese). This is because first and foremost learners of Marugoto are assumed to be outside Japan, and it is usual for the teachers based there to use the learners’ first language or a common language during the lesson. It is recommended that learners’ first language (or a common language) is used where necessary in order to make learning more effective, as Marugoto is designed to be studied in a way that puts to use the cognitive ability that adults possess. In addition, because Marugoto is a set of teaching materials that uses situations rather than sentence patterns as its starting point (that is, considering what kind of communication people engage in with each other), it is considered necessary, depending on the circumstances, for learners to ask the teacher questions and speak to other learners in their first language in order for them to grasp a particular situation better. In cases such as a classroom where learners have different first languages, or a teacher who cannot speak a common language, there are other methods available, such as receiving help from an advanced learner who can speak that language.

However, it is not desirable to use the learners’ first language or a common language for things that can be done in Japanese. In particular, during activities where learners talk about themselves, the teacher asking and answering questions in Japanese is connected to more effective learning. It is important to think of effective ways of using the learners’ first language and common language that matches each learning context.