Ms. Yamamoto conducted the first Elementary Japanese class in the Spring Semester using the online learning platform. This course is designed for new students who have little or no knowledge of the Japanese language and will emphasize basic Japanese grammar and conversational skills using a variety of techniques such as working in pairs, role playing and interviewing so that students can better navigate their lives in Japan. The hiragana and katakana syllabaries and some kanji (Chinese characters) will be briefly introduced.

By the end of this course students will acquire knowledge of the Japanese language, engage in basic but useful conversations in Japanese, develop a Japanese vocabulary and learn about Japanese culture and people.

In today's lecture Ms. Yamamoto focussed on basic conversation (Introductions in Japanese) along with useful vocabulary, asking students to give a self introduction.

She highlighted important areas of how the language works, such as correct word order and sentence structure and how to communicate and show respect in Japanese culture and society. Her teaching was lively and easy as many students were studying Japanese for the first time. She used the breakout room facility of the online platform to engage students in pairs, asking them to communicate in Japanese and introduce each other.