The importance of reading can not be underestimated.   I came across this sign while out walking in Kamakura.

Based on my own language learning experience I have decided to offer some new lessons with the focus on the skill of reading.  I think that there is a lot of science behind why reading is good for language learning, but I’m ignoring that and going with the idea that it’s actually just good fun and practical. 

My language learning journey is very vocabulary based as I have put my effort into learning Kanji, rather than the other skills.  However, one-way I hope to improve my speaking skills is by reading aloud and by using reading as part of my regular Japanese lessons.  This has inspired me to create 3 new lessons to encourage reading and discussion.

The read and discuss lessons will be quite fluid and will depend on student level and what we are reading, for example if it’s a vocabulary building lesson, a particular bit of grammar, comprehension or discussion formulation. 

The read-aloud lesson is aimed at building confidence. By trying to be positive when you are not sure that you can actually speak in another language, reading in English may encourage you to explore the possibility of having English conversations in the future. (Well, this technique helped me a lot with my Japanese.)"

Hope to hear you read in 2024.