I've been teaching in Japan for over five years, and this book is one of the best books I've used in teaching. In order to get the most from it, you should know a little bit of Japanese. Even if you don't however, the examples used in the "What a big difference!" parts of the book for example, really do make a difference in the way your students speak English. These can be used for students as young as first grade. They're actually a lot of fun, and the kids love to hear the enormous difference in meaning that even a small pronunciation mishap can make.
The parts about Michelle's Diary are certainly tougher, and geared towards more advanced students. That being said, the language in it doesn't seem stiff, and a lot of the places in the stories are actual places in Japan, so the students can relate.
My favorite part about the textbook however is the theory in teaching. The differences in accents is discussed, as well as how you should approach teaching or not teaching them. Also, the way the author goes about teaching articles is very interesting to say the least.
As a whole, this book is fantastic! I'm already using some of the ideas in my classes, and the results have been great. The book has a nice structure to it that others seem to lack. If you understand Japanese, and are in need of a good textbook, this book works for nearly any age group.
The parts about Michelle's Diary are certainly tougher, and geared towards more advanced students. That being said, the language in it doesn't seem stiff, and a lot of the places in the stories are actual places in Japan, so the students can relate.
My favorite part about the textbook however is the theory in teaching. The differences in accents is discussed, as well as how you should approach teaching or not teaching them. Also, the way the author goes about teaching articles is very interesting to say the least.
As a whole, this book is fantastic! I'm already using some of the ideas in my classes, and the results have been great. The book has a nice structure to it that others seem to lack. If you understand Japanese, and are in need of a good textbook, this book works for nearly any age group.