Attempt to Create a Situational Syllabus-based Teaching Material for Burden Reduction among Learners with No Prior Japanese Learning Experience：

Insights from Japanese Conversation Session for Researchers

Abstract

This paper reports on teaching material created for learners with little to no Japanese learning experience in a Japanese conversation session “Nihongo no Hiroba” designed for international researchers and students who do not require Japanese for their research. Despite their interest in learning Japanese for daily life, their demanding research schedule hinders regular participation, necessitating learning burden reduction. Upon arrival in Japan, practicing conversation while learning essential daily expressions and information is crucial. This material follows a situational syllabus addressing common real-life scenarios. Drawing from preliminary survey, 11 lessons were designed to cover daily life situations like interacting with colleagues and emergency situations such as hospital visits. For burden reduction, the material integrates romaji, English explanations, and a non-cumulative structure.