Japanese Teaching Practice for Knowing Oneself and Others:

Class Activities for Looking Back at Oneself and Others Through the Lens of Japanese Culture

Abstract

In this paper, I will report on the activities carried out in the class “Japanese Literature and Culture” for foreign undergraduate students not specializing in Japanese literature. We read passages from Tsurezuregusa translated into modern, simple Japanese, while the students reflect on recurring themes and explain their thoughts and opinions in Japanese. Finally, we analyze the results of group and whole class discussions in Japanese. Through this paper, I will ascertain whether these class activities built around Tsurezuregusa are an effective means to facilitate reconsideration of oneself and others.