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この教科書の特長 Strength of this textbook
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この教科書の特長
１．この１冊で日本語能力試験（JLPT）Ｎ５～Ｎ３レベルの漢字 634 字が学習できる
すべての漢字の読み書きと意味、熟語の読みと意味が学習できる。また、前に出てきた漢字をすぐに参照できるように、２分冊にせずあえて１冊にまとめた。語の用法と読み書きの練習のための例文・練習問題は、ウェブ上からダウンロードできるようにし、教師が授業で扱うときにも、その場に合わせて取捨選択したり語句を入れ替えたりするなど、アレンジが柔軟にできるものとした。
２．教材研究に基づく効率的な漢字提出順
文法の学習を並行して進めていくことを想定し、各課の漢字は、初級文法の教科書でその漢字を含む語や表現を学習したあとで提出されるようにした。これにより、漢字語彙学習の負荷を無理なく減らすことができ、また漢字学習を通じて文法の復習・確認にもつなげることができる。
３．テーマ別の課
単独の漢字の教科書としても、また中上級学習者の総点検のための参考書としても使用できるように、各課を文法や場面等によるテーマ別の構成にした。それにより、学習中のみならず、あとで参照したいときも検索しやすく、また、漢字同士の関連性がより意識化されることで、記憶の連係を促すものとした。
４．初期の学習の負担を軽くし、中上級の学習にもつなげられるレイアウト
各漢字の意味や読みの中で重要なものを一目で分かるようにし、学習者の日本語力に応じて、段階を踏んで繰り返し学習することでステップアップできる柔軟なレイアウトにした。これによって、学習者の初期の学習の負担を軽くするだけでなく、中上級での漢字語彙習得のハードルを下げることにつなげた。
５．学習のポイントのつかみやすさ
意味・読み・熟語の重要度だけでなく、漢字を書くときの注意点もわかりやすく示し、これらによって教師が指導する際も指導上のポイントをつかみやすくした。また、簡体字や繁体字との字形の違いがあるものに印をつけ、漢字圏の学習者に対して注意が向くようにした。
６．教える側の負担軽減と、独習にも堪えうる必要十分なデータ
全ての漢字に字源や書き順などのデータを盛り込むことで、独習教材としても使用できるものとした。教師が学習者に教える場合にも、従来は教科書では足りない漢字の情報を、補助プリントを作成して補う必要があったが、そうした多大な労力が軽減できるようにした。字源については、数々の学説を参考にした上で、未習の漢字に当たったときにも意味が類推でき応用の利く統一感のあるものを採り入れ、明快な説明を心がけた。字源の絵も、書く際に誤った字形が誘発されないようひと工夫したことで、誤字の修正にあてる手間と時間がかからないようにした。
７．日本の漢字と中国などの漢字の字形の違いだけでなく、意味の違いも提示
従来の漢字の教科書には中国語の漢字の字形の提示はあっても、日中の漢字の意味の違いに言及したものはほとんどない。そこで単漢字の訳を、英語だけでなく、中国語（簡体字・繁体字）および韓国語で、字源に近いものから提示した。
８．語彙リストに工夫
本冊に収録されている全ての語を含む語彙リストのベーシック版を巻末の綴じ込み付録として付け、単漢字の持つ意味別に分類して提示した。その際、主観的で曖昧な意味分類は極力排除し、客観的で明確な分類を施した。また、語彙リストの訳も、フォーマルな語、古風な語、専門用語などといったラベルを付け、類語との違いやその単語の持つ性質がわかるようにした。この語彙リストを本冊から切り離して、各課の漢字のページを開きながら辞書代わりに使うと効果的である。
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Strengths of this textbook
1. This book covers 634 kanjis at JLPT levels N5 to N3.
In addition to explaining the reading, writing, and meaning of each of these 634 kanjis, the book offers the readings and meanings for many words that use the kanjis. It is a single volume so that readers can easily look up previously introduced kanjis. For both teachers and students, materials that provide word usages and sample sentences along with exercises for reading and writing are available from our website; teachers can choose and modify these materials as needed for their courses.
2. Based on our analysis of currently popular teaching materials, the book introduces kanjis in an order that facilitates effective learning.
Because most learners study kanjis and grammar simultaneously, the book is organized to match the structure of grammar textbooks. Therefore, when the readers learn a word or expression, they can use the book to practice writing it with kanji. In this way, readers will learn the kanjis not in isolation but in context, and, as they are studying kanji words, they also will be able to review related grammar and expressions to deepen their knowledge.
3. Each chapter is organized around a theme.
The structure of the textbook is based on chapters, each of which has a theme, concerning grammar, a situation, etc. This structure makes it useful not only as a textbook for a kanji course, but as a reference for intermediate or advanced students to review the basics. The chapter-based structure makes it convenient for readers to search for certain kanjis both during and after studying with the book. It will also help readers reinforce their memory by highlighting the shared features of kanjis that can be used within the same theme.
4. The layout of the textbook is designed to be beginner-friendly, yet the layered structure for different levels enables readers to learn more each time they review.
Important meanings and readings of kanjis are clear at a glance. The flexible layout is also reader-friendly in that it allows learners to study step-by-step, or to go back to review, depending on their level. The presentation makes the basics accessible to beginners without overwhelming them with unnecessary information. As intermediate and advanced levels require more kanji-containing vocabulary, this layout will help readers to study while reviewing, and thus the book serves as a bridge from beginning to intermediate levels and beyond.
5. Important points are easy to find.
Not only the important meanings, readings, and example words, but also writing aids are shown clearly. For each entry, the writing aids include instructional points that are helpful for teachers. For students who use Chinese characters in their native languages, we have marked kanjis that have different forms in simplified or traditional Chinese characters.
6. The book contains detailed data sufficient for both teachers and self-study students.
For each kanji, its origin and stroke order are described for self-study students. Traditionally, teachers must prepare handouts with such information, as it is rarely provided in textbooks. This book relieves teachers of this additional workload.
After reviewing various theories of kanji origins, we chose to use clear and consistent explanations that are useful when readers encounter unknown kanjis. Teachers often need to spend a great deal of time and energy correcting students' writing, in which many common errors derive from certain drawings used in explanations of kanji origins. With this in mind, we modified some drawings to support clearer instruction.
7. In addition to the shapes of kanjis, the meanings of kanjis that differ from their meanings in other languages are presented.
Traditional kanji textbooks may present Chinese forms of kanjis; however, books that explain the differences in the meanings of kanjis in Chinese and Japanese are scarce. This textbook, therefore, lists the meanings of each kanji in English, Chinese (in both simplified and traditional Chinese characters), and Korean, in the order that is closest to the kanji's origin.
8. The words in the vocabulary list are labeled and categorized based on meanings.
A basic version of the kanji vocabulary list, including all kanji-containing words in the textbook, appears in the appendix. Each kanji is categorized based on the meaning, and the example words in the vocabulary list are based on the category. As for labeling categories, we intended to be objective and clear, avoiding subjective and ambiguous meaning categories. The translations further indicate when words are formal, archaic, or technical, in order to highlight differences among similar words, and to further explain the characteristic features of the words. This vocabulary list is a bound-in supplement, and serves as a handy dictionary alongside the textbook.