A New Literacy of Japanese Language

The concept of literacy is multi-layered and complex. Japanese language education, with its study of ‘kanji’, has a specific concept of literacy that differs from other languages. The current model of literacy in Japanese language education focuses on improving skills such as reading, writing and speaking. However, students can develop a deeper understanding of texts when they have an appreciation of the context in which they were written. Use of the new model, in which understanding of context added to the traditional emphasis on basic skills, can help students enhance their understanding texts written in the Japanese language