Gogo Gakusha Ltd.
I want to spread the “true national language” and perpetuate the goodness of Japan!
We have completed the “Japanese language active learning – Developing reading comprehension skills through reading aloud” series and are moving on to a new series. At the same time, we will set big goals and strive to step up.
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The dreams I talked about the year before and last year have come true one by one. We aspire to a bigger future and set new dreams in order to avoid long-term dreams. Since its founding, teaching the “true Japanese language” has been the company policy of Gogougakusha and the basis of its daily activities. The publication of the final volume of the series “Japanese Language Active Learning: Developing Reading Comprehension through Reading Aloud”, titled “Suitable for 2nd to 4th Grade Elementary School Students 3”, will mark a milestone. Since this is a major turning point, we have also summarized the definition of the “true national language,” which we have been talking about for a long time. We will provide information including videos.
[Image 1: https://prtimes.jp/i/74713/13/resize/d74713-13-8bf62eaca2630eabe056-0.jpg&s3=74713-13-2a3721ea93769bb1f3fab853ce060c59-2589×1737.jpg] This year, on November 4, 2024, Kogougakusha will celebrate its 20th anniversary since its establishment. Additionally, our publishing business, which started in 2019, has just completed its 5-year journey. Last year in this April Dream, I published “Super Reading Comprehension “Maihime”” and “Japanese Language Active Learning – Developing Reading Comprehension through Reading Aloud – 5th grade and above of elementary school 3” which I talked about as a dream last year at this April Dream, and this year I published “Japanese Language Active Learning – Developing Reading Skills through Reading Aloud”. We are about to publish the final volume of the “Reading Comprehension” series, “Suitable for 2nd to 4th Grade Elementary School Students 3” soon.
As a result, “Japanese Language Active Learning – Developing Reading Comprehension through Reading Aloud” has been published in three volumes each for upper grades (for 5th graders and above) and for middle and lower grades (for 2nd to 4th graders), completing the series. Masu. The core series that embodies our company’s vision of “true Japanese” education has now reached its final stage as a book. This is a major milestone for Gogo Gakusha, which has always made teaching the “true Japanese language” the pillar of its education. Therefore, we have put together a definition of the “true national language” that we have been advocating for a long time, and announced it on YouTube on March 30th of this year. I would like to introduce the video.
[Video 3: https://prtimes.jp/api/movieim.php?url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=39_6fd4itQ4] I would like to share some of what is said in the video in text. What is the “true national language”? To put it simply, “Rather than having students learn how to find the correct answer, we foster the ability to read the essence of a text, have them face their own humanity to that essence, and then summarize and express their own ideas.” It’s about developing the ability to do what you can. Many people may think that this is different from getting a high score on an entrance exam. However, at Gogo Gakusha, we have been able to achieve both since our founding, and many of our alumni have expressed their gratitude to us. I would like to introduce the words of one of them.
-In a nutshell, the true value of Gogougakusha is that while studying for university entrance exams, you feel that you have acquired true academic ability and knowledge, rather than just “studying for entrance exams”. Even when I was studying for a review essay for my university entrance exam, my teacher taught me various ways of thinking and basic knowledge in preparation for my studies after entering university. Of course, if you study Japanese here to study for entrance exams, you will be able to get an average score in Japanese, which will strongly support you to get into the school of your choice. –
In order to acquire this “true Japanese language,” it is important to “read aloud to grasp the phonology correctly.” This “reading aloud to grasp the phonology correctly” is the key to Japanese language instruction that has long been advocated and practiced by Gogougakusha, but the reading aloud itself is, of course, not my original work. As I read aloud to the children, I feel strongly that the teachings of a certain teacher who guided me in the process of learning the Japanese language were the driving force behind my ability to greatly improve my Japanese language skills. Also, when I first started teaching Japanese at a cram school, the children said to me, “When the teacher reads it to me, I can understand the content of the text better.” These are two of my original experiences. This is the foundation of this “reading aloud that accurately grasps the phonology.”
We also introduce “phonology” in detail in the video, so please take a look.
[Video 4: https://prtimes.jp/api/movieim.php?url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=flMGlCDeINw] “Japanese language active learning – Developing reading comprehension through reading aloud – Suitable for 2nd to 4th grade elementary school students 3” introduced in the main image, after this “reading to grasp the phoneme correctly”, you will be asked to think about what you feel rather than looking for the correct answer. This teaching material puts the “true Japanese language” into practice by writing out the “true Japanese language,” summarizing your thoughts using a reading comprehension sheet that “confronts humanity with the essence of the text,” and then writing a short review at the end. All 6 volumes, 3 volumes each for 2nd to 4th grade elementary school students and 3 volumes for 5th grade and above, contain texts that turn classical (classic or Chinese) works into stories. In
“Correspondence 3”, we have published a rewritten version of “The Priest at Ninnaji Temple” from “Tsurezuregusa” as a story for second to fourth grade elementary school students.
As many of you may know, there was a monk from Ninnaji Temple in Kyoto who had never visited Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine until he got older, so one day he decided to visit Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine by himself while he still had the energy. The story is about a man who visited the shrine and only worshiped the attached Kora Shrine and Gokurakuji Temple at the foot of the mountain, thinking that was all there was to it before returning home. The main point of reading this passage is that the monk had a misunderstanding, and that he was very serious, thinking that his original purpose was to pray to the gods, so he did not investigate the top of the mountain that everyone was climbing up. When he returned home, he happily told his fellow monks, “Well, I finally completed the visit to Iwashimizu, which I had been thinking about for a long time.” (I wonder what happened?), but I’m really concerned about whether or not fourth graders will be able to grasp the charm of it. Most of the works in this volume will be used in classes for 4th grade elementary school students in 2023, and the children will also write impressions (these will mainly be included as example sentences). The other day in class, I had students work on “The Priest at Ninnaji”. Before I tell you what the result was, I would like to tell you about the “device”.The scene where the monk tells his fellow monks, “I fulfilled my wish,” is when he tells his fellow monks that he met in the hallway. The story goes that when I said this, my fellow monk heard this, looked a little sorry, and went straight to the back. For this reason, the most interesting question on the reading comprehension sheet is to ask students to imagine and write down what their fellow monks would have thought when they heard the story. As a result, two of the three children who have been studying with “Japanese Language Active Learning: Developing Reading Comprehension through Reading Aloud” for 2nd to 4th graders, Volumes 1 and 2, have done a great job with their peers. I think the monk was uncomfortable because he realized that he was not able to worship Iwashimizu.” Of course, there are children who don’t know this story at all. When asked, “Do you know where Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine is really located?” they answered correctly, “On the mountain,” just by reading the text (without any illustrations). In creating this story for middle and lower grades of “The Priest at Ninna-ji Temple,” we paid close attention to the point of letting people enjoy the beauty of the text without simply solving mysteries or revealing the meaning. The students who are learning the “true Japanese language” through “Cultivating Reading Comprehension” were able to clearly understand what I was aiming for. “Japanese Language Active Learning: Developing Reading Comprehension through Reading Aloud – Suitable for 2nd to 4th Grade Elementary School Students 3” is scheduled to be published in mid-May this year. We are planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign soon in order to create a sufficient number of copies to supply, and (if those copies sell) to generate funds that will lead to reprints. Thank you for your support. Subsequent publication plans
As the first part of the series, we published “Super Reading Comprehension “Maihime””, which was announced at last year’s April Dream, in May last year. However, this year was devoted to rebuilding the series, and as a timely publication, we published “Farewell Hokuriku Main Line” after the previously mentioned “Japanese Language Active Learning – Reading Comprehension Skills Developed through Reading Out Loud – Compatible with Grades 2 to 4 of Elementary School 3”. (Scheduled to be published in July 2024).
[Image 2: https://prtimes.jp/i/74713/13/resize/d74713-13-282e83112d21530c1672-1.jpg&s3=74713-13-0a284ef745b06f455c0a4024e19fd2bb-3900×2513.jpg] As the next series of publications, we are planning the “Super Reading Comprehension” series, which will have high school and junior high school students read masterpieces of Japanese literature deeply, thereby helping them acquire the “true Japanese language” and improve their Japanese language skills. doing. This is a series following “Super Reading Comprehension ‘Maihime'”. First of all, next year, I am planning to publish “Super Reading Comprehension “Sangeki”” as the second part of the “Super Reading
Comprehension〇〇” series.
A new stage of “dream”
As I finished formulating my future publication plans and thought about the progress of Kogougakusha into its 25th and 30th years, I was naturally able to move on to the next stage of my “dream.” That is the new big dream of Gogo Gakusha starting this year.
I want to spread the “true national language” and perpetuate the goodness of Japan!
Children who acquire true Japanese language skills, have correct reading comprehension, and use proper language will not lose sight of themselves even in the age of AI and globalization, and will embody the unique qualities of Japan. I’m sure he will go.
Thank you for your support.
★”April Dream” is a project by PR TIMES that broadcasts the dreams that companies hope to achieve someday on April 1st. We are seriously aiming to make this dream come true.
Gogo Gakusha Co., Ltd.
32-21-12 Nishikata, Bunkyo-ku
https://www.kotogaku.co.jp/
TEL03-5805-7817
More details about this release:
https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000013.000074713.html