This course focuses on developing practical communication skills for everyday situations. You will improve your listening and speaking skills while learning daily conversation, grammar, and vocabulary through a structured, textbook-based approach—perfect for those seeking a strong language foundation.
Lessons follow the MARUGOTO textbooks (Katsudoo and Rikai), covering both over the course of one year.
Bendigo City Centre
10-week course — $430 per person
11-week course — $470 per person
Textbook not included. Fees are payable before the course begins.
Starter 2 (CEFR A1)
Lesson 4-7
Saturday
10.45 am to 12:15pm
Starter 4 (A1)
Lesson 12-14
Monday
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
Elementary 1 (CEFR A2)
Lesson 1-3
Saturday
9:00 am to 10:30 am
Elementary 3 (A2)
Lesson 13-15
Thursday
5:30 pm to 7 pm
At the A1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), learners can:
Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at fulfilling immediate needs.
Introduce themselves and others, and ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know, and things they have.
Interact in a simple way, provided the other person speaks slowly and clearly and is willing to help.
CEFR A2 level
Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment).
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters.
Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.
(https://marugoto.jpf.go.jp/en/teacher/feature/)
Please contact us for information about the level of each class.
All classes use the “Marugoto” textbook series for lessons. The series has two versions: “Katsudou” and “Rikai.”
"In Katsudoo the aim is to develop practical communicative ability through listening to a variety of Japanese and through speaking practice. In Rikai you are able to systematically study the language systems needed for communication. Both Katsudoo and Rikai can be main teaching materials, and the topics are the same. By studying using both, you can acquire an overall ability in Japanese. "
(https://marugoto.jpf.go.jp/en/about/series/)
Textbook MARUGOTO
"In Marugoto, using Japanese to actually communicate is the goal. The goal is not just to increase your knowledge of grammar and sentence patterns. Can-dos are set as objectives that show what you will be able to do in what situations, and you study Japanese that can be used in real-life situations."
For more information, please visit this official website. https://www.marugoto.org/en/about/
About Learning Japanese Characters
The Starter (A1) textbooks include romaji (Romanized Japanese), so even if you cannot read Japanese characters, you can still study effectively. However, learning hiragana and katakana can improve pronunciation and help with progression to the next level (CEFR A2). Therefore, I strongly recommend learning Japanese characters as well.
Who is this course for?
This is an intensive course intended for people who want to learn both Japanese language and culture, and develop essential skills for daily conversation. Starter 1 class is designed for first-time learners of Japanese.
Do I need to buy a textbook?
Yes, lessons follow a textbook MARUGOTO Katsudoo for communicative language activities and MARUGOTO Rikai Coursebook for communicative language competences.
For more details on the course textbook, please refer to https://marugoto.jpf.go.jp/en/about/series/
I am no sure about lessons. May I have a trial lesson?
Sure! You can participate in a trial lesson for $20.
Is there any homework?
Daily study is essential to improving your language skills. There is homework for review, but it is not an onerous amount.
I may not be able to attend some classes. Are there make-up lessons or lesson recordings available?
Sorry, we do not offer make-up lessons or lesson recordings. However, there is an official online course of the textbook available free of charge, where you can study the textbook content. In addition, lesson notes are distributed after each lesson.
Yoko Vigor