Acknowledgments

I would like to acknowledge the individuals and institutions whose support helped establish the foundation for this project. I am especially grateful to Rick Sutton of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG), who entrusted Nattsu Kitamura of Darton College and me with a collaborative NSEP grant project in 2002, and to Phil McKnight, then Chair of the School of Modern Languages at the Georgia Institute of Technology, for his strong support during the formative years of the project. The broader development of online instruction in Japanese and other less commonly taught languages was subsequently advanced through a USG initiative launched in 2005. After that initiative had completed its mission, I continued to maintain and develop the Japanese-language materials at Georgia Tech, a process that has ultimately led to the present textbook. I am also deeply grateful to my colleagues in the School of Modern Languages—Rumiko Shinzato, Kyoko Masuda, Satomi Suzuki, Kimiaki Yamaguchi, and Aki Matsushima—whose contributions, encouragement, and support over the years have been invaluable to the continued development of these materials.

I would also like to acknowledge the following websites for allowing me to incorporate some audio effects and images into this eBook.

• http://www.freesfx.co.uk
• http://taira-komori.jpn.org/
• https://www.irasutoya.com/

Preface and Accessibility

This second edition reflects substantial revisions undertaken to improve the accessibility of the course materials used in Japanese language courses at the Georgia Institute of Technology. These revisions were prompted by institutional guidance concerning compliance with federal Title II accessibility requirements, particularly as they apply to digital instructional materials. Accordingly, the textbook has been carefully reviewed and revised across its various components, including text, images, audio, and other digital content. Particular attention has been given to clarity of presentation, compatibility with assistive technologies, and equitable access to instructional content in online and hybrid learning environments. These revisions are intended not only to meet accessibility requirements but also to improve the overall usability and pedagogical effectiveness of the materials for all learners.

Early literacy activities in this textbook are designed to support multiple pathways to learning, including visual, auditory, and text-based access. Students are encouraged to connect pronunciation, meaning, and written form through a combination of listening, reading, and pattern recognition. Presenting information through multiple modalities provides alternative ways of accessing the same instructional content and supports learners with a range of accessibility needs and ways of processing information.

Particular attention has also been given to students who use screen readers. Because Japanese language instruction necessarily involves frequent transitions between English and Japanese, the underlying HTML has been adapted to identify changes in language and help screen readers apply the appropriate pronunciation and reading conventions. The materials have been tested with commonly available assistive technologies, and additional adaptations have been made where necessary to improve the accuracy and naturalness of screen-reader output across the two languages. For further information about these accessibility features and recommendations for using assistive technologies with this textbook, please see Accessibility Notes.

2026

Masato Kikuchi

Georgia Institute of Technology