Free language courses from FSI

The US Foreign Services Institute has a whole bunch of language courses on their website. From Amharic to Yoruba (no Japanese unfortunately, but they do have Thai and Mandarin) you can find coursebooks and audio downloads. The courses are a bit dated, but they seem thoroughly put together and you can't beat the price.

Thanks to inZania for the tip, and for a cool iPhone flashcard app that I am using to practice JLPT vocabulary.

The importance of listening

I think the importance of listening input for students cannot be overemphasised, yet it is severely neglected in Japan, in both public and private teaching settings.

I myself have not really focused on teaching listening so far, for the following reasons:

1. graded listening materials are not as common as graded reading

2. it's hard to categorize listening materials at a glance, like you would with a written text

3. technical issues get in the way: you have to make the materials available to the students, and it's not as easy as just handing them a book or a handout

However, I have decided to have a go at really boosting my students' listening practice. I am going to investigate online delivery, lending CDs, and lending mp3 players pre-loaded with content.

I will post on any challenges and successes with the project. Comments on the subject are also most welcome.