Learning Intermediate Japanese through Anime

Learning Intermediate Japanese through Anime builds Japanese learners’ linguistic proficiency while deepening their cultural and historical understanding of anime.

Designed around anime-themed readings, dialogues, and activities, the textbook helps learners develop skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking as they explore anime as a significant artistic and cultural form. The book is structured around eight key topics: the origins of anime, the anime industry, anime as technology, anime as design, anime as genre, anime as language, anime pioneers, and anime fandom. Each lesson focuses on a different language skill such as describing historical events in the passive voice, interpreting and presenting data, explaining processes, describing visual and narrative elements, summarizing information, forming arguments, making comparisons, and expressing opinions. Through this integrated approach, learners gain both practical Japanese language skills and a critical framework for understanding anime as a dynamic and influential part of Japanese culture.

This textbook is intended for students of Japanese language at intermediate high to advanced low level on the ACTFL proficiency scale and CEFR level B1 to B2.

Accompanying online resources include audio recordings of readings from the book and sample grammar worksheets to facilitate classroom planning. These materials can be accessed at www.routledge.com/9781041089636.