Design and Construction of a Virtual Environment
for Japanese Language Instruction
by Howard Rose

Appendix A:
Lesson Plan for Zengo Sayu Treatment

Learning Objectives:

1) Students will be able to listen and comprehend five colors (aka, kuro, shiro, kiiro, ao) and how to combine these colors with two nouns (hako, teburu) in the sample form 'akai hako' as measured by the Listening Comprehension Test.

2) Students will comprehend five prepositions-of-place (ue, shita, mae, ushiro, tonari) as demonstrated by their ability to respond to verbal instructions on the Listening Comprehension Test.

3) Students will be able to reproduce the target vocabulary and sentence patterns* with accurate pronunciation, word usage, syntax and grammar as measured by the Oral Production Accuracy Test.

*Target Vocabulary and Patterns

Five colors: aka, kuro, shiro, kiiro, ao
Noun: hako (box), table
Verbs: Aru, Oku
Modify a noun for use with an adjective: EX. 'akai hako'
Descriptive sentence structure: 'Akai hako wa aoi hako no ue ni arimasu.'
Command sentence structure: 'Aoi hako wo kuroi hako no ue ni oite kudasai.'
Other language: Sensei, Wakarimasen, Yutte kudasai, Yokoso, Hai, Iie, Akai hako wa doko ni arimasu ka?

General Notes to the Teacher

Students will be allowed free to use the system and learn as they choose. The teacher's job is to:
1. Oversee the learning process for all students.
2. Guide and encourage the student when he/she is having trouble.
3. Encourage the student to make good instructional use of their time, rather than just play in VR. Say things in English like: "It looks like you are having lots of fun there. Please remember your main goal here is to learn Japanese."
4. Answer questions for students in Japanese whenever possible. Start dialog in Japanese whenever possible.
This instructional approach stresses the importance of hearing and understanding over speaking. Students who wish to speak and repeat as they go through the world, or as they watch, should be allowed to do so. Students should not take notes during class. Note taking is allowed before the break and at the end of class. Note taking is considered to divert the students' attention from processing and learning the language.
The teacher should facilitate for the students watching on the monitor. The students watching should be encouraged to pay attention to what the immersed student is learning in the world.
Try to allow the student who is under the helmet to get absorbed into the experience. This means giving them time without outside guidance or interruptions.
Please avoid using language not explicitly listed above unless instructed to do so by an administrator.
Please avoid translating in all cases except where indicated on the lesson plan.

Lesson Description

Phase I. Colors

VR Instruction: Student touches colored balls which speak their color name.

Reinforcement: Students may wish to repeat this process over and over until they internalize the words. Those who wish to move ahead more quickly should be allowed to do so. They should also be allowed to return to this place later if they want review.

Phase II. Colors modify a noun

VR Instruction:
Step 1:
- Student touches the virtual box which says "Hako".
- Student makes colored boxes by combining the colored balls with the clear box. Student may make as many boxes of each color as they like. They many also go touch and move the boxes they create.

Step 2: Voice training to teach the colors (aka, etc.), hako, and colored boxes (akai hako, etc.).

Practice:
- Students then return to the virtual environment to try speaking.

- Immersed student responds to questions: "Akai hako wa doko ni arimasu ka." Questions cued by a key press on computer keyboard. Student points to the colored box he believes is correct. The box grows and shrinks in response. Teacher says "So desu. or "Chigaimasu" in response. While students sitting and watching will be able to see the teacher's body language to interpret the meaning of "So desu" and "Chigaimasu", these words may require a translation to make the immersed student understand. For example, saying "No, chigaimasu." For the first few times for a student is acceptable.

- Teacher holds up colored blocks and asks the students watching to name the color. Or to form questions as the teacher does: "Akai hako wa doko ni arimasu ka?"

Phase III. Simple Prepositions

VR Instruction:
Step 1: Table is made visible. Students practice:
- touching the clear boxes on/under/beside/in front of/behind the table. For example, touching the box ON the table says: "Ue. Ue. Teburu no ue. Ue."

- Using the wand. Touching the box ON the table with the wand says: (clear box turns red) "Ue. Ue. Akai hako wa teburu no ue ni arimasu. Ue."

Practice: Student is allowed to practice . Teacher should check their understanding before they take off the helmet. Students should have 80% accuracy before being allowed to voice train.

Phase IV. Sentence pattern: What is the relative position of colored boxes?

Instruction:
Step 1: Student manipulates colored boxes, placing them on/under/beside/in front of/behind one another and listening to the response.

Reinforcement: Teacher hands red and black boxes to an able student and gestures for them to place the boxes. Teacher responds by describing the situation in a full sentence. Repeat once and then wait for student to move. All students take a turn.

*In this phase the teacher asks questions such as: "Akai hako wa doko ni arimasu ka?" (Where is the red box?) This is essential for developing conversation and expediting the lesson. However, teaching patterns and structures of forming questions in Japanese is beyond the scope of time available for this experiment. Therefore, in this case only, the translation of the sentence is given to the students. "Translate as "Where is the such and such color box? Such as "Where is the red box?" would be "Akai hako wa doko ni arimasu ka?"

Teacher places the Yellow box on top of the White box in front of a student and asks "Kiiroi hako wa doko ni arimasu ka?" The teacher persists until the student responds with the correct answer.

Practice: Students take turns placing boxes on and under each other to say the names for the objects. Repeat till students are comfortable with the concept and able to respond with at least 80% accuracy.

Students then practice in the same manner working in pairs.

Step 2: Repeat Step 1 with FRONT/BEHIND.

Step 3: BESIDE.

Phase V. Command form: Place one box in relation to another.

Instruction:
Step 1: Teacher hands a red, white and yellow box to a student. Teacher gives the command: "Shiroi hako o kiiroi hako no tonari ni oite kudasai." COMMAND IS NOT TRANSLATED. Repeat until student get responds correctly. If student is completely stumped then move to another student or two before coming back to the first student.

Practice: Teacher then practices with all students in turn, using all colored boxes and all 5 prepositions.

Students then practice in the same manner working in pairs.

Phase VI. Construction Game

Set-up: Students work in pairs. Each person has a set of five boxes, one of each color. They also have a folder which can be used as a screen between them.

Student 1 arranges his boxes in a configuration which is screened by the folder to prevent Student 2 from seeing. Student 1 then instructs Student 2 to recreate the same configuration using the forms learned so far ("Akai hako o kuroi hako no shita ni oite kudasai.") Student 2 listens and follows directions as well as possible.

When Student 1 has finished, Student 2 may ask two questions. Then the screen is lifted and Student 2 gets to check her accuracy against Student 1's model.

Student 1 and 2 then take turns in both roles of the above game.

Teacher explains the game by means of demonstration with a student.

Human Interface Technology Laboratory

Design and Construction of a Virtual Environment for Japanese Language Instruction by Howard Rose

Appendix A: Lesson Plan for Zengo Sayu Treatment