Peer Review

Aizuchi (back-channeling): A key to smooth conversation

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Mar 15, 2022 by World Languages

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This module provides an overview of Aizuchi, or Back-Channeling, a vital part of Japanese conversation. Understanding aizuchi is critical for comprehending spoken Japanese, and using aizuchi effectively is also essential for speaking fluently. This module provides several short videos demonstrating aizuchi used by native speakers. Several of the videos incorporate a practice section, which allows users to study the back-channeling portion of the conversation and repeat it as a video provides the other side of the conversation.

Type of Material:

Drill and practice.

Recommended Uses:

Study-aid with an instructor's assistance.
In class, the instructor could go over the basic principles of using aizuchi, drawing on the tutorial information in this module.
The full conversation could be shown as a demonstration. Then students could pair up and repeat the conversations. They could also be assigned to practice using aizuchi with the tutorials provided.

Technical Requirements:

IE, Chrome, EDge,
Quicktime

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Improve listening skills by identifying the five types of aizuchi (back-channeling) and their effective usage.
Develop speaking skills by effectively inserting aizuchi into daily conversations.

Target Student Population:

Beginning, intermediate and advanced learners of Japanese.
Undergraduate students

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

At least one semester of Beginning Japanese.
Must be able to read Hiragana and Katakana.

Content Quality

Rating:

Strengths:

The overview of aizuchi (back-channeling) is very thorough and accurate.
It provides application practice exercises for each section of the site.
It engages users by demonstrating correct use of aizuchi, and then invites them to participate by supplying appropriate aizuchi.
The site's detailed explanation of the types of aizuchi and their correct usage is very helpful for both students and teachers.
Although "Aizuchi" itself does not require much vocabulary, it requires listening comprehension skills and timing of the utterance, which holds the key for the students to sound and flow naturally when they communicate orally.
This site is well designed to explain this concept of "Aizuchi", and clearly shows examples of what they are and how they are used. It features videos, sound, images, and text.
Conversations are at a natural speed and realistic.
It also includes male and female voices as well as polite and casual speech styles in conversations.

Concerns:

Beginning students may be intimidated by the onscreen Japanese text.
In most cases, hiragana is provided for all kanji, but not always.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:

Strengths:

The module is very engaging.
Short videos demonstrate correct usage and invite users to provide the aizuchi portion of the conversation.
Follow-up videos further demonstrate proper skills.
Students could use these tutorials and practice exercises again and again.
The video, transcript and words list are complete and can be readily integrated into the curriculum.
The usage of male and female voices, as well as different speech styles, provide students abundant examples of authentic and natural conversations.
"Application practice for intonation learning" under "Aizuchi and its intonation" is a great start for students at the beginning level. An instructor can use them as a model and create similar exercises for students to practice.

Concerns:

Unless they are at an advanced level, this site is difficult for students to use on their own.
Some of the instructions and explanations are provided in English, but not consistently throughout the site, which might be confusing for some students.
The level of the conversation varies so that students will need an instructor's help as to which conversation to use for their practice.
The reading for all the Kanji characters in the transcripts are provided in hiragana right next to Kanji without any indications, which might be confusing for some.
The usage of parenthesis or "rubi": Japanese reading aid being placed above the line of Kanji will make this site easier to use.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:

Strengths:

This site has very clean design.
If students can read and understand Japanese, this site is very easy to navigate from one conversation to another without closing windows.
The "aizuchi" part in transcripts is in blue (2 persons conversation) or red (3 persons conversation) color fonts, which helps students to identify them easier.
"Words list" opens up in a new window, which allows students to look for a word without closing a script and video screen.

Concerns:

Instructions are clearly written, but often in Japanese, and in some cases hiragana is not provided for kanji, which might create difficulties for newer students.
The site is somewhat plain, primarily text plus the video windows.
The "aizuchi" in the 4th and 6th examples transcripts in "Various Aizuchi in practical situations" are the same color as the rest of the transcript, which makes it harder for students to read.
Most of the buttons and links are in Japanese which makes this site difficult for students to use on their own.
Detailed instructions as to how to use the site in English would help students to use them on their own.

Other Issues and Comments:: Overall, this site would be useful in both classroom and individual settings.
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