Framework of Manga Application for Teaching Japanese Language

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework to use Manga (i.e., Japanese comics) as the teaching materials for the Japanese language education and develops a prototype that enables teachers to easily retrieve the intended grammar, words, and contexts from Manga. Japanese pop-culture has been widely known and is becoming popular all over the world, e.g., Manga and Anime. Manga-related culture is currently no longer just Japanese domestic but universal culture. Through enjoying the Manga-related culture, people may have the opportunity to learn Japanese traditional and present cultures. Japanese teaching materials are prepared in various languages. It is thus easy to understand basic grammar. However, it is still difficult to learn how to use the Japanese language in real life in Japan. Some of the expressions and nuances of the phrases are deeply related to the Japanese culture which is unconsciously obtained through the lives in the native environment; those are hard to know even if it is explained in the text. We believe that Manga can be useful materials for such education. So, this paper proposed a framework to help teachers to retrieve the intended educational topics (i.e., words and phrases). The user easily obtains the frames where the intended words and phrases are included by using the system. While the teachers made the problem for the Japanese language, the usability of the proposed framework was confirmed.