Welcome to JapanEasyReads Bookstore

Hi! I’m Monique—lover of books, all things Japanese, and a lifelong advocate for inclusive and engaging language acquisition.

A Little Bit About Me

With over 30 years of experience teaching Japanese at primary and secondary levels in Victoria, Australia, I’ve always been passionate about helping students succeed in their language-learning journey. A pivotal moment in my career came in 2017 at a Brisbane conference featuring Blaine Ray (founder of TPRS) and Dr. Terry Waltz.

For the first time, I experienced the transformative power of TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). As a total novice, I found myself reading and understanding Spanish after just a few hours of engaging, comprehensible input. This eye-opening experience fueled my determination to bring the same simple, joyful, and effective approach to my students.

From that point on, I shifted my teaching to focus on language acquisition, emphasizing comprehended input and meaningful reading. The results were astounding:

  • Increased student engagement (and renewed passion for teaching on my part!).
  • Greater use of Japanese in and out of the classroom.
  • Spontaneous, unscripted communication from students.
  • Inclusive learning, especially for slower-processing learners.

The Power of Reading

Reading is a cornerstone of language acquisition, supported by extensive research. When students read for pleasure, not just content, they gain additional exposure to the language. Accessible, easy-to-read texts build fluency, strengthen grammatical intuition, and increase confidence in decoding Japanese script.

At JapanEasyReads, I write graded mini-books designed for beginners, featuring high-frequency vocabulary and structures that students encounter in class. These books provide the repetition and exposure needed to help learners acquire Japanese naturally and joyfully.

I’ve shared more about the benefits of reading on my blog—feel free to explore!

Presentations & Conferences

Collaborating with amazing colleagues like Kathryn Tominaga, I’ve delivered a variety of workshops and presentations focusing on literacy, motivation, and maximized comprehensible input for language acquisition. Here are some of my recent and upcoming sessions:

2024

  • Japanese Language Teachers Association of Victoria (JLTAV) Conference
  • Japanese Language Teachers Association of South Australia (JLTASA) Conference
  • Modern Language Teachers Association of Western Australia (MLTWA)
    • Reimagining Reading
    • Dip Your Toes Into Comprehensible Input
  • National Symposium for Japanese Language Education (NSJLE)

Past Highlights

  • 2023 JLTAV Conference:
    • Personalising Language Instruction: Students at Front and Centre
    • A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
    • The Power of Stories
    • A Story Behind Every Character
  • 2022 JLTAV Conference: The Self-Determination Theory and Language Acquisition
  • 2021 MLTQ Conference: What Motivates Me? What Motivates My Students?

     

     

     

     

     

     

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