Ima! 1 has its feet planted firmly on Japanese soil. Each unit begins with a photo story set in Kanazawa and has as its overall theme, a day in the life of Sawako Asano and the other members of her family.

The photo stories give the unit a firm topical base, with themes covered including ‘me, my family and friends’, ‘morning routine’, ‘school’ and ‘leisure activities’. These stories also provide students with the language and the motivation they need to involve themselves in the oral activities that follow.

A wealth of speaking activities ranging from controlled, guided structures to freer, more open-ended activities, provide the building blocks for students to apply Japanese to their own lives.