The education ministry has summarized methods for teaching Japanese to foreign students attending local elementary schools, according to ministry officials.

The summary, to be sent to schools where foreign students are enrolled, covers methods for teaching Japanese to foreign children who can manage daily conversations in the language but have difficulty understanding what is said in class, they said Thursday.

The Japanese lessons will be structured to include different categories of learning activities, including practical scenarios, questions and answers, and presentations, with the aim of teaching vocabulary used in academic subjects, the officials said.

For example, students will be asked to feel and describe the texture of wood, find out the thickness, and make a presentation on their findings, the officials said.

The Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry plans to devise more concrete teaching methods by using various subjects within the year and to develop teaching guidelines for junior high schools beginning next fiscal year.

A Web site will be set up this fall on which a database of participating schools as well as information for parents and school officials will be posted, the ministry said.