Making a Text Book and School Partnerships.

[Satsujin]

I am sure the JPod crew has already thought about this but I will suggest it in case you haven't.

With all the audio files and PDFs associated with them it seems like it would be a logical step to use these as the building blocks to making the JPOD 101 Basic Japanese Text Book. If you haven't already I would get out there and start approaching publishers who might be interested. This could provide some cash flow into the whole operation.

I would also recommend that in addition to this that you might want to approach some Japanese language schools throughout Japan and maybe even other countries to make formal partnerships. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of schools are already recommending you to their students as a learning supplement or even using the dialogues in class. You could offer schools group rates for the basic and premium memberships giving their students access to these resources or offer legal re-braodcast of the podcasts. Many of these schools could also help you with development of the learning resources and overall promotion of the website.

I myself am a boardmember and student of a local non-profit Japanese language school that might be able to provide some support in the future.

[JockZon]

If there was a japanesepod101 text book I would love to buy it.

[Brugg]

Yeah! Totally great ideas, that i'd love to see realized.

[sutekikanojyo]

Yeahp! I would invest in a JP101 book, hands down. These suggestions open up a world of possibilities for the JP101 crew... and in the long run, I would doubtlessly LOVE to hear about an international tour! ^.~' You guys are already internationally known, so book signings aren't totally out of the picture... along with other brilliant crowd-drawing activities, whatever they may be ^.^ I totally have faith in you guys!

[Bueller_007]

I am sure the JPod crew has already thought about this but I will suggest it in case you haven't.

With all the audio files and PDFs associated with them it seems like it would be a logical step to use these as the building blocks to making the JPOD 101 Basic Japanese Text Book. If you haven't already I would get out there and start approaching publishers who might be interested. This could provide some cash flow into the whole operation.

I would also recommend that in addition to this that you might want to approach some Japanese language schools throughout Japan and maybe even other countries to make formal partnerships. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of schools are already recommending you to their students as a learning supplement or even using the dialogues in class. You could offer schools group rates for the basic and premium memberships giving their students access to these resources or offer legal re-braodcast of the podcasts. Many of these schools could also help you with development of the learning resources and overall promotion of the website.

I myself am a boardmember and student of a local non-profit Japanese language school that might be able to provide some support in the future.

Yeah, I agree. It's the kind of thing that you could easily outsource (assuming they have the cash flow to do it) so it wouldn't bog them down. And all of the language-learning TV shows in Japan have their own textbooks. (Of course, they're backed by big money with NHK, but still...) And I could be wrong, but I think even if it flops, most of the losses would come out of the publisher's pocket, not Jpod's.

Perhaps not a "textbook" per se, but more along the lines of a monthly, recapping and expanding on the lessons of that month. Maybe bundled with a CD of new material. Kind of like an "offline membership" to Jpod. Other publications like this (i.e. Nihongo Journal and Hiragana Times) seem to sell pretty well to foreigners in Japan. I'm not a paying member of Jpod, but I'd consider buying the monthly magazine if there were some additional advanced materials in there.

[sutekikanojyo]

well that's a good idea ^.^