Competitive Analysis
This page was created on 24 May 2007.
Assignment #6 - Examine some other websites in your space. For these competitors or complementary sites, explain why your site is unique or better.
Facing Competition
How does Tokoro do better?
Greater Interactivity
The major competitors of Tokoro are websites that teach Japanese language and culture in a similar lesson-style format such as Japanese-Online.com. Tokoro differs from these websites in providing one-on-one interaction with and feedback from a Japanese instructor. Lesson assignments frequently will be sent to an instructor who will send back personal feedback and critique the student's performance. Additionally, the instructor will keep track of the student's progress by observing the student's performance on Lesson Quizzes. Therefore, the instructor is able to observe the student's weaknesses and strengths and inform the student on what topics he/she should spend more time reviewing and studying.
Other improvements on the depths of the interactive nature of Tokoro are the online forum. Through the online forum which is used to interact with fellow students, a participant can discuss anything related to Japanese language and culture, and ask questions. This approach is more helpful than that of other websites. Instead of merely providing one open forum for discussion, Tokoro partitions its messageboard into categories so that information and discussion topics are easier to find and more relevant to the user's specific interests. This allows greater focus and productivity in peer interaction.
These interactive aspects of online teaching are not common in Japanese teaching websites currently available on the Internet.
In-Class Teaching Style
In addition to a unique level of interactivity, Tokoro also has a teaching style that differs from that of other websites. TOkoro frequently uses video and audio in the lessons. Tokoro does this in order to deepen the learning experience of the student and simulate the learning experience to that of an in-class lecture. This method of learning is more effective than simply providing chunks of text for the student to sift through alone. Instead, Tokoro guides the user through the lesson, providing useful learning tips along the way and stimulating interest through visuals and audio.
Tokoro also introduces its material in such a way that students learn the material as they would in a classroom. Japanese reading, writing, and grammar notes are all integrated together in the lessons so that the user is able to learn Japanese comprehensively instead of learning different parts of the language separately and trying to piece different parts of the language together. This also guides the user by providing a useful chronology to the information provided so that the student does not have to pick and choose which aspects of the language and culture to learn first. Using this method, the students can also more easily keep track of what they have already learned, making reviewing past topics easier.
Greater Convenience
Tokoro improves upon the convenience of other Japanese instruction websites by making every piece of information available to the user very detailed and specific. Tokoro's list of useful links contains reviews and background information on every link so that the user is more informed on the quality of the outside resources that Tokoro provides easy access to. Additionally, each page of the website specifically states when the page has been last updated so that the user is always aware of how up-to-date the material is. The placement of a blog on the index of the website also allows the user to conveniently observe which sections of the website have been updated and whether any content has been altered.
More Clear-cut Target Audience
Tokoro also differs from its competition in having a slightly more narrow definition of its audience. Since Tokoro uses cartoons and pop culture in its lessons, it may appeal to a younger age group, such as teenagers and young adults, more than it does to other age groups. Also, since the assignments require knowledge about e-mail and voice-recording technology, Tokoro targets an audience that knows how to take advantage of this technology. Therefore, the enhanced interactivity and teaching style of Tokoro require certain knowledge that some language enthusiasts may not possess.
Tokoro created and updated by Eunice Lee
