I wondered if it was difficult at first for you to make the change to an almost totally comprehension-based model of learning and teaching.

No, it was not difficult. I was looking for something different that worked. When I was given a reading class to teach at IBU in the second semester of 1985, the English department let me do what I wanted to do. All the necessary conditions were met for the program to succeed then. In those days I received the school's support. I received a large amount of money from the university to buy many graded readers for the program. The students were motivated, eager to learn, very well behaved, and very cooperative. Dr. Krashen gave me very important advice in 1984 in Tokyo: Give students a lot of comprehensible input and keep the affective filter low. I followed his advice. I was very fortunate.

Can you point us toward anything you've published/written that might give further insight into your approach?

My published articles are at: www.benikomason.net
My book in Japanese is:
FVR - Free Voluntary Reading and Fairy/Folk Tale Listening. Kanagawa-ken: Seizansha. (ISBN 978-4-88359-239-5)

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