A study investigated the effect of explicit instruction in reading and writing strategies on student performance in a college-level Japanese partial immersion course. Subjects were five students, four of whom had been subjects of an earlier study of reading and writing strategies and all of whom were training to be Japanese teachers. In class, students were introduced to a variety of strategies for reading and writing, particularly as they related to understanding of kanji. Data were drawn from classroom observation, interviews with students about their reading and writing strategies and perceptions of classroom progress, and second interviews with think-aloud protocols. The strategies used in the think-aloud protocols and mentioned in interviews are charted, noting frequency of use, technique, and student interpretation of the process. It is concluded that the explicit teaching of learning and production strategies for reading and writing Japanese resulted in a broader range of strategies used, students were approaching reading and writing tasks with more confidence, skills had improved, and students found the learning of kanji a more manageable task. It is also suggested that the explicit teaching of strategies contributed to a stronger language focus, and diminished content focus, of the course. (MSE)