Beginners II on 11/30/09 (Fall #10)

Number of students: 7
Summary: The 3rd session of Lesson 6.
- Review of 「～てもいいですか／～てはいけません」
- 「～て（verb te-form） 、～ます」= combining more than two verbs in one sentence

Exercises:
(1) Ex. p 125 II-C
(2) Ex. p. 125 III-A
(3) Ex. P. 126 III-B

We will meet next week for just one more class this year. Hope all of you can make it!!

And we are going to have a Christmas party on Friday, Dec. 11th, from 5 pm at my house. Hope to see as many of you as possible then too ~

Beginners II on 11/16/09 (Fall #9)

Number of students: 8
Summary: The second session of Lesson 6. Review and further practices of て-form, using 「～てください」sentence.

Exercises:
(1) Te-form review exercise from the Genki I workbook
(2) 「～てください」expansion exercise (which included a review of particles/markers)
(3) p. 125 II-B

Beginners II on 11/9/09 (Fall #8)

Number of Students: 7
Summary: The first session of Lesson 6. The introduction of "Te-form" (= an important part of verb conjugations), and 「～てください」(=a polite request) and 「～てもいいですか」（=a polite way to ask for a permission) 「～てはいけません」（= a (little-bit authoritative) way to deny someone's request for a permission)

Exercises:
(1) p.123 I -A, B, C, and P. 124 I-D
(2) p. 124 II-A

Beginners II on 10/26/09

Number of students: 3
Summary: We did the review test of Lesson 5.
We will start Lesson 6 in the next class.

Beginners II on 10/19/09 (Fall #6)

Number of students: 6
Summary: The 6th session of Lesson 5. Tried to finish Lesson 5 but couldn't.

Exercises:
(1) Lesson 5 Dialogue
- Listening Comprehension
- Pronunciation Practice
- Role Play

(2) p.112 Useful Expressions at a post office

(3) p.111 C. Role Play & Making your own conversation at a post office

(4) p.111 B. Review exercise: questions and answers about your own picture of a trip in the past

Next week: We shall finish Lesson 5. Review exercises and review test planned. Please study vocabulary of the lesson as well as reviewing the exercises we did. You cannot really use what you have learned if you don't have any vocabulary! It IS IMPORTANT to make efforts to learn vocabulary at a regular basis. You can, for instance, write down the words you want to memorize on the left side of a sheet of paper, and the meaning of each word on its right hand side. You can carry this sheet of paper with you and use some spare time (even just a few minutes) here and there, like while waiting for the bus, sitting on the bus, or walking to the campus, to memorize those words. OR you can also put the sheet of paper on the wall of your bathroom or something, and do your memorizing-drills when you are brushing your teeth, or sitting on the toilet You can use this method for learning new grammar such as verb/adjective conjugations as well. Remember, practice makes perfect. (In other words, if you don't practice, you cannot make it.) がんばれ！！

Beginners II on 10/12/09 (Fall #5)

Number of students: 8
Summary: The 5th session of Lesson 5. 「～が好（す）き／きらいです」and 「～ましょう（か）」

Exercises:
(1) p. 109 IV-A
(2) p. 109 IV-B

Notice and Homework:
(1) Bring a photo of a trip to the next class, so that we can do the exercise on p.111.
(2) Review test of Lesson 5 next week. Learn the vocabulary and review the exercises!!

Beginners II on 10/5/09 (Fall #4)

Number of Students: 7
Summary: 4th session of Lesson 5. Adjective conjugations (review), making comments on something/someone using adjectives, and describing someone using adjectives.

Exercises:
(1) p.107 II-B
(2) p.107 II-C
(3) p.108 II-D (pair work)
(4) p.108 III-A Practice to make comments on something or someone
*New grammar: When you use an adjective to modify a noun, use the adjective in its dictionary form and put it in front of the noun you want to modify.
Ex. 1) 高（たか）い時計（とけい）　An expensive watch
*Compare the following two:
a) この時計は高いです。　This watch is expensive.　
b) これは高い時計です。 This is an expensive watch.
Ex. 2) ハンサムな人（ひと）　a handsome guy
*Compare the following two:
a) サトミの彼（かれ＝BF)はハンサムです。　Satomi's boy friend is handsome.　
b) サトミの彼はハンサムな人です。 Satomi's BF is a handsome guy.
(5) p.109 III-B Practice to describe someone using adjectives

Homework:
A review test of the lesson is planned either next week or the week after.
Please review and try to master (=memorize) all the vocabulary you have learned in the lesson!

Beginners II on 9/28/09 (Fall #3)

Number of students: 10
Summary: Lesson 5 (3rd session): Adjective conjugation exercises

Exercises:
(1) p. 105 I-C
(2) p. 106 I-D
(3) p. 106 I-E pair work
(4) p. 107 I-F
(5) p. 107 II-A （we rehearsed all the conjugation forms: that is, for example, たかいーたかいですーたかかったですーたかくないですーたかくなかったです／げんきなー元気です―元気でしたー元気じゃありませんー元気じゃありませんでした）

Beginners II on 9/21/09 (Fall #2)

Number of students: 9 including 2 new students
Summary: Lesson 5 (#2): conjugations of イ-adjectives and ナ-adjectives

Exercises:
- p. 105 I-A and B
* We did both present tense and past tense with both A and B exercises
* We also practiced to make a short sentence with each adjective used in the exercises.

Homework: PRACTICE, practice, practice!! all the conjugation forms. Repeating the conjugation forms in a rhythmical way is the best way to master it in my humble opinion.

Beginners II on 9/14/09 (Fall #1)

Number of Students: 14
Summary:
Self-introduction to each other (in English)
Review Test of the Lesson 4
Review of the verb conjugations (present and past tenses)
Introduction to Lesson 5 (Adjective conjugations)

For those who were like this → after the review test, please check where you didn't remember well and try to refresh your memory - and keep up with the class!

I was very glad to see so many old faces (and new faces, too!) in the class today. I am looking forward to having fun classes with all of you again this semester!

Important Notice:
From next week, we will use our usual classroom upstairs.