Intermediate on 2/3/11

Number of students: 4 (+2 on Monday)
Summary:
(1)Culture and custom: 十二支（じゅうにし） = Japanese Zodiac - The Twelve Zodiac Signs -
  - What is Juni-shi?  Please look at this website.
  - ことしは うさぎどし です。= This year is the year of the rabbit.
  - かいわ（Dialogue）
    Q:（あなたは）なにどし ですか。 = What's your Chinese zodiac sign?　
    A:（わたしは）いのししどし です。 =  I'm a boar.
   - It is said that each of the zodiac animals have its own distinct characteristics. See this page.  Is that true for you? :)
   - Why is rat the first in a calender?  Read this story about Chinese Zodiac.

(2)Lesson 5-2 すきな/きらいな (text p.102)
   - すき／きらい  
      Xは Yが すきです。= X likes Y.
      Xは Yが きらいです。= X dislikes Y.
     ex)
      - わたしは さかなが すきです。= I like fish.
      - わたしは やさいが きらいです。= I dislike vegetable.
      - わたしは さかなが すきではありません／すきじゃありません。= I don't like fish.

   - だいすき／だいきらい  
      Xは Yが だいすきです。= X likes Y very much.
      Xは Yが だいきらいです。= X dislikes Y very much.
     * You can use "とても" instead of using "だい".
　　　Xは Yが とても すきです。= X likes Y very much.

   - すきでも きらいでも ありません。=I neither like nor dislike (it).
   - practice: p.109 IV-A,B

(3)Lesson 5-4 ～ましょう/～ましょうか = Let's do something!/Shall we do something? (text p.103)
  - たべます --> たべましょう = Let's eat!
  - のみます --> のみましょう = Let's drink!
  - べんきょうします --> べんきょうしましょう = Let's study!

(4)Lesson 5-5 Counting (text pp.103-104)
   - Read the textbook.

Homework:
(1) Practice ～ましょう
   - Workbook p.47
(2) Bring your pictures you took on a trip. We are going to do "Show and tell". (text p.111)

Next class (February 10) :
(1) Lesson 5 Dialogue (pp.96-97)
(2) Lesson 5 Class Activity - Show and tell (p.111)
(3) Lesson 6 Vocabulary (pp.116-117)

See you next week!!

2月（にがつ）3日（みっか）は節分（せつぶん）です。

Setsubun ("seasonal division") is a festival held on February 3, one day before the start of spring according to the Japanese lunar calendar. Setsubun is not a national holiday.  For many centuries, the people of Japan have been performing rituals with the purpose of chasing away evil spirits at the start of spring.

In modern days, the most commonly performed setsubun ritual is the throwing of roasted beans around one's house and at temples and shrines across the country. When throwing the beans, you are supposed to shout "Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!" ("Devils out, happiness in"). Afterwards you should pick up and eat the number of beans, which corresponds to your age.

As all traditional festivals, setsubun is celebrated in many variations throughout the country.
(from: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2285.html)

★ペーパークラフト(paper craft)★
これは おにの おめんです。(These are devils' masks.)

http://paperm.jp/craft/eventgoods/setsubun/index.html

★アニメ(anime)★ 
アンパンマン「おにのパンツ= Devil's underwear」

Holidays and Events in January and February

Q. How can we say "Happy New Year!" in Japanese?

A. 「あけまして おめでとう ございます！」

↓これは「おせちりょうり」です。 = These are Osechi, traditional Japanese New Year foods.
(Photo: from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Japanese_Osechi.jpg)
The dishes that make up osechi each have a special meaning celebrating the New Year.
More about Osechi?  ----->  Wikipedia: Osechi
What is Japanese new year like? ----> Wikipedia: Japanese New Year

January
- 元日（がんじつ）New Year's Day (January 1) 
- 初夢（はつゆめ）Lucky Dreams (January 2)
- だるま市（だるまいち）Daruma fair (January 6-7)
- 春の七草（はるの ななくさ）The Seven Herbs of Spring (January 7)
- 成人の日（せいじんの ひ）Coming-of-Age Day (Second Monday of January)
- 出初式（でぞめしき）The New Year's Parade of Fire Brigades (Early in the month)
- 鏡開き（かがみびらき）Partaking of Decorative Mochi (January 11)
- 七福神巡り（しちふくじん めぐり）Paying Your Respects to the Seven Deities of Good Fortune (Middle of the month)

February
- 節分と豆まき（せつぶんと まめまき）Setsubun and Bean-Throwing (February 3 or 4)
- 立春（りっしゅん）Risshun (February 4 or 5)
- 札幌雪祭り（さっぽろ ゆきまつり）Sapporo Snow Festival (Early in the month)
- 建国記念日（けんこくきねんび）National Foundation Day (February 11)

(from: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/)

Intermediate on 1/27/11

Number of students: 7 including 3 new students (+1 on Monday)
Summary:
(1)Shogatsu story
   - handout

(2)W-up:
   Q:  ふゆやすみに なにを しましたか。 = What did you do during the winter break?
   A:  たくさん たべものを たべました。= I ate a lot.
     たくさん ねました。= I slept a lot.
     つまの あねの いえに いきました。= I went to my wife's older sister's house.
     ミシガンでスキーをしました。= I skied in Michigan.
     ふるさとに かえりました。 = I went to my hometown.
     にほんごを べんきょうしました。= I studied Japanese.
     ねこの あかちゃんと あそびました。= I played with the baby kitten.

(3)Review:  Adjectives (affirmative and negative, present and past tense) (pp.100-101)
   - handout for adjective conjugation
   - Practice: Workbook pp.44-45

(4)Vocabulary practice
   - Lesson 5-3 vocabulary sheet

Homework:
(1) Practice writing Hiragana
   - Hiragana and Katakana chart
   - practice sheets 50おん  50おん+
*Please print out them and practice writing Hiragana. I'll check them by the next week if you submit them.

(2) Practice lesson 5 dialogue (pp.96-97)

Next class (February 3):
(1) Hiragana review quiz
(2) Lesson 5-2 すきな/きらいな(p.102), 5-4 ましょう/ましょうか(p.103)
(3) Lesson 5 Dialogue (pp.96-97)

The spring 2011 class will begin on January 27.

I am offering the Japanese Intermediate Class this spring at the ACC.  Please come to my class and enjoy learning Japanese!

----------------------------
  Japanese Intermediate Class :
This is a class for beginners who have learned some basics of Japanese (e.g. reading and writing of hiraganas and katakanas, some basic sentence patterns and particles, etc.), and the class uses a textbook titled "Genki I" (teacher will email copies in pdf format for printing).

Note that this is a continued class from the last semester, but it is not restricted to the students from the last semester, of course, but open to anyone who is more or less at the same level in Japanese learning.

Meets every Thursday Evenings at 5:15-6:15pm
The first day: January 27
----------------------------

Besides my class, the ACC is offering three Japanese classes.

1)        Japanese Beginner I
Come and join us to learn the basics of Japanese. No previous knowledge of Japanese is necessary. You will start from writing hiragana and katakana, the basics of grammar, and reading. Then we will quickly move into beginning conversation practice. The class uses a textbook titled "Genki I" (teacher will email copies in pdf format for printing).Meets every Monday from 6:20-7:20 pm. Teacher: Saki Kobayashi. Begins 1/24/11.

2)        Japanese Beginners II
No previous knowledge of Japanese is necessary. After the teacher will review hiragana and katakana, you will start from the basics of grammar. Then we will quickly move into beginning conversation practice. The class uses a textbook titled "Genki I" (teacher will email copies in pdf format for printing). Time: Every Tuesday at 5:15-6:15pm. Teacher: Ryoko Kijimoto. Begins 1/25/11.

3)        Japanese Beginner I
This is a class for beginners who have never learned basics of Japanese. No previous knowledge of Japanese is necessary. You will start from writing hiragana and katakana, the basics of grammar, and reading. Then we will quickly move into beginning conversation practice. The class uses a textbook titled "Genki I" (teacher will email copies in pdf format for printing). Meets every Wednesday from 6:20-7:20 pm Teacher: Haruka Suzuki. Begins 1/26/11.

Please check them, and start or continue learning Japanese!

I look forward to seeing returning and new students on Thursday!

TOKYO - CRUISE 2010

Tokyo looks like this very much!

[YouTube] TOKYO - CRUISE 2010［東京］
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjC72RIDt_A&feature=channel

Intermediate on 11/30/10

Number of students: 6
Summary
(1)Review:  Adjectives (affirmative and negative) (pp.100-101)
 
(2)Lesson 5 Last week's Homework
  - homework (11/16)
 
(3)Lesson 5-1 Adjectives (Past Tense) (pp.100-101)
   - handout for adjective conjugation (page.2)
   - い-adjectives (ex. おおきい = big)
        past affirmative: おおきかったです
        past negative: おおきくありませんでした／（おおきくなかったです）
   - な-adjectives (ex. きれいな = beautiful, clean)
        past affirmative: きれいでした
        past negative: きれいではありませんでした／きれいじゃありませんでした

(4)Practice
   - p.107  II-A,B, C and D
 
 
Next class (January 25)
 
Thank you for your hard work this semester! Have a good winter break!! よいお年（とし）を！

Intermediate on 11/16/10

Number of students: 6
Summary
(1)Lesson 5 Adjectives
   - handout: L5-1 practice adjectives

Homework
(1)Handout: L5-2 practice adjectives 
 
Next class (November 30)
(1) Lesson 5-1 Adjectives (Past Tense) (pp.100-101)
 
Have a good thanksgiving break!

Holidays and Events in November and December

Q. これは なんですか。

(photo: http://www.studio-alice.co.jp/aniversa/index.html)

A. これは 七五三（しちごさん）です。
七五三（しちごさん Shichi-go-san)(seven-five-three)
Shichi-Go-San is a traditional rite of passage and festival day in Japan for three and seven year-old girls and three and five year-old boys, held annually on November 15.

November 
- 文化の日（ぶんかのひ）Culture Day (November 3) 
- 学園祭（がくえんさい）School Festivals (Early in the month)
- もみじ祭り（もみじまつり）Momiji Festivals (Middle of the month)
- 酉の市（とりのいち）Tori no Ichi (The Festival of the Rooster) (The days of the rooster )
- 七五三（しちごさん）Shichi-go-san (November 15)
- 勤労感謝の日（きんろうかんしゃ の ひ）Labor Thanksgiving Day (November 23)

December
- 笑い講（わらいこう）Laughing Your Way to Heaven (Waraiko) (The first Sunday)
- 年賀状を書く（ねんがじょう を かく）Writing Nengajo (Middle of the month)
- 羽子板市（はごいたいち）Hagoita Market (December 17-19)
- 天皇誕生日（てんのうたんじょうび）Emperor's Birthday (December 23)
- クリスマス（くりすます）Christmas day (December 24-25)
- 餅つき（もちつき）Mochi-tsuki (Late in the month)
- なまはげ祭り（なまはげまつり）The Monsters of the Oga Peninsula (December 31)
- 年越し（としこし）Ushering in the New Year (December 31)
Japanese New Year

(from: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/)
(from: http://www.wikipedia.org/)
(from: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2062.html)

Intermediate on 11/09/10

Number of students: 7
Summary
(1)Review: Past Tense of verbs
   - Please answer the following questions.
     1)しゅうまつは　どうでしたか。 = How was the weekend?
     2)きょうは　なにを　たべましたか。 = What did you eat today?
     3)きょうは　なんじに　おきましたか。 = What time did you get up?

(2)Lesson 5 Vocabulary (pp.98-99)
   - handout for vocabulary
   - audio file for vocabulary: http://www.coscom.co.jp/learnjapanese101/learnjapanese102.html
   - handout for adjective conjugation
   - い-adjectives (ex. おおきい = big)
        present affirmative: おおきいです
        present negative: おおきくありません／おおきくないです
   - な-adjectives (ex. きれいな = beautiful, clean)
        The conjugation pattern of な-adjective is much more straightforward.  It actually is exactly the same as the conjugation table of です which follows a noun, as discussed in Lesson 4.
        present affirmative: きれいです
        present negative: きれいではありません／きれいじゃありません

(3)Practice
   - p.105  I-A,B, C and D
 
Homework
(1)Workbook I p.41
(2)Practice vocabulary and conjugation of adjectives!!!
     I hope the links belows will be helpful to learn vocabulary and conjugation! Let's try them!
  - Genki Exercises (vocabulary)
     http://oldweb.lyon.edu/webdata/users/mpeek/JapanWebpages/GenkiExercises.htm#Lesson 5
  - Vocabulary Exercises from Usagi-Chan's Genki Resource Page
     http://aitweb.csus.edu/fl/japn/genki_vocab_main1.php
  - Adjective conjugation practice
      http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/self/verb.en.html
  (You might need to change 'encoding' of the web page in order to read Japanese characters.)
 
Next class (November 16)
(1)Lesson 5-1 Adjectives (Past Tense) (pp.100-101)

For your information the last class of Fall, 2010 is November 30th.

Have a good weekend!!