Intermediate on 11/02/10

Number of students: 7
Summary
(1)Review: Lesson4 Past Tense
   - Please answer the following question.
     1)しゅうまつ、なにを　しましたか。 = What did you do over the weekend?

(2)Practice
   - p.92  VII-A,B

(3)Lesson 5 Vocabulary (pp.98-99)
   - handout
    - 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

Homework
(1)Practice new vocabulary (affirmative and negative form of adjectives)

Next class (November 9)
(1)Lesson 5-1 Adjectives (pp.100-101)

Have a wonderful day!!

Intermediate on 10/26/10

Number of students: 8
Summary
(1)Review: Lesson4-3 Past Tense
   - Please answer the following questions.
     1)きょう、なにを　たべましたか。 = What did you eat today?
     2)なんじに　ひるごはんを　たべましたか。 = What time did you eat lunch?
     3)どこで　ひるごはんを　たべましたか。 = Where did you eat lunch?
     4)きょう　なんじに　おきましたか。 = What time did you get up?
     5)きのう　にほんごを　べんきょうしましたか。 = Did you study Japanese yesterday?
     ...etc.

(2)Lesson 4-7 も(p.81)
   - particle は、が、を　→　も
   - particle に　→　にも　Ex.わたしは きょうとに いきました。おおさかにも いきました。
   - particle で　→　でも　Ex.うちで べんきょうしました。としょかんでも べんきょうしました。

(3)Practice
   - p.90  VI-A,B

(4)Lesson 4 Dialogue (pp.72-73)
   - You can see the Genki movie (L4)
        http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/self/movlist.en.html
   - New vocabulary and expression
     1)どうして = why?
     2)わかりません = I don't know.
     3)だから = so; therefore
     4)ひとりで = alone
     5)しゃしんを とる = take pictures
     6)おみやげ = souvenir
     7)さっき = a little while ago
     8)でんわが ありました = (you) had a phone call
     9)まちます（dictionary form: まつ）= to wait
 
Homework
(1)Workbook p.38

Next class (November 2)
(1)Lesson 4 Review
(2)Lesson 5 New Vocabulary (adjectives)

Have a wonderful day!!

Intermediate on 10/19/10

Number of students: 5
Summary
(1)Lesson4-3 Past Tense (pp.79-80)
   - verb conjugation table

   - the past tense forms of verbs
      -affirmative:  かえります---> かえりました
      -negative:  かえりません---> かえりませんでした

   - the past tense of "XはYです" sentence
      -affirmative:  がくせいです---> がくせいでした
      -negative:  がくせいではありません---> がくせいではありませんでした
      -negative:  がくせいじゃありません---> がくせいじゃありませんでした
  * As was the case with the present tense じゃありません, written language would more likely have ではありませんでした, instead of the contracted from じゃありませんでした.

   - 高校（こうこう）のとき (when I was in high school)
   - 子供（こども）のとき (when I was a child)

(2)Practice
   - p.86  III-A
   - p.88  IV-B
   - p.90  V

(3)Lesson 4-4 たくさん(= many, a lot) (p.80)
(4)Lesson 4-5 一時間（いちじかん）(= for an hour) (p.80)
(5)Lesson 4-6 と(= and / together with) (p.81)
  
Homework
(1)Workbook p.35, 37

Next class (October 26)
(1)Lesson 4-7 も(p.81)
(2)Lesson 4 Dialogue (pp.72-73)
We are going to finish Lesson 4 next week!!

Have a wonderful rest of the week!!

Intermediate on 10/12/10

Number of students: 7
Summary
(1)Review: Lesson4 Expressions using the location words
   - handout

(2)Lesson 4 Dialogue 1 & 2
   - handout
   - website http://www.coscom.co.jp/learnjapanese201/learnjapanese203.html
     (You can listen to the dialogue in the website.  Please practice it until you can speak naturally!)

(3)Lesson 4 Dialogue 3
   - handout
   - website http://mykikitori.com/lesson4.html 
     (You can listen to the dialogue in the website.  Please practice it until you can speak naturally!)
 
Homework
(1)Practice the dialogues by using the audio files in the websites!

Next class (October 19)
(1)Lesson 4-3 Past Tense
(2)Lesson 4-4 たくさん, 4-5 一時間（いちじかん）, 4-6 と

Have a wonderful day!

Intermediate on 10/05/10

Number of students: 7
Summary
(1)Review: Lesson4 Grammar あります／ありません,　います／いません (There is/are X.) (pp.77-78)
　　ex1.) あそこに えんぴつが あります。(There is a pencil over there.)
　　ex.2) にほんに ともだちが います。(I have a friend in Japan.)

(2)Practice
   - p.84  I-C

(3)Lesson4-2  new Vocabulary (location words) (p.94)
   - writing and saying them out    (handout)

(4)Lesson4 Grammar Describing Where Things Are.(pp.78-79)
　Aはどこですか？
     - A is to the right of B ---> Aは Bの みぎです。
     - A is to the left of B ---> Aは Bの ひだりです。
     - A is in front of B ---> Aは Bの まえです。
     - A is behind B ---> Aは Bの うしろです。
     - A is inside B ---> Aは Bの なかです。
     - A is on/above B ---> Aは Bの うえです。
     - A is under/beneath B ---> Aは Bの したです。
     - A is near B ---> Aは Bの そばです。
     - A is next to B ---> Aは Bの となりです。
     - A is between B and C ---> Aは BとCの あいだです。

(5)Practice
   - p.85  II-A,B

(6)Practice by the Homework
　　Q.1) たかこさんの へやに 何（なに）が ありますか。(What is there in Takako's room?)
　　A.1) ベッドとつくえといすとハローキティがあります。 (There are a bed, a desk, a chair and a Hello kitty.)

　　Q.2) つくえはどこですか。 (Where is your desk?)
　　A.2) つくえはベッドのみぎにあります。 (My desk is to the right of the bed.)
　　....

Homework
(1) Lesson 4-2 homework sheet (if you were absent, please email me.)

Next class (October 12)
(1)Lesson 4-2 Review of describing the location
(2)Lesson 4-3 Past Tense

Intermediate on 09/28/10

Number of students: 9 including 1 new student
Summary
(1)Lesson4 Grammar あります／ありません,　います／いません (There is/are X.) (pp.77-78)

　　ex1.) とけい が あります。(There is a clock.)
     - the thing description is usually followed by the particle が, rather than は.
　　ex.2) せんせい が います。(There is a teacher.)
     - For nonliving things, you use the verb あります／ありません.
     - For a person or some other sentient being, you need to use the verb います／いません.
　　ex.3) 木（き） が あります。(There is a tree.)
     - For a tree or flower (はな), you use あります／ありません.

　　ex.4) こども が います。 (I have a child./There is a child.)
　　ex.5) じかん が ありますか。 (Do you have time?)
     - You can also use あります／います to say that you have or own something.

　　ex.6) あそこに えんぴつが あります。(There's a pencil over there.)
　　ex.7) うちに ねこが います。(There is a cat at home.)
     - あります／います calls for the particle に for the place description.
         (place) に (thing) が あります／ありません。
        (place) に (person) が います／いません。  

　　ex.8)火曜日（かようび）に 日本語（にほんご）のクラスが あります。(There is a Japanese class on Tuesday.)
     - We also use あります when we want to say that an event will take place.
         (specific time) に (event) が あります／ありません。

(2)Practice
   - p.83  I-A,B

Homework
(1) Lesson 4-1 homework sheet (front and top part of back)

Next class (October 5)
(1)Lesson 4-2 Location words (p.94)
(2)Lesson 4-2 Describing where things are

また らいしゅう!! 

Intermediate on 09/21/10

Number of students: 6 including 2 new students
Summary
(1)Lesson4-1  new Vocabulary
   - writing and saying them out    (handout)

(2)Review of lesson 3
   - verb conjugation
   - particles
   - practice sheet

Homework
(1)practice sheet for Lesson 3 (if you need, please contact me by e-mail.)

Next class (September 28)
(1)Lesson 4-1 あります／ありません、います／いません
(2)Lesson 4-2 Vocabulary about location words

また らいしゅう！

Intermediate on 09/14/10

Number of students: 5 including 1 new student
Summary
(1)Review ひらがな (Hiragana)
   - Students wrote all Hiragana characters including Dakuon, Handakuon, Yoon.
   - Hiragana chart

(2)Review of lesson 1
   - Greeting
   - Self-introduction

(3)Review of lesson 2
   - Ko-So-A-Do pattern（これ、それ、あれ、どれ、この、その、あの、どの）
   - だれの ほん ですか。(Whose book it it?)

(4)Review of lesson 3
   - Verbs

Homework
(1)Practice vocabulary of Lesson4-1

Next class (September 21)
(1)Lesson 4-1 Vocabulary
(2)Review of lesson 3 (Verb conjugation, particles, frequency words)

See you tomorrow!

The fall 2010 class will begin on September 14.

I am offering the Japanese Intermediate Class this fall 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 Tuesday Evenings at 6:20-7:20pm
The first day: September 14
----------------------------

Besides my class, the ACC is offering two Japanese Beginners 1 Classes.

1)        Japanese Beginners I Class:
    No previous knowledge of Japanese is necessary. You will start from the basics of grammar and reading and writing hiragana and katakana. Then we will quickly move into beginning conversation practice.
    Time: Every Tuesday at 5:15-6:15pm. Teacher: Ryoko

2)        Japanese Beginner & Intermediate Combined:
    Meets every Wednesday from 5:15 – 6:15 p.m. Teacher: Yoshino

All classes will begin during the week of September 13.  Please check them, and start or continue learning Japanese!

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

Holidays and Events in September and October

Q. これは なんですか。

(Shonan Advertising Inc.)

A. これは 流鏑馬（やぶさめ）です。

流鏑馬（やぶさめ Yabusame）(archery on horseback) 
The riders with traditional samurai clothing charge down the road letting off three arrows at targets.

You can also watch this documentary.  This is interesting!!  If you have time, please watch this!
http://vimeo.com/8611471

September
- 防災訓練（ぼうさいくんれん）Disaster Prevention Day (September 1) 
- 二百十日（にひゃくとおか）Nihyaku Toka (Early in September)
- 敬老の日（けいろうのひ）Respect-for-the-Aged Day (Third Monday)
- 中秋の名月（ちゅうしゅうの めいげつ）Autumnal Moonlight Viewing (Middle of September)
- 鶴岡八幡宮の流鏑馬（つるがおかはちまんぐう の やぶさめ）Yabusame at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine (Middle of September)
- 秋分の日（しゅうぶん の ひ）Autumnal Equinox Day (September 23 or 24)

October
- 長崎くんち（ながさきくんち）Nagasaki Kunchi (October 7-9)
- 体育の日（たいいくのひ）Sports Day (Second Monday)
- 時代祭り（じだいまつり）Jidai Matsuri (in Kyoto) (October 22)
- 食欲の秋（しょくよく の あき）Autumn Appetite
- 紅葉の秋（こうよう の あき） Autumn Foliage  (Late in the month)

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