Beginners 1 on 04/06/10

Number of students: 8
Summary
(1)Lesson 2: Review of vocabularies about things and numbers (100-99,999) (p.40)
(2)Lesson 2: いくらですか。（Ikura desu ka.） = How much is it?
[Expression 1] 
    - これ は いくらですか。（kore wa ikura desu ka.） = How much is this?
    - １０００ えん です。（sen en desu.） = It's 1000 yen.
    - ほん は いくらですか。（hon wa ikura desu ka.） = How much is the book?
    - 3０００ えん です。（san zen en desu.） = It's 3000 yen.
    * 1$ = about 100 yen. If you'd like to know the exact exchange rate, click on the link.
    http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/USD/graph120.html

[Expression 2]
    - たかいですね。(takai desune.) = It's expensive.
    - やすいですね。(yaui desune.) = It's cheap.
    - とても たかいですね。（totemo takai desune.） = It's very expensive.

    - これ を ください。（kore o kudasai.） = Please give me this./ I'll take this.
    - どうぞ。（douzo.） = Here it is.

(3)Lesson 2: これ,それ, あれ, and どれ (p.34)
    - これ（kore） = this thing here (in front of the speaker)
    - それ（sore） = that thing in front of you (the listener)
    - あれ（are）  =  that one over there (that is neither close to the speaker nor the listener)
    - どれ（dore） =  which one?

[Example 1]
    - これ は なんですか。（kore wa nan desu ka.） = What is this?
    - それ は かさ です。（sore wa kasa desu.） = That (in front of you) is an umbrella.
[Example 2]
    - あれ は なんですか。（are wa nan desu ka.） = What is that (over there)?
    - あれ は えんぴつ です。（are wa enpitsu desu.） = That (over there) is a pencil.
[Example 2]
    - どれ ですか。（dore desu ka.） = Which one is it (that you are talking about)?

Homework
(1)A handout about Numbers
(2)Practice vocabularies, numbers in Lesson 2, and today's expressions (p.34)

Next week
(1)Lesson 2 Writing practice (vocabularies, expressions)
(2)Lesson 2 "だれのnoun" (p.36), and "noun も" (p.37)
Please print out the copy of the textbook Lesson 2, and bring it to the next class!

See you next week!

Beginners 1 on 03/30/10

Number of students: 7
Summary
(1)about homework (Hiragana Long vowels)
   - gakusee → gakusei    A. がくせい
   - choosa → chousa      A.  ちょうさ
   - jugyoo → jugyou        A.  じゅぎょう
   - ryokoo → ryokou       A.  りょこう
   In the class, I forgot to mention the following word which contains a long vowel.
   - otoosan → otousan       A.  おとうさん

(2)Lesson 1: dialogue (pp.10-11) (pair practice)

(3)Lesson 2: Vocabularies about things
   ぼうし（boushi） = cap, hat
   しんぶん（shinbun） = newspaper
   えんぴつ（enpitsu） = pencil
   かばん（kaban） = bag
   くつ（kutsu） = shoes
   じしょ（jisho） = dictionary
   とけい（tokei） = watch, clock
   ほん（hon） = book
   かさ（kasa） = umbrella
   さいふ（saihu） = wallet
   ジーンズ（jiinzu） = jeans
   テープ（teepu） = tape
   ノート（nooto） = notebook
   ペン（pen） = pen
[Expression]
   これは なんですか。（kore wa nandesuka.） = What is this?
   じしょ です。（jisho desu.） = It's a dictionary.

(4)Lesson 2: Numbers (100-99,999) (p.40)
   - Exercise  p.40 I-A

Homework
(1)Practice vocabularies in Lesson 2 (especially about "Things")
(2)Practice Numbers (100-99,999)
    - http://www.ajalt.org/sfyj/index.html   (Click "Numbers 2")

Next week
(1)Lesson 2 "How much is it?" (pp.40-42)
(2)Lesson 2 これ,それ, あれ, and どれ (p.34)
Please print out the copy of the textbook Lesson 2, and bring it to
the next class!

See you at Japan Night!

Let's Learn Hiragana with Japanese Culture

For your information;

Learn how to write a word relating to Japanese culture and society in hiragana, and its history. The featured word is "Soba", Japanese noodles made of buckwheat flour.
http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraculture15.htm?nl=1

photo : http://www.euroshop.jal.com/uk/search_result.php?id=22&subcat=58&cat_level3_id=19

Beginners 1 on 03/23/10

Number of students: 8
Summary
(1)Reviewing Numbers and Time (Genki text pp.20-21)
(2)Lesson 1: れんしゅう（Practice） (Genki text pp.22-26)
   - Exercise  p.22 II-B, III-A
   - Exercise  pp.23-25 IV, V-A,B,
   - Exercise  p.26 VI-B 　

Homework
(1)Lesson 1 Review Quiz
(2)Practice the dialogue (pp.10-11) with listening to the audio files,
    or you can watch a movie
    - http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/self/movlist.html
(3)Start practicing the vocabularies of Lesson 2 (pp.32-33)

Next week
(1)Lesson 1 dialogue (pp.10-11)
(2)New vocabularies in Lesson 2
(3)Numbers (100-99,999) (p.40)

See you next week!

 

Holidays and Events in March and April

For your information;
from: http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/calendar/

March
- ひなまつり   Hina Matsuri (March 3)
- ホワイトデー   White Day (March 14)
- 春分の日（しゅんぶんのひ）   Vernal Equinox Day
- 卒業式（そつぎょうしき）   Graduation Ceremony
- 春の高校野球（はるのこうこうやきゅう）   Spring High-School Baseball Tournament
- アニメ フェスティバル   Animation Festivals
- 春休み（はるやすみ）   Spring Vacation

April
- 学期始め（がっきはじめ）   Start of the School Year (April 1)
- 灌仏会（かんぶつえ）   Kambutsu-e (the Buddha's Birthday Festival) (April 8)
- プロ野球（やきゅう）   Pro Baseball
- お花見（おはなみ）   Hanami (Cherry-Blossom Viewing)
- 始業式（しぎょうしき）   School Entrance Ceremony (second week of April)
- 部活動（ぶかつどう）   Club Activities (late April)
- ゴールデンウィーク   "Golden Week" (April 29-May 5)
- 昭和の日（しょうわのひ）   Showa Day (April 29)

Let's Learn Hiragana with Japanese Culture

For your information;

Learn how to write a word relating to Japanese culture and society in hiragana, and its history. The featured word is "Sentou", public Japanese bathhouses with a large bath.
http://japanese.about.com/library/blhiraculture14.htm?nl=1

photo : http://tylerandalyssa.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/sjpl-6/

What is your major (in Japanese)?

あなたの せんもんは なんですか？= What is your major?

If you'd like to answer your major in Japanese, the following site may help you to find the Japanese name of your major.
http://www.chonmage-eigojuku.com/tangohen/tango20.html

or find your major in the "List of academic disciplines (Wikipedia)," click your major, and change the language to Japanese, "日本語"（にほんご). I hope this information will help you. :)
Now you can answer,
わたしの せんもんは ○○です。= My major is ○○. 

Beginners 1 on 03/09/10

Number of students: 11 including 1 new student
Summary
(1)Hiragana reading practice
・names of a part of a face (あたま、かお、くび、まゆげ、め、まつげ、はな、くち、etc.)
・common Japanese names (たなか、すずき、きくち、みやざき、まつもと、etc.)
・days of a week
・names of family and some jobs

(2)Lesson 1: じかん・とし（Time / Age） (Genki text p.29, p21)
    - じかん（Time）：Add じ（ji） after numbers.
　　　・ごぜん（gozen） = a.m. / ごご（gogo） = p.m.
　　　・ex) ごぜん ７じ です。（gozen shichi ji desu.） = It's 7 a.m.
    - とし（Age）：The counter suffix ～さい is used to indicate "-years old."

(3)Lesson 1: Questions for Numbers (Genki text pp.15-16)
  1).いま、なんじですか。（Ima, nan ji desu ka.） = What time is it now?
     - ７じ です。（Shichi ji desu.） = It's 7 o'clock.

  2).メアリーさんは なんさい ですか。（Mary san wa nansai desu ka.） = How old is Mary?
     - 19 さい です。（juu kyuu sai desu.） = She is 19 years old.
     - おいくつですか。（oikutsu desu ka.） = How old are you? (more polite than "なんさいですか.")

  3).たけしさんは なんねんせい ですか。（Takeshi san wa nan nensei desu ka.） = What year is Takeshi in college?
     - 2ねんせい です。（Ni nensei desu.） = I am a sophomore.
     - だいがく 3ねんせい です。（Daigaku san nensei desu.） = I am a junior in college.
     - しゅうし 1ねんせい です。（Shuushi ichi nensei desu.） = I am the 1st year of the Master.
     - はくし (or はかせ) 4ねんせい です。（Hakushi (or Hakase) yo nensei desu.） = I am the 4th year of the Ph.D.

  4).でんわばんごうは なんですか。（Denwabangou wa nan desu ka.） = What is your telephone number?
     - 123 - 4567です。（Ichi ni san no yon go roku nana desu.） = It's 123-4567.

(4)Lesson 1: Review Exercises (Genki text p.27)

Homework
(1)a Hiragana practice sheet (I gave you in today's class)
(2)Review today's lesson (ひらがな、カタカナ、Numbers, Questions for numbers)!!
     
We won't have a class next week (March 16th) because of Spring break.
Happy Spring Break! （たのしい はるやすみ を！）

See you on March 23rd!!

Beginners 1 on 03/02/10

Number of students: 8 including 1 new student
Summary
(1)Writing Hiragana and Katakana, らりるれろ, わをん, ラリルレロ, and ワヲン.
(2)Similar Hiragana
    - I gave a handout for similar hiragana.
(3)Lesson 1:  Reviewing a particle 「の」

(4)Lesson 1:  Numbers (0-100) (Genki text p.20)
    -You can see Japanese numbers in this website.
      http://japanese.about.com/od/japanesevocabulary/a/numbers.htm
      http://www.ajalt.org/sfyj/index.html
    - Exercise p.20 A,B, and C
    <how to pronounce +, -, =  >
     ・   +   たす（tasu）
     ・   -    ひく（hiku）
     ・   =   は（wa）
     ex.1)  4 + 5 = 9 　よん たす ご は きゅう. (yon tasu go wa kyuu)
     ex.2)  7 - 7 = 0 　なな ひく なな は れい. (nana hiku nana wa ree)

Homework
(1)Review ひらがな, カタカナ, Numbers.
    Practice numbers with these websites!
      - Numbers Listening Quiz
        http://genki.japantimes.co.jp/self/site/gakusyu/number.html
      - Number song (kids like this ;))
        http://www.genkienglish.net/genkijapan/learnjapanesenumbers.htm

Next Week
(1)Time (p.21)
(2)Time (minutes) and Age (p.29)
(3)What time is it? / What is your cellphone number? / What year are you in college (or high school)? / How old are you? (p.16)
(4)Interviewing game (p.27)
(5)(if we have time) more exercises (some pages from pp.22,23)

Please print out Lesson 1 of Genki textbook and bring them to the class!!!

See you next week!!

the website: Web Japan

I found a website that you may enjoy to get to know more about Japan.  When you have time, please check it!
Web Japan
http://web-japan.org/index.html
Kids Web Japan is also a nice site.
http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/index.html

I will bookmark this site in this blog.