Teaching Review: Please enjoy Japanese!!

I am taking a course in teaching Japanese, and have two classes a week. They are on sixth period(6:00p.m.-7:30p.m.), so I have vacant hours. I really feel the time is so long every time, but today wasn't. It was because I was in charge of today's practice class. Every student will be in charge of two practice classes this year.

In my case, I had to teach about how to use attribute phrases. I also introduced how to use the verbs about clothes, glasses, hats, and other accessories. Japanese has its own system in verbs about clothing. For example, "kite-imasu(着ています)" is one of the dynamic verbs, not irregular verbs or progress forms.

Today was my second time, but I think the first time was better than this time. In the first time, I was more nervous about it and practiced hard for it. This time, however, I found the lack of practices, because the teaching plan was not memorized well. It is my reflection and self-examination.

But now I have finished my second challenge, so I am content with it. I want to have another new goals.

Anyway, I can sleep so well tonight! Good night...☆

[206 words]

Experience Review: Japanese Teaching!

I had an experience to teach Japanese in a class. Of course, it was the first time for me. It had spend so many hours to prepare for the thirty minutes. I used cards with pictures or words, which are verbs in Japanese. Besides, I have to paste thin magnets on the back of each cards, so that I could put them on the blackboard. I also prepare the handouts for a reviews.

At first, I have to get students to review the conjugations of verbs, and I was to teach "―ています", which is the present progress form in Japanese. I think it is not easy even for Japanese people to conjugate verbs. In order to introduce the expression, I wrote letters and cut a paper.

I had practiced the thirty- minute class and made sure how to put cards on the blackboard and show them to students. One of my friends has accompanied and helped me. Thanks to the practice, I could manage to do the thirty-minute teaching.

Our teacher gave me some advice, and I felt that it became a good experience to me. I am not sure whether I will be a Japanese teacher, but I hope it will benefit me, when it is needed.

[208 words ― total 11613 words]

Practice Japanese Teaching!

Next Friday, my turn has come around, and I am to try a practice lesson for thirty minutes.

I must be a transient teacher of Japanese! Yes, it is never easy. At first, I could not even imagine what my lesson will be like at all, so it was like a puzzle to me how to form my teaching plan. I spend so much time to prepare one lesson. I realized that how difficult it is (to teach and show new things to others clearly).

I am to teach "～ています", which is the present progress forms in English. To teach is so difficult, and I would not realise it without this experience. I am planning to use word cards and picture cards, and my teaching plan includes games and the practices of conjugations of verbs. I think I will get nervous at the time, but I am intend to practice and do my best.

I will report you about it. See you then!

[162 words ― total 10803 words]

Essay: To know others ＆ To know myself !

First of all, learning languages is very interesting! I know everyone think so too, don’t you? Of course, it never easy for me, but “No effort, no pleasure!” I often have to say it to myself! Anyway, our topic for this time is the language learning. I think the encounters, aims, incentives are especially important.

When, where and how I encounter a language is important, I feel. Now, I would like to talk about my first one. I began to learn the first foreign language when I was a junior high school student. Of course, it was English. Although native speakers sometimes came to my junior school, I was not interested in English. In the junior high school, I probably liked English, but I could not understand the grammar, especially be-verbs. For example, “I am swim.” is a sentence that I made in those days. That’s why I think the encounter of English and I was not so good. However, I had traveled abroad, so I thought English is a very important language, and I hoped that I will communicate people who live in countries where I will visit. In other words, I had an aim to learn it. Fortunately, I could understand English grammar at last in a high school class, and I got impressed and began to study harder. And! I am here. I am planning to stay other country for a month in summer in stead of studying abroad, so it becomes an incentive for me. I think it is also important to take tests, like TOEFL and TOEIC. The score is helpful to see whether we improve or lose our skill concretely.

Now, I am enjoying learning other languages. One of them is Chinese. I think that Chinese is the most close to me in my present circumstances. My friends also study Chinese. One of them has lived for five years in Taiwan, and she introduced me to Taiwanese friends and a Chinese teacher who lives here in Kumamoto. This is the encounter with Chinese. I have friends in Taiwan and sometimes write letters in Japanese and English and Chinese. Although some of them are good at speaking Japanese, my aim is to communicate with them in their mother tongue. I take a private lesson of Chinese every week, and it is very beneficial for me. These two points are incentives.

Besides, what I realized is the importance of learning Japanese. When we learn foreign languages, it gets us to see our own language in a different and objective view. Now I a little understand differences between Japanese and other languages and think of differences of thinking from them. It is also an interesting point. My Taiwanese friends are very eager in studying Japanese. It became an encounter for me to teach Japanese. This year, I take a course to learn how to teach Japanese to foreigners with my friend. I knew how difficult it is. However, I want to improve my teaching and teach my foreign friends. It is my aim, I think. Besides, I hope that this experience serve to live in other countries someday. This is an incentive for it.

As a conclusion, the encounters, aims and incentives are important to me. I am really glad that I could come to this foreign language department. Here are my friends trying to study languages together. I am encouraged by them and other friends to keep trying. I would like to continue learning in this university and after my graduation.♪

[588 words ― total 10222 words!]

Rainy season ☂

I am sorry that I have not post so much on CHK Diary. From today, I intend to start making an effort to do so again! There are so many stories are piling up, which I wanted to share with you. So please listen and look!

Now, it is a rainy season. In Japan, a rainy season comes in this time every year. Japanese people call it "Tsu-yu", and it also has another name "bai-u". The word, "bai" means Japanese apricots or plums. "Tsu-yu" is a rain which pours in the season of plums.

I think that Japanese naming for a rains are really aesthetic. There are so many naming for rains, like "sami-dare", "shi-gure", "aki-same", "namida-ame", "hi-same", and so on. These names come from each seasons and conditions which the rains pour. Japanese heart is really preferable, don't you think so?

[151 words ― total 9020 words]

Essay: University Life

It has already passed more than one year since I entered this university. Now, I think that it is good for me to talk about my university life. I want to focus on an aspect this time. It is also relevant to my aim which I had had when I entered this university. It is the language study.

I am majoring in English, so I have many English classes every week. At first, I got very nervous whenever I have to give my opinion and make a presentation in class, because I had not had such experiences before. However, I think that it is the valuable exercises to get accustomed to express my own opinions and feelings. Besides, I am challenging to get a high score in TOEIC. It is also an important target.

My second foreign language is Spanish. I feel that all of European languages are very difficult in grammar and paradigms. I like Spanish, however, because it has a cheerful mood. However, I think my true second foreign language is Chinese. It is also spoken by so many people. I have Taiwanese friends and got interested in it. I took Chinese lessons last year. This year, I am planning to start a private lesson by a native Chinese next week. I think that I can make such an effort because I got incentive to study Chinese from the meeting with my Taiwanese friends. By experience, I learned that the language study needs an incentive.

A pleasant part of university life is long vacations. It is very good to consider a plan. I am considering about staying in Australia in next summer vacation, and I also hope to stay in Taiwan in next spring vacation. I think it will be an enjoyable vacation and an opportunity for me to get an incentive for the language study. I should have such unforgettable experiences in my university life. It is a great use of vacations, isn’t it?

However, I have sometimes lost my original aim in my university life. In my curriculum, there are not only languages but also other various subjects such as social subjects and sciences. I have to take those classes too. When I am plowed under with homework for the classes and work to the deadline of reports, I often failed to attend to studying of languages. I was content with only finishing those assignments in time. In order not to waste the lesson, I am trying to set the order of priority this year, so that I can get satisfied when I graduate. My aim is not to write reports for sociology and history. I came to this school to improve my English, study other languages, and become able to orient myself to life in other countries.

As a conclusion, I am determined to enjoy learning foreign languages. I really appreciate I can do so. I think that my university life will be fruitful, no, I will make it meaningful. Of course, I do not have to become a perfectionalist. As long as I came to this university, I want to achieve my original aim. I really hope that I can enumerate what I gain in my university life, when I am asked, “What have you got in four years?”


[546 words ― total 7068 words]

我的台湾朋友！

Do you read and understand this phrase? It means 'My Taiwanese Friend'.

I have friends in Taiwan. One of them is older than me by two years old and very gentle and kind girl. She has a younger sister who is the same age as me. The younger sister likes swimming very much and goes swimming in early morning, without having a breakfast! It is unbelievable for me. They have been to my hometown as long time ago.

Besides, I visited them in Taiwan in August last year. The climates in Taiwan is very hot and humid, like where I live. My favorite food there are 芒果(Mango), 餃子(Jiao-zi), 三明治(san-ming-zhi), and so on. I tried so many foods! How delicious they are! I recommend you trying those foods.

The Taiwanese friend studies Japanese hard, and her Japanese is so fluent and natural. I am not puzzled in communications with her. If She can not understand a Japanese word, she can follow my explanation in Japanese.

Since last year, I have also studied Chinese in the class at the university. Besides, I plan to learn Chinese from a native Chinese teacher. I am really looking forward to be a fluent speaker of Chinese, and communicate with my friends in the language. Then, I will enjoy the significant visiting in Taiwan next time.

[223 words ― total 2973 words]