Presentations

     It was interesting seeing everyone's presentations!  I always like projects like this since you can learn a little more about everyone and see how much we've all grown since the beginning of the semester.  Since the main goal of studying a foreign language is to communicate in some way, I think presentations really allow us to apply what we've learned to a topic we're passionate about.  Hopefully having the exchange students there motivated everyone to do their best and try to impress them!  I think we have a tendency to lapse back into English in conversation since we don't want to embarrass ourselves, but things like this should help us build our confidence in using Japanese.

今週会う学生

火曜日日本の留学生が私たちの授業に来てあげました。たくさん人と会うのがとても楽しかったと思います。

ひでさんは東京から来ました。せんこうはけいざいです。好きな物はスケートボードやポケモンです。

スティーブさんは中国人ですけど、東京に住んでいます。しゅみは音楽だと言いました。バンドでベースをひきます。せんこうはしゃかい学です。

よくアクロンの日本語のクラブに行くから、けんとさんともう会いました。せんこうはしんり学です。やきゅうやテニスや音楽が好きです。ドラムをたたいてバイオリンをひきます。

りょうさんは千葉県から来ました。せんこうはけいえいだと言いました。ディズニーランドに近く住んでいるから、十分間自転車に乗って行けます。バスケが好きだから、クリス・ポーターのような人が知っています。

みんなさんは別な所から来ても、立教大学に通います。

Blogs #6 and #7

Last week we learned how to use 〜ても to form "even though" clauses in sentences.  Using it in conjunction with たら was very helpful in grasping how it can be used in real situations.  Doing the activity this week where we used ても and たら to discuss opinions was really fun and I think it got us seeing beyond the grammar as a structure so that we can see it as a tool to communicate real ideas.

This week, we learned ことにする to talk about things we plan to do and ことにしてる to describe long-tern resolutions.  We also discussed using まで to express things that will not occur until something else happens.  Since I think we all make these kinds of decisions, it was easy to apply it to our own lives and talk about them with each other.  All in all, I think the grammar is pretty clear and easy to catch on to, but it will be up to us as students to use it in practice to cement it in our minds.  

Blog #5

  Talking with the exchange students was really fun!  It's important to practice grammar and vocabulary in class, but having an authentic conversation that progresses beyond that really builds speaking skills and makes me more comfortable communicating in Japanese.  It also shows me how much I've improved since the last time I did a language exchange; it's really encouraging to see all my studying resulting in real, useful skills.

  Everyone was a bit shy at first, which is understandable in any language, but I think by the end most of us were more comfortable and we really got to engage in conversations about mutually interesting topics.  I'm sure all of us will be much more confident the next time we have such an opportunity, too!

  I hope it was beneficial to the exchange students as well, since it can be hard enough to make friends in a place you're familiar with, let alone in another language or in a foreign country.  By really talking to each other, everyone can make the most of their educational opportunities while having fun at the same time!

すぼいめぐみさん

昨週、すぼいめぐみさんがクラスに来ました。二十さいの学生と言いました。神奈川県から来たけど、立教大学に通います。せんもんは英語文学です。MIB3のようにアクションの映画を見るのが好きです。

Blog #4

This week we learned how to form conditional statements with the ば form.  Coming up with a way to teach it was fun since I like working with people!  It really helps me remember things if I explain them to someone.  The downside is that if something isn't explained well, it might be harder to understand it in the long-run.  Luckily, I think everyone did pretty well.  

ふじまるさん

　木曜日のクラスでふじまるかなさんと会いました。ふじまるさんは千葉県から来た立教大学の学生です。２１歳の女性です。せんもんはかんこうです。しゅみは音楽を聞いてベースをひきます。バンドで、Green Day がすきです。動物があんまりすきじゃありません。ゆうき先生が面白いと言いました。

Blog #3

  This week we learned how to conjugate the causative form.  For る verbs, you simply take off る and add させる.  It was fun to learn about all the things my classmates' parents made them do while practicing our grammar.  For う verbs, the u syllable becomes an a syllable and せる is added.  する becomes させる and くる becomes こさせる.  It's easy enough with verbs I'm familiar with, but I have to be extra careful to remember if the new vocabulary words are う verbs or る verbs.    

Blog #2

  In the past week, we've learned how to use 間に, adjective +する, and てほしい.  We also went over this chapter's kanji.  I had the most fun coming up with ways to use てほしい since I've only been able to talk about what I want to do myself for quite a while.  My greatest challenge was learning so much at once without mixing things up.  Luckily, I'm used to absorbing lots of information at once, so reviewing regularly should be enough to keep everything straight.

  Forming adjective +する phrases works much like forming adjective +なる phrases.  For い adjectives, the い is dropped and くする is added.  >高い, for instance, would become 高くする.  しずかな becomes しずかにする.   For な adjectives, な is dropped and にする is added.  The irregular adjective いい becomes よくする.  All of these describe the action of changing the qualities of something (the direct object) so that it becomes more like the adjective in question.  

Blog #1

  This week we learned how to use 〜てある to describe things that have been done and continued practicing using passive sentences.  It's not too difficult since it's just changing the endings of verbs, but sometimes I have to think for a minute to remember passive/active verb pairs to figure out if I should use 〜てある.  Once I get back into the swing of things, it shouldn't be too hard, though.  

  With 〜てある, I conjugate the て form of a transitive verb and add ある。For example, to say that the door has been opened, I would use the verb あける and 〜てある: ドアがあけてあります。To say that the door is opening, I would use the verb あく and 〜ている: ドアが開いています。

Making a skit was fun, since not only did we get to apply what we're learning to a realistic situation, we got to think about what would be the best way to say things in that situation.  As we learn grammar structures that have more specific connotations, it's important to distinguish between subtleties in meaning.

フィギュアスケートとローラースケート

今週ローラースケートを練習しました。子供のときから、スケートしています。テレビで長野オリンピックを見て楽しんだったから、母はアイスリンクに連れって行きました。むずしかったけど、大好きでした。ミシェル・クワンやクリスティー・ヤマグチのようになりたかったから、がんばりました。四年間ぐらいフィギュアスケートのクラスを受けました。もっと上手になていたが、そう思いませんでした。テストにごうかくしなくて、やめました。時々スケートしたけど、もう練習しませんでした。

ミネソタローラーガールズ

今、ローラースケートにきょうみがあります。ローラーダービー（英語で 「roller derby」)をしたいから、とても練習しなくちゃいけません。またやめるかもしれません。でも、あの時までがんばります。

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自作のコミック

　

今日は日本語のクラスは始まりますよ。ケント大学に戻ってうれしいです。　ひさしぶりに日本語を勉強しますけど、よくがんばります。

 　今、専攻はコミュニケーションですが、夢はコミックを作ります。去年、ミネアポリスでコミックのびじゅつを勉強していました。でも、通った学校の先生はとてもむずかしいし、おちこんだし、オハイオ州に帰りました。ミネアポリスが好きですが、日本語を勉強できるからここに住んでいるも好きです。

 　もう漫画家になりたいですよ。でも、げいじゅつ大学に行かなくてもいいです。どこにもいつも描けます。