あります vs. います

Here is the handout for exist (inanimate vs. animate) and saying you have things.

Here is a bite-sized video about the concept to help you get it.

...and another one that's less annoying.

Asking for Phone Numbers

Here is the asking for phone numbers assignment, and a splendid video about あります・います (exist inanimate/animately)

Numbers Part 2

Here is a comprehensive guide to the big numbers and other counting systems.

Here is Risa with an excellent explanation of simple counting, even with big, big numbers.

Numbers Part 1

Here is the kanji practice drill for numbers.  the readings and meangs can be foud on the drillsheet, of course.  Download this if you lose yours or the dog eats it or something.

Here is a bingo grid if you want to play on your own.

Here is a quizlet for pronunciation (hiragana).

And here is a quizlet for the kanji.

Here's Risa's expalnation of numbers superstition

And here, Tofugu interviews Japan about the number 4. (EEEEEEK!!!)

電車男

Here is the Rotton Tamatoes page for 電車男(Train Man).  If you missesd it in class, you can find somewhere to stream and watch it- or another Japanese film of your choice, and turn in a list of words (written in both ひらがな and English- no Roomaji) that you recognize from the film.

Dialogue assignment: End of Unit 2- school daze

Dialogue assignment is here.

Sumo!!!

Here is the assignment and here is the accompanying video.

Additionally, here are a few short videos of interesting matches.

Video 1

Video 2

Setsubun!!!  節分！

Here's the video we watched about the February 3rd holiday.

Quiz Review Materials

Though this quiz is not about Hiragana expressly, much of it will be written in hiragana, so please be prepared for that.

In addition to the power point and other articles published in the last week or so, here are some vocabulary lists:

Here's a master vocabulary list of what we've been doing in this unit so far.  Click here.

Here is the list of school subjects.  Click here.

This is the handout on spelling double consonants with itty, bitty, silent つ.  Click here.

Here is the translation piece with "Please shut the book," etc.  Click here.

Lastly, here is the handout for the culture lesson about Chinese influences on Japan.

THE LAST HIRAGANA!!!

Here is the drill sheet for those last hiragana. click on this: ひ、ふ、む、め、や、り

Click on the symbols below for the stroke-order animation sites for each character

ひ

ふ

む

め

や

り

Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald

We're screening Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald in class. For the next assignment, you will need to produce 10 content questions (and supply answers) about the movie.  For extra points, keep track of words in Japanese you recognize throughout the movie.  Write them in Japanese and in English.  Due when the movie is over.

Click on this for the Variety Magazine review of the movie.

New Hiragana O, KE, RU, CHI, TSU

Click here for the practice drill sheet for these exciting new hiragana!

Click on the following for stroke order animations and information about each character:

Hiragana お

Hiragana け

Hiragana る

Hiragana ち

Hiragana つ

Particle は　vs.　Particle　を

Here's the PowerPoint comparing particle は and particleを.

If that doesn't work for you, here's a very easy-to-understand video featuring a Japanese woman wearing an ascot:

video

School Vocabulary 1

Click here for a powerPoint introduction to "school" vocabulary.

Click here for a quizlet to help you study.

And here's another quizlet. Just click.

New Hiragana  yu, u, ro, mo, ne

Click here for another copy of the drill excersize.

Click on  these for stroke-order animations and other information:

ゆ　　YU

う　　　U

ろ＿＿＿RO

も＿＿＿MO

ね＿＿＿NE　

 Shall We ダンス？

Here is the worksheet viewing assignment for the Shall We ダンス？ movie.

Here is Roger Ebert"s

review of Shall We Dance.  

 If you need to make up this assignment, write a response to Mr. Ebert's review.

Dialogue

Dialogue  for completion of introductions unit

Japanese Toilet Etiquette

In order to avoid some awkwardness in Japan, and to gain some insight into Japanese ingenuity when it comes to saving money and being green, we should learn how to use a Japanese toilet.  In class we had an open-note quiz after this lecture.  If you missed class, make up the assignment by viewing the following material, and write a short synopsis of the differences in Japanese and American toilet use and turn in.

Here is the PowerPoint we used in class, and a video from Risa.

Here's the "quiz" we did in class!!!

This is the one we did in class covering the recent ideas we've talked about- possessives, this, that, that over there, which, here, there, nationalities, etc.

You can do this open-note at home if you want and hand in next time we meet in class.  Just click here for the download.

Here's a Powerpoint explaining this, that, that over there, and which? 

These are 

これ、それ、あれ、どれ

or

この(n)、その(n)、あの(n)、どの(n)

 Video is on the last slide.

Review work sheet:  これ Means "this" 

We will do this in class.  This worksheet will walk you through recent concepts one more time and prep for for what's coming next.  Click here for that worksheet.

Introducing the kanji for "hito!" ひと：

It Does nationalities, and counts people, too!

Click here for an explanation!

Spelling with small ya, yu, yo!!!

Here are some videos further explaining spelling"contraction"  or "blend" sounds with small ya, you, and yo.

video 1

video 2

video 3

Tenses: Desu

Here is the short PowerPoint explaining the tenses of Desu.

Japanese Creation Myths

Here's the PowerPoint we used in class.

Clicking on this picture will take you to a simplified version of the Creation myth.  If you need to make up the quiz over this, please read the version below, and create and provide answers for 5 questions about the content.

NEW HIRAGANA!   ki, su, yo, wo, to, mi, se, i

Here is the drill sheet handed out in class.

Here are the wiki's for each that have stroke order animation-

ki

su

yo

wo

to

mi

se

i

Most of you have made AMAZING progress learning to read and write hiragana in a very short time.  However, some of you have asked for additional help.  Here, I've posted a link to a page of Hiragana games (if that link doesn't work, try this one). I recommend you pull it up from time to time and work your way through the games- they really do fire up your synapses and wire the characters into your brain.

Also, if you'd like some interesting "stupid mind tricks" (mnemonics)  watch Risa's lessons here in one video.  She will walk you through each of the characters.

Click here.

Quiz #3 is coming up!

Use your notes and the links  included in earlier announcements below to study the following:

• All vocabulary to date (some will be written in hiragana)
  • You will need to be able to go from Japanese->English, as well as English->Japanese
• Particles and their usage- in particular,
  • posessives with particle の
  • as for/talking about.../topic marker は(pronounced WA in this case)
  • question marker か
• the two different versions (so far) of "this, that, that over there, which" -
  • これ、それ、あれ、どれ
  • この (n) 、その(n)、あの(n)、どの(n)
• The following hiragana.  You will need to be able to convert hiragana -> roomaji, as well as convert roomaji -> hiragana
  • あ、え
  • か、く、こ、が、ぐ、ご
  • さ、し、そ、ざ、じ、ぞ
  • た、て、だ、で
  • な、に、ぬ、の
  • は、へ、ほ、ば、べ、ぼ、ぱ、ぺ、ぽ
  • ま
  • ら
  • わ
  • ん
• Extra credit could be from anything else discussed in class on a tangent... or it could be something totally nonsensical, just to see if you are willing to participate.

Name Your Animal!

Here is the Powerpoint that has the animal names on it.

Here is the assignment asking the name of your animals.

Here is Risa explaining particle の

New hiragana: ku, sa, he, nu, so, re, te

Here is the drill sheet for learning hiragana ku sa he nu so etc.

and information and stroke order for each of them:

ku

sa

he

nu

so

re

te

Well, EXCUUUUUSE ME!!!

Here is the "Excuse me but, who is that person?" dialog and vocabulary words.

Click here

Business card ettiquette:

MEISHI  Bowing and Meishi with Risa

Idiot's Guide to Japanese History

The question sheet for the Idiot's guide to Japanese History is here,

and the website the lecture is based upon is here.

And here is a pretty good video that does a better job than I did explaining Japanese history, particularly the more modern events.

YAY!!! New Hiragana : wa, e, shi, ma, ha

Here they are- the new characters you've been waiting for: わ、え、し、ま、は!!!

Don't forget- when writing PARTICLE wa, you will spell it with hiragana HA.  Click here for the video explaining that.

the drill sheet is here if you need to download it either because the dog ate yours or because you want to do an extra for extra credit (if the latter is true, be sure to write "extra credit" by your name).

Click on these for animations of stroke order:

Hiragana WA

Hiragana E

Hiragana SHI

Hiragana MA

Hiragana HA

Guide to Quiz 2

As discussed in class, this quiz will cover all vocabulary, phrases, island names, and Hiragana to date, as well as putting together sentences like "Is it a dog?"  "It is not a dog," etc.

Please see the links below or your notes for reference.

IMPORTANT!!!  Flash cards (digital or hard copy) are due during the quiz.

Quiz 2 Guide

IMPORTANT!!!  Flash cards (digital or hard copy) are due during the quiz.

The next quiz will be over:

• All hiragana to date
• Vocabulary that was on the first quiz (ohayou gozaimasu, etc.)
• animal vocabulary and other items
• phrases from our dialogue (ohisahiburi, okagesama de, etc.).  be sure you can spell them right.
• "who is it?" "What is it?"
• negative forms of desu (is/am/are not with de wa arimasen or janai yo)
• Spelling and identifying the islands of Japan AGAIN

Please see the links below or your notes for reference.

If you want to practice, this is the "negative form of desu" worksheet (ja nai yo; de wa arimasen)

Fun with Dog and Cat!!!

This is the "negative form of desu" worksheet (ja nai yo; de wa arimasen)

Vocabulary: Animals, etc.

Animals, etc. vocabulary: here's the pic from class of my great artwork.

Reading Practice and New Vocabulary

This powerpoint will give you a chance to practice reading the hiragana you have learned out loud.

Also, it has a list of new vocabulary and phrases, and the live dialogue assigment we will do in class

click here.

New Hiragana: na, ta, no, ka, ra

YAY!!!  Here's hiragana drill 2 which adds な、た、の、か、ら(na, ta, no, ka, ra) to our base.

click here for the drill sheet.  If you turn in an extra for extra credit, be sure you write "extra credit " on the top near your name.

Click on the following for stroke-order animation and other information.

Hiragana NA

Hiragana TA

Hiragana NO

Hiragana KA

Hiragana RA

Quiz 1 Guide

First of all, don't forget that Flash cards (electronic or hard copy) of current material will be graded on the day of the quiz.  Be sure to bring them with you on quiz day.

Quiz 1 will cover: explanation  and recognition of the 4 Japanese scripts (roomaji, hiragana, katakana, kanji), the characters に、ほ、ん、こ、ご、あ、日本語, vocabulary covered in class (greetings, farewells, etc.), the names and locations of the Japanese islands, and the alphabetical order of Japanese sounds (written in roomaji).

First Hiragana:  ni, ho, n, ko, go, a

Here is a copy of the drill sheets for the first group of hiragana : a, ni, ho, n, ko, go, (あ、に、ほ、ん、こ、ご) and (BONUS!!!) the kanji for Japanese language　(日本語).

You can turn in extra copies for extra credit-  just be sure to write "extra credit" by your name.

Click below for stroke animation and other information about the charactrers:

Hiragana NI

Hiragana HO

Hiragana N

Hiragana KA

Hiragana A

日, 本, 語

Hiragana Beginnings

Here is a copy of the hiragana alphabet, called the gojuuon.  Click here.  Also, here is a copy of the blank alphabet chart for you to practice filling in.  It works with roomaji, hiragana, or katakana.

Map Assignment

Here is a link to the Map template.  You are to label the following on the map, and color the map.  You may generate your own map- you don't have to use mine.

If it doesn't open when you click on it, try right-clicking and saving or printing.

Welcome to Japanese 1 !!!

Welcome to Japanese 1.  I'll try to keep current assignments here for you to download. 

Linked here is a copy of the student info sheet I had you fill out,  and here is a copy of my classroom expectations.

Also, because it's never too soon-  here is the general study guide for the Final Exam next may.