Hi everyone,皆さん、おげんきですか。

My Japanese classes and lessons include the following features. We had activities of speaking, reading, listening, writing, (esp. in group lessons) making and performing dialogues in front of classes with use of the course book, “Genki 1”, its grammar and vocabulary of the Unit taught and exercises. Also, we used some pages from other books that include Japanese for Busy People Book 2, Japanese for Everyone, The First Couse in Japanese (by Fudeko Reekie) etc.  As usual, flash cards, magazines, CDs, etc were also used to create a variety of methods in teaching.

The exam of Beginners 2 included the listening test.

As one of new things, I used the Jikokuhyo (the national wide timetable of all trains, esp. bullet trains, of the JR network and many of local private trains (and even buses) for speaking timetable of the bullet trains, e.g. “What time will the bullet train, Nozomi, depart from Tokyo Station? What time will it arrive at Hakata, Kyushu Island? It is language related to travelling in Japan as well. It seemed worthwhile for students to practice, since they will or could used such language if they visit Japan?

The majority of my classes (and some tutorials) watched the dvd City Guide as well as the video series of Japanese for Beginners if they have not seen them yet. Also, there was an interesting video that was produced by the Department of Education NSW and it talks about the difference of gestures (including expressing something serious or unpleasant) between Japanese speakers and English speakers. That video was interesting and useful.

There were many exciting news in a newspaper Nihon-keizai-shimbun (Nikkei), ones issued in June. They are mostly related to technology, industries and economy. I informed them in the majority of classes/lessons. They were:

1. (29.6.12) The Japanese, eight major car manufacturers increased the total sales profits over 60% in the current financial year. In cases of Toyota and Honda, they got twice of the amount for the increase. The demand has been great; especially the sales of hybrid cars and small cars were high. The phenomenon was partly due to the assistance given by the Government’s package to make the prices of cars to be approachable for many consumers to pay, for over a few years.
2. (27.6.12) Microsoft and Mitsui Home made a joint venture to create technology used at homes. With that, people can wave a hand (up and down, right and left) or speak some words and they can close/open curtains, turn on or off TV, change TV stations, turn on or off lights etc at many homes. The users of that do not need to stand up and do not need a remote control. The technology is based on system called “Kinekuto” of Microsoft. Amazing project! That will be available in market about 3 years later.
3. (30.6.12) Toyoto Motors and BMW made a joint project to make a better eco-car, and battery based sports cars. (Nissan and German-based Daimler Motors have been actively making similar ventures to improve and make better cars for environment, the report says.)
4. (28.6.12) Toyota Group is leasing 3000 cars that are of a new model called Komusu. In it, only one driver/person rides. It will be used for the network of Seven Eleven in Japan. The small and light car can stop easily and that will increase the business and efficiency in business. (There are 14000 shops of Seven Eleven sell popular bento and packed vegetable etc around Japan; the small cars will be used for the deliveries.)
5. (26.6.12) Japanese Government, local organizations and companies are trying to establish the environmentally friendly and energy saving system and community called “Smart Community” that will used solar energy, battery based energy, buses run with electricity, buildings that will be categorized as Sumaarto Biru, Sumaato-sutoa, Sumaato-sukuuru, Sumaato-hausu etc.
6. (29.6.12) The U.S. Boeing 787 has the research and innovation project with the Tokyo University to make better carbon fiber to be used in their aircrafts.

Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson

4.8.12

Hi everyone,皆さん、おげんきですか。

My Japanese classes and lesson include the following features. We had activities of speaking, reading, listening, writing, (esp. in group lessons) making and performing dialogues in front of classes with use of the course book, “Genki 1”, its grammar and vocabulary of the Unit taught and exercises, especially the listening based questions of its Workbook.

Similar to part of my teaching methods mentioned in my past blog writings, in the past month too, I used flash cards, which had many exciting pictures (beautiful or funny) to increase vocab. and also making sentences with use of new grammar or verb and adjectives, esp. for the conjugation practice, i.e. present tense, past tense, affirmative forms and negative forms, and pronouns, e.g. this, this one, (kore, kono) etc. Also, I sometimes divided the group into pairs/group and asked them to practiced script reading and vocabulary learning with those flash cards. They seemed enjoying those activities.

Likewise, I showed video of Wakuwaku Katakana to a few classes (group lessons) and tutorial that is for a 5-year-old child. The video is pleasant, fun, beautiful, cute, positive, relaxing and useful for increase of vocabulary apart from learning the stroke orders of Katakana script and memorization of the script.

Also, I used other children’s story books that have meaning contexts for adults to read and appreciate as well as such books which useful to increase a variety of vocabulary that is commonly used in people’s living environment in Japan.

Intermediate 1 had the exam (including the listening test) and finished the course on 6 June. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of the students’ number, we cannot make Intermediate 2 though the students were enthusiastic and diligent and the group was nice. They said, if they are continuing the study, they wish to use a textbook, Japanese for Everyone, instead of Genki 1 since the latter is slow (for teaching the language, i.e. grammar, vocab. dialogue construction etc).

After talking about that issue, I asked or mentioned that point to other classes too which were lower levels than above Intermediate 1 as additional information for future classes. However, at this stage, I use Genki 1 in my current classes and I said to them that later in the course, I will use some pages of the early unit of Japanese for Everyone for a trial and if the students can compare and consider which book they prefer to use in future if they wish to continue learning Japanese in my classes. I believe the learners’ motivation is very important and if the learners are happy, comfortable and exciting with the contents of the textbook or not is likewise significant.

I think travellers’ language (Japanese) is also very important and it is so useful and generic in use, so I began introducing travellers’ Japanese to classes with use of Japanese: Travel Pack(book/cd) (Berlitz) gradually in classes (like using 2 pages of the book per lesson) that include giving oral application exercise with phrases or words introduced. I think that is good and intend to continue as supplementary teaching in classes when time allows.

In addition, I showed video of Japanese for Beginners series (though the series go much more than “Beginners”! A very sophisticated series even if it is not new!).

Regarding news and information that shows Japanese distinctive features, I informed the following with copies given.

1. From Japan Times (8.6.12), “Mori Trust to build huge solar plant in Fukushima”

Major realtor Mori Trust Co. announced: it will build a massive solar plant in the village in Fukushima Prefecture and bring it online in fiscal 2013. The plant will have an annual output of 10 million kwh that is enough to power some 3000 households in Tohoku. The plant will make one of the region’s largest solar energy facilities.  Also, Softbank Corp., Mitsui & Co., Sharp Corp. and Kyocera Corp. have announced plans to start mega-solar businesses to purchase all electricity generated through renewable energies.

2. From Yomiuri Shimbun(newspaper) (online), “Big-screen treatment set for NHK’s “Oshin””:

NHK’s legendary hit serial drama “Oshin”, which was broadcast from 1983 to 1984, will be turned into a film to be released next year. The TV show celebrates the 30^th anniversary of its first broadcast.  – – – – Oshin lives through the tumultuous times of the Taisho (1912-1926) and Showa eras (1926-1989). – – –

The year-long morning drama became a huge hit, with average ratings topping 50%, and has been broadcast in more than 75 countries including China, Malaysia and Iran. It became extremely popular in Southeast Aisan nations. – – -.

3. From http://www.animeigo.com/products/other/tora-san, “Japan’s most beloved loser visits America!”:

It talks about the lovable loser KurumaTorajiro, the 48-film Tora-san series (played by Atsumi Kiyoshi as Tora-san). The series holds the Guinnes World Record for the longest running film series (comedy) starring the same actor.  – – –

4. From The Australian (20.6.12, Business, p. 21, by R. Gluyas), “Shifting power balance see Ghina, japan dig deep to save the West”:

Japan is the biggest fund contributor ($US 60 billion) to the IMF followed by Germany ($US 54.7 billion) and China ($US 43 billion). (The U.S. cannot be the high position due to its own problems and being a great donator to the Europe for the latter’s economic crisis.)

5. I mentioned about the JTB Jikoku-hyo in most of my classes. It is the think, comprehensive book (1152 pages) of the timetable of all trains (all bullet trains, express trains and ordinary trains of the Japanese National Railways, and many local trains of major cities etc).

I commented the book of the timetable of those trains, which are at every railway station in Japan must have been published, distributed and used likely for 4 or 5 decades and that Jikoku-hyo has been contributed “immeasurably” to the nation, society, every industry, people’s life and health, democratization, social cohesion, economy, technological development, education, efficiency of dissemination of information, relationships etc where its bullet trains have been running without accidents for past 45 years.

In the coming weeks, my classes will practice how to say what time some trains will depart Tokyo and arrive at other major stations, e.g. Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Nagano, Shin-aomori, in Japanese with use of the Jikoku-hyo and learn some Kanji used for the names of such major stations too, since many of the students have been to Japan or want to go to Japan for travel or work.

Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson

4.7.12

Hi everyone,皆さん、おげんきですか。

My Japanese classes and lesson include the following features. We had activities of speaking, reading, listening, writing, (esp. in group lessons) making and performing dialogues or speech with use of the course book, “Genki 1”, its grammar and vocab. of the Unit taught and its Workbook. Some students (esp. in the class of Beginners 1) made and memorized for one’s long speech or dialogue and that was very impressive.

As for reading and increase of vocab., grammar and plain forms, I read (and asked students read partly) a children’s books written in Japanese. The books have many colorful, informative, natural and beautiful photos and useful phrases, plain forms and other vocab. One was a book of “mochitsuki” (rice cake making by pounding cooked rice and the practice is yearly and nationally seen and practiced as Japanese people’s family/community activity late in December, before the New Year’s arrival. The book has details of the activities and scientific analysis of rice that is used for “mochitsuki”, which differs from ordinary rice used for daily meals in Japan. Also I read a book on “shimarisu” (stripe squirrels in Japan) to classes.

In most of all classes except the Intermediate 1, I showed the videos of “Wakuwaku Hiragana”, vol, 1 and 2. They have great presentations while introducing stroke orders, vocab. things that the script can be related in shape, many words that the script is used for, lovely animations, music and humors. Very suitable for anyone to watch and improve in writing those letters and increase vocab.

I taught Japanese “rajio-taisoo” (NHK’s daily radio exercise program, its physical exercise, cassette tape) to classes. (I’d taught this in Japanese classes many times in the past and many students, both children and adults enjoyed that.) Japanese people are expert of consistency, in many ways. The NHK radio program must have been on every morning for over half of a century and practiced in all primary schools and many other places (including car manufacturers every morning as the corporate activity) throughout Japan. My students of SLS responded to the tape and exercise, so I will continue having that activity occasionally in future too.

The class of Intermediate 1 (and newly started Beginners 2) are using “Kanji-no Hon” (by K. Aitchson, 2001, MacMillan) for Kanji acquisition. New students of Beginners 2 expressed that they wish to start Kanji instead of waiting for that until they reach the Pre-Intermediate 1. So, the class will have Kanji learning occasionally.

Beginners 1 that finished recently and those students (plus new students) started Beginners 2 recently. Those who finished and had my exam (that included Listening Test) did greatly with very impressive performance/attitude. Many congratulations to them!

Regarding culture, society and nature of Japan in recent media news and other resources used, as before, I showed a dvd, “Pilot Guides – Tokyo” (Tokyo City Guide) presented by highly recognized British presenter, Ian Wright, to new classes or students.

In addition, I informed of the article “High and mighty small” by L. Slattery, Wish, The Australian (4.5.12). That is about 2 distinctive and creative architects of Japan. One, Shigeru Yoshiko is the architect/designer of the world’s tallest media tower, Tokyo Sky Tree and the master of making the tall building. The other is Koji Tsutsui. He is the master of the small. He designed InBetween House near to Tokyo and who was a guest speaker at the conference in Australian Inst. of Architects in Brisbane last month (p. 48). Together they represent two faces of Japanese architecture (p. 48). Fascinating people and works!

Also, I reported and showed many great news and pictures from Japan that are in a magazine Jenta (25.5). They include the following. Aoi Festival in Kyoto in which 500 participants wear the Heian period (794-1185) costumes of noble people with carts etc. And Honda’s new personal mobility device (kind of chair and vehicle) and car navigation displays information shown on windshield that is amazing/smart technology that can appear in a Hollywood movie!). The magazine also shows or describes the historical side of Japanese people’s favorite, “onsen” in depth and the pictures, a 73-year-old Ms Tamae Watanabe who conquered Mt. Everest as the world’s oldest female, and information of many gorgeous natural mountains, waterfall, the village of the Edo Period style in Nagano etc.

Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson

4.6.12