My Japanese lessons includes practices to develop skills of speaking, reading, listening, writing, interacting and constructing and performing students’ own dialogues by pairs/groups or by oneself. The learning included the language and cultural skills to be used in travelling or living/working in Japan and general understanding upon Japanese culture. Speaking practice sometimes used the pictures, information, concepts/ideas or topics from the brochures of Japanese newspapers, the ads, Nichigo Press and other Japanese monthly magazines. For Hiragana learning, I used flash cards of Hiragana words and the pictures that the words signify. Magazines and fairy tale stories of children are also used for Hiragana reading, grammar and value/culture teaching. Most of the weekly homework given (exercise sheets) is for Hiragana and writing that are with Japanese words, name or simple sentences plus pictures.

Regarding my class teaching, my Intensive Japanese Beginners 1 (Sat. mornings) began 2 weeks ago. That is 3 hours/lesson and for 6 weeks. That uses the main textbook Training Material and other resources. When half way of the course is over, they will learn travelers Japanese with use of a book and its cd. For Hiragana reading and writing, the course uses a few sets of flash cards (letter based or words based + pictures), weekly Hiragana based exercise sheets etc. Plus, the students are expected to make a dialogue late in the course and perform it in front of class.

As for Japanese recent news reported from its media, I wish to report the following.

These are from on SBS, NHK TV News and other media/online newspapers of the recent weeks:

It has been the Golden Week in Japan (i.e. one of Japanese three busiest and biggest holiday seasons apart from the New Year and Obon season in the summer.) (https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html) There have been many festivals and special events held in the land. (In my view, the Japanese are one of the experts to hold and enjoy festivals and communal activities that the grass roots can enjoy being part of the events and celebrations/enjoyment.

In my last month’s blog, I wrote about the national-wide yearly big tournament of the kokoyakyuu 高校野球 held in Kooshien baseball stadium in Hyogo prefecture, with the participation of all the selected teams from every prefectures etc. Also I mentioned about very successful, famous and highly adored Japanese baseball players in the US, a veteran, Ichiro Suzuki (his amazing age of being 44!) and Shohei Ohtani. On the 6^th (May), Shohei Ohtani of Angles and Ichiro Suzuki of Mariners had to play as opponents at Safeco Field (http://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/la-sp-angels-mariners-20180506-story.html). (Angles won the game.). Both men had a friendly, warm and happy chat during the break at Safeco Field. (In my view, both men normally look stern on baseball fields and in front of any press, looking like determined decent-minded samurai whose eyes are always on the ball and ensure self-disciplines!) It was a beautiful scene on the video news.

 

Toshiko Jackson (Japanese teacher)

7.5.18