My Japanese classes/lessons included practices to develop skills of speaking, reading, listening, writing (including weekly essays on a variety of topics for Intermediate 2 and Pre-Intermediate 1), interacting and constructing/performing students’ own dialogues by pairs/groups or by oneself. The learning includes the language and cultural skills used in travelling in Japan and general understanding on Japanese culture. Speaking practice sometimes used the pictures, concepts or topics from the brochures of the Japan National Tourism Organizations, Japanese newspapers, its ads, Nichigo Press, Daily Telegraph (e.g. a travel magazine, “Escape”).

My current Beginners 1 has been using our Training Material (Japanese) and currently studying Unit 7. Also they learned phrases and vocab. well used for shopping. Later they will make their dialogue esp. at shopping situations and their own speech for the introduction of themselves and their family/friends in Japanese and orally present it in front of the class.

As for my other group lessons, Pre-Intermediate 1 is studying with Unit 4, Genki Bk 1 and last week, they learned verb conjugation of te- forms and plain forms plus past tense with making sentences for application. They write short stories too based on some topics.

Intermediate 2 is studying with Japanese for Busy People, Bk 2, its Lesson 4 and they have studied many adjectives, their conjugation for negative, past tense and past tense/negative forms with making sentences for application. Also they have been writing essays or short stories for homework and read them out in class before submission of the writings. They have been (very) well motivated, creative and diligent.

For tutorials, one of the students, who is a busy company, is studying Lesson 4 of Japanese for Busy People, Bk 2 and also with the preparatory book of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, N5. The other student for the tutorial has been continuing studying with Genki Bk 1 and she finished Unit 10. Also, she has been studying for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, N5 too and vigorously studying with the preparatory book in my tutorials.

From this week, I also began teaching weekly for a corporate training course for a company that is in marketing related business. That is Beginners 1 and several participants are involved. It will go for 10 weeks. They seem to have well enjoyed the first lesson!

Japanese Teacher, Toshiko Jackson

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