Blog #13 (Final entry for Fall semester)

Hello!

So this is the final reflection for the fall 2014 semester Japanese class.
I think I did okay in this class. I did all of the homework and assignments, but I feel like I could have done better on the quizzes and exams than I did. I also missed a couple of classes that I probably shouldn't have, but in the end I think I did pretty good.
Without a doubt, the part of the class I struggled the most with was the Kanji. I expected this from the beginning, since Kanji is the most challenging part of Japanese for me.
If I were to redo the semester, I would want to study a little bit each day. This semester, I studied for longer periods of time on certain days, which I think added to my level of stress and hurt my retention of the material. I think if I were to practice a little bit each day I would learn more efficiently and effectively.

Now I need to do well on the exam, and hopefully my grade in the class will be good. I intend to review over the winter break so that I am prepared for the spring semester, when I take intermediate Japanese 2.

Blog #12

This week we learned different ways to say give/receive. There are two different verbs that mean to give as well as one verb that means to receive. The most difficult part about this is being able to keep the giver and the recipient in the right spot in the sentence, but, like all other things with Japanese, this can be solved with some practice.

In addition to that, we have a vocab/kanji quiz on Thursday. The vocabulary I am not worried about, but the kanji makes me very nervous. But with some review I should be okay.

In order to study for the quiz though, I am resisting the urge to go to gamestop to pick up a video game I have pre-ordered, but that is completely unrelated to Japanese.

Anyway, below I have included the examples of the verbs we learned about last class:



クリスマスに私はサイコロほしです 。
１．クリスマスに友だちがサイコロを私にあげるかもしれません。
２．クリスマスに私はサイコロを友だちにもらうかもしれません。
３．クリスマスに友だちがサイコロを私にくれるかもしれません。

Blog #11

This week we learned how to say what we want in Japanese. This is convenient since Christmas is coming up, and I am sure that the holidays will be a prominent topic of conversation in our Japanese class.

I think my biggest challenge in this class is becoming remembering and mixing all of the different grammar nuances that we are learning. Individually they make sense, but it can be a little confusing to use several different ones in the same sentence, especially with conjugation. I will look at example sentences, probably from the textbook, to help me get an idea of how to handle these combinations.

Besides what's going on in the class, I went to the Akron Comic con. While I was there, I ran into someone who was teaching themselves Japanese, and we talked a little in Japanese.

① What does your mother want for her birthday?

 母はセーターがほしです。

 

②子どもの時、何が一番(いちばん)ほしかったですか。

 子供のとき、プレイステーションがほしかったです。

 

③時間とお金と、どちらがほしいですか。なぜですか。Use Aので、B。

 かいものおすきので、お金がほしいです。

Blog #10

This week we learned how to describe how something looks or doesn't look. This same grammar is used to say that "I guess I can do X" or similar sentences. Below I have included pictures and example sentences to show the grammar.
This week we also practiced for the kanji quiz that would happen next week. Memorizing Kanji is, by far, the most difficult part of Japanese for me. I intend to try my best on this quiz not only because i need a good grade, but the stronger I become with this lesson's kanji the quicker I become at writing in Japanese.
To prepare for the quiz I am going to practice writing each kanji as well as make sure I understand the sentence structures that were on the practice exam.


このステキはおいしそうです。

これは高いそうなとけいです。

Blog #9

Unfortunately, I missed lass class. This is distressing since that means I will need to make up the quiz we missed.

Anyway, what I would have learned during the class period I missed was how to use し to give multiple reasons for something. This seems to be an easy enough piece of grammar, and I should be able to catch up pretty quickly.

Also, we're having a visitor from Japan come into our class apparently. We need to come up with three questions to ask him.

にほんのたべものは、なにがきらいですか。

がいこくのどこにいきました。

がいこくごをはなせますか。

These are the questions I am going to ask next class. Hopefully these questions are grammatically correct. I had similar questions I thought about asking but wasn't quite sure how to ask them in Japanese, but these questions are basically the same.

Blog #8

So we got our exams back. I didn't do too bad, but I really could have done better on the kanji section. I only new a couple of the obvious ones but had to leave a majority of them unanswered.
In the future I should probably make flash cards for kanji, since that is typically how I try to memorize vocabulary.
The study sheets were how I did most of my studying though. I would say that the effective ways of studying for the exam were doing the study sheets, reviewing the handouts, and checking the textbook in case anything wasn't clear by the first two methods.

Anyway, last class we learned about how to say we have the potential to do something. For る verbs, the る is dropped and られる is added. For う verbs, the う is dropped and える is added. For irregular verbs, such as する, it becomes できる.

For example:

わたしはにくおたべられます。

ビールを飲めます。

買い物をできます。

Blog #7

Hello,

This week we learned about ので, which is actually kind of confusing because there is similar grammar. The way it works is there is a dependent clause, or the cause of something, followed by ので, and then the independent clause, or the effect. It uses the short forms of verbs and adjectives.

The difference between　ので and から is that the former cannot be used when helping verbs are used, such as たい.

This, however, is admittedly confusing and I am not too sure that I completely understand it. However, as we do more examples I am sure to understand it more. Studying this will also help me study my short form, which is a little weak.

Until next time,

~Jackson

Blog #6

Hello again,

So I ended up missing my last class. I never enjoy missing class since it requires that I catch up on any missed grammar outside of class, which can be a little difficult. However, thanks to the blogging system this class follows, I know what I need to focus on as well as what assignments need completed for next time.

I am also supposed to present an example of んです、which is helpful since I did not get a chance to practice this grammar in class on Thursday.

A good example of this grammar would be this:

元気ですか。

いいえ。病気なんです。

Anyway, before class I need to learn the new grammar (～ほうがいいです。) introduced in the last class. Based on what the textbook said it is a way to give advice in Japanese. It follows the past tense short form when positive and follows the present tense short form when negative. Hopefully the workbook pages assigned will help me understand it better.

Until next time,

~Jackson

Blog #5

So I don't think I did well on the vocabulary quiz. My mind completely went blank when I started to take it. I'll just have to do better on the next one.

ANYWAY this week we learned about using や with nouns to say that you like some things but imply that you like other things of a similar nature. It is less strict than just using 好き.

We also began working on our newspaper project which is due next class. It shouldn't be too difficult since we've been going over the grammar everyday. It also provides a nice review of everything we have learned so far. I am hoping that I do a good job on it. The most difficult part about it will be coming up with a comic that makes sense using the kanji from lesson 11. I'm hoping that the grammar I use will be understandable and as correct as possible.

Furthermore, as a part of this blog entry, I am supposed to explain and provide an example of the difference between ～たいです and ～たがっています. The former is used to express when I want to do something, while the later as used to describe when someone else wants to do something. for example:

私はハムバアーガを食べたい　means "I want to eat a hamburger."
ロバートさんはハムバーガを食べたがっています　means "Robert wants to eat a hamburger."

That about sums it up.
Until next time,

~Jackson

Blog #4

Last Japanese class, we learned 〜たことがあります. When used, it roughly translates to "have experience to do something." It's a little hard to explain what exactly its English equivalent is, but I am pretty sure I recognize the difference between when to use this as opposed to regular past tense.

This class also had a lot of discussion and conversation between us as we prepare for a newspaper activity that we will be doing next class. I am not exactly sure what is involved in the activity, but it should be good practice.

The vocabulary quiz was also postponed until next class. That day is going to be a busy day, since I have many quizzes that day. However, I also think I will be better prepared now that I know to focus my study on the verbs instead of the nouns.

Anyway, I am going to focus on making sure that I am ready for the quiz.
Until next time,

~Jackson

Blog #3

Hello again, everyone.

This time we did a review about the て form and short form, which was extraordinarily helpful. This also comes in handy when using a new phrase we learned. ～たり～たりする, which is equivalent to saying, "I want to do this, that, etc." uses the short form past affirmative. This is something that I remember learning, but my skills in using it are a little rusty.
In addition to learning this new grammar, I must also make sure I am ready for the vocabulary quiz that is next Tuesday. This will be my greatest challenge, as memorizing vocab has always been a struggle for me. I am hoping to be able to study by using example sentences as a way to help me understand the meanings of the words.

I am also supposed to write a reflection about where I want to go in Japan and what I want to do there.

日本のしぶやに行きたいです。
ラメのをたべたり、はちこを見たりしたいです。

Anyway, I am now going to review my vocab and hopefully be prepared for the quiz.
Until next time,

~Jackson

Class of 9/2 (blog #2)

Hello again everyone.

We learned something new about the たい　form today. We learned that in order to say that somebody else wants to do something there is another conjugation that needs to be used: たがっています.
So in addition to present and present negative, we must remember past, past negative, and this form. Keeping these conjugations straight will be difficult, although I do believe I am getting better at finding the verb stem needed for using たい form. We also learned new kanji and went over some vocabulary. Memorizing these will be my biggest challenge, but with practice I am sure to get it.

This week is shaping up to be pretty busy, even with the day off. I'm looking forward to the weekend to take a bit of a break from all this (as well as maybe catch up on some things I have fallen behind on.)

Until next time,
~Jackson

Class of 8/28 (Blog #1)

Hello everyone.

This week we learned how to say we want to do something. It involves taking the verb stem and adding たい　to the end. I will have to work hard to keep all of the different tenses straight, but that is something that I have to do for every verb conjugation.
We also learned some new Kanji, which means that I have more studying and practice to do. However, I enjoy writing Kanji, and I have a new brush pen that I want to try out, so studying Kanji should be easier and more fun.
One of the more difficult aspects of Japanese for me is memorizing vocabulary. This fault revealed itself when I was asked to translate a sentence and I did not understand two of the key words. However, I am working on some new ways of studying vocab that should hopefully help me.

Until next time,

~Jackson

First Japanese Class

Hello, everyone!

This week, I started intermediate Japanese at the University of Akron. We went over classroom procedures and the syllabus. We also went around the classroom and introduced ourselves in Japanese. It was a nice way to refresh what I had learned in the previous year of studying Japanese.

It will be hard this first week to remember everything I already learned, but if I work hard the first few classes, I should be able to succeed.

I am looking forward to another year of Japanese.

~Jackson