|
|
Mrs. Madsen & Mrs. Okamura |
|
Want to take Japanese? Read This!! (FAQs)F.A.Q
1. Why even take ‘foreign language’? The more languages you speak, the more adaptable you become in this world society. Try to become trilingual or more! I am used to teaching at a college level, and I have found that high school students acquire a natural fluency much quicker & easier. 2. So what’s so cool about taking Japanese? What do people normally say, when they hear of students taking Japanese? . . . “That’s so cool!” Because they know that the Japanese culture is so very cool & special. I believe University Administrators feel the same way – because generally these language students are very smart. 3. Why is it fun to take Japanese at MSJH? Because the MSJ Japanese classes are well known for having lots of fun, quarterly activities – while learning the Japanese language and basic characters.
4. What kinds of activities are there?
1st quarter – Japanese Field Day Competitions (Undoukai): Each class competes with lots of fun, traditional Japanese games such as Balloon Crushing, the Donut Eating Event, and the Ball Throwing Event.
2nd quarter – The Japanese Food Festival: Students make Japanese foods and sell them to other students, practicing their speaking of daily buying & selling.
4th quarter – Karaoke Festival: Student groups perform live their own favorite Japanese music video. They sing the Japanese song, & dance while wearing cool costumes and things.
Please see the class website for more about other fun class activities. 5. Why there are there so many activities? In Japanese schools, these activities are student organized, and student led. They therefore seems to enjoy the quarterly activities much more.
In Japan, the whole class is considered a family; therefore, they are more compelled to assist each other. This is very much unlike the individualistic attitude prevalent in modern American culture. Through the various activities, the students have a chance to develop leadership skills, and establish cooperative relationships with one another. This becomes more pronounced in the higher levels (Years 3 & 4) of the program.
Every year, as students develop more confidence about him/herself, their study skills dramatically improve. Also, because the class atmosphere changes after each activity – the students grow to feel more supportive and helpful towards each other. The whole class atmosphere becomes warm and encouraging; which assists with learning of any subject matter!
7. Is the Japanese language difficult?
No. Most students say that it is easier than expected. Once you learn the Japanese ABC’s, you can write any sentence. 95% of the students learn the phonetic letters in the first 3 weeks. I heard that grammar is simpler than Spanish language. Japanese has only three tenses. Homework-wise, if students do 15 or 30 minutes of assignments & study every day, they will get an A (or B). Generally, at least half the class gets A’s!
8. When applying to universities, will you have the opportunity to demonstrate your foreign language skills?
9. Are there any native Japanese speakers in class?
Not a lot; we found only about 5% students speak Japanese at home.
10. What was the result of the 2007 AP Japanese Test?
Every student who took the test passed. About 1/3 of the students got the AP score 5. All the students were non-native Japanese! The students were able to understand manga & anime!! Many students entered the program with these goals in mind. They also understood the natural setting of Japanese conversation, and have a deeper understanding of the culture. They also be able to carry on typical daily conversations with native speakers.
.  |
|
6. How do these activities help with learning the language? 
