I forget how I initially came across her videos. Probably the YouTube algorithm delivered it to me, along with the several dozens of other Japanese videos I watched.
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Dialects
Had an interesting discussion yesterday in Japanese class about particles in Japan, which led to a discussion about how natural fluency develops from childhood, which led to talking about an English dialect. The main example was we say “I am going home”, not “I am going to home”. But Japanese will always have に in the sentence when you’re going somewhere specific, 「家に帰る」。 Then someone said that they’ve heard some people in the States and the UK say something like “I went hospital”, which brought up briefly the notion of English dialects. And then after class, I reminded myself that the Japanese I’m learning is “standard” Japanese, and there are… Read More
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Fluent Forever?
I don’t think there is any single app or website that can give you the full Japanese experience. Japan Activator comes very close, and if you haven’t seen it, check it out. One of the new entries in the overcrowded “Learn a new language easily at home” category is Fluent Forever. I have to say, its origin story sounds like a superhero origin. “A young opera singer, surrounded by productions in multiple languages, broke out of his unilingual prison, and developed a method to quickly learn any language.” It’s a variation on the flashcard theme. You start off by setting your familiarity level with the language. Then, you choose words to create… Read More
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日本語を話すのは下手だよ
日本語を聞くのと話すのはぜったい下手だ。 練習はたしかに大切だけど相手を見つけるのは難しい。 じゃあー、たぶんお尻が重い。
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Two of my favourite Japanese culture resources
Aside from the language, the culture of Japan also fascinates me. That’s why I want to travel there and see some things up close and in person. Two online resources help to both quench and fuel my desire to learn more: Unseen Japan https://unseenjapan.com/ A lot of it is member only/Patreon access, but still enough free stuff to make it worthwhile to have a look. For example, Homegrown Terror: The Birth of the Japanese Red Army – Unseen Japan Shocking, maybe at least as shocking as the way Canada treated indigenous children in our residential schools. Mulboyne Seems to be Twitter-only, as far as I can tell. Mulboyne (@Mulboyne) /… Read More
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「なるほど」というのは「分かりました」というのは同じではありません
今朝のクラスで先生に「なるほど！」と言った。 先生は少しびっくりしたと思う。将来に気を付けて！
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Zoom classes are weird
I’m taking a Japanese class with lessons over Zoom, and I don’t know how school children put up with it for a year. It is just plain odd. You get some, but not all, body clues on how someone is thinking, and there is this pervasive sensation of being disconnected to people that you feel you should be connected to. Still, it’s the only game in town if you want to take any kind of class. Except for exercise classes where people gather in the alley behind my house while their instructor shouts at them.
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最近学校が始まりす
今月日本語の学校が始まる。すきし怖いだの。「Zoom」のクラスは未知だから、心もとない。 コロナなので日本に飛行機旅行のが難しいと思う。じゃぁ、なぜ日本語をまなんでるか？ いい質問だな？
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ビギナー
So I had my verbal placement test. It took two teachers to give their fair opinion that I belonged in the next level of the beginner class. I put in an intermediate writing test two weeks before, which I didn’t notice at the time. I just picked one that didn’t look too easy. So they were gentle in telling me that I wasn’t intermediate level material, but I sure did fit in as a next level beginner. Four years, and still a beginner. But isn’t that true of many of life’s endeavours? No? Frankly, and don’t tell them this, but frankly, after my verbal skills test, I was expecting to… Read More
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しゃべましょう
So Monday, I have to do a conversation with a Japanese teacher to see where I should be placed in a Japanese school. I’ve taken classes at this school before. It’s going to be embarrassing if I have to repeat a level. It will be crushing if I get put back by a level or three. Makes me want to find a language partner.
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