So far I’m really loving this class; I am going to share my goals that I plan to achieve during my Japanese 101 experience!
- Speaking with Confidence - One problem that I found myself having in my foreign language classes in the past was that I was afraid to speak in class or read an excerpt out loud if I didn’t think I could say it perfectly. This was a kind of backwards thinking, as how could I possibly improve if I didn’t practice speaking when I could? I plan to practice and speak confidently, because I will not improve my Japanese speaking ability if I’m not willing to make mistakes.
- Speaking with a natural speed - I often end up getting tongue tied trying to speak too fast or have too many pauses in my speech as I try to think of a word. I want to perfect the speed and pauses of how I speak to sound natural and easy to understand.
- Listening and Comprehending - I usually do much better with reading and writing aspects, but I know that being able to understand what someone has said is equally, if not more, important in learning a new language. I want to focus on auditory improvement and be able to converse in Japanese.
I will accomplish these goals this year, and to do that I have specific actions planned out to ensure I do my best:
- Attend the Language Table AT LEAST every 2 weeks. I live in Mathey, so I plan to stop by every week, but in the least I will be eating there every other week. This is so I can improve my listening comprehension, but most notably my confidence in speaking. Even if I make mistakes I will continue to practice speaking.
- Attend Shibata Sensei’s office hours every other week. I will come with specific questions or things that I wish to practice.
- Listen to the audio that the textbook gives. Practice and repeat the dialogue as it is said to work on speed and pronunciation. I will do this separate practice on Friday or Saturday at least once a week.
- Watch one episode of anime a week and record and define three terms from the episode. My favorite series ‘Natsume Yuujinchou’ is getting its fifth season this autumn, so I will make sure to at least watch this weekly episode and find three terms. I will ask Sato sensei if I can’t define the term on my own.
- Continue to study vocab pronunciation and spelling using Quizlet online flashcards.
