I've decided I've had enough of both of my Japanese classes, which is unfortunate, but also....if you haven't noticed I haven't been studying lately. It's really awful to feel like you have to cram homework rather than enjoy yourself just...working through things and having fun.
It's making me feel like a quitter, especially in light of all the other things I've started and stopped over the past several months. It's not like I'm quitting Japanese, I just need to keep trying till I find a method that is what I want. I was settling into something really good right before I decided to try these classes, so I'm going to just keep exploring on my own.
I need to translate some more songs!! My guitar lessons are going well, so I need to make sure I can still sing はっぴいえんど!
I dunno. There is so much I want to do and I feel like spending six hours a week in class is keeping me from them. If I quit I just have to promise myself I will spend my time wisely and I think I can do that.
Showing posts with label class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label class. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Another weekend goes by with no new translation : /
It has been a busy one. And I did do all my kanji homework for tomorrow.
Mrrf.
Mrrf.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Homework
Mmmm as it turned out this weekend was exactly as busy as I thought it would be so I'm not sure if I'll get a translation in or not. I need to make sure I am taking the time to properly completely and study my homework for the classes I am taking or there is no point, right? Thus we'll be studying kanji this afternoon...
Sunday, January 17, 2010
One week of class down
I guess I should've have written this sooner, but my second week of class starts tomorrow. LET'S REVIEW:
Kanji 2
I think I'm going to like this class. When I went last week there were 5 people (including me) all doing our best to remember the kanji we were supposed to have learned in the last class (which I did not take, but one would freaking hope that after a B.A. I would know SOMEthing, for the sake of our higher education system, if not for me). As it is, there were some that I did not know, and although I thought I had reviewed up to the point where we would be in 2, I missed about...6 chapters. Ugh. So I'm going through them. Luckily it is a lot of stuff I recognize, even if I can't necessarily pull it out of thin air with a pencil. Good review is good after all.
Intermediate 4
I have some problems with this class and they don't stem from what the 3 of us (including me) did as far as material (easy grammar, though it maybe—I really need the vocab work), but as far as learning to pronounce things. Not to say I'm not happy I signed up, but I'm just really worried about picking up horrible pronunciation habits. They teach this super basic elementary-reading-speak that just irks me. It feels like the equivalent of spoken romaji, honestly. Let's see if I can demonstrate in writing.
We worked on あげる、くれる、もらう and the honorific/humble equivalents. A sentence like:
お母さんは妹に本をあげました。
turns into:
お母さんは？ 妹に？ 本を？ あげました。
NOTE THE QUESTION MARKS AND SPACES.
Not that it really sounded like a question per se, but it was the easiest way to indicate the annoying upswing in pitch on the end of every particle with a little pause as if the grammar had to digest. I understand this might be the way you teach 5 year olds how to read, but we're not 5 and we want to sound like really human beings. Japanese 5 year olds speak it alllll the time so they even out. We mostly speak English and come to school to speak Japanese, so give us the real deal and don't baby us.
/end vent
I dunno. Maybe it's selfish and I don't mean to sound like an arrogant jerk, but one thing people have always noted about my Japanese is that I have decent pronunciation, so I really don't want to mess it up by getting this drill-speak in my head. In fact, I'm a little terrified of it. Hopefully if I supplement with lots of native exposure I'll be ok.
*worryworry*
Kanji 2
I think I'm going to like this class. When I went last week there were 5 people (including me) all doing our best to remember the kanji we were supposed to have learned in the last class (which I did not take, but one would freaking hope that after a B.A. I would know SOMEthing, for the sake of our higher education system, if not for me). As it is, there were some that I did not know, and although I thought I had reviewed up to the point where we would be in 2, I missed about...6 chapters. Ugh. So I'm going through them. Luckily it is a lot of stuff I recognize, even if I can't necessarily pull it out of thin air with a pencil. Good review is good after all.
Intermediate 4
I have some problems with this class and they don't stem from what the 3 of us (including me) did as far as material (easy grammar, though it maybe—I really need the vocab work), but as far as learning to pronounce things. Not to say I'm not happy I signed up, but I'm just really worried about picking up horrible pronunciation habits. They teach this super basic elementary-reading-speak that just irks me. It feels like the equivalent of spoken romaji, honestly. Let's see if I can demonstrate in writing.
We worked on あげる、くれる、もらう and the honorific/humble equivalents. A sentence like:
お母さんは妹に本をあげました。
turns into:
お母さんは？ 妹に？ 本を？ あげました。
NOTE THE QUESTION MARKS AND SPACES.
Not that it really sounded like a question per se, but it was the easiest way to indicate the annoying upswing in pitch on the end of every particle with a little pause as if the grammar had to digest. I understand this might be the way you teach 5 year olds how to read, but we're not 5 and we want to sound like really human beings. Japanese 5 year olds speak it alllll the time so they even out. We mostly speak English and come to school to speak Japanese, so give us the real deal and don't baby us.
/end vent
I dunno. Maybe it's selfish and I don't mean to sound like an arrogant jerk, but one thing people have always noted about my Japanese is that I have decent pronunciation, so I really don't want to mess it up by getting this drill-speak in my head. In fact, I'm a little terrified of it. Hopefully if I supplement with lots of native exposure I'll be ok.
*worryworry*
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Dates and Classes
I had no idea you could write １９８５年 （千九百八十五年）as 一九八五年.
Literally, no idea. How come I haven't come across this before? Was I just not paying attention? Maybe it was rash to be a skeptic of this kanji textbook (Bojinsha's Basic Kanji Book) that we are using for class.
Yes, I tested into Intermediate 4 and Kanji 2, so I did buy MORE textbooks. Honestly, though, Situational Functional Japanese seems pretty great now that I'm spending some time looking at it. Doesn't look like they baby you on the kanji front, either. Going to try and get through at least some of the material they covered in the previous class (the stuff contained in the books I bought, since we are starting part-way through each of them) but I don't think I'll get to it all.
I'm really strong in grammar, but weak in kanji/vocab, it seems. This makes me want to just start over every time I study, but I can't do that...have to press forward. I'm really excited to have a completely objective idea of how I'm doing (the teacher's). Just gotta keep trying.
Literally, no idea. How come I haven't come across this before? Was I just not paying attention? Maybe it was rash to be a skeptic of this kanji textbook (Bojinsha's Basic Kanji Book) that we are using for class.
Yes, I tested into Intermediate 4 and Kanji 2, so I did buy MORE textbooks. Honestly, though, Situational Functional Japanese seems pretty great now that I'm spending some time looking at it. Doesn't look like they baby you on the kanji front, either. Going to try and get through at least some of the material they covered in the previous class (the stuff contained in the books I bought, since we are starting part-way through each of them) but I don't think I'll get to it all.
I'm really strong in grammar, but weak in kanji/vocab, it seems. This makes me want to just start over every time I study, but I can't do that...have to press forward. I'm really excited to have a completely objective idea of how I'm doing (the teacher's). Just gotta keep trying.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Which class(es) will I take?
Took the placement test today. I FEEL like I rocked it (which I realize is a very un-Japanese thing to say), but I don't want to congratulate myself too much until I know what they think. What I'm hoping for is Practical Communication and Reading Comprehension, but I'm guessing that is too much to hope for given the neglected state of my kanji knowledge.
What I'm NOT hoping for is landing in an intermediate class, just because I'd sort of like to avoid buying more textbooks. I'm almost wondering if I should just really focus on listening and kanji for a while (i.e. this semester) and then sign up for Spring classes. (That way the timing won't interfere with my beginning wushu, but that said, I have a feeling Monday, Tuesday might be a bit much in a row when I'm just starting anyways, and a Monday night Japanese class seems like the right way to start the week.)
I mean, if I could get halfway to 2級 by April, I think I could test into those classes. Halfway is only 500 kanji and I know a bunch already. That said there is always the depth vs. breadth debate. I don't want to cram only to realize I didn't learn much at all. (Something, anything; something, anything!)
Come to think of it, maybe that mantra is the way I should look at these classes, too. So what if I have to buy MORE books and review a bit? If it'll get me to where I want to be then that's what I'll do. Just waiting on their recommendations...
Their kanji courses go
0-100
101-370
371-500
I'm guessing I'm somewhere in the realm of number 2. I'm guessing I could safely sign up for number 2, which is definitely shameful, ugh...(after all these years) but what are you gonna do? Take Practical Communication and Kanji 2, I guess. I just really like the Kanji in Context books that I JUST got. Hrm hrm hrm. Craving classroom interaction while simultaneously craving an empty room.
Know what is more productive? STUDYING. It's been a while :X
What I'm NOT hoping for is landing in an intermediate class, just because I'd sort of like to avoid buying more textbooks. I'm almost wondering if I should just really focus on listening and kanji for a while (i.e. this semester) and then sign up for Spring classes. (That way the timing won't interfere with my beginning wushu, but that said, I have a feeling Monday, Tuesday might be a bit much in a row when I'm just starting anyways, and a Monday night Japanese class seems like the right way to start the week.)
I mean, if I could get halfway to 2級 by April, I think I could test into those classes. Halfway is only 500 kanji and I know a bunch already. That said there is always the depth vs. breadth debate. I don't want to cram only to realize I didn't learn much at all. (Something, anything; something, anything!)
Come to think of it, maybe that mantra is the way I should look at these classes, too. So what if I have to buy MORE books and review a bit? If it'll get me to where I want to be then that's what I'll do. Just waiting on their recommendations...
Their kanji courses go
0-100
101-370
371-500
I'm guessing I'm somewhere in the realm of number 2. I'm guessing I could safely sign up for number 2, which is definitely shameful, ugh...(after all these years) but what are you gonna do? Take Practical Communication and Kanji 2, I guess. I just really like the Kanji in Context books that I JUST got. Hrm hrm hrm. Craving classroom interaction while simultaneously craving an empty room.
Know what is more productive? STUDYING. It's been a while :X
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