Questions, Concerns, Comments
Questions and Concerns
1. Who can take Japanese 1?
No previous experience is necessary to take this course. Anybody who is interested in Japanese and ready to start a harder course is welcome to sign up for the class.
2. Does the teacher give a lot of homework?
Mrs. Birkland generally assigns about 15-30 minutes of homework a night. This usually includes studying new vocabulary, making flashcards, or completing worksheets.
3. Do students learn about Japanese culture as well?
Each quarter, students are required to complete 25 cultural points. Points can be earned by eating Japanese food, reading pre-approved books, or visiting exhibits. In class, Mrs. Birkland has taught the two traditional Japanese dances and how to make New Year's greeting cards.
4. How is the class taught?
Mrs. Birkland teaches the class speaking almost entirely in Japanese. With the help of objects, pictures, and gestures, most students are able to understand what she is trying to teach. At the end of class Mrs. Birkland switches back to English (whew!). Then she quickly reviews what she has just taught, to make sure everyone understands and takes notes. To learn more about Mrs. Birkland, go to Teacher Biography.
5. Will we be able to speak fluently after the end of the year?
No. Like any other language, it will take a while before you will be able to speak fluently. For more about what you will be learning, link to First Year.
6. Will we learn to write in Japanese, too?
Yes. In addition to speaking, students are taught three forms of Japanese writing, Romanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. A little bit of Kanji is taught as well. To learn more about the forms of writing, go to Links for Current Students. To learn more about what is taught, go to First Year.
Comments
of First Year Students
"I really enjoy being in this class. I'm very interested and I have already learned a lot. The culture is very different but fun to learn about. The class is diffucult but lots of fun"
"I highly recommend Japanese. It is tough, but fun and interesting."
"Japanese is not as hard as everyone says. I was surprised at how fast I learned to say basic things!"
"I think Japanese is fun, but it's also hard. Sometimes I don't pick up on things right away. I thought the first day with Sensei (Mrs. Birkland) was hard because she didn't speak English. I thought she did not speak any English. Then she spoke perfect English and perfect Japanese... I was nervous because a lot of people knew some already"
"I enjoy Japanese class. The sensei (Mrs. Birkland) is very nice, and has a really good teaching style that is easy to learn."
"To learn Japanese you need to take perfect notes and study vigorously."
