Learning Japanese: Enhance Classes With A Listening and Reading Routine

Learning Japanese? Go for 'total immersion' even if not in Japan. Via.

Of all the ways to start studying Japanese, many find taking classes to be one of the most effective. But making the most of class means more than studying. Of course, memorizing vocabulary, reviewing class materials, and participating in lessons are vital, but there are other things you can do to be prepared. It starts with developing a routine that exposes you to Japanese beyond class and textbooks.

Unless you’re living in Japan, you probably won't experience Japanese involuntarily, so you have to seek it out for yourself. This means making Japanese a part of your daily life, such as watching Japanese television shows on sites like Crunchyroll. From hit dramas such as I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper to classic anime such as Bakemonogatari, Crunchyroll gives access to videos more than a week old for free, or you can pay a monthly fee to access videos as soon as they are released, as well as HD video and streaming to almost any device.

As for reading, NHK offers a variety of simplified news articles in Japanese, and you can also buy manga from sites such as YesAsia or in person at stores such as Kinokuniya. There are lists upon lists of recommended manga for beginners out there, but perhaps the most compelling recommendation comes from Khatzumoto of All Japanese All The Time: “Don’t read according to your level, read according to your interest.”

Having Skype conversations with native Japanese speakers is one of the best ways to utilize your Japanese. If you make mistakes, you can simply ask your friend where you went wrong, all while helping them work on their English. Lang-8 is a great place to make friends for tlanguage exchange.

Discussing the Japanese language classroom experience, Tomoyo Kamimura, head of Japan Society’s Language Center tells students “if you can arrange a language exchange with a Japanese student—I have paired up several people here—it works very well. You spend one or one and a half hours speaking only Japanese, then one hour speaking English. You have to get exposure to real Japanese, not just what’s on a screen or in a book.”

Podcasts can be a great way to expose yourself to Japanese even while doing something else. Japan's esteemed news outlet Nikkei offers hours of Japanese podcast programs available online for free. TBS Radio also offers tons of content, and for news on the latest technology and trends, Hotcast is a great choice. In addition to podcasts, there is a decent amount of free audiobooks available for download, some with transcripts in Japanese, and others with translations.

Listening is great practice without having to “do” anything (besides focus, of course). This is especially useful for commuters and anyone who doesn’t have the time to sit in front of their computer watching J-dramas for an hour at a time. And you can still listen to things you enjoy – music, news, sports, reviews of books, video games or movies – only now, you’re getting accustomed to the language you’re learning at the same time.

It’s all a matter of input preceding output – input being reading and listening, and output being writing and speaking. These are the main components of a language, and it’s important as a beginner to prioritize them depending on how you’re primarily using Japanese. Many Japanese learners choose to focus on speaking and listening in order to have conversations in Japanese, while focusing less on writing and reading kanji.

To help with both, it’s a good idea to add every single word you’re interested in that you hear or read to your Anki decks, so that you can review them until you’ve got them memorized. Once you’ve done that, you can try them out in class or when talking to friends to make sure you’re using them correctly. Even just five to ten words a day can make a big difference in improving your vocabulary.

Whatever you choose to focus on, keeping a steady schedule is important. Anki reviews pile up if ignored for a day, so keeping your review count at a relatively low level and adding each day is a good way to stay on top of them. As a general rule, expect to be reviewing for at least an hour if you have more than a hundred reviews due for the day. This is easily managed by setting review limits in the program itself, and it’s also important to note that there are both iPhone and Android apps available, which can help you finish those reviews even when you are not home.

With a daily routine, learning a language becomes much less daunting and much more doable. Even a typical routine, such as listening to an interesting podcast on the train, watching your favorite show at home, and reviewing words you’ve learned before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning will help your Japanese improve outside of class, so you can spend more of your class time learning instead of trying to catch up.

–Mark Gallucci

Gallucci is a Communications intern at Japan Society. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University at Albany and completed a study-abroad program in Kansai Gaidai University, Japan. He has worked as an English-Japanese tutor and is currently enrolled at Japan Society’s Language Center.

Taking The First Steps To Learning Japanese

Mark Gallucci is a Japan Society Communications intern. In addition to receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University at Albany, he completed a study-abroad program in Kansai Gaidai University, Japan. As an English-Japanese tutor, Mark talks about his experience learning Japanese and shares some tips for self-study and classroom-based learning.

Coming from an English background, learning Japanese can seem like a daunting endeavor. It’s easy to look at the written language and be intimidated by the complexity of its three writing systems—hiragana, katakana and kanji—when compared to the English alphabet. But Japanese is a language like any other, and learning it is just a matter of taking the first step.

Before I finally decided to learn Japanese, I went back and forth several times. I was a junior in college, and I’d never had the chance to take Japanese classes in high school, which offered only Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

After a bit of research, I decided that self-study would be a great way to start. I found tons of websites and programs that could help, but before I could begin, I noticed that there were several different paths of study to choose from, depending on your priorities.

You can ignore the writing system and focus solely on speaking, you can choose to learn kanji later, or you can start with kanji. If you’re looking to watch Japanese TV or anime, or listen to Japanese music, you can prioritize speaking and listening skills. But if you’re looking to communicate with people in writing, especially online, or if reading manga or classic literature are goals, then a solid knowledge of kanji is vital.

It’s for that reason that I chose to learn kanji first. It may seem counterintuitive, as it involves learning what the characters mean before even learning the words they’re used in. But it also helps when identifying new words. For instance, if you don’t know a certain word but recognize one of the kanji used in it, you can make a reasonable guess as to what that word is.

As for how my choice turned out, two years and one semester of studying abroad in Japan later, I still need English subtitles when I watch Japanese TV, no doubt a result of prioritizing kanji over speaking and listening. On the other hand, I read and reply to messages in Japanese every day, and thanks to speaking practice with friends, can have long conversations with native Japanese speakers without having to resort to English to get my point across. And while I did end up taking several classes along the way, there were two resources that I found invaluable in my studies.

For kanji, vocabulary, and other things I need to memorize, I use Anki, a popular, completely free digital flashcard program that has tons of user-created decks, including ones for hiragana and katakana. This is a great tool for memorizing large amounts of information. For everything else, I use Lang-8, a platform for free language exchange – you write entries in the language you’re learning, and native speakers of that language will correct it for you. You can then return the favor by correcting entries written in your native language. It’s also common for language learners to exchange Skype info. There’s nothing more helpful than having a native speaker correct your Japanese as you talk.

What I love about both of these resources is that whether you’re taking classes or not, they’re both very useful and can adapt to your current skill level. Plus, they provide a nice mix of textbook learning and exposure to “real” Japanese.

The Classroom Path

Self-study alone may not be enough to reach your goals, and this is where classes come in. Having a native Japanese teacher answer questions and having a clear, stable measure of progression is something that only classes can provide. There’s also the routine. It’s a lot easier to skip a day of Anki reviews than it is to skip a day of class. Not to mention that if you’re just starting out and have no idea what to do, a class will have a set curriculum, and you don't have to figure it out on your own.

Should you opt for classes, the spring session at Japan Society's Toyota Language Center starts at the beginning of February, with thirteen levels of Japanese courses available, meeting once or twice weekly. Kanji courses and specialized courses are also offered. For anime fans interested in learning Japanese, they are offering for the first time a weekly beginners class that uses anime to teach basic vocabulary, sentence structure, and conversational skills.

But if you’re still on the fence, you can get a feel for the classroom environment with one of Japan Society’s free trial lessons taught by Language Center Director Tomoyo Kamimura.

In an interview about the classroom experience, Kamimura-sensei said of her students’ trial lesson experience, “They definitely got the sense of what it is like to learn Japanese and seemed to have enjoyed the lesson. Some are interested in signing up for a regular class. I always enjoy teaching and this occasion was no exception. I hope they got a taste of what it’s like to study and learn Japanese in this brief session.”

Part of that experience is working with other students, a point of focus for classes at Japan Society, and one which Kamimura says can be very effective.

“It kind of motivates you to stay in the class, because when you’re alone, it’s hard to have self-discipline.”

It’s this challenge that can cause people to quit learning a language midway, which is why it’s important, even for those who self-study, to talk to other language learners to compare progress.

Because there are several different areas to focus on when learning a language, there’s no “right” way to learn, but no matter how you’re learning, nothing’s quite like having a conversation in the language you’re learning with native speakers, a fact that Kamimura acknowledges.

“I have had several students who taught themselves through self-study. Many of them were not sure if they were doing it right, so they wanted to take lessons. Amazingly, some of them are very nearly fluent! For me, it may be possible to learn grammar from a book if you have a very conceptual, abstract mind-set. But in my experience, if you can arrange a language exchange with a Japanese student—I have paired up several people here—it works very well. You spend one or one and a half hours speaking only Japanese, then one hour speaking English. You have to get exposure to real Japanese, not just what’s on a screen or in a book. So I do believe in self-study to a certain extent.”

For me, the biggest benefit of taking classes was gauging my progress. When you’re studying in a very unstructured way, there’s no real measure of progress other than looking at past essays or entries you wrote and finding all the mistakes you made. After a while of self-studying , it felt good to take a class, learn new things, and see that my process really was showing results.

Additionally, for beginners who still aren’t sure where to start, classes can provide a foundation to build upon while simultaneously giving students an opportunity to meet new people who share a common goal, and learn from them as well.

“One good thing about taking a class with others, at Japan Society or at college, is, let’s say you hear people making mistakes, and you know the answer. The teacher asks a question, and someone answers it completely wrong, and you think, ‘Oh, that’s wrong, I think that’s wrong’ and the teacher explains why it’s wrong… So you learn from other people’s mistakes.”

After all, making mistakes leads to more efficient learning in the long run.

--Mark Gallucci

Learning Japanese: The Classroom Experience & The Ultimate Goal

From Japan Society Language Center's "Uki Uki NihonGO!" series.

In Part 1 of our interview with Japan Society Language Center director Tomoyo Kamimura, she discussed her experience teaching the Japanese language and the importance of seeding Japanese culture and humor into the classroom. In Part 2, Kamimura-sensei talks about at the classroom experience, differences between learning English and Japanese, the importance of learning a foreign language and the future of the Language Center.

You recently began offering free trial classes for beginners. How has the experience been?

I finished the first of three free trial Japanese lessons the other day. It went well. Since it was held at Noon, there were many retirees. I may have been a bit too ambitious so it went over the scheduled time, yet there were still some materials that I wasn't able to cover. They definitely got the sense of what it is like to learn Japanese and seemed to have enjoyed the lesson. Some are interested in signing up for a regular class. I always enjoy teaching and this occasion was no exception. I hope they got a taste of what it’s like to study and learn Japanese in this brief session. I am excited about the second and third sessions on Nov. 3rd.

Where do you think students struggle the most when learning Japanese?

One thing that springs to mind immediately, of course, is kanji, the Chinese characters that are used in Japanese. Each kanji can be read in a Japanese way or a Chinese way. For example, the kanji meaning “middle” can be read as “naka,” the Japanese way, or as “chu,” the Chinese way—it depends, for example, on whether the kanji is combined with other kanji or used by itself. So learning which way to read the kanji is particularly challenging for students of Japanese since there is no such concept in other languages. We start kanji from Level 4 here.

Another aspect of Japanese that students often struggle with is a sentence structure that is very different from other languages. There are many examples, but one which we tackle on the very first day of Level 1 is what we teachers call the noun-predicate construction. A simple example is the sentence, “Tom is an American,” which translates into Japanese as “Tom wa Amerikajin desu.” In Japanese, we mark the subject/topic (Tom) with a special particle, “wa.” And we use the word “desu” to mean “is/are/am,” which we place at the end of the sentence. The challenge for students is, however unusual or strange this may seem, can you simply accept it? I tell students not to over-analyze or fight it, and not to get hung up on the literal translation, just accept it as the way it is. If you have that mentality of acceptance and can simply plug in “wa” and “desu” like parts of a mathematical formula, you’ll be off to the races!

Are there ways to encourage a student who cannot accept this concept into new ways of thinking?

I try to tell students that approaching their study of Japanese with an open mind and a willingness to take on challenges will help them enormously. To students who are resistant to this frame of mind, I encourage them to think about the many inconsistencies and oddities of English which they take for granted, but which can be particularly challenging for students of English—I certainly remember struggling, and still do struggle, with its crazy spelling, complicated tenses, subject-verb agreement, and so on. Without getting too pedantic, I also encourage students to try to become more conscious of English grammar and sentence construction. Hopefully this enables them to compare and embrace the differences between Japanese and English, and in spite of these differences, to marvel at how they can somehow manage to convey their intended meaning! Finally I tell students about an aspect of Japanese culture that is inculcated in every Japanese student, the Samurai spirit of persistence, and implore them to give it their best—“gambatte!”

Do you also recommend self-study outside of class, and, if so, what particular methods do you think are most useful?

I have had several students who taught themselves through self-study. Many of them were not sure if they were doing it right, so they wanted to take lessons. Amazingly, some of them are very nearly fluent! For me, it may be possible to learn grammar from a book if you have a very conceptual, abstract mind-set. But in my experience, if you can arrange a language exchange with a Japanese student—I have paired up several people here—it works very well. You spend one or one and a half hours speaking only Japanese, then one hour speaking English. You have to get exposure to real Japanese, not just what’s on a screen or in a book. So I do believe in self-study to a certain extent.

What do you see as the different strengths and weaknesses of Japanese and American methodology for language instruction?

I taught English in Japan for ten years or so. Americans generally do not have a very hard time pronouncing Japanese, perhaps with the exception of knowing which syllables are accented and distinguishing single and double consonants and vowels. But these are minor challenges compared to those faced by Japanese people learning English. Japanese speakers’ difficulty with distinguishing “r” and “l” is of course legendary. There are many other pronunciation challenges as well, such as the difference in the vowel sound in law and low, as well as in the consonant sound in year and ear. As a linguistics major, I learned in English you have nine vowels, whereas in Japanese we have only five, so of course we are not used to hearing those four extra vowels! In Japan we do place a lot of emphasis on grammar when we teach English, probably because most English teachers are native Japanese speakers who are frankly not very well versed in English grammar and often struggle to speak English! But here at Japan Society, all of our Japanese teachers are native speakers of Japanese. And our English teachers—yes we do offer English to Japanese speakers as well!—are all native English speakers.

I imagine that would be one of the big advantages of having an ALT [Assistant Language Teacher, as in the case of the JET Programme] in the classroom.

It’s wonderful. I have talked to several people, and it does make a big difference, because kids try to speak to the ALT, and they really learn how to hold a conversation. We have a few teaching assistants in our language center. However, unlike the ALT in the JET Programme, the role of the assistants at Japan Society tends to help the instructor to prepare for the class such as photocopying the handouts and preparing the props, etc. They also help the students who are behind in class so the instructor can keep the pace.

Despite the fact that Japan Society's Language Center provides different levels of classes based on ability, I imagine that within any given class, there will always be some variation in terms of skill level. How do you address these kinds of challenges?

That’s always a challenge, but we have found that knowing our students’ ability and placing them accordingly is the key to overcoming this challenge. If students start from zero knowledge, then that’s Level 1 here. For students who want to progress to the upper levels, I personally interview them and place them into the appropriate level. I draw upon my many years of teaching experience and have a developed a very good sense of what level a student belongs in. I prefer they visit my office in person for an assessment, but I can also do it over the phone.

What sort of questions do you ask? Should people prepare for the assessment? If so, what is the best way to prepare?

We start introducing the te-form in Level 3, the ta-form in Level 5, the honorific in Level 7. So those are some guidelines. If they say they have lived in Japan, I usually switch the conversation into Japanese and see how they get along. Many say that they have studied Japanese by themselves and that they want to skip Level 1. I usually quiz them to say a simple sentence in Japanese like, “I am going to eat a hamburger in a restaurant with my friend at 2:00 today.” Sentences with that level of complexity are covered in the last chapter of Level 1, so if they can pass this and other short quizzes, they're probably ready for Level 2. These quiz questions really help students realize that they need a solid grammatical base before they take Level 2. I guess I’ll have to switch my quiz sentence now that I've divulged it publicly!

Do you place more emphasis on one aspect of language acquisition, such as listening or reading, than on others, such as speaking and writing? Are all equally important?

English, except for some unusual spellings, is generally not that hard for Japanese people to read. You only have twenty-six letters in the alphabet. But Japanese has hiragana, katakana, and kanji. So for the lower levels, I don't place too much emphasis on reading and writing. More on grammar, and then based on grammar, speaking. But eventually you cannot live in Japan without being able to read hiragana or kanji. You just cannot escape it—that’s why we Japanese spend the first 10 years of our education learning to read and write! So at Japan Society too, we do try to teach all aspects of the language.

Would you say then that your ultimate goal for every student is to bring everyone to a level where they can function in Japanese society?

Right. I come back to this many times—I want our students to learn Japanese that they can actually use in real life, rather than learning abstract or theoretical concepts. That’s what I'm trying to get at.

A lot of students feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the grammar when they start out learning a language. Do you think this initial struggle with grammar is something that students simply need to get through, or that teachers need to do more to encourage students with other methods?

I think it really depends on the instructor. The instructor has to be really motivated. And when the students are very enthusiastic—it goes both ways. You can’t escape grammar, but there is a certain way to make grammar more fun than just telling you what’s on the blackboard. If the instructor is highly motivated, then the students will be able to learn. And believe me, all of our instructors at Japan Societyare just that! You don't have to know all grammar in detail, but you need to get the framework so that you can build upon it later.

How about those who already have a strong grammar base and feel the only obstacle to fluency is lack of vocabulary? Do you think a person ever really “graduates” from the classroom, or do you think that even people at the advanced level can benefit from a more structured environment?

I think when you reach that level, where you covered basically all grammar, but you lack vocabulary, the next thing you have to do is immerse yourself among Japanese people. Any exposure will help. Maybe you’re reviewing or discovering something new, but exposure is very important.

Definitely. I think that’s something that’s difficult for many Americans, to create that immersion environment, even with all the Japanese media available.

From my experience learning how to speak English, I could speak English from just learning grammar. But I stayed with a host family for one or two months when I was an exchange student from Waseda University to Kalamazoo College in Michigan. My English just did not get better, because the conversation was always easy: “Are you hungry?” “Yes I am.” “Do you want to eat this?” “Yes I do.” But as soon as I moved to a dormitory, living with all those freshman girls just out of high school, where they chat about all manner of things, my English became nearly fluent within one month. I really think you have to immerse yourself. And maybe with people of the same age—ideally not a host family, but friends. With people of your generation, you can just explore a lot of things.

You spoke earlier about the importance of enthusiasm when teaching grammar. What kinds of techniques do you or other instructors use in the classroom to maintain enthusiasm among students?

Most students want to have a conversation. Conversations are comprised of sentences which are built upon the grammar. So learning grammar leads to a good conversation. I introduce a new grammar concept in every session. I first explain the grammar with lots of examples, for which I create tailor-made handout. As soon as I finish the explanation, I have students hold a simple conversation based on the grammar they've just learned. They seem to enjoy these pair exercises.

Speaking of technology, what are your thoughts on its necessity in the classroom? Is it just a gimmick, or can it form an essential part of your teaching?

I don’t think it’s a gimmick. It’s not everything, but it can play an important part of our curriculum, because we’re living in this era with young people who were born with computers. We have to take advantage of this powerful tool. Instead of using traditional paper flashcards: a i u e o [basic Japanese syllabary], most everyone has an iPhone, and can download animated flashcards, hiragana and things like that. So I do encourage my students to download free apps. For example, the apps like "Hiragana," "Kana Lite," and "Kana" are all helpful. Most everybody has to take a train, so I ask them to do that on the train.

We are working here at Japan Society on getting computer stations set up. We don't need them in every classroom, but some instructors are very good with them and we want to take advantage of that skill set. I remember one instructor was using an old picture for kikimasu [to hear/listen]. The picture had an old-school record player on it, and he was saying kikimasu, kikimasu. The students had no idea what was going on in the picture, but for him, kikimasu was associated with a record. I had to ask him to change the picture (laughs).

The Language Center recently launched the YouTube series Uki Uki NihonGO!, featuring instruction videos that are more colloquial or culture based than the standard Japanese lessons available. What has the response been? Will there be more videos in the future?

The response has been amazing, extremely positive. We are planning a lot more videos.

Many educational institutions are increasingly focusing their resources on Chinese to the detriment of other languages, including Japanese. What would you say to leaders of those institutions regarding the continued importance of Japanese language instruction?

Economic power is not everything. Leaders should know that the pursuit of language and understanding is a noble pursuit. I’m not very worried about Chinese power. When you think about French or Italian, neither country is in the same league as China or the U.S. in terms of economic power, but people love to study French and Italian, so clearly there’s some attraction to learning these languages that goes beyond business or economic reasons. Studying a foreign language somehow provides a glimpse into the essence of a country. If people like what they see, maybe they'll be excited to continue their studies. So I feel good that maybe this is why people want to learn Japanese. I hope they’re motivated more by their hearts more than their wallets—to me this would indicate a stronger and more noble dedication to learning the language.

Especially because economic power is something that fluctuates, whereas love of language is a constant.

It is. And the cultural insights that learning a language, which is something we can certainly offer at Japan Society is also constant, so we don't really have to worry about that at all.

Recent reports suggest that learning a foreign language can make a person "smarter, more decisive and better at English" or even slow brain ageing. Do you agree with this? What other important benefits are there to learning Japanese, or any foreign language?

When one learns a foreign language, s/he must focus. There is no doubt that this stimulates the aging brain. As I mentioned, the Japanese language is a window into our culture. For instance, through learning how to use the honorific form in Japanese, students also discover how important the social hierarchy is in Japanese society as well as our respect for the elderly.

On a closing note, are there any other students or experiences that stand out from your esteemed career?

I have so many. I've been here for nine years, so those young students who were so excited about learning Japanese many years ago, many of them are married now, some with kids. Quite a few of them have come to visit me when I’m staying in Japan. We have this phrase in Japanese: sensei myouri ni tsukiru, which means “the happiest moment as a teacher,” and when the students I used to teach stay in touch and visit me, often with their families, I truly experience the feeling of sensei myouri ni tsukiru.

--Andres Oliver

Learning Japanese at Japan Society: Laughter, Culture & Connection

In late August, Japan Society appointed Tomoyo Kamimura as the second-ever director of its Language Center, which opened in 1972 with a single class, and has grown into one of the nation's most respected Japanese language learning facilities. Formerly coordinator of The New School's Japanese program, Ms. Kamimura sat down to talk about her experience teaching Japanese and plans for the future of the Center. This is part one of a two-part interview.

Congratulations on your appointment!

Thank you.

Could you walk us through your journey of becoming a Japanese teacher?

My interest in teaching Japanese was sparked while I was an exchange student at Michigan's Kalamazoo College from Waseda University in Tokyo. During that time, I taught various levels of Japanese as a student teacher. When I later became a graduate student in Linguistics at the University of Oregon, I was a teaching assistant to Yoko Matsuoka McClain, who is the granddaughter of famed novelist Natsume Soseki. That experience really had a big impact on me. I discovered the deep pleasure of learning and teaching--just the sheer joy of sharing knowledge and connecting with students. I learned that through her and through teaching at the University. Do you know the literal meaning of “sensei,” which is how you address a teacher in Japanese?

It’s “before, birth,” right?

Right. “Sen” means previous or before, “sei” means to be born. I was born before you, so I have that much more experience and knowledge that I can convey to you. Even though I was not much older than the students I was teaching--I was maybe 23 or 24 and they were in their early 20s--I still felt that sense of responsibility and leadership. I really learned the meaning of sensei from that initial experience.

You took a slight detour from teaching. What happened?

After receiving my MA in Linguistics, I returned to Japan where I continued down the teaching path by becoming an English lecturer at Tokyo University of Science. After three years of teaching English grammar and composition to Japanese undergraduates, I decided to try my hand in the completely different field of finance. I obtained an MBA from Columbia University and, upon graduation, worked at an investment firm. After several years, I realized finance was not my calling, I decided to take a break. In retrospect, I believe working in finance was really just a break from my true calling—teaching. I learned a great deal about finance and business, which benefits me tremendously in running a language program.

Did that have any affect your teaching philosophy?
Although aspects of my teaching have evolved over the years, my core philosophy has remained unchanged. It starts with establishing a personal connection with students based on mutual trust. Once we share that, students are more receptive to learning and I am able to focus on conveying my knowledge to each student.

One effective "hook" to establish this rapport is humour. I find humour tends to put students at ease and lessens feelings of intimidation brought on by the seriousness and rigor of a “difficult” language like Japanese, with its sometimes daunting body of knowledge (for example, Japanese has few western-style cognates or sentence patterns, and two sets of alphabets totaling 92 characters, which must be mastered early on).

You've said that Japanese culture is vital to teaching and learning the Japanese language. How so?

The more I teach Japanese, the more I realize the importance of introducing the culture and customs of Japan into the curriculum. In each lecture I make a conscious effort to weave in various snippets of Japanese daily life and customs. I also find that an offbeat approach is an extremely effective teaching method. Some of the "odd but true" cultural phenomena I cover in classes include slurping noodles, the no “ladies first” custom, the “can’t say no” custom, nose blowing, yakuza tattoos, self-deprecating modesty, “holey” socks, giggling, chopstick and bowing etiquette, and body language, among others.

We've discussed on this blog before that a lot of young people become interested in Japanese through manga or anime. What would you say is the motivation for some of your older students?

If you see men taking Japanese, it's often the case their wives or girlfriends are Japanese. Or they went to Japan as a tourist, loved it there and want to go back. Now they really want to communicate a little bit with people. So that’s their motivation. You don’t see as many American women married to Japanese men, but there are some. And it’s the same reason for them: “I want to communicate with my husband’s family.”

Some of the older students have intellectual curiosity as well, or the kind of thing where they have been very interested in the culture since they were very young.

Japan Society has many cultural offerings in addition to language classes. Do you think that is why the Language Center has the reputation as one of the top in the U.S.?

Definitely. It’s because we have so many varied attractions: cultural lectures and demonstrations, a gallery, a film program, performing arts, business panels--we are constantly doing something tremendously interesting. Even our building is an attraction with its unique Japanese architectural elements. All these things combined really help to differentiate this school from others.

Also Japan Society is located in the middle of New York City, so we have people from all walks of life here. And there are Japanese cultural events all over town, not only at Japan Society. We could not have been number one in a little tiny isolated village in some unpopulated state, with not much going on. Location and activity really have a lot to do with it.

You said the city has people from all walks of life. Do you see that reflected in the classroom in terms of age groups, race, etc.?

Yes, we have students of all different ages. Probably the youngest is around 15, a high school student, to 65 or so. We have New York Times reporters, retired doctors, housewives, businessmen and all that. Last year I had a very interesting mix of people. One high school girl, who was good at Japanese because she taught herself, started partnering with an Indian-American who had his PhD from Cambridge on Einstein’s theory or something. I saw his thesis online. He was the real deal.

At first I wanted to kind of separate them. I thought, “Okay, there’s another high school student, so why doesn't she sit with him?” But the two wanted to be partners and stayed together for the whole semester. And they did very well together. They developed their pair conversation into something different, and she would always give him Hello Kitty candy. Something like that makes me really happy, you know, different people sharing this one purpose, to learn Japanese, but with very different life goals. And yet they achieve something together.

You are planning to try out a suite of unconventional thematic classes during the spring 2014 session, which starts in February. Can you tell us a little bit about these?

The themes are actually hooks to captivate students, but the core class is essentially teaching the fundamentals. Long-time instructor Mami Miyashita-sensei has been preparing a karaoke-based class for several years. When she presented the idea to me, I said, “That’s really catchy, let’s give it a try.” Each student will bring a song they want to sing, and they will explore the song in class--its vocabulary, grammar, structure, even idiomatic meanings. At the end of class they will try to sing the song. Hopefully with a better understanding of its meaning.

Do you think making material fun increases retention?
If you are interested in certain things, you pay more attention. When you are over 20 and try to learn new languages, you have to attach emotion to the learning process. Otherwise it’s very difficult to memorize. If you think about it, much older people, people in their 50s who want to learn Japanese, cannot always remember everything. But if I tell them a funny story about a grammar concept, they are more likely to remember. Emotion has to be involved. Like with songs. The words people learn in songs will stay in their heads if it means something to them.

The other new courses are conversation courses for the higher levels, and an advanced course that will read a complete novel--a kind of intense book club that will try to get through one novel each semester. The Center has traditionally been known to offer 12 levels of Japanese, but with these new courses there are now 13.

As Director, do you intend to do more to bring regular Japan Society programming into your lessons?

Oh yes. We already tried it out with the Japan Society Gallery this most recent session. We took students to see the Mariko Mori exhibition. It was pretty successful. I think students really enjoyed it. It has to be a win-win situation. Our Gallery will gain audience and our language students gain a cultural experience unavailable elsewhere. We took teachers to meet the head of the Gallery, Miwako Tezuka, and she trained them to explain aspects of the art on display. So depending on the level, if you’re taking Level 5 students, Level 10 students, the explanation is going to be a little bit different. We have to do it a few more times to see if it’s really working towards our goals.

Do you see yourself incorporating something like performing arts or even lectures in Japanese?
I would like to. There is so much that goes on here every month. Also one day I would like to offer something like a Cinema Class that coincides with Japanese film events taking place at Japan Society, so that students see the movies and talk about them in class. We have to utilize what we have upstairs in the auditorium and Gallery. We have this tremendous, precious resource, so why not use it to the advantage of our students?

Waku Waku Japanese, the series of short videos that introduce fun Japanese words and phrases, has become very popular with visitors to the Japan Society YouTube page. Do you have plans to continue the videos moving forward?

We are actually creating another version, kind of in between the fun of Waku Waku and Miyashita-sensei’s more grammar-based Japanese language videos. I think it’s going to start in early 2014. I have already chosen the instructor. What I am thinking of is to use it as an introduction to Japan Society as well as a fun way to learn some of the basics of the Japanese language. For that purpose, we may actually shoot the videos in front of the waterfall or in the library, to show this beautiful building to people who want to visit. We won’t of course show everything, because otherwise they won’t come to Japan Society (laughs).

To be Continued!

--Andres Oliver

Start at the very beginning! 

For The Love Of Japan: Inroads To Learning Japanese

Learning Japanese? Ii desu ne! Via.

Susan Berhane follows up her report from the intermediate Japanese classes at Japan Society's language center with a peek into the beginners' classes. An international relations student at Old Dominion University, Susan was a 2013 summer intern for the Society’s Communications Department.

Manga has been an essential part of my life since age 11. For each "A" grade I received, or good report card I brought home, my mother rewarded me with a new Sailor Moon of my choice.

Although it was another way for me to hone my reading skills, Sailor Moon meant much more to me. Beyond being part of Sailor Senshi battling the evil Negaverse, it brought a whole new world of art and literature.

Manga was the gateway to anime once I found Sailor Moon episodes on television. Japanese animation allowed my mind and imagination to go places I could have never dreamed as a child. Series like Dragon Ball Z, Ruroni Kenshin, Ranma, Sakura Card Captor, and Pokémon soon followed and fed my growing love for Japan. By the time I reached high school, I was devouring anything about Japanese history, religion, and economy. Discovering Japan's influence on industry in the U.S. paved the way to a college major in U.S.-Japanese foreign relations.

My first Japanese classes were in college. I had no prior exposure to reading and writing in the language. The courses at my university were extensive, and most students in my class had taken Japanese in high school. Needless to say, my first classes were extremely difficult, but my sensei and my classmates were all very supportive and encouraging. It was exciting to learn new alphabets, hiragana and katakana, and it became even more so when we were introduced to kanji. Learning a language like Japanese may seem intimidating, but the sense of accomplishment when being able to read or write a sentence the first time is exhilarating.

The key to learning any language is study. I repeat: study, study, study! Class time alone will not enable a person to breeze through their favorite manga or watch their favorite anime with no subtitles. Also, using class time well is vital. It is as much a time for review as a time to learn new things.

Studying Japanese requires time and dedication as well as the understanding that everyone learns at a different pace. Being in a class setting teaches you the formality that anime and manga won’t teach you. It also gives you the opportunity to practice and grow with other students who may also share your interests.

Being used to classes at a collegiate level, I was anxious when I observed the intermediate class at Japan Society, but my fears were soon allayed. When I observed a first-time beginners level class, there were many similarities, such as two sensei teaching, the use of colors to help organize and teach, and the enthusiasm and participation of the students.

The number of students was slightly fewer than  the intermediate class , and I was able to ask a few why they decided to study Japanese and what their experience at Japan Society's language center was like.

Just like at the intermediate level, the reasons for studying Japanese were wide-ranging, with inroads from anime and manga, classic literature and having to know basic Japanese for their job. Everyone I talked to praised the language center and told me they were planning to take the next level.

Luis, who discovered the Society's Japanese lessons on YouTube in the process of self-teaching decided to try classes here. "The best part [of the videos] for me was watching Miyashita-sensei. I was hoping to get her but I’m just as happy with my current teacher. All the teachers are amazing at Japan Society--so attentive and caring towards students. Japan Society fit my schedule, offers good prices, and makes me feel more comfortable in learning."

Sean, a businessman who lived in Tokyo for a time and discovered the Center through Yelp, also had some trepidation at the beginning. "I was scared at first because of my own ability--or lack of--to speak and comprehend at a decent speed. But I got support from friends and took the plunge. I was already a Japan Society member and liked the other programs [as an] avid attendee, so everything just made sense. I feel very happy with my decision and feels that I've learned so much already."

Amy, a filmmaker who is working on a project with Japanese themes and actors, discovered Japan Society through the annual summer JAPAN CUTS film festival. "I took classes before, but it had been so long I was afraid I couldn't grasp the materials again and that maybe I was too old to be a student again," she said, which obviously wasn't the case. "I also already liked Japan Society and thought it to be a very cultured place. All the events I ever attended had been held in good taste and I thought they promoted Japan well."

Maggie was also persuaded by the reviews on Yelp, and decided to share her experience. "Another reason why I chose Japan Society is because it fit my schedule and had good prices. I already had some Japanese knowledge but needed to fill in some gaps. Now after being in class for a while I feel good with my decision and very satisfied with what I have learned so far. I also convinced my friend to join with me!"

Maggie brings up a good point. Studying a language can be a lot more fun if you share the experience with a friend. It's like having a built-in study buddy. Of course, as I learned from my experience, the Japan Society language center is full of friendly and helpful students, with potential study buddies aplenty. When you start classes here, be fearless and introduce yourself to everyone right away. Just be sure to do it in Japanese!

バイトがんばるぞ！

--Susan Berhane

BONUS: Too shy to ask someone out? Try it in Japanese! 

Learning Japanese: Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself

Image via "Learning Japanese the Exciting Way". 

Susan Berhane, a senior at Old Dominion University studying international relations, marketing and Japanese, and a summer intern for Japan Society’s Communications Department, reports from her first Japanese language class outside academia. 

When I was asked to observe a Japan Society language class, I was beyond thrilled. I had known about the Society’s Language Center for some time, but because I live out of state it was impossible to attend. Fortunately through Japan Society’s YouTube page, I was able to take part in the unique language learning the Society offers through the online full lessons series and the less formal Waku Waku series.

My thrill dipped into terror however when I discovered my level of Japanese comprehension would be assessed before being placed in a class to observe.

Although I have been studying Japanese for three to four years now, my fear of speaking to adults in Japanese has not subsided. The idea that I would need to speak formal, polite language terrified me. For one thing, keigo--the use of honorific language when speaking Japanese--had not been taught to me. Also, no matter how much I know the vocabulary, grammar and tone to use, the minute I speak in front of a fluent adult, I freeze up. What if I forget a certain term? What if I use casual short form instead of the proper long form? These questions always persisted even though I was at a higher intermediate level.

The minute the evaluation began, my fears disappeared. I was immediately put at ease by Kamimura-sensei, the interim director of the Language Center. Her presence was the opposite of intimidating. She was easy to talk to and made me feel as if we had known each other for some time. She, accompanied with a Language Center instructor, asked me various questions about my Japanese course work and before I knew it I was placed in a class to observe: Level 7!

The day came for class. The classroom was small yet each individual student had a good amount of space. The tables were arranged in a large square, with the front open to the dry-erase board. As I took my seat I saw maybe 13 students of all different ethnicities and ages. I sat beside a young woman who was from Eastern Europe who looked to be no more than 25. She asked me if I was new and we immediately began a nice conversation in Japanese.

I was surprised to learn that she was learning Japanese in hopes to bring her family to Japan from their home country. Apparently her time spent in Japan was impacting enough to inspire total relocation.

There were so many interesting and varied reasons other students were taking classes at Japan Society. One student enjoyed reading Japanese literature and wanted to be able to read in the original Japanese. Another student wanted to watch anime and read manga without subtitles or translations. One even told me they were treated so kindly by a Japanese person that it made them want to be able to show their gratitude in Japanese. After they had learned to do that, they developed a fondness of the language and decided to continue learning.

The age range of the students in class went from 17 to mid 60s. The younger students all had some sort of interest in Japanese general culture and pop culture. The middle aged students were there for work or to further their careers. The older students said they were studying Japanese simply for the sake of learning.

The lesson of the day introduced Japanese honorifics, which is polite Japanese language especially used in business-level Japanese. This was my first real lesson on the subject, and I was slightly overwhelmed, but as the lesson progressed I was able to catch on easily. The instructor’s constant referral back to previous lessons helped connect things, and the pace gave enough time for total comprehension before moving on.

Partner work was vital in helping me understand what I was being taught. After each point the sensei would allow students to practice with each other. This way we were able to develop a rhythm and some form of familiarity with the topic. Afterwards, we would practice out loud, which helped us build confidence in our speaking, and also allowed the students to help each other. It was a very encouraging environment in which teachers and students helped build the confidence level of the class as a whole.

I think another part of what makes this program work so effectively is the nature of the teachers. The instructors at Japan Society are some of the best teachers I have come across while learning Japanese. They are extremely kind with a very nurturing and positive attitude. They allowed students to make mistakes, and then took great care to help them understand the mistake.

My sensei related to the students on many different levels. She taught with references to Japanese popular culture, connected the language with practical situations where it would be of use, and always smiled. Sensei was able to take a difficult subject and make you feel as if you could definitely learn it. “Patience and practice everyone” were her words that gave students constant strength and reassurance.

Though only a class of 13, my sensei was accompanied by an assistant sensei throughout the class. They were a good team, building off of each other and dividing their attention evenly between the students.

A great thing about having two teachers in the class is the ability to hear the current material being used between native speakers. The students were able to get a sense of the tone and speed a native speaker uses, thus giving them better immediate aural comprehension. It was refreshing to receive grammar, vocabulary and listening lessons at once.

Before I knew it class was coming to an end. Two hours had flown by in what felt like 45 minutes. All the students were actively engaged, the atmosphere was warm and friendly, and we left feeling a sense of accomplishment from learning something new.

When I went back and looked at my notes and paper work, we had covered a substantial amount of work. With this being my first class on keigo, the material, although difficult, didn’t seem impossible for me anymore.

As students were leaving, many spoke to both sensei not just about class but about their personal lives, exhibiting a certain familiarity and friendliness. Even though class had ended, the sensei listened attentively to each student on their struggles that week from previous lessons, or their accomplishment at their job. Words of encouragement flowed between student and teacher and any doubts or troubles disappeared. Everyone said their goodbyes and made vows to come back next week with the material learned and ready start anew. I was amazed at how confident everyone had become (including me!) after just one class.

This experience made me yearn to take more classes. I wondered if perhaps with the teaching and encouragement here, my fear of speaking to adults in Japanese would disappear altogether. The opportunity presented itself when sensei and I spoke soon after, and I was able to communicate with an ease I had never experienced before, and even use some things I had learned in class.

バイトがんばるぞ！

--Susan Berhane

Concert For Japan: More Than The Music

All ages enjoy making origami. Photo by George Hirose.

Earlier this week we detailed 12 hours of music highlights, but Japan Society’s April 9 CONCERT FOR JAPAN is so much more: origami instruction, washi lantern-making, shodō calligraphy, basic language instruction with the theme “Reach out to Japan,” kamishibai storytelling for children, a scavenger hunt, food and drinks, and unlimited access to the exhibit Bye Bye Kitty!!!

Admission for the day is $5, with all proceeds going to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.

Designed for people with no previous knowledge of Japanese, the language classes teach how to reach out to Japan through basic Japanese phrases to show support and offer help in 30 minute sessions led by teachers from the Society’s language center.

Master calligrapher Masako Inkyo introduces the basics of shodō – traditional Japanese calligraphy art using a brush and charcoal ink on paper. Participants are invited to create messages of peace and hope to take home, and also enjoy Brush, an exhibit of Inkyo’s latest work displayed near the language center.

From easy yet beautiful flowers to challenging cranes, everyone visiting the Society has the chance to make origami paper art, in workshops led by volunteers form Origami USA.

Original work from the language classes, shodo workshops and origami instruction with messages of support for children affected by the earthquake will be shared digitally with children through the Kids4Japan Facebook page, facilitated by Japan Society’s Education Program.

Inspired by traditional rice paper lanterns typically found at Japanese festivals, participants transform Japan Society’s atrium into a giant washi lantern and send well wishes for earthquake relief in Japan. Designed by architect Aki Ishida's students at Rhode Island School of Design, who run a paper-folding workshop for visitors, the collective sculpture grows over the course of the day.

Kamishibai storytelling transports children and families to a world of mythical creatures and folktale heroes. Lively stories in both English and Japanese combine visuals, song and movement and promote themes of cooperation and generosity. Stories are told by Teri Gindi, Keiko Sawaguchi and Kumiko Yamakado.

CONCERT admission includes unlimited access to the Society popular exhibit Bye Bye Kitty!!! Between Heaven & Hell in Contemporary Japanese Art, highlighting some of the most incredible and darkly breathtaking contemporary art from Japan. The gallery will be open an extra three hours on this special occasion.

Throughout the day, visitors are invited to explore Japan Society’s recently landmarked building, from top to bottom, capturing digital images to redeem a gift from Gifu Prefecture or MUJI.

Finally, people can grab specialty beverages from Japan, such as beer, sake, plum wine, green tea, canned coffee, juices and sodas. Soft drinks are $2 and alcoholic beverages are $4. There will also be food to purchase from area vendors ranging from $3-$8.

The full CONCERT FOR JAPAN schedule of performances and activities can be found at http://www.japansociety.org/concertforjapan.

Language classes, shodō lessons, and kamishibai storytelling take place over several small group sessions; ticketing opens at 11:00 am for sessions between 11:45 am-2:15 pm and at 2:15 pm for sessions scheduled 2:30-5:30 pm. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis.

The origami and washi latern workshops are continuous 11:00-6:00. Reservations are not required and participation is on space-available basis.

Those wishing to donate to the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund can go to www.japansociety.org/earthquake or mail a check to Japan Society, 333 East 47th Street, New York, New York 10017; Attn: Japan Earthquake Relief Fund. Checks should be made payable to Japan Society and indicate “Japan Earthquake Relief Fund” on the check. One hundred percent of tax-deductible contributions to the fund go to these organizations. For additional information, email japanrelief@japansociety.org.

Language Tips

It's not too late to sign up for the 2010 Spring Intensive Weekend Courses!

These are concentrated courses are held over two consecutive weekends that are designed to teach beginners basic conversational skills. They will be useful to people with traveling difficulties or scheduling problems, or who were too late to register or missed too many of our regular classes. They are also meant for people who are planning to travel or move to Japan.

These classes start this weekend so be sure to register quickly!

The internet is a treasure trove for those trying to master Japanese. Here are a few useful sites I've encountered lately:

Hills Learning: Highly Interactive Language Learning

Not only do they offer high-quality language classes, they also host a variety of events throughout the city, such as food tastings and networking events for those in Asia-related industries. Run by a young and energetic staff, there are a ton of opportunities to be found here.

The Ultra Handy Japanese Verb Conjugator

As stated, this site features a useful conjugator for Japanese verbs, but also included is a list of the most common verbs, a list of verbs that comprise of loan words + suru, and also a translation guide. While not the most comprehensive source, it's definitely worth having on hand for quick needs.

Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese

Resources and tools for the Japanese learner abound here. Whether you're looking for tips on your grammar or other students to chat to, this site is a willing and friendly study-buddy.

みんなさん、がんばってください！