Thursday, December 24, 2009

よいふゆ休みを!

みなさん、いろいろ ありがとうございました!1学期間(がっきかん:for # semester) とてもたのしかったです。

みなさんのブログに、たくさん日本のマンガやキャラクターがありましたね。このキャラクターも、日本で人気があります(にんきがあります:to be popular)。なまえは、お茶犬(おちゃけん:tea dog)です。おちゃといぬのコラボレーションです。おもしろいですね。



では、みなさん、また来年!よいお年を!(Happy New year [used before New Year's day])


Picture taken from here

Katakana Literary Work Nomination!

In the katakana project, we examined how Katakana is used in the actual context and compared those actual usages with the Katakana descriptions in various textbooks. We hope that you have had interesting insights through this project. As some of you already mentioned in your analysis, textbooks are never able to exhaust all rules. Textbook authors always need to select and organize particular constructions of reality from the vast universe of knowledge.

There are many notions that we tend to consider as self-evident. For example, we may think that Katakana is used only for loan words, textbooks present correct, neutral, and essential information and knowledge, or Japanese people speak Japanese language. But do these “self-evident” notions truly reflect the realities? We believe that questioning or reflecting your understanding of these “self-evident” notions is the first step to make yourself involved into the community. We should not just wait for the community to take the initiative to change but change the community by ourselves. Hence the katakana project was an attempt to put this concept into practice.

As educators we feel that it is extremely important for us to help a person grow, because we will be sharing the world together, and will all be responsible for the future community. Let’s make a better world together!


先週の木曜日に、クラスメートのせんりゅうやマンガを評価(ひょうか:evaluation)しましたね。その中で、とてもいい作品(さくひん:piece of work)を紹介します(しょうかいします:to introduce)。

セクション1
1.いきましょう!(マンガ)
2.ハワドの日本語のブログ (はいく)
3.Turning Japanese(ものがたり:Story)

セクション2
1.もしもしみちえです(はいく)
2.にほんご4n00bs(まんが)
2.日本語 OK !(まんが)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Evaluation

1. Evaluation of the katakana literary works
  • Read the evaluation categories shown below.
  • Click the form below and rate your classmates' work between the scale of 1-10.
  • In addition, leave comments about their literary works on their blog. (Make sure to write at least one sentence in Japanese.)
Section 1 (Tue&Thur 5:40-6:45)
If you are ワン, フォ(ポリン),ジョシュ, レティ, ジェーン, キミ, スシャント → Click here
If you are ザオ(カレン), マリリン, ナイラ, キャシー, ハワード, サン, → Click here

Section 2 (Mon&Wed 11:00-12:05)
If you are シェリー, フォン, ローリー, ホエユ, → Click here
If you are みちえ, ナタリー, ジョシュ, ティファニー, → Click here

(Katakana Literary Work Evaluation Categories)
1. Creativity
Original, interesting, creative, good imagery, meaningful, funny,

2. Informativeness
Well thought-out, understandable, thought provoking, expressing your interests, plot, subject

3. Aesthetic factors
Well drawn (manga), beautiful,

4. Consideration to others
Easy to read, short, foot notes(translation), links&pictures(illustrations),

5. Language
Good vocabulary use, good grammar, no spelling errors, proper use of katakana,

6. Others
Follow guidelines, flow well, complete,


2. Evaluation of the katakana project.
  • Click here and evaluate katakana project. Please write as much as possible so that we can improve the projects for students who will be studying Japanese at Columbia in the future.
3. Evaluation of the blog (15 minutes)
  • Read the evaluation categories shown below.
  • Click the form below and rate your classmates' blog and your blog between the scale of 1-10.
  • Evaluate them and type comments. Make sure to write at least one sentence in Japanese.
  • Your comments will be given to the bloggers.
Section 1 (Tue&Thur 5:40-6:45)
If you are ワン, フォ(ポリン),ジョシュ, レティ, ジェーン, キミ, スシャント → Click here
If you are ザオ(カレン), マリリン, ナイラ, キャシー, ハワード, サン, → Click here

Section 2 (Mon&Wed 11:00-12:05)Click here

(Blog Evaluation Categories)
1. Language
Japanese as much as possible, Wide range of vocab and structures, Minimum mistakes

2. Content
Japanese culture, Interesting, Pictures, Videos, Music, Original, Clear, Understandable, Long enough to make your point, No obnoxious graphics, Variation, Not too hard not too easy

3. Layout
Paragraphs, Organized

4. Communication
Communicate with other bloggers, Conversation starters, Add questions

5. Consideration
Use hiragana next to kanji, Leveled kanji, Translation

6. Update Regularly

4. Evaluation of the blog project.
  • Click here and evaluate blog project. Please write as much as possible so that we can improve the projects for students who will be studying Japanese at Columbia in the future.

5. Course Evaluation (If you haven't finished)
  • Go to the Courseworks, first year Japanese, and then Evaluation.
  • Evaluate this Japanese class. Please write as much as possible so that we can improve our Japanese classes for students who will be studying Japanese at Columbia.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

もう12月ですね〜

もう12月ですね。もう12月10日です。。。

みなさんは、ふゆがすきですか?わたしは さむいきせつが あまりすきじゃありません。ゆきも あまりすきじゃありません。でも、まちが とてもきれいですから、クリスマスが すきです。


とてもきれいですね。みなさんは クリスマスに 何がしたいですか? わたしは クリスマスに 日本へ かえりますから、たくさん 日本のたべものが たべたいです。

ここで クイズです。クリスマスに 日本で とても にんきがある(popular)たべものは 何ですか?

1. ラーメン
2. ケンタッキーフライドチキン
3. ぎゅうどん
 
Header Image from Bangbouh @ Flickr