Final reflections for this year

 

I think that overall, I am very happy with how my Japanese has improved this year. Overt the course of the last two semesters  I started from knowing absolutely no Japanese, to being able to read and write and understand quite a bit. I was mostly able to meet my goals for PE, and my reading and writing and speaking are much better than I though they  would be at the beginning of the year.

 

I think that this blog has been a very fun place for me. I enjoyed writing slightly longer essays in Japanese and also reading about my classmate's lives and ideas through their blogs. It helped me learn more about them, even if I hadn't ever talked to them. I am greatly looking forward to studying Japanese this summer and also next year!

日本に　行ったら　この　物が　したい

三週間で、　私は　日本に　行きますから、　たくさん　おもしろい　物を　しらべておいています。もちろん、　日本は　とても　大きい　ばしょだから、　おもしろい　物が　多すぎます。でも　私は　リストが　作りましたよ。

１．新幹線（しんかんせん/Bullet Train)　を　乗りたいです。　新幹線は　とても　早く　行く　でんしゃです。東京の　ＮＲＴ　くうこうに　入って、　すぐに　新幹線を　乗ろうと思います。

２．もちろん　私の　一番　したいものは　日本人と　話します。　それは　とても　むずかしいですけど、　私は　日本語を　話すのが　上手に　なりたいですから、私は　がんばる。私の　日本語は　まだ　上手じゃありません。　

３．そして　たくさん　色々な　物が　したいですよ。　たとえば、　寺を　みて、　日本の　コンビニの　食べ物を　たべて。

でも、　日本で　日本語を　話すが　上手になるのが、　私の　一番　大事な　ゴールです。　本当は　日本で　毎日　たのしい　物を　するつもりです。　じゃあ　日本で　会いましょうか？

旅行の思い出

八年前に、私の　家族は　トンガに　行きました。　二週間に　トンガに　とまりました。　私

の　家族の　休みだった。　でも　ホテルを　よやく　しませんでした。　私の　大家族

（Extended family)　の　家に　とまりました。　べんりですけど、　トンガ人の　家は　よく　ち

ょっと　モダン（Modern)じゃない。 　それども、　私の　叔母(Aunt's)　の　家族は　とても　

親切で、　おもしろいので、　私は　とても　うれしかったです。　毎日、　朝ごはんを　たべ

て、　ビーチの　さんばし(Pier)で　あそびました。　さんばしに　たくさん　水の　どうぶつ

(Animals)が　います。 たとえば、　さかなや　ナマコ(Sea cucumber)や　うに（Sea Urchin)や　

カニ(Crab)が　います。　私や　私の　兄弟や　私の　いとこは　水の　水どうぶつを　すがし

ました。　毎週、　ぶた(Pig)を 　三びき　ころして（Killed)、　火災の(fire)　上で　作りまし

た。　そして　大家族の　まちの　人は　ぜんぶ　来ました。　とても　たのしいでした。　で

も、　その　後で　ハワイに　帰りました。　トンガの　飛行機の　きっぷは　高いから、　ま

だ　トンガに　帰っていません。　いつか　私は　トンガ　に　いくつもりです！

私の春休み

今日、私は　ちがう　しゅくだいを　しましたよ！　だから、　今　ブログの　ポストを　します。トピックは　春休み。　休みの　はじめて　けいかくが　ありませえんけど、　友だちは　二人　いました。　おなまは　パーカーと　キムです。　パーカーは　インド　から　来ました。　すうがくが（Math)　とても　上手ですよ。　キムは　エジプト　から　来ましたけど、　中国人　です。　一日に　三時間ぐらい　エックスボックス　（Xbox)  を　した。　それから　私たちは　エックスボックスが　とても　上手です。 そした、木曜日に　えいが　えいがかん　（Movie Theatre) に　行って、　えいがを　見ました。　土曜日に　ニューヨークに　行って、　フリーマーケット　（Flea Market)　買い物を　しました。　でも、　私は　ふくが　ほしくないので、何も　買いませんでした。　でも　ニューヨークは　たのしくて、　おもしろいです。　私たちは　たくさん　寝たり、　話したり　しました。　とても　いい　休みだと思います。　

キムさん　です
かっこいいね？

パーカーさんです。　ちょっと
みじかい人。

Reflection on PE

Now that we are half-way through the semester it is time to review my goals for PE. I will do this by putting down my goals vs what actually happened.

1. Do all the P.E assignments as best as I can.

- I guess I did this, I think that I should have tried harder though. Sometimes I think that I should have spent more time on the material so that I could really perfect the talking.

 

2. Choose to participate as much as possible in class.

- I kinda forgot about this one, obviously I did whatever part I was asked to do, but sometimes I think that I should try to speak more in class. 

3. Go to Japanese table.

- I was able to do this pretty often. This was pretty easy since I live in Mathey. However, I don't think that I talk enough at the table 

4. Go to office hours at least once a week.

- I did this at the begging but unfortunately did not do this as much as the semester went on. I should try to go office hours every week from now on. 

5. Go to Shibata's office hours at least once every two weeks.

- I did this at the beginning of the year, but as time went on I stopped doing this. I need to start doing this more!

Overall I think that my goals are still the same, but that I need to start trying harder. I need to especially start trying to do better at formulating original sentences on the spot, since that was a major struggle during my oral exam.

私の家族

私は十人家族です。私は一番上です。私のちちは五十さいぐらいです。つよくてですけど、しんせつです。せが　高くないから、私の母の方はせが高い。私の母はせが高くてかみがブロンド。母はいしゃからいそがしいです。たくさん兄弟がいます。上から二番目は弟です。とてもおもしろいひとですよ。よく、としょかんに行って、しごとをします。上から三番目は弟です。せがみじかくて、でもかっこいい男の子です。上から四番目は弟です。とてもがんきだとおもいます。上から碁盤目は妹です。かわいいです。そしてせが高い。下から三番目は妹です。かみがブロンド。下から二番目は妹です。一番下は弟です。私はよく兄弟とあそびます。私の家族はとてもにぎやかですね。

P.E goals for this semester

Last semester, my Japanese got a lot better. Hopefully, at the end of this semester, I will look back and be able to say the same then. Right now, what I most want to improve is my ability to sound natural while I speak on the spot. This means eliminating gaps between my words as much as possible, and also using correct pronunciation while I speak. To do this, here is my plan.

1. Do all the P.E assignments as best as I can.

2. Choose to participate as much as possible in class.

3. Go to Japanese table.

4. Go to office hours at least once a week.

5. Go to Shibata's office hours at least once every two weeks.

By doing these things, I hope to continue my Japanese education in the best way possible. 

Sincerely,

Jack

私の一番好きな食べもの

この　ポーストは　じょうだんです。

みなさん、日本語の　クラスが　はじまりました。今、私は　私の　一番　好きな　食べもの　を　いいます。その　食べものは　とても　おいしくて　いいです。大ゆうめいですが、たぶん、みなさんの　一番　好きな食べものではありません。しりたいですか？

まって下さい。まず、この　テストを　して下さい。

①　アイスクリームの中でどんなが一番好きですか。

②　くにの　中で　何が　一番　ただしいですか？　

③　せかいの　中で　だれが　一番　好きですか？

ありがとうございます。コメントセクションにこたえをかいて下さい。やっと、私の　一番　好きな　食べものを　いいます。りんくを　クリック　して下さい。

私の　一番　好きな　食べもの.jpg　

とても　すてきですね？今、みなさんの　一番　すきな　食べものは　M&Mですね？

ＨＡＨＡＨＡＨＡＨＡですよ！

じゃ　また、

ウルフグラム

Final reflection of PE

     

     For the latter part of the semester, I was able to meet my PE goals well. Towards the end of the year few PE exercises were required, so I may not have quite kept up with my goals in that, but I was close.  I think that I improved a lot in my speaking ability. I think the best benefit of going to office hours was to increase the speed of my speaking. Before, my speaking was very slow, choppy, and irregular, now, my on-the-spot talking is much better than it was before. Looking back on it, it is amazing how much better my speaking has gotten since the beginning of the year. 

しばた先生、ありがとうございます！

私の冬休み

冬休みにうちにかえて、かぞくにあいました。私のうちはハワイにありますよ。十一月十八日きました。その日に、私はたくさんねました。そのあと、かぞくと　はなしました。私のかぞくの中で八人があるので、うちはにぎやかです。私と私のかぞくはうれしかったです。クリスマスにジーンズを三まいもらいました。そして、冬休みにしごとをしました。ファームでしごとをしました。私はぶたをきょおきゅうしました。冬休みにも友だちをあいました。よく、友だちとかぞくにはまにいきました。冬休みはたのしかった。

Picture taken near my home town, Hana, Hawaii.

Letter to host family

I submitted a rough draft that the teachers edited, but I lost the corrections so I tried to correct it as best as I could. lol

Japanese Class

私の　日本の　じゅぎょう

My Japanese Class

毎日　ごご　じゅうにじはんに　フリストで　私の　日本の　クラスが　あります。　私の　へやから　フリストまで　ごふん　かかります。　フリストに　たくさん　きょうしつが　あります。日本の　クラスは　フリスト　３０７に　あります。その　きょうしつは　あかるくて、　ひろいです。

This is where my Japanese class is. Its actually a very pretty building.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 私の　日本の　じゅぎょに　たくさん　おもしろい　人が　いいます。　たとえば　あざんさんと　コルテスさん。わたしの　クラスは　たのしです。にほんごの　じゅうぎょうの　あと　たいてい　私は　ひるごはんを　たべます。　

I like it when my Japanese teachers play Japanese music or videos before class. Sometimes I will look up the music afterward, so I am starting to listen to some random J-pop songs here and there. One of my teachers played this song before class and I have been listened to it quite a bit now.  

In this song I can pick out the word "Romance," but not much else other than a few words like ぼく　etc. Can someone tell me what this song is about?

Reflection on speaking goals

Half way through the semester, its time to reflect on my speaking goals and review how I'm doing. I don't think that any of my goals have changed, but some of the activities that I will use will be a little different.

 

Goals for the year

     Over the course of this year I hope that my Japanese will become decently natural and fluent, so I will practice several things to improve.

Goals

1. Be able to speak and understand at speeds near average for Japanese speaker

     I think that I have become much better at this.

2. Improve my rhythm and pitch, so that I sound more like a natural speaker

     I also think that I am much better at this now.

Methods to be Used

1. Go to Shibata Sensei's office hours at least once ever two weeks (one if possible).

      I never even went once :(. I plan to go more office hours over the last half of the semester.

2. Go to Japanese Table every week (I live in Mathey so this will be easy)

      I did this! I should make more effort to speak at Japanese table though, not just eat.

3. Do anime shadowing at least every three days every week.

      I ended up doing this once a week. On the recommendation of しばた先生　I will now start doing

      some of the interactive parts of the "speak easy." 

4. Watch an episode of a fun Japanese show (anime or otherwise) once a week 

      I did this!

Overall I think that I did an alright job, and that I am still getting better.

じゃまね
ジャック　オルフグラム

An attempt to introduce myself in Japanese

I had a lot of interesting ideas for the video, but in the end I was too shy to do them. I am actually very shy to talk in Japanese and I had difficulty talking in front of the person holding the phone. I think that the video still went O.K though. I can tell that my speaking is better and more natural. Thank you all for watching and please tell me what you thought!

Goals for the year

     Over the course of this year I hope that my Japanese will become decently natural and fluent, so I will practice several things to improve.

Goals

1. Be able to speak and understand at speeds near average for Japanese speaker

2. Improve my rhythm and pitch, so that I sound more like a natural speaker

Methods to be Used

1. Go to Shibata Sensei's office hours at least once ever two weeks (one if possible).

2. Go to Japanese Table every week (I live in Mathey so this will be easy)

3. Do anime shadowing at least every three days.

4. Watch an episode of a fun Japanese show (anime or otherwise) once a week 

If someone could give me a good example of a show that is in Japanese please let me know! I look forward to posting more on this blog, and also reading my classmate's blogs too. 

じゃ　また！

～ Jack Wolfgramm

P.S 

I looked up "Funny Japanese Music Video" and this is what I got:

What is happening here? What is this song about?

こんいちは！

はじめまして　Jack Wolfgramm　です　どうぞ　よろしく。

わたしは　Hawaii　の　Hana 　から　きました。

Princeton　だいがく　の　がくせい　です。

わたしは　いちねんせい　です。

じゃあ、また　

Beginning to learn Japanese!

　　はじめまして Jack Wolfgramm　づす. I am taking Japanese 101 at Princeton University. I chose to learn Japanese because I wanted to learn a new alphabet, am interested in the culture, and think the Japanese language sounds nice. Basically, I have no good reason for taking a hard language.  I am very interested in learning how the Japanese sounds and grammar are different from English. I am very worried by the fact that Japanese has three alphabets and over one thousand characters. I wanted to learn a new alphabet but that is too much! Also, when I try to write hiragana my handwriting is very bad. Despite these things I am still very optimistic about the class and think that I will have a fun time!

When I looked up "Princeton University Japanese" this is the image that came up. What kind of tree is this?