I posted my timetable already here, and my classes are pretty much split up into these parts:
- Grammar/expression
- Kanji and Writing
- Reading
- Listening
- Japanese Culture - Murakami and Tea Ceremony
Our grammar and expression classes are taught by a really amazing, lively teacher called Okano-sensei. We have this class 3 times a week and it basically goes over different grammar points in the Japanese language using print out sheets written by the teacher. So far we have been reviewing stuff we should already know from first year - which mostly I do except for Keigo euhh. We go through the sheets which also have questions on which we answer and write down and then she checks to see that we understand correctly. I enjoy these classes - they're the ones most like the ones we have at Leeds and I am sort of used to that sort of structure. Also, grammar is fun.
Kanji and reading are taught by Shimizu-sensei, a younger woman who I think is a bit fierce. She has already given one of our class a telling off for not studying hard enough for the first kanji test. I have a feeling we all have to be careful to study well for her, or we'll get in trouble!
The kanji classes have been a bit difficult. Again, we are reviewing kanji we should know already, but some of the readings are new to me at least and we go through them very fast. The method she uses is quite strange. We all go into a computer room and she opens up a powerpoint, which also shows on the computer in front of us without us being able to do anything. Then she reads through each kanji, on-yomi and kun-yomi (that means chinese and japanese reading style, so basically different types of ways you can say one single character) and different readings and combinations of kanji that she wants us to know for the test the following week. We are given 2 sheets - one with the kanji, stroke order and un-yomi and kun-yomi; the other with lots of different combination words in kanji alone. It's a bit of struggle to try and write down all the readings and meanings as she goes through for the ones I don't know because the class moves very fast. Seeing as these are kanji I technically already know, I'm sort of worried about how I'll manage when I don't know them at all. Maybe when we are out of the 'review' stage she will move more slowly?
For writing classes we move to an ordinary classroom and do some practice writing for different topics. So far it has been mostly self-introductions, talking about ourselves, our home countries, hobbies etc. There has been a lot of this in Japan so far. Self-introductions are apparently very important >.< I like these as well, because I enjoy writing in Japanese and using different grammar and kanji that I've learned. I'm not very good at it, but I still enjoy it anyway.
Reading classes are a little bit scary. We are taught these classes by Watanabe-sensei who is quite serious, but sweet and kind if you are not very good. Speed reading is the most daunting aspect of this. We are all given a sheet to fill as soon as we can, then we shout "owari! (finished)" and we get another sheet, and so on, each one more difficult. It's a bit stressful if you are slow, I find it hard to concentrate under pressure like that and make really silly mistakes. However, after that part is over, we read different small articles and answer questions about them, much as we did at Leeds with our みんなの日本語トピック２５ (Minna No Nihongo Topic 25) classes. Actually, we sometimes use articles from that actual book. I didn't really read any of them, even though I should have done, so it's not a problem to go over that book again.
Because of the Typhoon, we've only had one listening class so far. We used a computer room and did some listening exercises using personal headsets and sheets that we filled out and then handed in. The teacher is Hayase-sensei who I do not know yet very well, but is kind like all the teachers and very understanding. We also use an online program for learning Japanese on moodle, which I think will give us a new listening/speaking exercise each week which we submit electronically and receive a grade by email. Last time we did a self introduction (again =p). Also, we are going to be given a little digital recorder so we can do a sort of project using Japanese things we hear around us in our every day lives, translating them and talking about what aspects we found hard or easy to understand. We have to do a 5 minute presentation on these things. A bit scary, but we can manage it.
The culture classes are in English, unlike the other classes which are done totally in Japanese (maybe with a few words in English for the grammar classes if we don't understand a meaning that's essential). They're taught by the Australian guy Tim Cross who is pretty cool, thoughtful and I think a good teacher. I wrote about my first tea ceremony class here, and I haven't had one since so I'll talk about Murakami because I had my first one of those this afternoon. We are studying A Wild Sheep Chase, and so far we have only read the first 3 chapters so I don't know all that much about it. Today we did small group discussions with feed back on each subject looking at literature in Japan in general, what it says about Japanese society, Japanese literature around the world. One of the important things about Murakami is that he is one of the few Japanese authors to become very popular internationally, so we have to study why he is so acceptable to foreign readers as well as Japanese readers.
A Wild Sheep Chase is a very strange book, so far it has been about a man going through a divorce first attending the funeral of a girl who he used to sleep with in the 60s after she dies (possibly through suicide), and meeting a girl who has the most amazing ears that she has to keep them covered most of the time so that people do not become obsessed with her. It flashes in between him and the dead girl in the 60s, him and his wife, his dreams, his childhood, the time when he first met the girl with the ears and the present time. No has any name given, except for the dead girl who they call 'the girl who will sleep with anyone'. As in other Japanese novels I have read (admittedly not very many) the writing style is strange and detached, they talk about sex and death in a very casual way and no feelings or emotions really filter through. I like it.
AND on top of this I have to study through Kanji in Context which is the set textbook from Leeds University. There are over 2000 kanji, each with lots of different readings and meanings and combinations, sometimes over 20 >.< In order to get through them all (which we have to, because we have a test at the end of the year that we have to pass or the whole of the year abroad is counted a fail) I will have to study 2 chapters (about 25 kanji a chapter) a week which is actually ridiculous ;_; I utterly failed to learn even the 500 we were supposed to learn last year, so it seems a bit of a tall order to be honest. While the first 300 or so we do already know, many of the readings are new. Leeds University is really harsh with its workloads! My friend from Newcastle University doesn't have anything extra to do - and he's in his 3rd year, we're only in our 2nd!
This is a very long, boring post for anyone who isn't really interested in Japanese classes so... here's a picture of me, Sophie and Soonam in a cool sushi place we went to the other night. I ate egg, tuna and prawn sushi and had lovely matcha tea. And everything was only 100yen each!!
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