Japanese language Intensive course for ex-students from Surya Bharti School

I've been having a Japanese language class mainly for the ex-students from Surya Bharti School, almost on every Sunday since last year.  I teach Japanese for the students who are aiming to pass N5 level of JLPT from 11am to 1 pm, and for the students who are aiming to pass N4 level from 2pm to 6 pm on every Sunday.

(JLPT is a test of Japanese language for foreigners. There are 5 levels of N5 to N1. N5 is for beginners and N1 is for professional level.)

I held an intensive course for 3 times for them during their spring vacation in March and April.

First term: 8th to 17th March

Second term: 25th to 31st March

Third term: 9th to 22nd April

We had the morning class starting at 9 am to around 2 pm (The students for N5 only study in the morning class), after lunch break, we had afternoon & evening class only for the students for N4.  (The students for N4 had studied in both classes.)  3 students had stayed in our hotel during all the terms.  (2 more students joined with them later.)  3 new students who graduated from our school in this March joined to this intensive class since the second term, after finishing their final test(CBSE Matriculation) of 10th grade. 

We use mainly "GenkiI and GankiII" as the texts for our class. The students for N4 had already studied both books one time last year.  And the students for N5 had also studied Genki I last year, but there were a few new students joined our class, so we revised from the beginning of Genki I again.

The reason why I use "Genki" as a textbook is that it has translations in English on each sentences, and it has also grammar explanations in English, so the students who can understand English can study by themselves through the textbook.  The stories appear in it are very familiar to us that are related with usual life,  and they cover various grammars naturally along with them.  And further more, there are plenty of practice questions in the book, and there are workbooks for extra practices.  I think it is very useful. 

There was a big festival of India, "Holi" between the end of the first term and the beginning of the second term.  Holi is a festival we splash colored water to family members and friends for a few days.  And then you can guess what happened.  All the students were so exhausted that the speed of our class became down than usual speed to learn.  But anyways, we completed revising Genki I during the second term.  It was too easy for the students for N4, but sometimes we found their mistakes or some words they forgot during the lessons, so I think it was good revision form them.

And, in the third term, we went through Genki II with both of the students for N4 and N5.  Although the students for N4 had already learned Genki II and they know its contents, we had vocabulary test and Kanji (Chinese character) test everyday, and it was good for them to gain more knowledge.  In the third term I taught them with Hindi translations directly without English.  The way was efficient to understand Japanese grammar because the position of nouns and verbs, etc. are very similar in Japanese and in Hindi.  And the changing styles of verbs in Hindi also pretty much same as in Japanese.  So, it is more easier to understand with Hindi translation especially for the students who aren't good at English.

Now(In the end of April), it is 40 to 45 degree Celsius here in Bodhgaya.  It was only around 30 degree Celsius in the beginning of March.  After entering April, the temperature became soaring high rapidly.  It is said that the temperature in all India this year is higher than past few years, and it caused that many people died by the hotness till now this year.  In such weather, some of the students got cold by studying in the classroom with Air conditioner.  One of them said that he wants to wear sweater.  For me as a Japanese, it was not so cold in the room because the air conditioners were old and had to be repaired.  They felt so cold in the room with air conditioners, because they have special DNA inherited from their ancestors for thousands years in this hottest area.  A few students came to our class by bicycle in this hotness.  All the students had done very well.

We had sample tests for 5 times for N4 and N5 during the whole terms.  I will write about the results in the next blog.

Japanese special class "Doraemon"

On 13th April, we had a Japanese special class. This day's theme was "Doraemon".

I introduced a website of Draemon(official site) and used the contents to learn.

Firstly, I connected to Internet and opened the page on my laptop.

Clicking each picture emitted sounds related its scene. (It's interesting for students.)

And I explained the story in Hindi.

After that, I explained the meanings of sentences and words one by one with printed paper of the site.

Actually, I had thought I would teach them about 2 level words of Japanese test. But, it was 43 degree Celsius at noon at that time, in this hot situation, it is very difficult to sit long, so I chose only Doraemon that day. (more difficult for me than students...)

I asked them "Do you know Doraemon?", then almost of all said they know.  There are few TV in their villages, and they go to the house to watch.

The story was also familiar and easy to understand.

I explained what's the difference of conversation styles between girls and boys with each characters.

Whenever I asked questions, the assistant teacher Prakash sir raises hand faster than students, and I said to him "You are professional teacher, so please let students answer."

Then he put his mouth with both hands surprisingly, and his face was telling "Oh, I am a teacher...!" It was funny moment...!

The day was very very hot, and everyone studied hard!

After the class, a student"S" came to me and said "I persuaded my parents. My planned marriage will be cancelled!" (Please refer the previous blog)  

I was surprised because I was thinking he can't cancel it after discussing with his parents.

The night before the day, he tried hard to persuade his parents and relatives to agree with his desire to study further and not to marry right now. 

It will be cleared after they send all the gifts(laptop etc.) and money for the planned marriage back to her family.  He said the family (of wife to be (planned)) understood the situation and they will come to take the gifts back.

I've been thinking that I have to attend his marriage party....!

His face was fine and was showing his concrete decision to concentrate his further study.

Sorry for his mother that she will have to wait for few years till future daughter in law come and cook for them.  I hope he will study hard more few years to take a good job and then he will make his parents more happier...!  I pledged to support his further study by seeing his firm decision.  Do your best toward being an engineer!

Japanese special class : story of "Going to buy gloves"

On 9th March, we had a Japanese special class, we studied about a story "Going to buy gloves".  Of course, it is very difficult for the students to master all the Kanji appearing in the story.  My aim of this class was at imaging the story of mother fox and child fox, learning basic words, and being familiar with the Japanese pronunciation through the story.   Firstly, I explained story line, and then started to explain the sentences one by one.  Lastly, I drew pictures about the words which appeared on the story on blackboard.  I gave Japanese class teacher an audio data so that the students can listen to it anytime on the computers in our school.  I would like to give them more opportunities to come in touch with Japanese language.

Japanese special class (Parts of Kanji, Map of Japan)

On 23rd Feb., We had a Japanese special class. I taught parts of Kanji form, and map of Japan.

This time, new other students joined the special class. And I explained why do they study Japanese language, and future plan.

I teach students Japanese language not only Hiragana and Katakana which are easier to write but also Kanji.

Kanji are unlimited and very difficult to remember many of them because they have complicated shapes.

For native user of Kanji like me, it is more easier to read the sentences with kanji comparing to without Kanji. Kanji are pictorial form of written style, so if you can understand the meaning of essential Kanji shapes, you will be able to understand complicated Kanji too. Difficult Kanji are made by being jointed with some essential Kanji shapes.

I taught the students parts of Kanji so that they can understand more complicated Kanji in further class.

Having taken much time for teaching the parts of Kanji, time for teaching map of Japan became very short.

And we had a dictation test in Japanese. They did good!

Japanese special class(science)

We had a Japanese special class on 9th Feb. at Surya Bharti School in Bodhgaya.

We learned about science (3rd grade in elementary class in Japan) in Japanese.

It was "The components of the plants".

I explain in English and Hindi.

The structure of sentences of Japanese are very similar to Hindi, so it is easy to explain in Hindi.

We studied Kanji (difficult form) too.

In the next class, which subject will be chosen to teach...?

Japanese special class

 On 2nd Feb.2013
Japanese special class on "Music".

Today, I taught my students "Music" in Japanese special class.  I used the lyrics of "Ue o muite arukou (Sukiyaki song)" and "Tsubasa o kudasai (Wing to fly)". I explained the meanings of each words and kanji with drawing pictures so that they can remember them well. One student asked me about grammar that he found in the lyrics. I could know that he studied by himself before the class. After learning the words and kanji, we sang the songs together. I asked the students "Which subject do you want to study in next Japanese class?". Then, the student who asked before replied "Kagaku!(Science)" in Japanese. I was so impressed and I thought I should keep up with his passion to learn Japanese...! The students hope to study in Japan in the future. Slowly, but day by day, they are going forward to achieve their dreams. I'll try hard for them!