春祭り（はるまつり）

先週（せんしゅう）の金曜日（きんようび）に春祭り（はるまつり）がふたつありました。午前（ごぜん）１０時（じ）から午後（ごご）３時（じ）まで、日本語学科（にほんごがっか：Japanese department）のがありました。アリーさんが作文（さくぶん）を読（よ）みましたよ。とてもよかったです！

午後（ごご）４時（じ）から、学生（がくせい）の春祭り（はるまつり）がありました。みなさんは行（い）きましたか？

はるやすみはどうでしたか？

みなさんの春休（はるやす）みは、どうでしたか？楽（たの）しかったですか？私（わたし）は２６日（にち）から学会（がっかい:conference）がありましたから、その準備（じゅんび:preparation）をしました。

学会（がっかい）はシカゴ（しかご）でありました。発表（はっぴょう:presentation)は、よかったですよ。シカゴでは、安（やす）いホテル（ほてる）に泊（と）まりました。そして、毎日（まいにち）レストラン（れすとらん）でごはんを食（た）べました。私（わたし）はシカゴ（しかご）のdeep pizzaが好（す）きですから、Unoに行（い）きました。有名（ゆうめい）なシカゴ（しかご）のレストラン（れすとらん）です。おいしかったですよ～。今度（こんど）、行（い）ってください！

***シカゴ（しかご）のUnoに行（い）ってくださいね。ニューヨーク（New York）のは、あまりおいしくありませんから。

コロンビア(Columbia)のちかくに、おいしいレストラン(れすとらん）が ありますか？

みなさんは、よく　コロンビア（ころんびあ）の近（ちか）くで　ごはんを　食（た）べますか。私（わたし）は　時々（ときどき）　食（た）べます。

昨日（きのう）　友（とも）だちと　キューバ（きゅうば）料理（りょうり）のレストラン（れすとらん）に　行（い）きました。エビ（えび）のサンドイッチ（さんどいっち）を食（た）べました。とても　おいしかったです。友（とも）だちは　なすの料理（りょうり）を食べました。デザートは、チュロス（ちゅろす）を食（た）べました。とてもあまくて、おいしかったです。

みなさんは、どんなレストラン（れすとらん）に　よく　行（い）きますか。


　　　　　　　　　　　　チュロス（ちゅろす）の写真（しゃしん）


Words you don't know:
キューバ（きゅうば）: Cuba
料理（りょうり）: Dish, Cooking
エビ（えび）: Shrimp
なす: Eggplant
写真（しゃしん）: Photo

Picture taken from:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB:Chocolate_with_churros.jpg

ひなまつり

三月（さんがつ）三日（みっか）は　ひなまつりです。女（おんな）の子（こ）の日（ひ）です。ひなまつりに　家（うち）で　人形（にんぎょう）を飾（かざ）ります。そして、おかしを　食（た）べます。写真（しゃしん）に　たくさん　人形（にんぎょう）がありますよ。




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinamatsuri


Words you might not know:
日（ひ）: Day
人形（にんぎょう）: Doll
飾（かざ）ります: To display
おかし: Snack, sweet treat, etc
写真（しゃしん）: Photo

Picutre taken from:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/Hina_matsuri_display.jpg

Importance of Peer Editing

The final, submitted draft of any writing activity is, of course, important. However, in the context of studying Japanese, the process of writing holds as much significance as the final draft itself. In Japanese class, we often make use of peer-editing, one part of the writing process. There are three main reasons why.

1) The writer’s intentions vs. the reader’s interpretation

The peer-editing process gives us insight into the differences between our intentions when we compose a section of text and the ways in which various readers will interpret this text. As all readers approach a text from different backgrounds, their ways of reading the text will differ. This is an important realization for all writers.

2) New Ideas

New ideas and realizations are often first come upon during the discussion inherent in the peer-revision process.

3) Helping one another

Reading classmates’ texts often leads to realizing and understanding the problems with one’s own texts. Also, the revision process gives writers the opportunity to obtain help in their weaker areas (for example: grammar, organization of your essay, information on the topic, etc) while helping their classmates using their own personal strengths.

We are lucky to have such a great class, so take advantage of each others strength and get better together before the opportunity passes!

バレンタインデー（Valentine's Day）

２月１４日はバレンタインデーでした。みなさんは　どこに　いきましたか。チョコレート(chocolate)を　たべました(ate)か。

Here is a question. What do you think Japanese people do on the Valentine's day in Japan?

1. A man gives a woman a chocolate.
2. A woman gives a man a chocolate.
3. Both way.
4. They do nothing.

Also, do you know "honmei chocolate" and "giri chocolate"?

節分（せつぶん／Setsubun）

There are many seasonal events in Japan. There are New Year's day (Jan. 1-3) and the coming of age day (the second Monday). The first even in Feburary is 節分（せつぶん／setsubun）on the 3rd.

On that day, family members throw roasted soybeans at a member of the family wearing an oni (Japanese demon) mask to get rid of bad luck and also welcome good luck. When we throw soybeans, we say "おにはそと(demons out)" and "ふくはうち(luck in)."

For more information, see click the link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setsubun

Have you heard of this event?? Do you have similar culture in your country?

せんしゅうのたんご＆フレーズ(Words & Phrases from last week)

Here are words and phrases that we learned in class but not in the textbook.

Shitumon ga arimasu（しつもんがあります）: I have a question.
Iie, arimasen（いいえ、ありません）: No, I don't have.
Daijoobu desu（だいじょうぶです）: I'm alright.
Kankoku（かんこく）: Korea
Furansu（フランス）: France
Choushi wa dou?(ちょうしはどう？）: How's it going?/What's up?
Nemui desu(ねむいです）: I'm sleepy.

That's all I remember. If there were more words phrases, let me know!

ひらがな！

We have started learning hiragana in class. How's it going? I mentioned that hiragana were derived from kanji (chinese caracters). Here is a list of the kanji. Can you recognize any of the kanji in the list???


http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%B2%E3%82%89%E3%81%8C%E3%81%AA

はじめまして！よろしくおねがいします！

I would like to use this blog to share your happiness, surprise, excitement, frustration, and questions about Japanese language learning. Here Japanese language learning is not limited to what you do for the course but also includes what you do and experience outside the class. I will make links to classmates' blogs, so you can see what other students think and feel about Japanese language learning and you can even comment on their postings.

I am also very curious about how you learn Japanese, and what you feel and think about (Japanese) language learning as well as how you transform yourself through Japanese language learning, so please feel free to write anything you want. You are encouraged to express yourself in any language you want on the blog! All types of postings are very much appreciated.

In order to open a new blog accout, please follow the instruction. If you have any technical questions (how to open a blog, how to type in Japanese etc.), please send an e-mail to helpjpcu@gmail.com

1) Go to
http://www.blogger.com
to open your blog.
* In order to receive comments from as many people as possible, please select "Comments" and choose "Anyone" for "Who can comment" section.
*If you want to know how to type Japanese, please click the link listed on the right side.

2) Send your blog address to me (hh2373@columbia.edu).
*If you have trouble opening a new account, please let me know.
*If you already have a blog and you can use Japanese on it, you do not have to open a new account.

3) Post a blog entry according to the schedule.
* If you have no idea about what to write, please see the following suggested topics.

I can read Japanese!
In speaking Japanese!
Reasons I am studying Japanese
My dream
My Japanese friends
Japanese grammar vs. English grammar
Speaking vs. Writing
Listening vs. Reading
My daily schedule
I have no time to study!
I spent so much time studying, but..
My hobbies
My classmates
What I like/dislike about Japan or Japanese
Daily news
Japanese writing system
Kanji
Japanese vocabulary
Favorite lab exercise
Voc quiz
My favorite Japanese TV show, movie, or anime