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I know I know!! There’s a little angry old Japanese kansai baba in my head that every once in a while has to rattle me with a skanky smile to remind me to study Japanese again. But when am I gonna use it? I mean, the amount of time it takes to write kanji, take lessons and get frustrated testing my perfect Japanese out on my kobebenette makes me think it’s not worth it. I’m probably never going to work for a Japanese company, never going to start a conversation with oji in the sauna and sure as hell NEVER gonna need to speak formally to anyone but the judge when my wife eventually tries to clean me out of house and home. Eh. For what it’s worth anyway, I’ll give it another try. I’m starting by following my son’s kanji books. He finished first grade so I’m erasing what he wrote and writing them again. Thank God I can still see them after the REALLY bad erasing job I did. LOL. Here’s a link for anyone else interested in getting some practice. There’s a million of them out there, but these guys have come a long way in the last few years. http://www.mlcjapanese.co.jp/Download.htm
Comments:
10 Comments posted on "STUDY JAPANESE STUDY JAPANESE!!"
Zen on April 10th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
You could always speak more Japanese with Tomoko-san, maybe you’d get a little more nukie
Zen on April 10th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
But seriously, do you speak only Enlish when you teach?
Mike on April 11th, 2007 at 7:44 am
More nukie. Yeah right. Do I speak only English when I teach? Yes. I think it’s extremely important that students get immersed in the language as much as possible since they only have a very limited time to do so. Another reason is for consistency. If students are listening intensely to understand what I am saying in English and then I suddenly switch into Japanese it may confuse them even more. Also, keeping the brain in English mode also helps it not to translate every word from Japanese into English; the main problem learners of a second language have.
Betty Woo on April 11th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Can you get any free Japanese language courses ’cause, you know, you’re an immigrant here because of family reunification (that excuse always works around here)… . I thought governments really wanted people to assimilate by at least learning the language.
Mike on April 11th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Betty, do you live in Japan? Family reunification? What’s that? And yes. All foreigners can get free Japanese lessons by going to their local foreign community association. Most cities have some kind of organization that helps foreigners acclimate into the culture. I went to KICC Kobe International Community Center or something like that. I got 3 months of free lessons. I did it three times. But now my level is a bit higher so I need a more experienced teacher; one that can tailor the lessons to me and my situation. Money is really the problem here.
Betty Woo on April 11th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Oh, hell no! I don’t live in Japan. ‘Family reunification’s the concept that if you have your permanent status established, you can bring over (barring extreme circumstances) parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews… . OK. Not sure about the aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces but they can be sponsored by you if they can swing the other entry stuff on their own. Or, you get fantastic qualifications that get you into the country and then find out that all those papers that were good enough to get you here ain’t good enough to get you licensed here. This results in bizarre situations such as being picked up by a cabbie who was, in fact, an Iranian commercial pilot who flew 747s but couldn’t get equivalency tickets here and having a cleaning lady in my office building with a Masters in molecular biology… .
Mike on April 11th, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Love your writing Betty. Tomoko and I didn’t get married until I got here so I don’t think it’s reunification. In any case the government needs to help a expat refugee.
Betty Woo on April 12th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Thanks for the compliment, you flatter, you. Considering how Abe is coming across, I would have thought he’d be flummoxed over why anyone would want to leave the States, much less give ‘em refugee status
Mike on April 13th, 2007 at 8:26 am
How IS Abe coming across to the States? That’s probably a question for the forum though.
Betty Woo on April 13th, 2007 at 8:55 am
Easy - he’s not coming over at all. Come on… let’s face it, who the hell cares what’s happening in Japan if you’re Joe Shmoe living in North America (unless it’s a geeky electronic gizmo). However, from what I’ve been reading in the online English-language papers, Abe comes across as a Bushian twerp with idiot underlings. And all the talk of nationalism gives me sour cat-butt mouth. I think I’d have a problem with him… . OK. move this sucka over to the forum if you wish. You must be logged in to post a comment. |
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heheh
Peace.
so uhm yeah, greetings from an half irish half arabic guy that lives in germany! ah and start making more podcasts, like 3 a week 
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