My Blog

  LiSAが大好きです。日本のかしゅの中で一番好きなアーティストです。LiSAの音楽はとてもよくて、楽しいと思います. I listen to her music almost every day. I think she is a really talented singer. I first found her music back when she performed Gurenge for the YouTube channel called, The First Take, but I also listened to her sing in multiple Anime's. Some of my favorite songs include, "HADASHI NO STEP", "住け", and "Play the World!" I'm able to recognize some words throughout her songs but she usually sings pretty fast so it's hard to follow along. But with repetition I can caught on to some vocabulary we have learned. I would love to attend her concert one day! Overall, you should listen to LiSA's music!

  こんしゅう、 YouTubeのビデオをみて、にほんごをれんしゅしました。This short video consisted of the YouTuber さき's evening. I really liked her video because I was able to follow along with no English subtitles, but I was also able to recognize many adjectives and verbs especially while she was eating and watching the drama. I noticed that she used けど, which we just learned in lesson 10. I liked that she used slang, as well as onomatopoeia. Overall, I plan to continue watching more of さき's videos!

Throughout the school year, I don't have much free time to watch anime as much as I did before, but recently, I watched and finished an Anime called Solo Leveling. This anime centers on a character named Sung Jinwoo, who begins as the weakest hunter but later evolves into the most powerful one. My overall impression of this anime is that it was really good. I was hooked from the beginning and actually finished the two seasons released in a couple of days. I watched the Subtitled version, so I really got to practice my Japanese listening skills, but I also tried to understand the Japanese I heard. Compared to the last anime I've watched, I believe I was able to recognize more vocabulary as well as word structures. Overall, I recommend watching Solo Level, but beware that the series hasn't ended yet, so you'll be left wanting more!

This week I watch a YouTube video from the channel, Mochi Real Japanese , that goes over casual phrases that are commonly used in Japanese. Since we have started learning Casual form in class, I thought this video would be helpful to practice. The YouTuber introduces various casual phrases, which they recommend repeating multiple times out loud, then later in the video you are quizzed on using the correct phrase. I was able to recognize a couple phrases from lesson 9 like " I am hungry" but also different words from past lessons. I understood that this form of talking is with people who are your friends and around your age group. I really enjoyed watching this video because I got to learn some new phrases that I will hopefully not forget! 

サウスベンドの天気はとてもへんだ。私のサウスベンド天気が好じゃないです。はるやすみ、晴れと雨がふったと雪がふったしました。私のしゅっしんはたくさん雨がふります。晴れていて、あたたかいですから、なつが大好です。

This week I watch a Japanese practice video from the YouTube Channel,  けんさんおかえり Japanese . The video consisted of the Youtuber walking around a park in Nagoya, where he was talking about his surroundings but also interacting with the viewers by asking questions. The park he went to is really pretty and had a lot of cool building! I really enjoyed watching this video because he talked in a slower manner that was easy for me to understand, as well as provided Japanese subtitles, that way I knew exactly what he was saying. Throughout the video I was able to recognize various verbs, especially because he used たべる and みる a lot. I also recognized some kanji that was used in the subtitles. Overall, I think his videos will help me improve my Japanese listening skills and would recommend you to check it out as well!

私ははるやすみでしゅっしんにかりました。ともだちといしょうにレストランを行って、おいしい食べ物を食ました。火曜日に、私はビーチに行って、2時間にあるくのをしました。ビーチはしずかで、やさしかったです。金曜日に University of Washington という大学をいきました。 University of Washingtonは とてもきれいで、おおきいです。さくらのきたくさんがあります。私はねるのが大好きなので、たくさんねました。私のはるやすみはたのしくて、よかったです。

 To watch video, Click Here!!

       This week I watched a vlog film in Tokyo that is meant to improve your Japanese listening skills. Throughout this video, we follow the YouTuber throughout her day. We see her go to the train station, which allowed me to see a little bit of what a train station looks like in Japan. She went to a town called じんぼうちょう, where there were a lot of bookstores and it was really pretty. While watching the video I noticed somethings that were different compared to America, for example when going up an escalator everyone stands in a singular line to the left. This time around I didn't use any subtitles, which made it so much more difficult to understand because I didn't recognize some of the words or sentences structures. I really enjoyed watching this vlog and definitely plan to watch more!

          This weekend I spent some time improving my Japanese listening skills by watching a couple videos by the YouTube channel, called Japarrot!-Let's Learn Japanese . I really enjoyed watching and listening to these videos because they introduced new material but also reminded me of past lessons and vocab we covered in class before. I also really liked the videos' structure because it plays out the story without any subtitles at first but later goes back and explains what each phrase and words meant in these specific scenarios. I definitely am going to go back to this channel and watch more, and I recommend you watch some of these videos, if you are looking for additional help!おすすめします。😁

  私のゆめを聞いてください。 私は、しぬまでに日本に行たいです。 それから、こどもがほしいですから、30さいまでにけっこんしてたいです。 そして、私はあるくのがすきですから、そうえんのとなりの大きいうちにいすみたいです。

  The material I listened to this week was the Japanese music artist called, Vaundy. I first learned of Vaundy a couple of years ago after listening to one of his most popular songs called, "Odoriko". I really liked this song because it's fun and lively, and also it was a completely new language that I didn't understand at all. Now I can understand some of the lyrics and even sing along. My favorite song of his is called, 裸の勇者 (Hadaka No Yusha), which actually is an intro song for an Anime. My goal is to fully be able to sing along to one of his songs and eventually all of them. 私は Vaundyが だいすきです。💕

  これ は ワシントンタワ- の ゆるキャラです。 なまえ は ハラです。シアトル の ワシントンタワ-に すんでいます。ハラ は せがたかくて、 かお が みじかいです。 耳 と 口 が 大きいです。目と はな が 小さいです。かみ が みじかいです。あお の セ-タ- を きていて、 みどり の ジ-ンズ を はいています。ハラ の しゅみ は フットボ-ルです。一週間 に 四回します。 ハラ は とてもかっこいいです。 ハラ は やさい が すきじゃないですが、 ケ-キ が だいすきです。

This week I've been watching a very popular Anime called Naruto. Currently I am on episode 20 of season 2, where Naruto and his classmates are competing in the Chunin Exams. Throughout the episodes I am able to recognize some words, which is a great way to practice by listening skills. At the moment I am using English subtitles that I hope soon I will be able to use without. So far, I am really enjoying this Anime, I became hooked from the start and can't wait to watch more. I also really enjoy the intro songs. 

  This week I watched a vlog by the YouTube channel, Akane-Japanese Class , where the Japanese youtuber designs her videos to help the viewer better understand the train system in Japan, specifically the Japanese used at the train station and shops as well. She provided various examples and used repetition to help the viewer. I really liked this video because it allowed me to see real life scenarios using Japanese that can help me improve my own language skills. I was also able to recognize and understand a lot more words in this video compared to videos I had watched in the past. I look forward to watching more!😀

Learning Japanese this semester has definitely been more challenging compared to Elementary 1. For example, understanding the difference between な and い adjectives but also the introduction of いますand あります. Even though it was quite tough at times, I still really enjoyed going to class and improving my Japanese. Can't wait to learn more next semester!!👍

  サンクスギビングはどう {です／でした} か。どこで、だれと、何をしましたか 私 の サンクギビング は よかったです。 たくさん の ねましたからつまらなかったです。 いもうと いっしょに  ノートルダム大学 で しました。 

What do you think Kyudo is? I think kyudo is a form of archery. I think is a competitive traditional sport in Japan. In order to become good at kyudo I think you have to be really focused and stable. I would like to ask the kyudo teacher how long it takes to become a professional. 

Since I struggle most with my listening skills in Japanese, I decided to take this time to practice and better my skills. This time I found a different YouTube channel called, Japarrot_Let's learn Japanese , where a story plays out all in Japanese and later you review the story with English subtitles. The specific video I watched today, reviewed adjectives and the specific rules for い and な adjectives. This video not only allowed me to review adjectives from the previous unit in class but also practice my listening skills. 

あきやすみ（fall break）は、どうで {した／す} か。なにを　しましたか。 あきゃすみはとても たのしかったです。私は Washington の Federal Way に いきました。Federal Way は さむいまちでした。私は たくさん ねました。