expat on the go...

I THINK I'M LEARNING JAPANESE... I REALLY THINK SO!

 

I had my second Japanese lesson today.  I thought my head would explode after the first lesson on Tuesday.  Did I sweat during that first lesson?  Hell to the YES!!!

I have learned the following kana's: 'a' to 'ho' (first 6 rows - from left to right).  We need to learn how to identify and write them.  We get a nice little 'dictee' or spelling test at every lesson.  I got 9 out of 10 on my first test, although he sure did 'revise' my kana's in RED INK, saying that they weren't 'pretty enough'.  On top of memorizing all these different kana's, sounds and shapes - I have to make them pretty ????   WHAT?????  I'll worry about pretty in about a year!  For now, you get what you get - don't you wish you had had this attitude when you were 5 years old and learning to write your ABC's?

"Ahh Miss Jarvis, can the pretty A wait, I'm busy trying not to color outside the lines!"

KONNICHIWA

As I mentionned in yesterday's blog, I have started Japanese lessons.  I have been telling my husband that I was hankering to learn a third language...and, there you have it, Japanese.  The teacher informed me that I will first 'read' the language, and then be able to communicate verbally.  My first formal lessons start in 3 weeks.  I will start with a quiz :0   This is what I need to learn for the quiz:

I use the first symbol Hiragana, right after the letter.  The second symbol is 'kanji', the Chinese ideograms.  The Japanese use the kanji (Chinese ideograms), hiragana and katakana (the last 2 are part of the 'kana' system, where each symbol represents a 'mora').  Katakana is used for 'foreign' words.

 

I have to learn the hiragana 'symbols' - top left, a to bottom right, to - basically, 4 rows.  He will say words, for example:

tsukue - 3 syllables, tsu - ku - e  and I need to know the symbols in order to write that word :s

sake - 2 syllables, sa - ke  I will need a lot of sake - 2 syllables, sa - ke  in order to pass this test!!! 

I will start with row one - a,i,u,e,o and work my way down...

Wish me GUDDORAKKU  (good luck ;) )

Sayonara...