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Lesson 12 - I feel much better after a couple of weeks off and a positive discussion with sensei
In my last entry, I shared my frustration with my current progress and some apprehension about the amount of work that lay ahead. Fortunately, I had a couple of weeks to reflect on the situation. I did a little studying, but not much. Fortunately, I didn't forget much, which is also a good sign that all of the studying I did before has been effective.
In this morning's lesson (asa no ressun), I was frank with sensei about what was bothering me. What exactly am I working towards? She'd actually been thinking about that as well. This was reassuring to me because it show'd that I was more than just a timeslot, if that makes sense. I know she has a lot of other gakusei, so it was reaffirming that she thought of me specifically, and where I was headed. We discussed the JLPT 5, and possible JLPT 4, as a reasonable goal for next July. There is one in December, but I nowhere near ready for that. She said it would be good to start working out of a textbook instead of just worksheets. I'm still a little intimidated by Kanji, but I've got Kana to worry about first, so I will focus on that.
Anyway, it was very encouraging. She said that considering the number of lessons that I've had, I'm doing quite well, and that I should go a little easier on myself. She said it typically takes about 300 classroom time to be ready for the beginner proficiency tests. I can safely say that I have a solid vocabulary of about 150 words and can write and read 12 hiragana characters (which is completely self directed). Considering I've only had about 9 hours of class time, and maybe another 50 hours of study time, I'm in good shape.
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18th session Nihongo o shimashita...
...And at this point, I know just enough Japanese, were I to visit the country, I could accidentally start an international incident. I like my teacher, Miki sensei, tokusan. She's friendly, knowledgeable and patient. But the more grammar and vocabulary I learn, the more I begin to understand how truly complex the language is. It's become a little overwhelming. Fortunately, due to fortuitous timing, I've ended up with a couple of weeks off from lessons. This will give me time to continue reviewing and reinforcing what I've already learned without having more added onto it.
I'm determined but frustrated. Learning Japanese isn't just about memorizing words and usage; it's about understanding context and culture. Use this type of particle in this situation, but this other particle in another. Or, yes these sentences might translate to mean the same thing in English, but in Japanese they mean two different things. It's Tuesday and raining, so it's impolite to say that...okay, that one is a bit of an exaggeration.
Some of it stems from my wanting to know more about morphology, an advanced topic considering where I'm only 18 lessons in. I've read some articles here on italki, and even if I comprehend most of the content, the net result is I'm generally more confused. My wife is a math and science teacher, and she talks about the students who always want to know "why" this law or that axiom exists. It's a good trait to have, and she provides as much information as she can. But at some point, in order to keep the class moving, she just has to say enough, accept that it "is" for now and move on.
The point is that there's always a question behind the question, and eventually, unless you are incredibly gifted, the explanation behind a particular topic will stop making sense or just confuse your understanding of the fundamentals. If I insist on knowing the literal translations of every word or focus too much on the "why" of context, will it really increase my rate of progress? Or, if my goals is competence and mastery, should I prioritize learning the fundamentals and take sensei's instruction at face value?
So that's where I'm at today. Right now, I will avoid getting "wrapped around the axle" on the deep questions. Though a tangential thinker, I learn best in a structured and linear setting. Which means for now, I will accept that "Isu no shita ni neko ga imasu" and "Neko wa isu no shita ga imasu" mean two completely different things.
Soyunora
--Q
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Lesson 1 - 7/27/2015
[7:04:44 AM] *** MIKI would like to add you on Skype
Hi this is miki from italki :) ***
[7:04:59 AM] *** Quentin Mendoza has shared contact details with MIKI. ***
[7:30:41 AM] MIKI: I’m ready when you are ready :)
[7:35:07 AM] Quentin Mendoza: Okay...sorry, was on a work call.
[7:35:47 AM] *** Call from MIKI ***
[7:40:29 AM] MIKI: greeting : aisatsu
[7:40:40 AM] MIKI: hirgana, katakana
[7:41:21 AM] MIKI: あいうえお
[7:41:53 AM] MIKI: ohayou gozaimasu
[7:42:11 AM] MIKI: konnichiwa
[7:42:21 AM] MIKI: konbanwa
[7:42:59 AM] MIKI: genki desuka?
[7:43:12 AM] MIKI: genki desu
[7:43:35 AM] MIKI: ‘’ka’’ =?
[7:44:08 AM] MIKI: arigatou gozaimasu
[7:44:29 AM] MIKI: arigatou
[7:44:49 AM] MIKI: iie
[7:45:10 AM] MIKI: wakari masuka?
[7:45:36 AM] MIKI: hai
[7:45:38 AM] MIKI: iie
[7:46:06 AM] MIKI: wakarimasu
[7:46:25 AM] MIKI: wakari masen
[7:47:03 AM] MIKI: すうじ
[7:47:06 AM] MIKI: numbers
[7:47:12 AM] MIKI: suuji
[7:47:29 AM] MIKI: 1:ichi
[7:47:31 AM] MIKI: 2:ni
[7:47:37 AM] MIKI: 3:san
[7:47:55 AM] MIKI: 4:yon, shi
[7:48:20 AM] MIKI: 5:go
[7:48:26 AM] MIKI: 6:roku
[7:48:34 AM] MIKI: 7:nana, sshichi
[7:48:47 AM] MIKI: 8:hachi
[7:48:54 AM] MIKI: 9:kyuu
[7:49:03 AM] MIKI: 10:jyuu
[7:49:14 AM] MIKI: 0:zero, rei
[7:49:39 AM] MIKI: 11
[7:50:14 AM] MIKI: 12
[7:50:26 AM] MIKI: 14
[7:50:40 AM] MIKI: 16
[7:50:47 AM] MIKI: 19
[7:50:56 AM] MIKI: 20
[7:51:14 AM] MIKI: 2*10
[7:51:25 AM] MIKI: 21
[7:51:32 AM] MIKI: 22
[7:51:40 AM] MIKI: 25
[7:51:56 AM] MIKI: 27
[7:52:06 AM] MIKI: 29
[7:52:14 AM] MIKI: 30
[7:52:25 AM] MIKI: 31
[7:52:30 AM] MIKI: 33
[7:52:34 AM] MIKI: 36
[7:52:39 AM] MIKI: 38
[7:52:44 AM] MIKI: 42
[7:53:06 AM] MIKI: 53
[7:53:27 AM] MIKI: 55
[7:53:35 AM] MIKI: 62
[7:53:50 AM] MIKI: 67
[7:54:06 AM] MIKI: 74
[7:54:24 AM] MIKI: 89
[7:54:52 AM] MIKI: 90
[7:55:04 AM] MIKI: 93
[7:55:11 AM] MIKI: 95
[7:55:18 AM] MIKI: 96
[7:55:22 AM] MIKI: 99
[7:56:29 AM] MIKI: watashi wa miki desu
[7:56:35 AM] MIKI: watashi wa nihonnjin desu
[7:56:41 AM] MIKI: watashiha sensei desu
[7:56:51 AM] MIKI: yoroshiku onegai shimasu
[7:57:50 AM] MIKI: nihon = japan
[7:57:57 AM] MIKI: nihon ＋Jin
[7:58:23 AM] MIKI: watashi wa america jin
[7:58:26 AM] MIKI: desu
[7:59:26 AM] MIKI: watashi wa project manager dssu
[8:00:33 AM] *** Call ended, duration 24:46 ***
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