What's included
5 live meetings
4 hrs 10 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Practice makes perfect, so there will be homework after almost every single session. The homework will always entail simple hiragana writing practice. Each homework assignment should take 15-20 minutes. I ask that parents make sure that their student(s) keep up with this homework. Students should also spend another 15-20 minutes reviewing vocabulary words.Assessment
There is a Kahoot quiz game every session (except the first one) that tests hiragana and vocabulary knowledge. There is also a final project on the last day that combines everything covered in the previous four weeks.Class Experience
Kid's Intro to Japanese (KIJ) will take students through the very basics and essentials of speaking and writing Japanese! No previous knowledge is required for this course. Keep scrolling to read the curriculum below. This course will be broken up into five sessions that build off of each other, so it is important to not miss class. KIJ is unique because it focuses on teaching students structures and patterns, rather than just having them memorize set phrases. Also, rather than focusing on just one topic, for example verbs, for eight weeks, I teach little important topics that come together and help students speak more complex sentences. We also learn 5 hiragana and about 10 vocabulary words each session. The curriculum is as follows: SESSION 1 The Three Writing Systems and Sounds The First Five Hiragana Aisatsu (Greetings) and Honorifics Introducing Yourself SESSION 2 Japanese Grammar Basic Sentences with SはDです Long Vowels SESSION 3 Basic Sentences with これ・それ・あれ Counting in Japanese Age and Grade in School SESSION 4 Likes and Dislikes with Nouns Likes and Dislikes with Verbs What I Want to Become (in the future) SESSION 5 Final Project It seems intimidating at first, but I can assure you that Japanese is a lot easier (and a lot more fun) than you'd ever imagine! ***IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PARENTS*** I want to mention that I am well aware that students move at their own paces. It would make no sense to go on to the next topic if my students were still confused about the previous one. I prioritize quality of learning over quantity, and I will accelerate and decelerate the course according to how quickly or slowly my students pick up the information, and will revisit topics that need revisiting. However, if students are showing up more than 15 minutes late to class, I will not be able to take the entire class back for that one person. If we fall behind as a result of one person or another showing up late each time, then I will not be able to deliver on all that I have promised to teach, which would then upset other students and parents. Thus, I strongly encourage students to show up in a timely manner and to watch the class recordings should they miss class or show up late. Homework is also very important. I do my best to make classes fun and supportive, but I really do want my students to be able to learn and retain the things I teach them. Thus, there will be homework for practice after almost every single session. I encourage and remind the students about this homework as best I can, as failing to keep up with the homework will more than likely result in falling behind in class, so I ask that parents also encourage their student(s) to complete the homework and practice what they've learned in class often.
Learning Goals
By the end of this course, students should be able to read and write 20-25 hiragana, make simple sentences and be able to give detailed introductions of themselves.
Other Details
Supply List
For following along in class, I will provide a printable worksheet booklet. It will contain all the individual worksheets needed for each session, all in one place. I would recommend stapling these together, or storing them in a binder or folder.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hi, I'm Maryfrances!
Thank you so much for considering me to be your (or your child's) instructor today!
I have been a tutor/instructor for five years now, and I am excited to share my knowledge and passions with students who are excited to learn.
I have a degree in Computer Science, which I have been studying for nearly a decade now. It is a unique, new, yet quickly-growing field that manages to combine math and science with the creativity of the Arts, and enables our societies to progress at speeds never before seen in all of human history. Knowing just a little bit of how computers work can get you very ahead in life. I'm here to teach Java and Python, two of the most widely used programming languages today, as well as useful skills such as Web Design to equip my students with the skills they need to go on to become brilliant Computer Scientists.
Not only do I speak the language of computers, but I can also communicate quite well with humans: years of studying Japanese and a minor degree in the subject has succeeded in bringing me to conversational fluency. Japanese is classified as one of the hardest languages for English speakers to learn, but I'm here to say that you can go from awkwardly saying "konnichiwa" to being able to read こんにちは and being able to understand the two meanings of 今日は with just a little hard work.
My teaching philosophy focuses on understanding. Too many times have I seen students simply memorize and regurgitate information they have been taught. I prefer to break difficult concepts into digestible chunks so that my students can learn and retain as much as they possibly can.
I hope to see you in one of my classes!
Reviews
Live Group Class
$100
for 5 classes1x per week, 5 weeks
50 min
Completed by 26 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
6-10 learners per class