So You Want to Learn Japanese?
In this beginner class, students will learn and discuss characteristics of the Japanese language!
Kate McMahan
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(253)
What's included
1 live meeting
1 in-class hoursClass Experience
Are you interested in Japanese? Are you unsure of where to start or what to expect? This is a great beginner class to help you decide and get excited about learning Japanese! Japanese has a reputation of being hard for English speakers to learn. While the language certainly comes with its own set of unique challenges, there are just as many aspects of Japanese that make it a great language to learn. In this class, we will talk about some key characteristics of the Japanese language such as: - The different ways Japanese can be read - Honorifics - The 4 writing systems This class will primarily be presented in PowerPoint format. The beginning of the lesson is more lecture-based. However, as we learn about these topics, students will have opportunities to openly discuss how learning Japanese would compare with their own experiences learning English. We will also learn how to read the first few characters of the Hiragana writing system. This will, in turn, allow students to practice reading a few basic words! At the end of the lesson, we will have fun learning and guessing some loanwords that Japanese has taken from English. **note**: This is designed to be a one-shot class that gives a more generalized overview of learning Japanese. If you are interested in jumping straight into learning Japanese, I recommend my Hiragana course! For more information, please view the link below: https://outschool.com/classes/lets-learn-japanese-hiragana-VBROYw56#usqS2CkSiB
Learning Goals
Students will learn:
-How Japanese sentences are read, written, and grammatically structured
-What honorifcs are and how they are used
-What writing systems are used in Japanese (how to differentiate them, how they came to be, and how they are used today)
-How to read a handful of Japanese characters and words using the Hiragana writing system
-How to recognize some loanwords that Japan borrowed from Western countries
Other Details
Supply List
A pencil and paper are recommended for notetaking, but not required.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
Miyake, M. H. (2013). Old Japanese: A Phonetic Reconstruction (1st ed.). Routledge.
Kano, C., Shimizu, Y., Yabe, H., & Ishii, E. (2016). (New Edition) Basic Kanji Book -Basic Kanji 500- Vol.1. Bonjinsha.
Joined September, 2020
5.0
253reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language from Elizabethtown College
I have a Bachelor's degree in Japanese and East Asian Studies. While working on my degree, I completed a study program abroad at Nihon University in Tokyo. After graduation I lived and worked in Hokkaido, Japan for 3 years. My job was primarily teaching ESL (English as a Second Language), but I occasionally did some local work as a translator and interpreter. I am currently working towards receiving an N2 certification in the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$14
per classMeets once
60 min
Completed by 240 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
3-9 learners per class
