In this class, students will have a chance to apply their Japanese language skills by playing interactive word games. 
しりとり, Shiritori, a classic and popular Japanese word game provides the perfect opportunity for students to practice their existing knowledge of Japanese vocabulary, while also learning new words from each other. 

How to play Shiritori: Teacher starts with a word in Japanese. The next student must think of a word that begins with the ending letter of the previous word. Words may not be used more than once, and words may not end with the Japanese letter "ん (n)", since there are no words that begin with that letter. If a student says a word that ends with "ん (n)", the round ends and we must begin a new round. We will go around in order, so each student is assured plenty of turns to participate. 

General class outline will be as follows:
- Greeting
- Introductions
- Several rounds of the Shiritori game, pausing to explain and expand on any new vocabulary words as needed.
- Time allowing, we may play other games to practice Japanese vocabulary, such as a scavenger hunt or "starts with - ".
- Good-bye

I strive to maintain an encouraging, respectful environment in my classroom at all times, and expect the same from all students. 
The class is designed to facilitate maximum interaction - from beginning introductions, to sharing of any new knowledge with each other, to a little friendly competition for overall points! 

While previous Japanese knowledge is not required, this class is geared towards students who have enough Japanese background to be able to produce words that begin with the various Japanese sounds.  ...Except for "ん (n)" of course! ☺︎
(Please note reading hiragana is not required - only speaking).
For students with no previous knowledge but would still like to participate, I can assist by teaching them the words as we go along. 
For higher level students, we can adjust the parameters to make it more challenging. 

Most of all, the goal is to HAVE FUN while practicing Japanese words!