Learning Japanese: Voices of Experience

Learning Japanese: Voices of Experience

Belinda Kennett and Yuriko Nagata

Published by Candlin & Mynard ePublishing at Smashwords

Candlin & Mynard ePublishing Limited, 801, Pacific House, Queen's Road Central, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

ISBN: 9781370629985

Learning Japanese: Voices of Experience

Copyright 2017 by Belinda Kennett and Yuriko Nagata

Series: Autonomous Language Learning

Series editor: Jo Mynard

Title advisors: Satoko Kato, Hisako Yamashita, Sally Candlin

Webpage for supplementary materials: http://www.candlinandmynard.com/learningJapanese.html

Cover image: Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan by Oilstreet (Creative Commons)

Candlin & Mynard ePublishing Limited was founded in 2012 and is incorporated as a limited company in Hong Kong (1830010). For further information, please see the website: http://candlinandmynard.com

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Recommendation for Learning Japanese: Voices of Experience

I read and enjoyed Learning Japanese: Voices of Experience from two perspectives, both as a learner of Japanese and as a second language teacher/researcher. Firstly, as anyone who has tried to get a handle on Japanese will know, talking with someone who has gone before you and mastered it can be both awe-inspiring and very motivating. If you are lucky, your sempai will even share their experiences and knowledge with you, helping you to get there that little bit faster. In this book the authors have generously gathered thirteen such sempai from a diverse range of backgrounds. Through reading their stories and the concrete advice given by education experts at the end of each chapter, we can learn from their mistakes, find some great learning strategies and add their strengths to our own.

Secondly, as a teacher/researcher, I have seen the transformative power of providing opportunities for my students to listen to and learn from near-peer role models. Of particular note here is the inclusion of often under-represented voices discussing how learners of Japanese can negotiate gender and sexual identities in Japanese. I was particularly impressed by the accompanying worksheets that support students in identifying goals, trying new learning strategies and reflecting on the efficacy of their learning. This book would be a great addition to any course of study.

Ashley R. Moore, PhD candidate, Language and Literacy Education Department, University of British Columbia

Contents

Acknowledgements

Authors/editors

About the artist

Recommendation

Notes

Contributing authors

Introduction

Chapter 1: Lockie’s Story. Getting Serious About Learning by Lachlan Jackson

Chapter 2: Jared’s Story. Rainstorm by Jared Denman

Chapter 3: Terry’s Story. Ringo o Niko Kudasai by Terry Martin

Chapter 4: Mitchell’s Story. From Learner to Language Professional by Mitchell Curtis

Chapter 5: Bill’s Story. Love of Literature as a Motivation for Learning Japanese by Bill Fryer

Chapter 6: Belinda’s Story. Listen Carefully by Belinda Kennett

Chapter 7: Claudette’s Story. Intermediate Blues by Oi Yee Claudette Chan

Chapter 8: Hulya’s Story. In-country Learning by Hulya Park

Chapter 9: William’s Story. All is Not Lost by William Bishop

Chapter 10: Jackson’s Story. Doing Humour in Japanese by Jackson de Laat

Chapter 11: Lucy’s Story. Girly? Atashi? by Lucy Fraser

Chapter 12: Navarone’s Story. Talking About Me… by Navarone Feekery

Chapter 13: Moeko’s Story. Having Mixed Heritage by Moeko Reilly

In concluding…

References

Acknowledgements

We are indebted to many people for their encouragement and assistance in producing this book. First, we extend our sincere gratitude to the authors who have shared their personal stories of learning Japanese in order to help new learners envisage the task ahead. This book would not have been possible without them.

We would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Queensland Programme of the Japanese Language Education (QPJLE) of the Nippon Foundation in supporting the project of writing this book.

Finally, we thank Akemi Dobson for research assistance early on in the project, and Terry Martin and Kristen Sullivan for their suggestions and feedback. We also benefited greatly from the suggestions and comments offered by Satoko Kato, Hisako Yamashita and Jo Mynard from Candlin & Mynard ePublishing. We especially appreciated Jo’s support and advice in the final process of preparing our manuscript.

Authors/Editors

Belinda Kennett

I began learning Japanese informally as a 17-year-old during a high school exchange year in Mie and then later studied the language and how to teach it at university in Australia and Japan. I have been a teacher in primary and secondary schools in Australia for nine years and taught Japanese at the University of Queensland, Australia, for 25 years. I am interested in long term motivation for learning Japanese, informal and independent learning and language edutainment. I am currently researching the development of listening behaviour in oral narratives in classroom learners and am an Honorary Lecturer in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland.

Yuriko Nagata

I have taught Japanese in Australia and Taiwan over 40 years and conducted research into the teaching and learning of Japanese as a foreign language. My Japanese language textbook, Voices from Japan, published by Kuroshio Publishers, Tokyo is used widely by learners of Japanese in English speaking countries and in Taiwan. I am currently an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland and research and publish locally and internationally on the history of Japanese settlement in Australia, including the Japanese internment during WW2.

About the artist

Shin Koyama (b.1947) is a Japanese artist based both in Australia and Japan. He works across various media, including printmaking, ceramics and acrylics, dealing with contemporary themes. He has won various illustration prizes in Japan and has regular exhibitions in Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong and New York. His illustrations have been included in various publications including Hayakawa Mystery Magazine, Hemisphere and Vogue Living.

Contributing Authors

Todd Allen

William Bishop

Oi Yee Claudette Chan

Mitchell Curtis

Jackson de Laat

Jared Denman

Navarone Feekery

Lucy Frazer

Bill Fryer

Lachlan Jackson

Terry Martin

Hulya Park

Moeko Reilly

Kristen Sullivan

Notes

Acronyms

ALT Assistant Language Teacher

JLPT Japanese Language Proficiency Test

JTE Japanese Teacher of English

JET Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme

L1 First language (native language)

L2 Second language

NHK Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai (Japan Broadcasting Corporation - The Japanese national public broadcaster)

Useful terminology

Formal learning is done when we analyse parts of the language for the specific purpose of learning about how it works or practising it. A learner might, for example, read an explanation of a grammar point, practise the stroke order of kanji, or make a list of words to learn.

Informal learning is the learning we do while using the language. Learners could pick up an expression used by someone else and then successfully try it out later. Alternatively, they might learn what not to say after being corrected by someone, or realising that what they said didn’t make sense to the listener.

Both formal and informal learning can be done at any level of proficiency, and both can be done in and out of the classroom, although the external environment offers many more opportunities for informal learning.

Learning strategies are the things that we deliberately do to learn something. When we set a goal, the next step is to plan ways to achieve it. These strategies can apply to organising learning, for example, by assembling resources, making files and lists, or enrolling in a class. They can involve practice or managing motivation. They can also be social – meeting people in order to use the language and make friends.

The Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) is a test conducted internationally by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services that measures various aspects of Japanese proficiency, excluding speaking proficiency. There are five levels. N1 is the highest level and N5 the basic level.

Kanji are the logographic characters that originated in China that make up part of the Japanese writing system.

Hanzi (Hànzì) is the Chinese word for characters used in the Chinese writing system.

Hiragana is a syllabary that makes up part of the Japanese writing system. It is used for writing words with no characters, inflections and words with grammatical functions.

Jūbako reading is the term for compound words (words made up of two or more characters), for which the on reading strictly precedes the kun reading.

Katakana is a syllabary that makes up part of the Japanese writing system. It is mainly used for writing loan words, plant, animal and foreign names, onomatopoeic and technical words, transcribing foreign words and emphasis (like Italicisation).

Furigana is a Japanese reading aid, consisting of smaller kana, printed next to, above or below a kanji to show how to pronounce it.

Okurigana is a conjugational ending in kana added to a kanji.

Rōmaji is the use of the Latin script (the alphabet) to write Japanese words.

On Romanisation

A modified Hepburn system is used for Romanisation of Japanese words in this book. Long vowels are indicated as follows [ā, ē, ī, ō, ū].

On italicisation

Italics are used for Japanese language examples and the titles of books, television programs, movies and websites in their original language and their translations. They are also used for emphasis. Italics are not used for places or people’s names.

Introduction

This book has been written for people who are learning Japanese in classes and independently, and for teachers of Japanese. It offers practical ideas on how to learn Japanese and what to learn through the experiences of those who have become users of the language. Many of the learning stories in the book are about the rich and enticing ways the various authors have learned and used Japanese at home and in Japan. The authors are diverse in age and background and have learned both in classrooms and while using the language. Some of the stories in the book span the learning histories of the authors. Others focus on an aspect of the language or the personal changes which took place through using it.

You will also read tips on learning Japanese from our perspectives as teachers, learners and users of Japanese. We elaborate on topics raised in the stories and address questions such as, ‘What do you need to know that isn’t taught in class?’, ‘How do you keep up momentum?’, and ‘How do you use language in a way that expresses who you are as a person?’. We share knowledge and advice about learning Japanese that we believe will help learners to shape their own learning activities and experiences in a positive way. We talk about the emotional side to learning and the ins-and-outs of interacting using Japanese.

This volume is also essential reading for teachers of Japanese. The stories show teachers how Japanese is drawn into the lives of learners. They detail the enthusiasm and apprehensions of learners, and connect the students that teachers know in the classroom with the people they are outside it. The stories also remind us that learning Japanese is highly individual, and that it is much more than the sum of the various parts that can be taught. The language, locations, the times and the social aspects of using Japanese give form to the unique lives of learners. These stories will cause teachers to reflect on their role in nurturing learning independence beyond the classroom.

The stories and themes

Each chapter in the book begins with the personal story of someone who has learned Japanese. This is followed by our ‘Sensei’s Tips’ (Teacher’s Tips) which take up a theme from the story and draw out the implications for learning. We invited Kristen and Todd to write as Guest Senseis for the chapters on gender and listening respectively as they have both researched these areas as well as having thought about them from a learner’s perspective. Finally, in ‘Points for Consideration’ we pose questions relating to one or more of the topics raised in the chapter. These are designed to get learners to reflect on their learning and use of Japanese and could form the basis of classroom discussion and extension activities using the accompanying downloadable worksheets.

The book begins with Lockie’s story in Chapter 1, in which he describes missed opportunities to learn the language while in Japan and then how a passion for kendo gave him a reason to focus. This kick-started an intensive effort to learn Japanese. In Sensei’s Tips we discuss the motivating power of setting goals and planning to achieve them.

In Chapter 2, Jared talks about his ‘learning years’ during which he was constantly changing what he did to learn. His persistence in finding ways to meet his changing needs as a learner was crucial to gaining competence in Japanese. The theme of motivation is continued in Sensei’s Tips. Motivation is the key to sustaining learning until you reach a satisfying level of proficiency. Here, the pillars of motivation – reasons, effort and persistence – are discussed.

Terry’s account of in-country learning of Japanese as an adult in Chapter 3, tells how he linked words into his memory and had fun interacting despite knowing very limited Japanese. His story also shows that having an interest around which to focus learning is a strong motivator. Sensei’s Tips presents various ways of learning and remembering frequent and infrequent vocabulary and links learners to resources for organising them.

In Chapter 4, Mitchell tells how his out-of-class use of various media helped to sustain his interest in Japanese from the elementary level. He describes