2010-03-21

good reading - to teach Japanese language

--see also the back issues!
Breeze #40, http://www.jflalc.org/index.php?act=tpt&id=87

translation to English of Tohsaku-sensei article (appearedin Breeze #37)
http://www.jflalc.org/index.php?act=tpt&id=453

2010-03-04

popular TV commercial in Japan, early 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtr1k4E-dVY

2010-02-26

online --Ainu Komonjo

The Ainu Komonjo (18th & 19th century records) -- Ohnuki Collection can be freely viewed at:
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/EastAsian.JapanRice

The UWDC has scanned Professor Emiko Ohunki-Tierney's collection of books on the Ainu by the Japanese. The books focus on the Sakhalin Ainu, since the books were acquired by Ohnuki-Tierney at the time she was studying them. The books are extremely rare and are either hand-written, with illustrations hand-drawn, or are wood block prints. Many of these early documents were authored by explorers and scholars at the order of the Bakufu or the Matsumae clan...these documents often include a number of detailed maps, including the topography and Ainu place names.

2010-02-13

Valentine's Day in Japan 2010

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123635365
Chocolate-giving is a ritual among everyone in Japan from schoolchildren to senior citizens. But the country has developed its own way of celebrating the erstwhile day of romance, and the custom is still evolving.
[www.npr.org on Friday, Feb. 12, 2010]

2010-02-06

online Japanese in Manga & Anime

The Japan Foundation, Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai is pleased to
announce that they have launched a new website
"Japanese in Anime & Manga," http://anime-manga.jp.

-update April 2010:
The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute of Kansai opens "Nihongo-e-na", a new portal for learning Japanese：http://nihongo-e-na.com/

2010-02-05

online reading Japanese texts

websites for reading practice, or folktale (translation/creation) purposes.

http://www.e-hon.jp/index.htm デジタル絵本サイト

http://www.alps.or.jp/match/shibai/bknumber.html　紙芝居の部屋

http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/　SurLaLune Fairy Tales (in English, but useful for folktale translation)

http://www.americanfolklore.net/ American Folklore (in English)

http://www.aozora.gr.jp/index.html　青空文庫 (offers "old" books/stories that have passed "copyright protection" period)

2010-01-29

online Japanese practice - produced by Duke, "renshuu.org"

http://www.renshuu.org is a free Japanese study site that was originally made for Duke University and has been running for several years. It offers personalized and dynamic quizzing for several widely used textbooks.

There are quiz methods for both kanji characters and vocabulary. The personal schedule tool helps students to study their weakest areas.

The grammar library has about 350 grammar expressions, hundreds of model sentences, and areas for students to practice using the grammar and give/receive feedback from others.

2010-01-26

guided, stepped reading Japanese texts

From senseionline@yahoogroups today [digest 3129]

The "Read Real Japanese" books are nice, too--but they provide English translations where the "Readers" do not.

One of the Graded Readers at Whiterabbitpress.com:

http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/product.php?productid=16723&cat=266&page=1

Read Real Japanese:
http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/product.php?productid=16591&cat=0&page=2

and:
http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/product.php?productid=16590&cat=0&page=2

Exploring Japanese Literature:
http://www.whiterabbitpress.com/product.php?productid=16513&cat=0&page=1

--ALSO--
Breaking into Japanese Literature (at amazon.com):
http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-into-Japanese-Literature-Classics/dp/4770028997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264428931&sr=8-1

2009-12-27

mameshiba, mini dramas (about 10 seconds)

"Mameshiba" mini-cartoons (literally 'mame' =bean, 'shiba' =drama) are fun for students to view.
#14 here is in Spanish (the others are Japanese)
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=4F7D4F3F2B624714&search_query=mameshiba

2009-12-15

artful rice cultivation

Inakadate Aomori (map included), http://www.google.com/search?q=Inakadate+of+Aomori+&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

official local government site, http://www.vill.inakadate.aomori.jp/

photos & summary, http://www.hemmy.net/2007/09/23/rice-field-art/

On YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEr3FLAxmHU&feature=related
Rice paddy and removal news, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sfXWlytS1k

"Rice Paddy Art" (video list) for YouTube
example, 2009 rice paddy art

, [The theme : Warlords & Napoleon]

2009-12-09

new years cards & YouTube

re: nengajo and the zodiac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dn0W1sbQCWE

also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRrzZYJUx7I
animated card for the Tiger Year 2010

2009-11-25

radio story, 'herbivore' men of Japan

feature story on National Public Radio by Louisa Lim,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120696816

[here is the opening text]

The sensitive New Age man has finally arrived in the land of the salaryman. But there is a catch — a particularly important one in Japan, where the declining birthrate has caused alarm: The new Japanese man doesn't appear to be interested in women or sex.

In Tokyo on the weekends, the trendy area of Harajuku is a melting pot of urban tribes: Lolita goths bat their fake eyelashes, while the punks glower.

Away from the strutting are the retiring wallflowers, a quiet army of sweet young men with floppy hair and skinny jeans. These young men are becoming known as Japan's "herbivores" — from the Japanese phrase for "grass-eating boys" — guys who are heterosexual but who say they aren't really interested in matters of the flesh.

... [see also the video illustrating typical "herbivores"] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q885V-lviCA

2009-11-14

video archive online - Buddhism

Here is an interesting collection of stories and images, not limited to Japan; some is commercial and other is donated by private videographers. The link is an overview of all content with the option to view.

http://creator.zoho.com/richard_huang/rsvap/#View:RSVAP_Inventory

Or go to the video-media only drop-down list of titles,
http://socserv.mcmaster.ca/rowemar/video_archive/demo.htm

2009-11-11

bento scenes

http://justbento.com/

2009-11-09

more about book, Tokyo Vice (author interview)

Recently the investigative TV show at www.cbs.com called "60 minutes" broadcast a feature story with author Jake Adelstein about his memoir. This many not be suitable reading for most young people, but it surely is one part of one's cultural education to become "an educated speaker of Japanese" for older students and for teachers as well.

Today he spoke on the radio show from Philadelphia WHYY, Fresh Air:

An American In Japan, Investigating The 'Tokyo Vice'

Working for Japan's Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper, reporter Jake Adelstein uncovered a world unknown to many of the Japanese public, let alone to foreigners: the world of organized crime. He details its landscape — and the dangers of covering it — in a new memoir.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120237244

2009-11-02

investigative TV, "cbs 60 minutes" - YAKUZA

about FBI deal with a leader of the Yakuza who traded his contacts and financial resources to obtain priority in a liver transplant in USA; aired Nov. 1, 2009

2009-10-30

basic word list (translated from "Basic English," 1932 Ch. Ogden)

English term on the right, Japanese (machine translation/literal translation) on the left.
http://tinyurl.com/8fiftyjp

2009-10-28

current edition of BREEZE

http://www.jflalc.org/index.php?act=tpt&id=87
(via the Jps language center in Los Angeles)

2009-10-27

more vocabulary online

standard vocab lists (Matsukaze Nihongo Annai) http://www.matsu-kaze.net/
It has very comprehensive lists on a wide variety of topics.

2009-10-26

color vocabulary (online list)

http://www.fumikotachibana.com/color.htm

2009-10-21

Japan video (audio slideshows)

Tour of Nara, http://nextvista.org/tour_of_Nara

The video player webpage also lists 5-6 other videos, including Nagasaki and Omura.

(in English)

2009-10-18

vocabulary activities

http://members.shaw.ca/funwithwordsinjapanese/ [samples online from the CD-rom source]

...This resource is a supplementary resource using many of the vocabulary topics covered in beginner-level textbooks, [so] it can complement whatever program you use in your class... The CD-Rom includes both English and Japanese explanations as well as handouts to go with the activities (about 280 pages per language if you print everything out).

List of the 65 activities included

A. Numbers / Time
Numbers Game, Number Pictures, Sudoku / Kanadoku, Guess the
Number, Dominoes, Vocabulary Bingo, Time, Calendar Game, Date Game

B. Myself / Daily Life
Profile, Schedule, My Day, Daily
Life Game, Survey, Interview Bingo, Family Feud Game, Family Game, Character
Chart, Pay Day Game, Face Game, Fashion, Fortune Teller, Omikuji, Horoscope,
Psychology Game

C. School / My Neighbourhood
Interior Design, My Town, Create a
Town, Labels, My Bag, Memory Game, Class Item Game, Treasure Hunt, I Spy...,
Schools, Please Stand Up

D. Shopping / Dining
Price is Right Game, Collections,
Present Game, Refrigerator, Restaurant

E. Travel & Others
Suitcase, Travel Schedules, Pamphlets, Planning, Professions
Game, Health Check, Animals, Writing Comics, Reading Manga

F. Activities Using Various Vocabulary
Category Game, Shiritori Game, Transformation Game, Kana
Race, Rensou Game, Puzzles, Scrabble, Tic Tac Toe, Board Game, Guinness Game,
Trivia Game, Graphic Organizers, Dictionary, Let's Read!, Songs

2009-10-01

bento artful lunches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdhuPvNnv34&feature=player_embedded
"kyara-BEN" (pun on Caravan? + BENto box)

2009-09-29

Japan Kit (artifact box of cultural materials)

Japan Culture Kits

The Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) at the University of Michigan has many resources available for the K-14 educator, including our "Japan Kits." These kits are organized around five broad themes and are free to use, requiring only a $50 refundable damage/replacement deposit and return shipping cost. For the language teacher, each kit will be supplemented with a "mini-kit," including Japanese games, videos, and manga. The following kits can be reserved for use in your classroom by contacting Heather C. Littlefield at hclittle@umich.edu, or calling 734.764.2302:

Customs & Traditions; Contemporary & Popular Culture; Folk Tales, Myths, and Cross-cultural Experiences; and, Food & Society Please visit the CJS website for more information: http://www.ii.umich.edu/cjs/resources/teacherres.

2009-09-21

anime "Ponyo" (bonus Assignment)

thanks to Sachiko R.
http://renovich.blogspot.com/2009/09/ponyo-is-now-playing-in-local-theatres.html
[click link to Bonus Assignment, MS-Word document]

2009-09-15

words and tune, "shiki no uta"

The words and the music for Shiki no Uta are in the Files section of Sensei Online.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/senseionline/files/
Fun song for the class to sing together with a guitar.
[C.Meyer]

2009-09-08

quick-Kana online exercise

simple training program to improve student's recognition speed of kana
http://tell.fll.purdue.edu/hatasa/QuickKana/

2009-09-07

online via Public Radio International (movie content)

Recreating Pre-War Nagasaki in 3D

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Students at the University of Nagasaki are attempting to recreate a community that a nuclear weapon destroyed. The Urakami neighborhood in Nagasaki was ground zero for the second atomic bomb the U-S dropped on Japan in World War Two. That attack killed 39-thousand people. And it destroyed most pictures of life in Urakami before the war. The students are recreating pre-war Urakami...with the help of memories and 3-D technology. Akiko Fujita sent us this short video. Hear her radio report here.

Clarkboyd-RecreatingPreWarNagasakiIn3D157.mov

2009-09-03

winter break scholarship to Japan

The Youth for Understanding program is offering winter scholarships
for high school students to spend the winter break in Japan.
Details can be found online at
http://yfuusa.org/american-students/scholarships/japan-america-friendship-scholars-jafs---winter.php
______________________________________________________
Youth For Understanding USA (YFU USA) is proud to announce a new
short-term scholarship opportunity for students to study in Japan! As
educators, many of you are already familiar with YFU USA scholarship opportunities
for studying in Japan for a summer, semester or year. This year, a new winter
program has been introduced: the Winter Japan-America Friendship Scholars Program
(JAFS)!

This three-week Winter JAFS Program runs from December 26, 2009 to
January 16, 2010. Students will have an orientation prior to departure and
will then live with a host family. By living with host families, YFU students are
immersed in both the language and culture of Japan. JAFS Scholars will attend a
local Japanese school for one-week. JAFS scholars will also have the
opportunity to further their understanding of this complex culture by
participating in excursions to museums and other cultural events. Students will also be present
for the Japanese New Year celebration.

Students that will have completed at least one semester prior to departure on
program are eligible for this scholarship. There is a $1,700 program contribution.
The application deadline is September 21, 2009.

Marianna Di Meo, admissions@yfu DOTorg
Youth For Understanding USA, 1.800.TEENAGE

online video, elementary school in Japan

Time for School Series (12 year project, started in 2002 & ending with graduation; 7 countries)
>>Benin, Brazil, education, India, Japan, Kenya, Romania

2003 [first day at Saho Elementary, age 6, first 10 minutes of program]
Time for School, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/time-for-school-series/full-episode-time-for-school/667/

2006 [Benin & Japan, Nara, age 9 - starting at minute 7 of segment]
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/time-for-school-series/full-episode-back-to-school/272/

2009 Time for School 3 is not yet posted online

[from the intro page, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/time-for-school-series/introduction/4340/]

These children's stories put a human face on the shocking fact that more than 75 million children are currently out of school; of these, two thirds are girls. One in four children in developing countries does not complete five years of basic education, and there are nearly one billion illiterate adults — one-sixth of the world's people. WIDE ANGLE plans to continue revisiting all the children, and their peers and families, through 2015, the year they should graduate — and, not coincidentally, the U.N.'s target date for achieving universal education, a Millennium Development goal endorsed by all 191 members of the United Nations.

While each child in Time for School 3 has a unique story, taken together their lives tell an epic tale, shedding light on one of the most urgent and under-reported stories of our time.

2009-08-30

using videos in Japanese class

B. Cooper, bridcoop Atyahoo.com ---I have study guides for Japanland, Shall We Dance, Tanpopo (remember-can't show all of this video in class!), Kodo: Hearbeat Drummers of Japan, Totoro, Swing Girls, Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. I made most of them, although some are from Matt Hall and Michelle Martin.

A. McCarthy, Ann.MccarthyAt district196.org --- I have study guides for kokoyakyu (including a "jigsaw" reading activity that I use prior to the movie), and "denshano otoko". see also director's study guide, http://www.pbs.org/pov/kokoyakyu/

UPDATE: the study guides are also online now at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/senseionline/files/

2009-08-27

new textbook - DokoDemo Nihongo

Recently "Dokodemo Nihongo" appeared on the market, written by experienced AP Japanese language teachers. It takes "Doraemon" mannga format, which captures students attention, while maintaining solid content: dialogue development, writing, reading, vocabulary, cultural practice and products are introduced.

http://www.jptamerica.com/jtb/SE2/dokodemo/dokodemo.htm

2009-08-26

dvds, Proficiency Test, free material - GENKI

from S.S.Online for August 26, 2009:

:::DVD sources
YESASIA, http://www.yesasia.com/us/en/home.html
CD-Japan, http://www.cdjapan.co.jp
GREAT place to find Japanese DS games--which work in the American Nintendo DS
http://www.play-asia.com

:::Japanese Language Proficiency Test
The JLPT format for December 2009 will still remain the same as the previous ones, but there will be an overall restructuring of the format from 2010 on.
You can download the detailed info on the new JLPT format in PDF from the following site:
http://www.jlpt.jp/j/about/new-jlpt.html

:::Free materials online
Most of my materials are keyed to the "Genki I" textbook, but you might find some things useful even if you don't use that book.
Podcasts for more in-depth explanations of the grammar notes in "Genki I":
http://tonysensei.com/groups/genkier-users/pages/listing-genkier-resources
On that page are also some vocabulary and kanji review decks for use with the flash card program Anki (http://ichi2.net/anki/).
Not all of the book is covered yet, but my goal is to have at least the grammar notes, vocabulary, and kanji for all of Volume I covered by the end of the US school year.

series of lessons in which students learn the grammar used in Japanese songs,
http://tonysensei.com/books/tony/japanese-through-music-chibi-here-we-go
[Tony Gonzalez, U Georgia]-creative commons license for free use of all material

2009-08-22

kanji sources online

KANJI KAKIJUN JITEN, http://www.sikoku.jp/kanji/
and http://www.kids-print.net/kokugo/hitujyun.html
You can create kanji worksheets with strokes order.
Although it is developed for Japanese kids and the Kanjis are limited to "elementary school" level, it is quite useful.

See also, the FILES section of SenseiOnline, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/senseionline/files/

2009-08-13

food stories, "delicious Japan"

as seen in the newsletter of the consulate general of Japan in Detroit:

Delicious NIPPON! is a series of eight English language programs on the cuisine of Japan. The series was produced by Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and aired worldwide by NHK World TV earlier this year. You can view this series online via YouTube.

1. Japanese Cuisine
2. Rice
3. Seafood
4. Vegetables
5. Fruit
6. Gifts from the Forest
7. Wagyu Japanese Beef
8. Japanese Green Tea
9. Digest
Other videos by The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan may be viewed on their own YouTube Channel YouTube MAFF Channel

2009-07-25

Where Japanese is spoken worldwide

Brazil has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, but it is less than 1%.see CIA Factbook: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Japanese is an official language in Japan and Palau Islands on its southern island Angaur (a.k.a. Monkey Island.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_official_languages#J

There are major Japanese speaking populations in places such as Australia, the U.S. (especially Hawaii and California), Taiwan, the Philippines, Peru, and Argentina. (this list is not exhaustive.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_language

--------Judging from the languages offered at major tourist locations, Japanese can be a useful 2nd or 3rd language, as well. And since there are so many expatriot Japanese living, working or studying overseas, one can find Japanese in many other places not listed, as well. Then there are the increasing numbers of foreign students and visiting researchers at Japanese universities who may reach a high level of proficience. When they return to their home countries they form still another population of Japanese speakers.
Note also the size of the publishing, broadcast, Web presence, too. And based on population alone, Japanese is among the top 10 languages.

2009-07-20

more panorama views - Fukui-ken; Hokkaido

There are about 130 wide views online. Please invite students and colleagues to browse these wide views from Fukui-ken and from Hokkaido.
http://picasaweb.google.com/big1file/Pano2009jp

2009-06-20

fresh photos - kanban, oshirase, word-play

Streetsigns in Japan (mainly around 2009 Sapporo, March - June)
includes colorful posters for Hokkaido University club membership days

http://picasaweb.google.com/eastasia108/StreetsignsInJapan#

______________________________________________________
Views around town 2009 - mainly Sapporo; also Fukui-ken
some video clips, as well; one more round of uploads by middle July

http://picasaweb.google.com/usaviews/Japan09springSummer#

______________________________________________________
Panorama scenes - around Hokkaido; mainly Sapporo
one more round of uploads by middle July

http://picasaweb.google.com/big1file/Pano2009jp#
additional wide views at http://tinyurl.com/jp09pano
(Fukui & Ishikawa-ken)

2009-06-14

YouTube selected videos collected on blog

Japanese Study Videos (Blog of YouTube Videos)
http://www.manythings.org/b/j/

2009-06-13

native speaker writers' help online

http://lang-8.com (Infinite Langauges) is a community of language learners who write in the language they study to have it checked by native speakers. The site isn't MEANT for a native speaker to TRANSLATE for you (just correct your mistakes).

2009-06-09

Daikagura from Ise (mini album)

http://laputa21.com/ise/daikagura.htm
is a short photo essay of the annual visit to Echizen-city (Fukui-ken) by a traveling group from Mie-ken. Recorded by staff at laputa21.com in Echizen-city (was Takefu) on June 7.

2009-06-08

kanji strokes by on-screen animation

a new site for "Kanji Learning Using Animations"
http://www.sp.cis.iwate-u.ac.jp/icampus/u/upod.jsp

from students at Iwate University

2009-06-06

first years together; mixed years after that

In times of shrinking enrollments, mixing students of different study years is sometimes necessay. But here are reasons to specially handle the entry level students.

[1 Y. Moorman] I have been teaching mixed-level Japanese classes over 30 years and every year the combinations change, yet I adamantly fight to keep the first year as one class...
I keep all the level on the same theme/topic at the same time... [this] keeps
me sane; not using different topics at the same time in the one classroom.

[2 E. Sullivan] My experience is keep your 1's by themselves! They are the most needy
and since they can't write for a while it is hard to give them independent work.
I had a 2/4 split three years ago, and even though it was crazy, I could still give
the 2's writing work or pair work while I taught the 4's and vice versa.
Also, the older kids can do more reading and writing as well as projects...
Also, it could hurt your program if it falls apart at the 1 level and they feel lost.
What is the number cut off to make a section? Ours is 20 to make a class.

2009-05-24

100 books to Understand Japan today

Cross-posting from H-Japan with titles and descriptions of books in English.
http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/eng/news/20090514BookDonationProject.html

At bottom center there is a "Application Materials" section.
The book list is an Excel file. Under that each book is discussed separately in PDF files.

The category IV languages like Japanese are difficult especially for the cultural and social meanings and unfamiliar contexts for Second Language Learners. So having this comprehensive list of titles for one's own reading, and for using with one's students is handy.

2009-05-17

old photos of Japan

http://oldphotosjapan.com/en
http://ruri.crara.cc/archives/504/

Nagasaki University Library Collection.
http://oldphoto.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/index.html
http://oldphoto.lb.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/en/index.html

Open Univeristy of Japan Library
http://opac.u-air.ac.jp/koshashin/koshashin.html

National Diet Library, Japan
http://www.ndl.go.jp/scenery/e/index.html
Search by Category
http://www.ndl.go.jp/scenery/e/category/index.html

Waseda University Library:
http://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/TENJI/virtual/farsari/index.html
http://www.wul.waseda.ac.jp/TENJI/virtual/farsari/index2.html

Bakumatsu Shashin kan
http://www.dokidoki.ne.jp/home2/quwatoro/bakumatu.shtml

Edo Castle: interactive
http://edo.pro.tok2.com/index.html
http://homepage3.nifty.com/oohasi/siseki.html

Japanese Photograph
http://www.geocities.jp/photography1862/index.html
http://www.geocities.jp/photography1862/menu-tenjisitu.html

First man photographed in the US. (Kid's page)
http://www.jcii-cameramuseum.jp/kids/koshashin/index.html

2009-05-16

kanji stroke order/audio (AP 410 kanji)

section for kanji for AP Japanese, http://gahoh.marinebat.com/

sound files for sample combinations of each kanji so students can hear correct pronunciations. There are more than 800 sound files.

authored by S. Shinagawa

2009-05-12

next generation of Old Shamisen

The Yoshida Brothers. They play big Tsugaru-jamisen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshida_Brothers

Tsugaru Jongara (a traditional music)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i1FznZT7fU

2009-05-03

remembering WWII (May 5, TV)

Annoucement of broadcast for May 5 in USA on Public Television; see also the new service for online viewing of selected programs at http://www.pbs.org/video in case they later offer it on demand (YouTube style).

From a different source, but relating to how memories are presented, see also the illustrated 2007 article about depictions of WWII in Japan and in USA, http://japanfocus.org/articles/print_article/2477 "Exhibiting World War II in Japan and the United States" by
Laura Hein and Akiko Takenaka.

Wings of Defeat, the award-winning documentary about surviving Kamikaze pilots, will make its long-awaited U.S. broadcast premiere on MAY 5th at 10pm on PBS' Emmy Award-winning program Independent Lens.

2009-04-21

Teaching KANA with card game

Make a deck of cards with each card featuring one kana.
It's probably best to have two cards for each kana. But don't use ん

Students play in groups of 3 to 5 (more are possible, but waiting for your turn to come around get to be a bit long in the tooth).
Each student is dealt five cards.

The remaining cards are placed face down in a stack, and the top card from the stack is placed face up (beginning a new stack)
The first player can discard any card in his hand that matches either the 行　or the vowel sound of the face-up card.

Example: if the face up card is か, then the player can play any card from the か行:　か　き　く　け　or　こ, OR may play any "ah" sound kana: あ　か　さ　た　な　は　ま　や　ら　or　わ

If the player cannot play a card, then he or she must draw a card from the face-down deck. (I usually play with the rule that a drawn card may be played in the same turn).

The next player does the same thing, based on the previous player's card.
The goal is to discard all of you cards, and the first player to do so "wins". (really, its the player who learns the most that wins)

Usually, when a player is left with only one card after discarding, he or she must say "ICHI!" before the next player plays. If he or she fails to do so then he/she must draw four cards as penalty.

Other variations include:
-a player may play multiple cards of the same 行　in the same turn.
-cards of a particular 行 may have special characteristics: "reverse" "draw 2", etc.

It's a lot more fun than writing かかかかかかかかかかかかかかかかかかか time and time again, and a bit more effective I think. It engenders a lot of discussion about the subject, such that students learn "hey, I'm not the only person who confuses ぬねれ and わ", rather than struggling in isolation.

[J Dunn]

=-=-=-=-= more variations -- though not the first time. [R. Young]

1. Make an "n" card. It is a Wild Card and can be played on any card. The player names it (i.e. assigns it a kana value).
2. Playing a "ten-ten" or "maru" variant card (ga, gi, gu, etc.) automatically reverses the direction of the play.
3. The student has to say the name of his/her card aloud as she plays it. (Failure to do so... well, if you want to play hard... the player has to take his/her card back.)
4. A player who places a card that ends a word based on the previous card can say the word and its English meaning. This allows him to have another player of his choice to draw an extra card. For example: placing a "ba" after a "ka" makes "kaba" (hippo) or "shi" after "su" =
"sushi."
5. Instead of calling out "ICHI" when one card remains, how about "ICHIMAI!"

Tale of Genji - online samples

in the interest of Cultural "literacy" for Japanese language and society, please note this new project of the United Nations.

U.N. Launches Library of World's Knowledge

A globe-spanning U.N. digital library seeking to display and explain the wealth of all human cultures is in operation on the Internet for students around the world. ...a collection of primary documents and authoritative explanations from the planet's leading libraries.

The site (www.wdl.org) has put up the Japanese work that is considered the first novel in history, along with .....In addition to UNESCO and the Library of Congress, 26 other libraries and institutions in 19 countries have contributed to the project.

showing samples, Tale of Genji

in the interest of Cultural "literacy" for Japanese language and society, please note this new project of the United Nations. --- GP Witteveen, sjmiAT hotmail.com

U.N. Launches Library of World's Knowledge

Windows Live™ SkyDrive™: Get 25 GB of free online storage. Check it out.

2009-04-19

teachers recommend YouTube for Japanese language

[preview for age suitability, though]
...list of YouTube videos recommended by the Japanese language teachers at the Nihongo Memo Web site, under "Sharing Resources" http://www.nihongomemo.com/sharing.htm#You [direct link]

...contributed by the teachers of Japanese who enrolled in the correspondence course "2009 How to Create Web Pages/Web Sites."

2009-04-15

vivid use of "Urashima Taro" story

Probaby best for intermediate/advanced, but even beginners can enjoy the voice patterns and Aizuchi here. These one minute introductions to a Japanese podcast come from the sponsor, Murata, and is shared with senseionline with their permission. Since the podcast is about science and scientists, the comical introduction demonstrates how to have a curious mind. Find the podcast series at iTunes/podcasts, "science talk"

http://japanlore.googlepages.com/POD-murata_urashimataro.mp3

and

http://japanlore.googlepages.com/POD-murata_whats-in-yours.mp3

2009-03-08

panorama views - nihonkai, sapporo

Please share these photos with students and colleagues,
http://tinyurl.com/jp09pano

The wide view comes from putting several pictures side by side using the free software, www.autostitch.net

--Guven Witteveen, sjmi@hotmail dotcom
Visiting Researcher, Hokkaido University Museum

2009-03-06

tune and lyrics to FUJI-san

富山大学の濱田さんが作った「日本の歌」というウェブサイトで、
富士山の歌のMP3 がダウンロードできます。

romaji lyrics
http://www3.u-toyama.ac.jp/niho/song/fujisan/fujisan.html

日本の歌（日本語学習者向け）
http://www3.u-toyama.ac.jp/niho/song.html

MIDI audio file of tune,
http://classic-midi.com/midi_player/uta/uta_fujisan.htm
-- NETSU Makoto
The Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Urawa
http://www.jpf.go.jp/j/urawa/

2009-02-08

children's art exchange - Shiga, Japan & Michigan, USA

http://mishigan.blogspot.com/2009/02/annual-art-exchange-through-feb-28.html includes pictures and commentary for the 13th annual exchange of art between the sister cities of St. Johns, Michigan and Konan-shi in Japan. Due to Konan having more than three times as many schools and students, the majority of the pieces displayed at the town libraries in each town are from the Japanese children.

Students of Japanese should be able to recognize some of the subject matter, as well as the written Japanese that appears in some of the pieces.

2009-01-31

setsubun & more materials

Japan Foundation site, Minna no kyozai... Tons of pictures as well as other materials for you to use in you class.
http://minnanokyozai.jp/kyozai/home/ja/render.do, writes T Cornell, The Harvey Schoo

=-=-=-=-= Setsubun readings:

I wrote folowing reading materials for my student, Learning Japanese as a heritage language.

--K Okuda, Japanese Children's Society

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kokuda/20060204 Setsubun no mame no kazu

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kokuda/20060218 Tamago no tatsu hanashi

http://d.hatena.ne.jp/kokuda/20070203 Oni wa soto Fuku wa uchi

2009-01-28

short video stories - Japan (1998) and Korea (2005)

Dear colleagues:

I invite you, your students and fellow scholars to view, download, excerpt or repurpose from the following collection of 3 to 10 minute video segments I've gathered online. Once I learned how simple it is to string clips together and add a title and credits for online uploading, I went back and prepared my materials to share. I encourage each one of you to start a free account at one of the video hosting services and experiment, too:

vimeo; video.google.com (owns YouTube, now, too - thus crosslistings and search results), teacherTube.org, among so many, many others

--Guven Witteveen

St. Johns, Michigan USA

HIGHLIGHTS
[summer 2005 study tour] http://koreanstudies08.googlepages.com/kr2005video.html
<> History procession, central Seoul
<> Drum lesson at performing arts hall in Seoul
<> High school yearbook views
<> Calligraphy lesson
<> Banquet foods
<> Serving tea
<> Conceptual artist
<> folk performing arts village at...
<> Anseong summer view from the air

[spring 1998, earlier released on VHS as "Social Sketches in Japan"]
http://viewjpn.googlepages.com/sketches1998.html

<> Introduction; Old city center
<> Temple interior
<> walking/talking tour of Temple grounds
<> Teaching high school English
<> High school memories
<> Family life in regional city of Takefu (rechristened Echizen-city in 2005)
<> Small business owner's experiences
<> Foods: home and restaurant
<> Shrine visit
<> Remembering one's ancestors
<> Local health care

Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it out.

2009-01-12

BBC story: Rent-a-friend in Japan

A short article you may wish to excerpt for students.
...Duncan Bartlett discovers that money really can buy you love in Tokyo.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7818140.stm

Here's one segment of the story:
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Rent-a-friend in Japan

The right pet

...First you pay a deposit and a hire fee. Then you are issued with a leash, some tissues and a plastic bag and given some advice on how to handle your new friend.

Kaori is a pretty waitress who regularly spends her Sunday afternoons with a Labrador. They go for a walk in the park if the weather is fine, or if it is wet they just snuggle up in front of the TV in her apartment.

"When I look into his eyes, I think he's my dog," Kaori told me. "But when I take him back to the shop, he runs away from me and starts wagging his tail when he sees the next customer. That's when I know he's only a rental dog."

...Cry for help

...Mr M.O. from Shizuoka near Mount Fuji called upon the services of I Want To Cheer Up Ltd because he needed a father.

Mr M.O. has been blind since birth and had a number of concerns that he felt he could not speak to others about.

"I kept it all inside and couldn't deal with the criticisms that had been directed at me by my parents and teachers," he testified.

After some discussion, the company sent an older man to have dinner with him. "Usually I can't open up when I meet someone for the first time but on that occasion, I felt I was really talking with a normal father. I'll use the service again," he said.

Loneliness is a problem faced by many people on these crowded islands. But the Japanese are prone to believe that, in the right circumstances, money can turn a stranger into a friend... at least for a couple of hours.

kana writing tutor online

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Shrine/7047/

2008-12-24

Japanese phasebook scenarios

Courtesy of the travel guide series, Roughguides.com
http://www.roughguides.com/website/shop/products/Japanese-Phrasebook.aspx

2008-12-20

learning Japanese - radio feature story

http://www.theworld.org/?q=language
from the radio program, "The World"

see also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOvfz4T2_6s
seems so popular in the U.S.

Another anime songs to use in a conversational Japanese class,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1AvAvsuX8M
(a nice anime fantasy)

2008-12-16

shared project & discussions - high school students

Consider using "voice thread" in which all users can add comments and questions to any material placed online (movie, slideshow, audio, text). The comments/questions can be voice, text or drawing!

http://voicethread.com/#home

--- Guven Witteveen, sjmiAT hotmail Dotcom

Re: in search of ....

Posted by: "Tae Murakoshi" taekomura@yahoo.com taekomura

Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:25 am (PST)

I know this topic has been introduced before, and I thought I kept it for the future use; however, I am asking you all again for your help in finding several discussion sites for high school students globally. We are highly motivated and have a keen interest in having friends all over the world, though very inexperienced right now, to connect and discuss whatever while improving our English skills and gaining experience through online interaction with foreign high school students. The benefits for both foreign students and Japanese students will be unmeasureable in many ways as you may agree; the both Japanese and English skills will improve for both sides through discussion and some debates.

Send e-mail faster without improving your typing skills. Get your Hotmail® account.

2008-12-13

well used manga - learning Japanese language & culture

(1) Asaki Yumemishi by Waki Yamato
(2) Buddha by Osamu Tezuka
(3) Orochi by Kazuo Umezu
(4) Hyooryuu Kyooshitu by Kazuo Umezu
(5) Doraemon by Fujio Fujiko
(6) Chibi Maruko-chan by Momoko Sakura
(7) Maison Ikkoku by Rumiko Takahashi
(8) Verusaiyu no Bara by Riyoko Ikeda
(9) Azumanga Daio by Kiyohiko Azuma
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= more books
(1) Atashinchi by Eiko Kera
(2) Nana by Ai Yazawa
(3) Seitoshokun by Yoko Shoji
(4) Azuki-chan by Chika Kimura & Yasushi Akimoto
(5) Oishinbo by Akira Hanasaki & Tetsu Kariya
(6) Hanada Shoonenshi by Makoto Isshiki
(7) Kobo-chan by Masahi Ueda
(8) Hachimitsu to Kuroobaa by Chika Umino
(9) Hikaru no Go by Takeshi Obata & Yumi Hotta
(10) Ookiku Furikabutte by Asa Higuchi
(11) Raki Suta by Kagami Yoshimizu
(12) Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
(13) Toripan by Nanko Torino

2008-12-12

buzzwords of Japanese for 2008

students might find these latest buzzwords interesting:

http://singo.jiyu.co.jp/ and http://u-ryukogo.jp/award.html
2008 Grand prizes are awarded to "グ〜！" and "アラフォー."

2008-12-08

Japan's veterans -WWII prisoners in Siberia

Weekend Edition Sunday, December 7, 2008 · For Japanese Soldier, The War Went On — Today marks the 67th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese surrendered four years later, but Japanese soldiers captured by the Russians in Manchuria were held as prisoners for more than five years after World War II.

More than 500,000 Japanese soldiers were taken to Soviet penal camps and forced into slave labor. Independent producer Robert Rand tells the tale of one of the surviving Japanese soldiers.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97920789

2008-12-04

searching for postal codes in Japan

http://www.post.japanpost.jp/zipcode [in Japanese only]
See also, http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2224.html

Ainu events 2008

A. Lewallen [via www.japanfocus.org Dec 4, 2008]

Indigenous at last! Ainu Grassroots Organizing and the
Indigenous Peoples Summit in Ainu Mosir

2008-11-22

illustrated children's books - ehon

online children's books http://www.arakawa-shizue.jp/web-ehon/index.html#

2008-11-16

Revising the list of kanji

[Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 - Japan Times]
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20081116a2.html

A panel of the Council for Cultural Affairs is working to revise the
official list of Chinese characters in common use (joyo kanji). The
final proposal is expected in February. The revision should draw the
attention of not only Japanese but also foreigners interested in
Japanese culture.
The current joyo kanji list contains 1,945 characters. The kanji
panel plans to add 186 characters, including "kan" of
"kankoku" (Korea) and "satsu" of "kosatsu" (ancient temple).

2008-11-15

videos on High School memories; health care options

Each is about 10 minutes or less (in English).

About Japanese health care, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6446526054197373344

Japanese high school memories, http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7986423489127429101

2008-11-08

online reading of Kanji

http://www.readthekanji.com/

2008-11-07

new release of "kanji alive" online

After much work and many delays we've finally released an updated
version of "Kanji alive" that is both much faster than the previous
version and compatible with current versions of Windows and OS X.

You can access it via http://kanjialive.uchicago.edu

katakana intro, roots, links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katakana
gives a good overview with visual illustrations.

2008-11-06

project on classical language of Japanese

-from Paul Baptist:
http://www.lingwiki.com

http://lingwiki.com/index.php?title=Hyakunin_Isshu

http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/bungo/bungo.html

2008-11-05

rich site reopened - Minna no kyozai

http://minnanokyozai.jp/
　…………………………………………………………………………………………
　■The number of resources has been expanded!

　　★Kisetsu no Katsudo
　　　There are 109 classroom activities that facilitate study of
　　　Japan's seasons and annual events. Various types of classroom
　　　activities are available for beginning to advanced proficiency
　　　levels.

　　★Elementary Vocabulary Pictures
　　　This contains 308 black-and-white pictures for basic verbs.

　■Finding resources has become easier!

　　★Classroom Activities and Pictures are organized by series (base
　　　material), enabling a search by series as well as cross search.
　　　There is also a list of material titles.

　　★Search of Grammar items had previously been available only
　　　according to the 50 kana order index, and some users expressed
　　　difficulty using the search function. On the new site, Grammar
　　　items can be searched by keyword as well as by two types of lists ("50 kana order list" and "list by proficiency level").

2008-10-24

visual approach to understanding life in Japan

http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/

2008-09-25

what do Japanese eat day-to-day?

Here is what people in Japan eat daily, http://tmap.yomiuri.co.jp/

M. W.Isoyama, JFLA.org

2008-09-18

video - Obon in Kyoto (1 minute 28 seconds)

via the LonelyPlanet travel guide (newsletter, "Comet")
http://enewsletters.lonelyplanet.com.au/ch/14dwhq0/532146/ce6d81755m.html

2008-09-16

Japanese by distance learning [accredited programs]

via Susan Schmidt, Alliance of Associations of Teachers of Japanese

**************************************
1. Online Center for Japanese Studies - The Yamasa Institute,
Okazaki, Japan - http://www.yamasa.org/ocjs/english/index.html

2. Virginia Satellite Educational Network (VSEN)
www.vsenvirginia.org.htm

3. World Wide Learn Language Learning Center (several programs)
http://www.worldwidelearn.com/language-courses/learn-japanese.htm

4. Nihongo Web from Univ Alabama (online tutoring)
for high school or college credit - http://www.ccet.ua.edu/nihongoweb/

5. Mesa Community College, AZ offers JPN101, 102, 201 and 202 online
using Yookoso.

6. Irasshai at Georgia Tech has distance learning courses -
http://www.imtc.gatech.edu/projects/culture/i-irasshai.html
or http://www.gpb.org/irasshai Irasshai hotline 800-883-7444

7. Japanese 1 & 2 (at least) taught online through the Indiana
Academy at Ball State:
Cathy D. Whaley, Ast Dir of Outreach
Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana 47306 765-285-3248 (fax)
765-285-6004 (phone); 800-316-3163 ext. 22 (toll-free phone)

8. Brigham Young Univ high-school Japanese 1 and 2 online, http://tinyurl.com/cmwdr

9. More options for self-study: www.umich.edu/~iinet/cjs/japanese/selfstudy.html

started in Japan - now known worldwide: The Algorithm March

2008-09-10

films depicting High School in Japan (or suitable for teens)

Water Boys (high school clubs and school festivals)
Swing Girls
gakkou (学校) series by Youji Yamada... depicts non-traditional students who go to a night school in Tokyo. http://item.rakuten.co.jp/book/5660131/

Kinpachi-sensei (TV series), http://www.tbs.co.jp/kinpachi/
http://ishop.tbs.co.jp/tbs/special/kinpachi/index.html

Nobody Knows if you would like to show a side of Tokyo that is not typical, successful students. It is one of the saddest movies I have ever seen ...four siblings that are abandoned by their mother and have to fend for themselves in Tokyo.

Kamikaze Girls is also good for capturing pop culture.

Koko Yakyu --tells about a private HS (?Wakayama-ken) and public HS (Osaka) preparing for the national HS tournament at Koshien. There is a lot of "live" (?nama kaiwa) dialog, lots of emotional intensity, and some useful impressions of HS life.

And I like the materials at Deai, www.tjf.or.jp/deai

Erin ga chosen is pretty good, I think. It is not documentary, but has a script. Still it gives some images of life for teens these days.

=-=-=-=-=-= possibly to show in class, as well
Sen to Chihiro
Ping Pong
Hula girls
Adrenalin Drive
Kikujiro

=-=-=-=-=-= more titles, (* popularity by students)
*Totoro
Mimi wo sumaseba
Omoide boro boro
*Mononoke Hime (Princess Mononoke)
*Sen to Chihiro (Spirited Away)
*Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies)
*The Cat Returns
Tonari no Yamada-kun
*Howl's Moving Castle
Minwa (Kaguyahime, Tsuruno Ongaeshi)
Ohayou (Good Morning)
After Life
*Kikujiro
*Shall will Dance
*Tampopo (with some discretions)
*Daremo shiranai (Nobody Knows)
*Water Boys
Maboroshi
*Densha Otoko
*ShogunZatouichi
*Kakushi toride (Hidden Fortress)
*Kumonosujyou ( MacBeth in Japanese version by Kurosawa)
*Kwaidan ( by Masaki Kobayashi)
Miminashi Houichi and other stories
*Rashoumon

Samurai (Historical documentary from BBC)
Families of Japan (documentary)
Nihon-Sono sugata to kokoro (Japanese family life) -Documentary
Living Arts (Culture in modern Kyoto) and Friends.....Documentary
Animated Classics of Japanese Literature (12 part series)

=-=-=-=-=-= undergraduates at college
NHK documentary series, Working Poor (as well as the books the accompany them). The sections on the young working poor in Japan have resonated deeply with my [undergraduate] students.

2008-09-09

short-stories of Japanese literature (in English)

Offered by J-Lit (Literature of Japan)

free PDF files of translations of Japanese contemporary short stories
(http://www.jlpp.jp/story/index.html)

2008-09-06

music resources linked from Japan Society site

Bibliography of Resources about Music in Japan
<http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/bibliography_of_resources_about_music_in_japan>
E. Taylor Atkins of Northern Illinois University composed a bibliography of some print, on-line, and multimedia resources that might be valuable to the K-12 (as well as college) educator.

2008-09-01

classroom routines

sensei online Digest Number 2716+
...I have been using the toban/ aisatsu system but with a few additions.
Namely, toban also checks the homework (they seem to enjoy the responsibility and they get to pick what stamp to use for the day!) She or he also collects the diaries of students who have not done the homework.
Other toban jobs include starting tha ball rolling for answers/ activities, giving out handouts etc, setting up the DVD/ data projector, wiping the board, running errands to the office e.g. to get another box of tisssues. THis way i avoid always asking a few trusted students to do those types of things.
The toban also gets to be the MC/ games master which includes using the blow up microphone for quick fire question time/ interviews etc and other fun jobs like picking out the bingo cards etc
The students take the toban role seriously, to the point where if a student is away or skipped they come up to me at the end of class to ensure i reschedule their turn!
Having the toban really helps me out with everyday systems, but also keeps everything fair because each student knows they will get their turn.
I am interested to hear of other ways teachers make toban an enjoyable and special job.
==follow-up to listreader's query:
yes, the toban changes every day. I do it in alphabetical order so the students know when their turn is coming. I also try to remind the next student that it will be their turn the following lesson.
The toban marks the roll with a 'T' when it is their turn so i can see who did it on what dates and correct any skipped students.
If the student is late, they miss their turn and have to catch up later.
With my older students i normally do something with technology e.g. Youtube/ music at the start (that is before the lesson offically begins) so that the late students miss the fun, but not the greetings and intro part of the lesson. I have invited students to make requests as a way of getting them to explore Japanese language and culture in their own time by surfing the net. I am always amazed what kind of Japanese things they find. Often the students are so much more on the pulse with what is 'in' than me because they have special interests that they like to pursue in their free time. e.g. Gazette etc!

==as well as,
...my former school required me to put the following information on the board for each class:
Do now:
Today:
Homework:
Learning outcome:
The L.O.T.E. department translated these and made funky board signs with magnets on the back.
The students seems to work well with knowing what to do when they came in and what the rest of the lesson would include.
=-=-=-=
...I guess the most important thing is to simple have routines and structure. I don't think that it matters what the routine is. My class has a "Kanji Corner" with 2 sentences full of Kanji compounds that have to be copied and translated in the first 5 minutes.
Next, we look at a paragraph with the new vocabulary and grammar point for the day.
Then we practice using those in conversation.
Finally, they write using the new learnt information. (these are used in the next visit's warm up sentence and kanji practice). Next we do activities and play with the new information is there is time. I always end with a quick moment for culture stuff!
=-=-=-=
-We have a "nicchoku"sign by the door with vinyl pockets to insert the student's name and the "weather" card/s of the day. 4x6 Cards are in a basket with all student names for each class, and another basket has 4x6 cards w/ weather pictures and the word in Japanese (kumori, hare, yuki, etc.)
-I am "nicchoku/toban" the first 6 wks of JPN1, then they take over. They LOVE it and look forward to their turn, checking the sign as they come in and reading the name (in katakana) to see who gets to do the job that day.
- The student leads the "kiritsu-kiwotsuke-rei-yoroshiku onegaishimasu-chakuseki", then answers my Q: kyou "no tenki wa dou desuka?" and puts the appropriate weather card in the vinyl pocket.
*Starting with JPN2, they also fill in the day and date on the board, and read the date to the class.
=-=-=-=
Survey on what you say in class, http://www.research.nttnavi.co.jp/305clr/clr_078_01.html

Pr. Shigenobu Ujiie's Lecture Notes (Tohokugakuin U)
http://www.izcc.tohoku-gakuin.ac.jp/liberal/Sujiie/doutoku15.htm
(Prof. Ujiie's Website: http://www.izcc.tohoku-gakuin.ac.jp/liberal/Sujiie/)

Japan Academy for Municipal Personnel's Professional Development Workshop
Protocols, http://www.jamp.gr.jp/information/point.htm

2008-08-25

Japan through folk and children's songs

information on folk and traditional songs of Japan...
"Social and Cultural History of Japan Though Music Education," at
http://bulldog2.redlands.edu/dept/AsianStudiesDeptmusic_ed/

...song files and cultural information about fifteen or twenty songs

2008-08-12

filmography -anime for k12 classroom

from http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org

Resource: Anime - An Annotated Filmography for Use in the Classroom

by Toni Levi, April 30, 2008
In this filmography, Japanese historian and anime and manga expert Antonia Levi recommends anime movies to use in the grade K-12 classroom. For each movie, she gives a synopsis, suggests age appropriateness, and offers points of discussion.

2008-08-11

films showing language/culture

[cross-posting from H-Japan] ...the Itami Juzo film "Minbo" for its depiction of sarariman.
His "Tampopo" is good for images of small business and of food culture. It also has great use of language, from that used by a pedantic academic (is there any other sort?) to the rich, women, blue-collar workers and so on. Students who are told to listen for it can pick out some of the variation, even if they have never studied Japanese. Both films have enough slapstick and other visuals to
do a reasonable job of holding the attention of students who find subtitles tedious.

2008-07-30

video, "Election, Japanese-style"

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/campaign/
Discover Democracy "Japanese-Style"

This is democracy – Japanese style. Campaign on P.O.V. provides a startling insider's view of Japanese electoral politics in this portrait of a man plucked from obscurity by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to run for a critical seat on a suburban city council.

Kazuhiko "Yama-san" Yamauchi's LDP handlers are unconcerned that he has zero political experience, no charisma, no supporters and no time to prepare.

What he does have is the institutional power of Japan's modern version of Tammany Hall pushing him forward. Yama-san allows his life to be turned upside down as he pursues the rituals of Japanese electioneering – with both tragic and comic results.

full film online at http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/campaign/fullfilm.html

2008-07-17

J-Pop with on-screen lyrics

Soul-ja: His song with Thelma Aoyama is nice. Several of my students bought the album this summer
www.jpopasia.com/play/4153/soulja/kokoni-iruyo-feat-thelma-aoyama.html
see also the J-Pop homepages, http://www.jpopasia.com

2008-07-14

audio slideshow (contest)

13 July 2008. [senseionline] Digest Number 2685

Kwassui Women's College announces a worldwide video slideshow contest
reserved to students who are learning Japanese as a foreign language
in high school; original announcement at
http://www.kwassui.ac.jp/college/news_topics/news_82/news_82.html
For further inquiries, please email videocontest@kwassui.ac.jp

The purpose of this contest is to encourage high school Japanese
language teachers to enhance their classes with video production
projects. Kwassui has long been active in forming teachers of both
English and Japanese. The college is now experimenting with new
technologies and promoting their use in language teaching. It has
become evident to us that many language teachers would like to use
video production in their classes but are hindered by time constraints
and limited access to technology. The experience matured by our
English department has shown us that this kind of obstacles can be
overcome by letting students work on video slideshows rather than
moving image videos.

A video slideshow is a succession of still images, be they
photographs, drawings, charts, or computer-generated pictures,
accompanied by narration and/or music and recorded in video format. It
can be created with minimal equipment: a computer, a digital still
camera or camera phone, and a microphone. The editing can be done with
simple software such as Windows Movie Maker (free on all Windows XP
and Vista machines) or iMovie (free on all new Macs).

A site with extensive technical information on video slideshows,
including step-by-step tutorials can be found at
http://www.deepmoat.com/moodle/

Theme of the Contest: School Life
This theme should be interpreted as including topics such as school
clubs, school festivals, school friendships, etc. Entries may be
authored by a single student or by groups of up to four students. Only
one submission per student or group will be accepted.

Basic Requirements: All authors must be high school students. None of them must have lived
in Japan for more than a year. Teachers can advise students but cannot
be authors. All videos must be composed of still images accompanied by Japanese
narration. They must be suitable for all audiences. Opening and end
titles are required and must also be in Japanese (romaji is
permissible). Transitions, the Ken Burns effect, and other special
effects are permitted. On the videos, students' must be identified
only by their first names. Family names, addresses, and other
sensitive personal data must NOT be included. The script and all
images must be original and created by the entrants themselves. Music
is optional. If included, it must be legal and properly credited.
"Legal" music means a piece that is either out of copyright,
copyright friendly (such as Creative Commons licensed pieces from jamendo.com or
podsafeaudio.com), or composed and played by the students who make the
video.

Video format: wmv or mov. Videos submitted in formats other than wmv
or mov will not be considered. Those who are creating in other formats
are welcome to use online converters such as media-convert.com or
zamzar.com to get their piece into one of those two formats.
Length of entries: minimum 2 minutes 30 seconds; maximum 3 minutes 30
seconds. Files should not exceed 30 MB.

Deadline for submissions: 11:00 p.m., Japanese Time, on November 30,
2008. No entries can be accepted before 8:00 a.m., Japanese Time, on
October 1, 2008. To find out the corresponding time in your time zone,
you may wish to use the converter at
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html.

How to submit: All videos must be submitted by teachers. To submit,
please use a free file delivery service such as YouSendIt.com. In the
"To" box, please type the following address: videocontest@kwassui.ac.jp
Do not send videos as email attachments.

Teachers will also need to send a separate confirmation email to videocontest@kwassui.ac.jp
containing the following information: teacher's name and contact email, school's name and address, title of the video, full name and grade of each student who authored the video.
[see full announcement for detailed judging criteria]