April 22, 2010 April 2010 Newsletter for Japanese Program

日本語　Payton’s Japanese Language Program　日本語
Newsletter for April 2010
　新潟県　Exchange: Niigata comes to Chicago　新潟県



In March, Kimmel Sensei and the Japanese language program hosted 17 Japanese guests: 16 students, plus math teacher Sekiguchi Sensei. They came to us from 国際情報高等学校Kokusai Joho (International Information) Senior High School at Urasa, Minami-Uonuma City, in Niigata Prefecture. Niigata Prefecture’s sister state in the U.S. is our own State of Illinois. They braved Chicago’s cold spring weather from March 20th through 28th. Mr. Sekiguchi told me that there was a meter of snow on the ground back in Niigata, but that the temperature was colder here in Chicago.

The Japanese students wore their very proper school uniforms when they arrived but then changed to very charming “regular” clothes for the rest of the visit. Payton students practiced their Japanese every day, and our guests gave Japanese cultural presentations all day Friday. They taught us a new game, nandemo basuketto, sort of like musical chairs, but arranged in a circle. Chairs did not disappear, but the person who was “it,” whom they called the oni, changed every time. They also performed a play based on the folktale, “The Tongue-Cut Sparrow” and taught us a dance based on a work song associated with fishing.

In addition to visiting the Museum of Science and Industry, Garfield Park Conservatory, and the University of Chicago, the Niigata and Payton students and their teacher attended a party hosted by sophomore Ray T.’s parents.

KJ High School administration and teachers are committed to global education. They sent many students to the Chicago area this year. While our guests visited us, there were KJ groups at Evanston Township High School and Glenbrook North High School as well. The chaperone teachers at those high schools came to Payton and told us they were impressed with our school. Dimitri F. taught two of them to play Scrabble. Thanks to Mr. Karafiol’s generous assistance, Mr. Sekiguchi was able to visit a number of math classes at Payton. He expressed surprise and some envy of the level of technology available in the classrooms.

We will see our Niigata friends again in June. Our Payton group will leave Chicago on June 14th, to attend school and stay with host families at KJ High School. Niigata is famous for its clear water and delicious rice. In addition to northern Niigata, our Payton travelers will visit Kamakura (the 12th century capital of Japan) and Yokohama, chaperoned by Kimmel Sensei and Mr. Todd Leventhal.


Curriculum:


Japanese 1: Level 1 Kimono Text

Students have just finished learning the second phonetic system, katakana, and can now, with the occasional help of their charts, decode anything in our textbook, level one of Kimono. Katakana represents “foreign” words in Japanese, and not only English words, but also words from other languages. (“Bread” is pan, from Portuguese, and “part-time job” is arubaito, from German) Students are often bemused and amused by the transformations of familiar English words into the katakana system. Here is an example: the familiar MacDonald’s fast food restaurant becomes マクドナルド　makudonarudo, in katakana.　It really doesn’t sound at all the same in the two different languages.


Japanese 2: Level 2 Kimono Text

Students are still working with the 3 conjugational groups for Japanese verbs. Traditional categories are “strong,” “weak,” and “irregular.” Following the practice in most college Japanese texts, we call them Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3, respectively. Now those categories are necessary for learning how to deal with the functions of asking for permission, giving permission, and refusing permission. The lesson that teaches those functions is a humorous one about a hapless babysitter and his unruly charges.
Functional/notional topic is babysitting: cooking, bathing, clothing and colors. Color vocabulary is expanding with katakana words for colors as well as the traditional color words in hiragana. For example, sometimes the word howaito　ホワイト is used, as in howaito/bōdo　ホイトボード , instead of the older word, shiroi 白い（しろい）.


Japanese 3: Level 3 Kimono Text, plus kanji from level 1 Nakama Text

Third year focuses on verbs and vocabulary expansion. We continue to review verb conjugational groups as we re-learn the verb tenses, but this time all in the non-polite/”casual” forms. We have just learned the “plain negative” tense.
We are also learning that the plain forms have essential grammatical functions in addition to their use in conversations among intimates. For example, there is a “gerund” form (a verb form that works as a noun) that requires the plain form plus koto　事　or　こと. Example: "seeing is believing" becomes miru koto wa shinjiru koto desu 見ることは信じることです　in Japanese.


Japanese 4: Level 2 Nakama Text, plus reader A Homestay in Japan

We are continuing to learn more verb conjugations, now adding two versions of the passive form. The simpler version uses the te for plus arimasu. The more complex form has additional functions: honorific function and what is called “the suffering passive.” Students have just finished reading the 7th chapter of Nihon to no Deai (A Homestay in Japan) and have been tested on vocabulary. In level 2 Nakama we have been working with Chapter 4 (actually the fifth chapter because of the opening review section), whose topic is requirements for performing certain functions when living in Japan, functions like sending mail, going to the bank, and so on.
AP students are giving presentations in Japanese on various topics of cultural importance: education, for example. Japanese 4 students are doing the same on a less complex level, supplying important vocabulary. Sometimes these presentations are offered with power-point support for the spoken component.
AP students will practice for the AP Japanese test on Saturday, May 1st, in computer lab room 114. We will sustain ourselves with pizza as we practice online. We have special earphones that make possible the recording of spoken responses. The AP test is administered entirely online.　The test itself will take place on Thursday, May 6th.

AP Japanese tests: Level 2 Nakama Text, plus reader A Homestay in Japan,
Supplemented by Nelson’s Abridged Kanji Dictionary and
Strive for a Five: AP Japanese Practice Tests

Japanese 4 texts: Level 2 Nakama Text, plus reader A Homestay in Japan

Students are practicing responding to text chat prompts as well as listening to native-speaker auditory samples. The most recent ones dealt with graduation and with a debate about cloning.
After the AP test, both sections of the class (AP and Japanese 4) will work on a project that involves producing a children’s book with an original story, illustrated.