midterm しけん
今週のしけんはとてもむずかしかったです。
時間はたりなかったと思います。I did not keep track of time very well, and so only had 10 minutes to write the essay.
しけんの中にtranslationsは一ばんむずかしかったです。
たくさんcombinations of different grammar patterns があったから，私はこたえをほとんど書けませんでした。
I always have a difficult time with the translations, because some of the word choices in English confuse me. Have we learned the verb "to expect"? (for the translation of the bus didn't come at the time that I expected). I also am unsure many times whether sentences are causal (requiring a kara desu) or just connected with "and" (series format). "So" seems a bit ambiguous.
I personally had not studied enough of the tara and temo structures, particularly negative constructions "if it isn't" or "even if it is not . . ." so I got confused on that part.
Surprisingly the listening sections were okay this time. Usually the people on the recording speak incredibly fast; this time they spoke at a normal pace, which was good.
All in all, half of the exam went pretty poorly. The kanji and listening were the only parts I felt good about afterward.
I have two suggestions:
1. distribute the review sheet and answers on the same day, two days before the midterm
that way we could do the review sheet and check the answers the same night, and
2. on the day before the midterm, go over questions students have from the review sheet.
I think it was counterproductive to start reviewing new material from lesson 28 that was not going to be on the midterm. It would have been more helpful to have the time two nights before the midterm to do the review sheet and check one's answers rather than memorize L28 vocabulary. I understand that the department is on a tight schedule, but students could definitely have benefited from more review.
The day before the exam we could go over whatever outstanding questions students have from the review sheet. This would help students figure out what concepts they are having trouble understanding or need to review more thoroughly, I think. It was only after I was able to compare my answers to the model answers the night before the test that I really figured out where I was having difficulty. I had so many questions and was not really able to get adequate answers in time. That was frustrating.
The Japanese program here moves at a much quicker pace than at any of the other universities where I have studied Spanish, Chinese, and German.
時間はたりなかったと思います。I did not keep track of time very well, and so only had 10 minutes to write the essay.
しけんの中にtranslationsは一ばんむずかしかったです。
たくさんcombinations of different grammar patterns があったから，私はこたえをほとんど書けませんでした。
I always have a difficult time with the translations, because some of the word choices in English confuse me. Have we learned the verb "to expect"? (for the translation of the bus didn't come at the time that I expected). I also am unsure many times whether sentences are causal (requiring a kara desu) or just connected with "and" (series format). "So" seems a bit ambiguous.
I personally had not studied enough of the tara and temo structures, particularly negative constructions "if it isn't" or "even if it is not . . ." so I got confused on that part.
Surprisingly the listening sections were okay this time. Usually the people on the recording speak incredibly fast; this time they spoke at a normal pace, which was good.
All in all, half of the exam went pretty poorly. The kanji and listening were the only parts I felt good about afterward.
I have two suggestions:
1. distribute the review sheet and answers on the same day, two days before the midterm
that way we could do the review sheet and check the answers the same night, and
2. on the day before the midterm, go over questions students have from the review sheet.
I think it was counterproductive to start reviewing new material from lesson 28 that was not going to be on the midterm. It would have been more helpful to have the time two nights before the midterm to do the review sheet and check one's answers rather than memorize L28 vocabulary. I understand that the department is on a tight schedule, but students could definitely have benefited from more review.
The day before the exam we could go over whatever outstanding questions students have from the review sheet. This would help students figure out what concepts they are having trouble understanding or need to review more thoroughly, I think. It was only after I was able to compare my answers to the model answers the night before the test that I really figured out where I was having difficulty. I had so many questions and was not really able to get adequate answers in time. That was frustrating.
The Japanese program here moves at a much quicker pace than at any of the other universities where I have studied Spanish, Chinese, and German.
posted by pickle at 9:41 PM
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