さいきん日本語が嫌いです

さいきん、日本語のクラスはむすかしくなかったと思います。

たくさんことばをおぼえられないし、あたらしgrammerもとてもむずかしし、しけんのtranslationsもconfusing.　

私は日本語の勉強をはじめるとき、日本語が好きでした．でも、さいきん日本語が嫌いです。

来年私は台湾へ中国語を勉強しに行くつもりです。日本語の勉強をつづかないつもりです。

私は習った外国語の中に、日本語が一番ｆrustratingです。

Vてある and Vている

I am having trouble understanding the uses of the Vてある and Vている structures.
What is most difficult is understanding why Japanese language finds it necessary to differentiate between a state that is the result of an action by someone for a specific purpose, and simply a description of a state.

Fukai sensei said that the Vてある has no equivalent in English.
My question is, why is it necessary to make this distinction in the first place?

まどがあいています。The window is open.
まどがあけてあります。The window has been opened. (by someone for some reason)


But what use is it when the person that has done the action or the reason for taking the action that resulted in the window being open is not explicitly stated? Of course it follows from the context, "She thought it was cold. The window has been opened." But ostensibly, isn't there a possible reason or explanation for any act and a person behind most acts?

Does this mean that when describing things or situations in which people are involved, most will be in this Vてある form? Or only in situations where a specific action is taken and one knows there is a purpose behind it?

The test was difficult. (written by the teacher to test the students?)
Dinner was made (by Father, for the family?)
The books are on the table over there (to be used later by the teacher)

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.

日本語の漢字はとてもおもしろくて、 hilarious

I've found the following uses of Chinese characters in Japanese to be very interesting:

先生　せんせい
In Japanese this means teacher. Although this is one of the possible meanings in Chinese, more commonly it signifies "Mr." So Mr. Li would be リ先生. I feel very funny every time I write "Fukai sensei" ふかい先生 on my homework.

全然 ぜんぜん　
This means "not at all" in Japanese; in Chinese it is a formal (used in writing) way of saying "completely, entirely"

大丈夫　だいじょうぶ
This is HILARIOUS. In Japanese it means "all right." In Chinese it means "a real man" or "a man of fortitude and courage." I would love to see the Japanese etymology for this word!

頑張ります がんばります
Japanese is "do one's best." In Chinese the two characters here don't make any sense together. The first character has several meanings:
1. stupid as in 愚頑 yu2wan2
2. stubborn as in 頑固 wan2gu4
3. naughty as in 頑皮 wan2pi2

Why on earth is this character used???

The second character has a lot of meanings as well, among them:
1. stretch; spread; expand
2. set out; display
3. magnify; exaggerate
4. a measure word for flat objects (photographs, papers)
5. a popular surname (eg, the Chinese director, Zhang Yimou)

二月８日と13日のクラス

Class on Thursday and today (Tuesday) was different because Fukai-sensei was not there. The two instructors we had both had different teaching styles. Neither did any review before the daily quizzes, so I think most of us were caught a bit off guard. Also, I don't think that Thursday's lesson plan on noun modification was that clear, so today's quiz went pretty badly, for me at least. It was interesting to experience some new teaching methods. Satto-sensei used a lot of props and did not call on individual students to answer questions. Hatakeyama-sensei's instruction was interspersed with dry humor and toward the end he did call on individual students to answer questions. Neither instructor asked all the students to repeat the correct answer together, and sometimes I felt that the instructors answered the questions correctly themselves without making sure that we understood the underlying principles behind certain grammer patterns. Perhaps they mistook our silence for comprehension.

I felt though, that the three instructors - Fukai-sensei, Satto-sensei, and Hatakeyama-sensei - could have better communicated to each other what lesson plans should cover and brief the class on what to expect. I've gotten used to Fukai-sensei's style of teaching, and therefore was a bit unprepared for the other two instructors.

冬やすみ part I

私のかぞくは五人です。ちちとははとあねといもうとです。今，あねはべんごしから、とてもいそがしいです。毎日九時から十時まではたらきま。とてもたいへんですよ。あねはりょこうしたいから，この冬やすみ私はあねいもうととBerlinとOxfordとロンドンへ行きましたた。

私は2003年春ドイツで留学生ですから、ドイツごをわかりました。
ドイツごは日本ごよりやさしいです。でも，私はたくさんドイツごのことばをわすれました。

わたしたちはBerlinで四日いました。Berlinでわたしたちはたくさんしました。私はドイツのともだちとビルをのみにあいました。ドイツごはなすることがたくさなります。そして、Jewish びじゅうつかん へ行きました。このびじゅつかんはとてもゆうめいで、おもしろかったですそれから、ドイツのBundestag (Parliament building)へ行きました。あそこで，レストラン (Dachgartenrestaurant, rooftop restaurant)でおいしかったしょくじしたり，Berlinのscenery見たりしました。それから、とてもゆうめいな デパート KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westes) へ行きました。でも、ものはとてもたかいから，私はなにもかいました。でも、あそこでおいしいドイツのyoghurtをたべました。


Berlinはヨーローパで一ばんおもしろいまちとおもいます。人がよんひゃくまんぐらいがいます。ドイツじんはせいが高く、はながたかいです。Berlinでこうつうはべんりで、やすいです。Berlinのちかてつがふたついます。S-BahnとU-Bahnです。 S-Bahnから、Berlinゆっくり見ることができます。U-BahnはS-Bahnよりきれいじゃありませんで、たくさんgrafittiがあります。Berlinでてんきはよくなっかたです。てんきはくもりで、あめがふっていました。
Berlinのまいにちせいかつはアメリカよりひまです。Berlinでは日曜日が休み。日曜日そとでさんぽした人がたくさんいます。私はBerlinのパンやがすきです。そこでたくさんおいしで、やさういのたべものかくことができます。私はおみやげ一だけかいました、ドイツのmuesli. とてもおい私意ですよ！アメリカではなかなかおいしいmuesliをかうことができません。


じゃ、きょうわここまで。Part IIはあしたからします。

さくぶん：冬休み-draft 1

すみません。This post is a bit late.

Below is the rough outline of my essay. I could use suggestions on what to cut, because it seems a bit long. I will probably take out the first part, when I am in California. That would let me concentrate it on my trip to Europe and end with some thoughts on American and European life.

Suggestions? Questions you have that I should address? What visuals would contribute to the essay? (digital photos, maps, museum brochures, etc). I will final first draft (written in complete sentences) on Monday or Tuesday. Fukai sensei said it was okay just to put some of our ideas online, and then put up the draft later, is that right?


リ
２月11日
ふかい 先生


さくぶん：冬やすみ
draft 1

Part I: カルフォルニア

カルフォルニアへ行きました。
- てんきはよかった：あたたかった
- ちちとははとあねといもうとをあいました。
-クリスマスの プレゼントをかいました。
- りょうりをつくりました。
- ちちにごを習いました。(ごは日本のゲム，中国語で圍棋，えいごでgoh)
- かぞくとあたらしいJames Bondえいがを見ました。
- ロサンゼルスへ台湾のかぞくとあいに行きました。
ちちのあねのむすめは男の子ども生まれました。

Part II: ドイツ、Berlin
今，あねはlawyer。毎日九時から十時まではたらきます。とてもたいへんですよ。ですから、この冬休みあねはBerlinとOxfordとロンドンへ行きたいです。

私は2003年春ドイツで (in southwestern Germany)留学生ですから、ドイツごをわかりました。冬休みは私初めて／一ばんかいBerlinへ行きました。

ドイツごと日本ごとどちらが（むずかし，きれい、好き）ですか。

Berlin で
- ドイツのともだちあいました
- Jewish びじゅうつかん へ行きました。とてもおもしろかったです。
- Bundestagへ行きました。あそこで，レストラン (Dachgartenrestaurant, rooftop restaurant)でおいしかったしょくじしたり，Berlinのscenery見たりしました。
- とてもゆうめいな デパート KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westes) へ行きました。おいしいドイツのyoghurtをかいました。


- Berlin は…　私の general impressions of Berlin
人：せいが高い
ちかてつ　(SBahn,UBahn, graffiti, views of Berlin)
てんき. くもり、あめがふっていました。
日曜日は休み
中国のレストランでたべました。
おみやげをかいました：muesli. おいしくて、やすいです。


Part II: イギリス
１）Oxford
- いもうとはOxfordでヨーロパーりけしをべんきょします。

- Oxford はどんな町：
きれくて、ふるいです
time warp: centuries back
いざかや (pub)がたくさんあります

２）London
- 私一ばん行きました
- ちかたつ, the Tube
- アメリカ人はイギリスでいます
となじご：えいご
Britishisms: We say, they say
Look Right
class society. “posh”
- Tate Modern びじゅつかん
- ぶっかが高い
- London はBerlinよりこくさい


NYへかえりました

Part III: Conclusion
ヨーロパーせいかつとアメリカせいかつとどちらが…
好き
たのしい
おもしろい
いい
きれい
ひま
すてき

Plain/Polite, 日本語とDeutsch

The German language also has a plain and polite form. It only affects verb conjugations though, not adjectives and nouns. The circumstances in which one uses plain and polite are very similar to Japanese: you use polite form (Sie) for people you've just met, your boss, and for your elders. The plain form (Du) is used for friends and among family. You can tell a lot about people's relationships with one another and where they fit in the social hierarchy by how they address each other, as "Sie" or "Du" (both mean "you"). There is also a plural polite form, to address more than one person.

In German though, you can tell someone directly to use the plain form with you "Du kannst mit mir dutzen." This you will do if you can tell someone is unsure whether they should continue addressing you in the Sie form or if they should start using the Du form.

Can you do the same in Japanese? After how long or under what circumstances can one switch from polite to plain form when addressing people?

People often say that their are many affinities between Japanese and German culture, such as the importance placed on order and cleanliness. Polite and Plain forms of speech must be another one.

毎週 小テスト

毎週小テストはとてもむずかしとおもいます。ことばテストはやさしが、ぶんけいとれいぶんおテストは大変ですよ！

私はドイツ語と中国語とスパインごおべんきょした。がいごくごの中で、日本語はgrammerが一ばんむずかし。

どうして？？？

Why is Japanese grammer so difficult? How do Japanese kids do it ?!