Week 2

1. One New thing that you learnt from any of your HELP classes.

I am taking the Advanced Pronunciation class which the instructor is Sandy. This week, we started to use textbook, and I learned some syllables and pronounces. In Japanese language, each vowel is followed by consonants, so there are a lot of syllables, unlike English. Therefore, it is difficult to find out how many syllables are there in each English word. In the textbook, there were many words. We had to divide them to four categories: one syllable, two syllables, three and four. For example, “please” has one syllable, and “dictionary” has four syllables. Also, there were the word “chocolate” and “video.” First, I thought “chocolate” had three syllables, and “video” had two syllables, but it was wrong answer. Actually, “chocolate” had only two syllables, and “video” had three syllables. Syllables are not related to the word lengths. Also, we practiced pronounce, but R and TH sound such as “cereal,” “with” and “authority” are really difficult. Sandy taught us a lot of difficult pronounce like “hot, hat hut,” “I won’t want it” and “I won one.” English pronounce is interesting, but hard for me.

 

2. One New thing that you learnt from outside of HELP classes.

This week we had a big event: Halloween. I learned about what local people usually do in Halloween. They do a lot of things like wearing special costume and go trick or treating. Also, they do pumpkin carving and I write about it. I tried pumpkin carving in HELP activity with two other students: Lin and Kaori. First, we cut the top of the pumpkin and emptied inside of it. There were a lot of seeds, and I thought these pumpkins were only for Halloween, not for eating. Then, that top part became a lid. After that, we designed and carved the pumpkin. We wanted to make not scary, but cute one, so we made the ears from eye parts. Also, we could make crown from the mouth part by chance. Next to the left eye, we carved star. At the back side, we carved “C J K.” It means that Lin is from China. I’m from Japan. Kaori is from Korea. “C J K” is an initial of each country, so we named our pumpkin “Global Jack o lantern.” Next day, at lunch time, pumpkin carving contest was held, and we won! We got movie tickets. I have not decided which movie I will watch yet, but anyway, I learned about pumpkin carving.

 

3. Are there any reading strategies in reading in your L1? (For this question, just write as much as you can. It does not have to be 200 words.)

You know that Japanese grammar is completely different from English one. The order of Japanese sentence is a subject, objects and a verb; unlike English is a subject, a verb and objects. Sometimes, Japanese does not have any subjects. By the way, it may differ from reading strategy, but Japanese has some technical ways to express and emphasize something. First is an inversion. Intentionally, it replaces the order of the phrase to impress. Second is to stop the sentence with noun. English is usual, but Japanese sentences usually finish with verb, but in this expression, they finish with noun to impress. Third is repeating. It is easy for you to understand because it only repeats same sentences or phrases. Like these, Japanese has a lot ways to emphasize their expression.

4. Do you have any questions about creating GOs so far? Anything you would like you know at this point?

GOs class has just started. We learned not so much. I think I could understand what I learned this and last week. For example, why the chart of contrast and comparison use two areas which connect the part of each area, and why the chart of sequence use arrow. Also we learned eleven categories of signal words. I have to remember them, but I could understand. Therefore, anyway I have no question at this point.