WS: Eigo Noto 2: I Can 2

This is the second lesson teaching 'I can'. You may wish to introduce 'can you' at this point, but I found that due to time restraints, and a two week gap in my being at this school, the students couldn't remember 'I can' as well as I would have liked. So I stuck with it for another week


Greeting - Hello, How are you? What month is it now?

I can - Review vocabulary from last time "I can fly/run" etc.

• Then, introduce new verbs. "I can play basketball, soccer etc."
• Next, "I can play the piano, the guitar, etc."
• We repeat this as a class a number of times before I stop and ask students to guess why you say "I can..../I can play..../and I can play the..."
• After studying this I show some pictures of other things (instruments, sports etc.) and get them to tell me if it is play, play the, or just I can.

I can game - If you're in a regular classroom, students should be already in lines of 4-6 students. This will be their team today.

• Have the first student from each team come to you, and give them a verb flashcard. They should keep this card a secret.
• Next, have the student stand, facing one team. This should not be their own team.
• The student with the flashcard has 2 seconds to gesture what is written on their card.
• They should make the gesture as difficult as possible, they do not want the team to guess!

After making their two second gesture (it's best for you to time it and have all students present their gesture at the same time), the team gets to guess what the player was doing. They should say, as a team 'I can .....'
The student who presented the gesture should answer "I can ..." Or  "I can't..." If the team was correct, they get one point.

Repeat until all students have had a turn at giving a gesture.

Fruit basket - As played a few weeks ago.

• Students make  circle with their chairs. There should be one less chair than players. (I usually start myself to ensure this).
• The student in the middle will say "I can ......" or "I can`t...."
• The students sitting who have the same answer will stand up and change seats. The student left without a chair starts the next round.
• Saying "fruit basket" means all students have to change seats.

Finish - see ya.

Credit Card Guide #1: The Basics

For our next AccessJ super-feature, we will be thoroughly covering the Japanese credit card system. We'll also offer a guide and tips for getting your own Japanese credit card.

Read more for an introduction to the credit card system of Japan.

One of the things that travelers in Japan tend to notice is how many stores outside of major shopping districts do not accept credit cards. While this trend is changing, expect most small shops and eateries to only handle cash. Even then some older credit card terminals have a hard time handling Western debit cards and certain types of international credit cards. 

The Basics

The Japanese credit card system is extremely dissimilar to other developed countries. Credit cards, by default, work a lot like a charge card or debit cards found in the Western world. Basically, you just charge up to a set limit and you are billed for the balance at the end of the month. 

Just about every major credit card brand is available here including Visa, Master Card, and American Express. JCB is also a major brand but it is not often seen outside of Japan (however American Express in the US has a deal to process JCB cards at some terminals and vice-versa). Most stores simply require signatures will while others use a chip-and-pin set up similar to UK credit cards and debit cards.

That being said, there are some important differences that you may come across when trying to apply for and/or use a credit card in Japan. 

Bunkatsu Barai (分割払い)

Bunkatu barai literally means "split up payments" or "installment payments." When using a credit card, be it foreign or domestic, the teller will ask something to the effect of "how many times do you want to divide this?" ("nankai deshou ka?") or "will this be in one payment?" ("ikkatsu wa yoroshi deshou ka?"). If you are using a non Japanese credit card or debit, always answer "one time" ("ikkai " or "ikkatsu") or else your transaction will be rejected. 

Japanese credit cards always include this system of splitting up payments, usually in 2-12 installments. Some credit card issuers have specials where 2-3 installments are interest free but picking up any more installments will incur interest on each payment. Credit card companies will usually have a rate table available on their brochures and websites. 

Ribo Barai (リボ払い)

Ribo Barai is short for "revolving payments" and it resembles something closer to a Western, pay-as-you-go credit system. This option takes your balance for the month and divides it into pre-determined payments plus a finance fee attached to each payment. Like bunkatsu barai, this option only works with cards issued in Japan and only if your card issuer thinks that you are credit worthy enough to not duck out on your payments.

There are two ways of using this system: 

a) punch the ribo barai  button on the credit card terminal or ask the sales person if they can make your purchase ribo barai

b) call up your card issuer or go to their online terminal and request that your remaining balance be split into ribo barai

Kyashingu (キャッシング)

The Japanese take on the English word "cashing," this service is essentially a cash advance or loan. You can take money out at most convenience store or institutional ATMs but expect a hefty interest charge plus possible ATM fees. Some companies require separate applications for domestic kyashingu and international kyashingu.

This service can be handy for withdrawing money overseas where Japanese bank cards are as about as useless as monopoly money. However, when it comes to daily purchases, it is good to avoid unless you want to be up to your eyeballs in debt with heavy interest. Most card issuers give you the option of not signing up for this at all and it is usually a smart move, especially if you are a first time credit card user in Japan.

Multi-Use Cards

Some banks and brokerages offer a single card that combines your bank card and your credit card. They have similar functionality to a stand alone credit card save for the fact that you can use them at ATMs for deposits and withdrawals. Like all credit cards, you have to fill out and application and be approved. Banks may also set certain conditions such as having a certain balance or charging an annual service fee.

Well, that about covers the basics. Stay posted for our next installment where we take a look at getting your very own Japanese credit card!


Other Posts in this Series
Part 1: The Basics
Part 2: Application Pointers
Part 3: Filling Out the Application
Part 4: Do You Really Need a Card?

The Japanese Straight Perm

You may think that your hair is straight after using a straightening iron, but you don't know straight until you have had a Japanese straight perm! And gone is the frizz of humid Japanese summer!

A Japanese straight perm, or "thermal reconditioning" as it is also known, is a technique developed in Japan in which the internal hair bonds are first broken, and then reconditioned into a straight style; giving glossy, soft and easy to manage hair.


Treated hair will stay permanently straight with only the re-growth needing touching up. Generally you will only need a touch-up every six to ten months, depending on how quickly your hair grows and how curly your hair was originally. It works equally well on all hair types.

I have had my straight perm for a 3 months now and have absolutely no sign of re-growth and in that time I have not had a single bad hair day!


Be prepared, a Japanese straight perm can take from 4 - 6 hours. Make sure you book in advance and take something to read.


The procedure

• Your hairdresser should assess your hair. 
• You can choose between 'natural straight' or 'hard straight'. Hard straight is almost inhumanly so, which is why I recommend the natural version.
• Thorough shampoo and condition of your hair. 
• Deep conditioning treatment can be used on your hair should it require it, to prevent breakage during the treatment. 
• Creme based relaxer will be applied to your hair, which will then be wrapped in cling-film. 
• This may be left on for around an hour. 
• A second shampoo and condition. 
• At this point your hair will look terrible. The bonds inside have been broken and it will be a frizzy horrible mess. Don't cry at this point. 
• Hair will be dried and straightened within an inch of its life. I had 2 hairdressers straightening mine for over 30 minutes. 
• At this point the style should be decided. If you want a parting etc now is the time to say so. The hair will be set into this style, and there's no going back. 
• A neutralizer will be put on the hair. Finally setting the hair into position. 
• Be prepared to be wrapped in cling film again.
• A last shampoo and condition. 
• The hair will be allowed to air dry for a short time (if you are in Japan this is most likely the time you will get your complementary head and shoulder massage).  
• Depending on the salon your hair will be left to dry naturally or blasted with a hairdryer.
  
  Done!

Well, not quite done. The bonds of the hair are still not set in their final position. You should follow your hair stylists advice on how to care for your hair in the few days after the treatment.


General after care advice

• Do not wash your hair for 2 days. 
• Do not put clips or hair ties in your hair for 2 days. The hair may set in this strange position, leaving kinks. 
• The first few times you wash your hair after treatment use a hair dryer to dry it completely straight. 
• Use a shampoo and conditioner recommended for use with a straight perm.  

The price
Price is another thing which can vary salon to salon. I personally paid 12,000 yen, (about 95GBP/160USD). Not cheap, but not unreasonable for something so significant.

I hear that it can be even more expensive outside of Japan. If anyone has any experience of this, we'd be glad to hear from you in the comments.

Why Kanji is the Best Thing for Studying Japanese

It's natural to be scared of kanji at first. They're complicated collections of what look like random lines with various readings and meanings.

Over time, though, you will hopefully come to realise how useful the kanji are for learning new vocabulary. Read on for a full explanation.

As I mentioned in a past article, dumbly staring at a flashcard with one kanji character on one side, and a list of the various different readings on the back is virtually useless.

If you want to learn the appropriate way to read kanji you need to see them in context. And that's not hard, presuming you're studying vocabulary utilising those kanji. When you study a word, study it in kanji. Don't be scared, dive straight in. You'll be surprised that it isn't actually as hard as you thought. As I said, the best site for this is readthekanji, and the best programme is Anki.

And, once you have studied a few words with the same kanji, you have seen how and where different readings are used. More about this is the aforementioned article.

Next step: new words. You study some new vocab and find the same kanji cropping up again and again. If you have seen and studied those kanji in context, you know the sounds they are likely to make. Now, not only can you read the word even before being exposed to the hiragana reading, but often you can even work out the meaning itself.

As you become more advanced in your kanji learning, you'll begin to notice other patterns in individual characters, too. You'll see how different kanji elements go into constructing each character in a way that will often allow you to work out the meaning, and sometimes even the pronunciation. We'll cover that in a future entry here on AccessJ.

WS: Eigo Noto 2: I Can

Lesson 4 attempts to teach a lot, and I find this is another lesson which needs to be spread over 3 if not 4 periods. Even with this much time I find it impossible to teach all of the vocabulary and grammar from the textbook.

In my lessons I mainly concentrate on; I can, I can play, I can play the and Can you...?
Greeting - Hello, How are you, What month is it now?

I can - Flashcards with various verbs: fly, climb, swim, run, jump, and tell the students what I can and can't do. If you are lucky a student will cotton on to what you are on about and translate. If not, explain what I can means. (either in Japanese yourself [できる・できない], or get the HRT to help).

Next, students should repeat the sentences - "I can fly" etc.

I can ... game -  using this worksheet we complete the first three animals as a listening activity.
"Lion-san can run" etc. The students wrote a O for can and X for can't.

The remaining animals were completed by the students themselves, guessing if the animal can or can't.

I then read the answers ("monkey-san can climb") and the students marked their own prints.

Originally I didn't like this lesson plan, but after playing it, much to my surprise, the students actually really, really enjoyed it!

Let's listen 1 - Page 24 of Eigo Noto2. Using the CD the students listened to 3 animals talking and answer which animal it was in the book. Fast but fun activity due to the funny voices used!

Let`s listen 2 - Page 25. Another listening activity in which students listen to the CD and find out what two children can and can't do. This is a difficult activity, the information is given very quickly and with lots of unimportant information mixed in. This is very good for the students listening skills but means listening to the CD at least 3 times and perhaps the ALT reading it though slowly a few times.

Finish - bye bye

Mobile Phone Guide #8: Renting and Roaming

So you are planning a short trip to Japan but you don't want to invest in a pre-paid phone and a contract is out of the question? 


Never fear, there is another way (two, in fact)- the Japanese rent-a-phone, and overseas roaming.

Rental SIMs

There are two basic types of rental services: rental SIMs and rental handsets. 


The former is simply a SIM card that you borrow and stick in your W-CDMA enabled phone. 


This option requires that you have a phone that is compatible with Japanese frequencies (2.1ghz) which includes most non-North American phones. North American users (Mexico, Canada, USA, etc) must make sure they use a phone that is compatible with this bandwidth as opposed to the non-standard frequency used in that area of the world (usually 1.9ghz). Consult your phone manual. 


Also keep in mind that unless you handset is Japanese then you may not be able to use many services like text and mail. 


Reantal handsets
Rental handsets are simply a phone and SIM package that does not require you to bring your own phone.

Many of the major phone companies like NTT DoCoMo and Softbank have their own services with counters located at most major international airports. You can pick up an order or sign up the day of arival. 


There are other third party companies like Rentafone Japan, Cellular Abroad, and Japan Cell Rentals offer services such as blackberry rentals, mobile data rentals, delivery to overseas address, and even sending the kit right to your hotel. The per minute rates, reservation fees, length of contracts, and services available differ widely by company so do you research. 


Often, companies with higher reservation fees charge less for calls and some companies don't allow for internet and texting unless you pay more cash. For the most part incoming calls are free.

Payment

One thing that all of the rental phone and SIM services have in common is that they only accept credit cards. Most companies will place a temporary credit hold ranging from 100-300 USD as a short of temporary escrow to make sure you don't skip out on your bill so don't be surprised to find a big chunk of cash taken out of your debit account or credit line, but you can expect to get this back if you behave yourself.

Roaming

An alternative to renting. Many networks around the world have agreements with one or more Japanese service providers to offer service while allowing you to keep your local number active. However, what services are available, cost, and terms all vary widely by carrier. Do your research.

The downside to roaming is that it can be very, very expensive. If you have a smart phone make sure to disable the data services overseas because these phones are always checking for e-mails and using data even when they are on stand-by.

Well that just about concludes AccessJ's mobile phone super feature. If you have any other mobile phone related topics you would like to see covered don't hesitate to drop a line!

Other posts in this series:

Part #1: The Basics

Part #2: Important Paperwork

Part #3: Pre-Paid Phones
Part #4: Post-Paid Phones 
Part #5: Paying Your Bills

Part #6: Mobile E-mail Guide

Part #7: Multi-Lingual Phones

Part #8: Renting and Roaming

Maternity Leave in Japan

Worried about not being able to have kids with your "part-time" English teaching job? Well, I've got some news for you which I hope will make you as happy as it made me.


As long as your employer allows time off as maternity leave (paid or not), and you have the shakai hoken health insurance deal (many companies make you pay this by default, and JETs, BoE ALTs and some dispatch ALT employees will find themselves paying (a lot) for this every month) the government will pay you around 2/3rds of your daily salary for a period of up to 98 days. The schedule seems fixed to starting 42 days before the birth, and ending 56 days after. Not overly generous, but better than nothing.

If your company does pay for your maternity leave (though why would they when the government will do it for them?), then the government will only grant you payment if your company pays less than 2/3 of your regular wage (in other words, they will make sure you get 2/3rds of your wage as a minimum).

You can read more about the small-print on the (now defunct, but still accurate) Social Insurance Agency website:

How to Claim Your Benefit
To claim your benefit, you need to file the “Application for Maternity Allowance” (SHUSSAN TEATEKIN SHIKYU SHINSEISHO) to the Social Insurance Office (including one in a Social Insurance Bureau). We need certification by your employer and comment by your doctor on the Application form. For your first application, you need to submit photocopy of evidence such as your “payroll book” (CHINGIN DAICHO) and “attendance book” (SHUKKINBO). The deadline to file the claim is determined for each benefit payable day. You need to file a claim within 2 years from the next day of the day for which your benefit is payable.

How to Take a Poop in Japan (Kids' version)

...here are some videos teaching you all about the wonders of taking a poo in a grown-up toilet.

For adults having trouble, don't forget to check out our "How to Take a Crap in Japan" post.

Wiping troubles, too? AccessJ's got you covered...

How to use a toilet for wees and poos

How to get all that pesky poo off your bum

Alternative to the first video, featuring a kangaroo...

WS: Eigo Noto: When is your birthday 3

Previously we have learned the days of the months and played some fun games to ensure the students can remember them, and in the last lesson we introduced the question "when is your birthday?".

This lesson will focus again on this question and teach how to answer it properly.



Greeting - Hello. How are you? What month is it now?

Chant - The last time we will sing the months of the year chant (from the CD). 

Eraser game - The 'eraser game' is basically a listening game. The students should be in pairs facing each other and each pair should have one eraser on the floor/desk between them. Hands should be on heads, and the students listen for the 'Key word'.

When they hear the 'Key word' they should grab the eraser, the first student to do so, is the winner.

In this case, after telling the students what the key word is, I get the students to start each round by asking me "when is your birthday?" I then say months at random until I say the key word and the students grab the eraser.


My Birthday is in ... chant - Here I teach the students to use 'in' when talking about when their birthday is. They should have picked up on this when playing the eraser game and listening to my answers.

Fruit basket - Students will know this game, and as soon as you say "fruit basket" students will start arranging their chairs into a circle.

• All students sit down except one in the middle (or you for the first round).
• There is one too few chairs for everyone to sit. 
• I/we all say "When is your birthday?" and the student in the middle replies 'my birthday is in ......' 
• I let students choose any months, and after a few rounds let them choose up to 3 months at once.
• The students whose REAL birthdays are in the mentioned month should stand up and change seats with someone else. 
• The student without a chair becomes the 'oni' or devil in the middle. 
• If the 'oni' says "fruit basket" all students change seats.

Interview activity - Using page 21 in the textbook (that`s right, using the textbook!!!) students should interview their friends to find out when their birthdays are, and write down their names.

Finish - goodbye.

Mobile Phone Guide #7: Multilingual phones

Reading all the Japanese characters on a mobile phone menu can be challenging for even the most seasoned of Japanese speakers. But fear not, as many Japanese phones often come with the ability to switch between Japanese and English menus. 



These phones are usually labeled as “bilingual” (バイリンガル if you are looking for the katakana) on the catalog listing and clerks will be able to easily point out which phones can function in English. However, keep in mind that some advanced features may only be available in Japanese (including pre-loaded applications) and mobile internet portals are almost always Japanese only. Also, as a general rule, billing and billing websites are usually only available in Japanese.

If your first language isn’t English and you don’t feel totally comfortable in it or Japanese then you might be out of luck. However, the iPhone as well as some handsets utilizing Google’s Android operating system can utilize a multitude of languages. 


As manufacturers can chose what features to use under Android, it is entirely possible that some smart phones lack multi-lingual capabilities (although in the authors experience most seem to have English and Japanese). 


Softbank has offered a traditional phone with Korean input but that seems to be discontinued.

Our next and final article will cover Japanese "rent-a-phones" and roaming for those of your who are interested in a less complex, short-term solution to your communication woes. 

Other posts in this series:

Part #1: The Basics

Part #2: Important Paperwork

Part #3: Pre-Paid Phones
Part #4: Post-Paid Phones 
Part #5: Paying Your Bills

Part #6: Mobile E-mail Guide

Part #7: Multi-Lingual Phones

Part #8: Renting and Roaming

How Japanese Addresses Work

Today I StumbledUpon a video so clear and accurate that there was nothing I could do but post it, unedited, on AccessJ. Many thanks to Derek Sivers for this informative and entertaining creation.

JLPT Past Test Downloads

For virtually every test (apart from medical, I guess), the best way to success is a lot of exam-condition practice.

The same applies for the JLPT, and not only can you buy past papers (see below), but you can also download them from various websites.

Let's find out where!!!!

Because of its 100% Japanese nature, the JLPT is the same for everyone taking it regardless of their native tongue. That's convenient for our purposes, and the main site people seem to go to for past tests is actually in Chinese. Navigating can be a little tricky, but their selection of tests is good. (See below for some other good sites)

The page houses a collection of other papers, plus study resources. It seems like they're trying to charge for newest papers. I can't comment on the legitimacy of the site, so tread carefully if you want to buy.

The resources are of little use in Chinese, but there are some practice questions, too.

In order to simplify matters, here are some direct links to some (free) past test papers. You can try to find more by exploring the site. It's possible the pages might move, in which case you'll have to navigate the page to find their new location.

JLPT level 1 (N1) 2010 July past test
JLPT level 1 (N1) 2009 September past test
JLPT level 1 (N1) 2009 July past test
JLPT level 1 (N1) 2007 past test
JLPT level 1 (N1) 2006 past test

JLPT level 2 (N2) 2010 July past test
JLPT level 2 (N2) 2007 past test
JLPT level 2 (N2) 2006 past test

JLPT level 3 (N4) 2004 past test
JLPT level 3 (N4) 2005 past test
JLPT level 3 (N4) 2006 past test
JLPT level 3 (N4) 2007 past test

JLPT level 4 (N5) 2004 past test
JLPT level 4 (N5) 2005 past test
JLPT level 4 (N5) 2006 past test
JLPT level 4 (N5) 2007 past test

There are also answers, and the site is updated quickly enough for you to check your score a couple of days after the test (at the latest).

Alternatives
Check out this site (also Chinese) which has much better quality scans of all the tests for all levels from 1991-2005. The trouble is, the site is a bit temperamental. If you keep trying every couple of minutes you can download your test, but don't be surprised if you get errors a few times. Weird.

You can also find a large collection of typed-up versions at this site.

Bear in mind that these pages can come and go, as you aren't supposed to take the papers out of the test sites: JLPT gets angry. They may force the sites to shut down.


NB: sometimes the scan quality of these tests is not that great. On fairly rare occasions it can be frustrating and almost unreadable.

In such cases you may just want to go ahead and...

Buy published past tests
JAAS sometimes publishes past papers. Here are some links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

Try not to get confused and buy what is known as the JLPT Guide Book. It looks like a test, and acts like one, but is much shorter. It's designed as an entry guide to see if you are ready for typical grade N4 and N5 level questions.

You can buy that here: Amazon America