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

Donate Money to Japanese Save the Children

I'm doing a series of long-distance runs in Japan this year to raise money for child victims of the tsunami/earthquake.

You know it's the right thing to do, so I won't bore you with a sob-story.

Please go to my page and donate some cash.

Dom is fundraising for GlobalGiving

Q&A: Osaka Nampa Master

Nampa is the Japanese term for guys picking up on girls in public locations, usually with the sole aim of getting them into bed. A whole subculture has sprung up around the word, and akin to titles like "How to Talk to Women" and "How to Make Someone Fall in Love With You in 6.7 Seconds" in English bookstores and across English webpages, "How to Nampa" is a term probably every magazine with a 20-something male target audience in Japan has published articles about.


In today's Q&A, we read up on the adventures of one particular Nampa artist, "Shimada," in the Osaka area, who is perhaps a bit past his prime at 30-odd years old but still updates his blogs with specific Nampa success stories in various places around the country. The basic routine seems to be: Truck out to somewhere for an afternoon, invite women out on the street to go for a drink, then escort whomever accepted the bait to a love hotel, leaving early enough to catch the last train home.

Ouch. That's right. He doesn't even want to wake up next to her.

Anyway, let's take a look at some of the tricks of the trade!

---

So there I am, in a cheap izakaya.
The girl I'm scoping is like this:

Age: 21
Blood Type: B
Occupation: Medical Secretary
Name: "Saori"

I sidle up to her and say, "So, this is the place to be, huh?"
She laughs at me.
The izakaya we're in is famous in Osaka for being dirt-cheap.
It's got a name like something-"factory."

Anyway, so we toast with beers, then I introduce myself and make some empty small talk.
We talk about her job...
Saori apparently doesn't want to work at all.
She thinks work is a waste of her life, so I tell her what's up.

There's nothing not worth doing in this whole world.
You only make a decision that something's worthless.
A person's wisdom is in how they find meaning in and ascribe value to the things they do.

I know I have her.

I'm completely full of myself.
'Cause this is first-rate stuff, right?
Even though I, Shimada, am a fourth-rate human being.

Anyway, I'm already pretty drunk.
I've been drinking since I started scoping chicks in the afternoon.

Next we talk about love...
...and I shut her down on that topic as fast I can.

Next we talk about dirty stuff...
...and I keep that going as long as I can.

By the time we know it, it's 9 p.m.
By my CVP Analysis, I arrive at a conclusion.

(What's a CVP Analysis?
C = Shimada
V = Victory
P = Project
It's what I call analyzing how much a chick digs me, and coming up with an action plan for the night by catching the subtle changes in her mood.)

So I say to her, "Let's make the after-party a 'Snack Party'!"

(What's a "Snack Party"?
You buy a bunch of cookies and potato chips at a convenience store then take her to a love hotel to eat them.)

Saori loves snacks.
So she's totally into the idea.

We leave the izakaya and buy some stuff at the nearest convenience store.

"Where're we gonna have the party?" she asks.

"At karaoke," I tell her.

"We can take snacks into a karaoke room?" she asks.

I say, "Oh, you're right... How about we have it at my summer house then?"

"Where is it?" she looks at me.

"Follow me!"

And we're off.
We hold hands all the way to the love hotel.

I'm stoked.
There have been so many stupid things happening since this year started.
So, finally... Finally...

But!
Turns out it's not so easy.

When we get in front of the "summer house," Saori, as expected, gets cold feet and starts whining.
(What a pain.)

"What's the matter?" I ask her. "You aren't thinking of something naughty, are you? Saori, you're such a terrible girl."

I remember saying something like...

"I hear this place is modeled on a storehouse in a town on the edge of the Mediterranean, and I've wanted to see it myself once." (We'd talked about how we're both interested in the Roman Empire at the izakaya. I'm not really, though.)

And I remember saying something like...

"This isn't even a hotel! It's a party space!"

Then finally I swore, "I won't do anything," and we pinky promised on it, and we went inside.

(What's a pinky promise?
It's some magic charm. You cross pinkies on a promise and if you break the promise you have to eat a thousand needles. Except, apparently if you break the promise nothing bad actually happens...)

By now it's already 9:30!
I'm almost out of time!

The second we're inside the "party space," I've got my hands all over her.
She protests, but I keep at it and suddenly there's this dramatic change in her.
I mean, wow.
So things get going, and the snacks we bought sit there unopened.

Then it's past 10, and time for the party to end.
I make a dash for the subway, barely making it home by 11.

It's an hour past my curfew, but I'm met at home with a kind smile.
...which is scarier than the old lady getting mad at me.

Her retaliation comes the next day at dinner.
All that's on my plate is a pile of veggies, while she enjoys homemade fried chicken.

WS: Eigo Noto 2: When is your birthday 2

This lesson carries on from my previous post last week. This lesson reviews the months of the year and introduces the question "When is your birthday".

In the next lesson we will look more at answering using "It is in November" and "it is December 4th".

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

Chant - Same as last week using the Eigo Noto CD. The students should remember it, and be able to chant along after a few tries.

Ladder game - This is one of my favorite games, and one I actually used to play when I was a child! I have adapted it to use in my elementary classrooms and now frequently get asked to play it! However, it is a little difficult to explain...

1. Split the class into two teams.

2. Within each team put the students into pairs. (They MUST have a pair, use the teacher if numbers don't work out, failing that I have used a broom as a student in the past...).

Fig 1

3. I set up one team first, manhandling the children, and then get the other team to copy them.
The first pair should sit, with their feet touching each other, legs out straight.
The next pair should sit beside them in the same position. See fig.1

4. Give each pair a name, in this case, a month. Pair 1 in team 1 should have the same name as Pair 1 in team 2.
Should you have uneven teams, one pair from one team should have 2 names.

5. The fun bit! You call a month. The pair, from both teams, whose month is called stands up and runs up the ladder (towards the back of the class). After the final 'rung' the student on the left runs left, and the student on the right, runs right. They run around the outside of the ladder and then run back up the ladder to their original place. See Fig.2.

Fig. 2

So pair 1 would run up the ladder and around, and sit down at the front again. The final pair would run around, all the way up and then sit down.

The team with the first pair sitting down, gets one point.



Get it? Its a little complicated, but I feel it is well worth playing! My students have a lot of fun with it!

N.B Hands should be kept on laps, not behind as shown in the diagrams. Otherwise fingers can get stamped on.

Also check the room before playing for sharp edges, I once played this and students started slamming into a wall at one end of the room to slow themselves down, it was fine until one student found the nail which was sticking out of the wall and stabbed himself in the hand (he still won that round).

Also you may want to take shoes off, but I find slippery socks are more dangerous than squashed fingers!

When is your birthday? - after such an active game some quite time is required!

I start by chanting 'When is your birthday?' and get the students to repeat. Then I say ask 'When is your birthday?' and say a month, those students whose birthday is that month raise their hands, we then count how many.

Finish - Hi-fives, and requests to play the ladder game the next week...