MLO 1: Language and Communication:
1.1. Students are able to communicate effectively in Japanese in three modes: interpersonal, interpretive and presentational; and in a culturally appropriate manner in a variety of social and professional settings and circumstances at the Intermediate-High level of language proficiency, according to the ACTFL Guidelines.
1.2. Students gain competency in the Japanese language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse and compare and analyze the structural differences between Japanese and English.
1.2. Students gain competency in the Japanese language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse and compare and analyze the structural differences between Japanese and English.
In regards to the 1.1 requirements I think communication is the ultimate goal for anyone learning a new language. Being able to explain your thoughts and actions to someone on a variety of different subjects is a great feeling. Before going to Japan and really communicating we had to learn the basics. In order to express your ideas you must have the proper vocabulary and basic grammar to convey what you are trying to say. Our Japanese 102 and 201 classes really set the foundation of our language skill. It allowed us to practice important vocabulary and sentence structures for everyday conversations that we would need to make it by in Japan. With a solid foundation on which to build upon my time studying Japanese in Japan really improved my skills. Time spent with friends improved my interpersonal speaking. Doing presentations and writing papers in class helped with my professional and formal language acquisition. When I came back to the United States after studying abroad and was sitting in my 300 level classes, I realized how much my ability had grown. Before I went to Japan, if the teacher said more than 3 sentences back to back in Japanese I would be lost. But as I listened to the directions being told to me for our first assignment in the class I realized, I understood everything she was saying.
Taking classes in the native language, and speaking with native speakers that can help you with the sounds you are making is important for the 1.2 requirement. One of the most difficult things about learning a new language is contorting your mouth and throat to make sounds they have never made before. Even if you do start to get a hang of the sounds the letters are supposed to make, you really have to hear the language spoken by natives on a day to day basis to understand what it truly sounds like. Flow, cadence, and rhythm are acquired not in the classroom but through speaking with and emulating native speakers. For example I have below a sample of a presentation I did on Katakana. You can see how difficult it is for Japanese to speak English sounds, but also how hard it can be for native English speakers to say English words in Katakango. knowing English made it more easy for me to learn a lot of Japanese vocabulary that is written in Katakana. When speaking with my friends in Japan I always asked them to correct my pronunciation to make it more natural. I was very happy when someone who I met for the first time would compliment me on my Japanese ability.
Taking classes in the native language, and speaking with native speakers that can help you with the sounds you are making is important for the 1.2 requirement. One of the most difficult things about learning a new language is contorting your mouth and throat to make sounds they have never made before. Even if you do start to get a hang of the sounds the letters are supposed to make, you really have to hear the language spoken by natives on a day to day basis to understand what it truly sounds like. Flow, cadence, and rhythm are acquired not in the classroom but through speaking with and emulating native speakers. For example I have below a sample of a presentation I did on Katakana. You can see how difficult it is for Japanese to speak English sounds, but also how hard it can be for native English speakers to say English words in Katakango. knowing English made it more easy for me to learn a lot of Japanese vocabulary that is written in Katakana. When speaking with my friends in Japan I always asked them to correct my pronunciation to make it more natural. I was very happy when someone who I met for the first time would compliment me on my Japanese ability.