learning japanese

[nnskage]

wah. a few days never visit and it becomes interesting ^^

i like rokugo's way of explaining things.

adding to that, when you're asking a question in the form of　んですか・ないんですか
it is like saying "is it that you are...?"

like when you see your friend hurrying to somewhere.. you ask "忙しいんですか?"
It is "are you busy?" but the nuance is more like "is it that you're busy? (because it looks like to me!)"

and to the sentence 醤油を渡していただけないんですか。
"is it that i can't have you pass me the shouyu?"
maybe it is easier to understand if you change it to　醤油を渡していただけないのですか。?

my memory may be failing me.. but if i still can remember correctly, to use んです you got to have something there for it to be used to ask for a reason. Not just linguistically, but also perceptions like tactile, gustatory, equilibrium, olfactory, auditory and visual.

So if you suddenly pop out a question with んです without any references to something/an utterance, it sounds.. strange.

 

[nnskage]

I have 1 enquiry regarding kanjis.

Whenever I see a Kanji [or a Chinese character] among Japanese words [Hira or Kata], I will always read them in Chinese.

How can I correct this?

err.. by reading more, exposing yourself to more of the kanji and soon you will be able to read it NOT just in chinese but in japanese too?

maybe you can try writing its pronunciation on top of the kanji (or to the right of the kanji, if you read from vertically top-down) (those mini hiragana over the kanji are called furigana) and when you read the words/sentences you'll see those furigana and read them. I find that reading out loud new words, not necessarily kanji words, is a good way. Over time you will not need them for those common words you know as your brain would have already associate the kanji with the correct "sounds" ^^

 

[Ling__]

abt bunka...

ive finally finished reading all the 42 pages of post. whew! i just wanted to ask abt the textbk that bunka uses. i saw it and it is just plain black and white without illustrations and there seems to be very few sentences per page... it is also quite thin. i asked the receptionist abt it and she said its cos most of the students are adults so no need to be colourful. erm...a qn to those students of bunka: arent u guys bored/put off by the tb?

btw, im currently waiting for a levels results so thought id learn jap in the meantime, although i still cant decide upon the sch...

 

[VH2006]

ive finally finished reading all the 42 pages of post. whew! i just wanted to ask abt the textbk that bunka uses. i saw it and it is just plain black and white without illustrations and there seems to be very few sentences per page... it is also quite thin. i asked the receptionist abt it and she said its cos most of the students are adults so no need to be colourful. erm...a qn to those students of bunka: arent u guys bored/put off by the tb?

Not really, I did not particularly care about the textbook...At that time, I was more attracted by the prospect of learning Japanese in a shorter time (less cost).

 

[heguhegu]

i agree the bunka textbook is a bit plain, but i dun read it often. relied more on notes instead.

in the volume 2 textbook there is an explaination abt sentence order using set notation. wth, i tot i was reading a maths textbook lol. dun really understand what the author is trying to say >_<

 

[natsuko]

Yes, the bunka textbook is quite plain. Though it has quite a number of examples, but it does not have answer sheets given. The teacher just goes through it verbaly in class. Me as a slow learner, sometimes I cannot catch it in time. Certain grammar structure has less explanation, so it replies on teachers' teaching. The textbook does not have detailed explanation of grammar structure. It would be difficult for revision. That's why I am considering switching to Pyaess. The total cost study in Bunka (to prepare for JLPT 3 & 4) is $1200 for 48 hours. Pyaess is $1000 for 50 hours. The cost excludes textbook expenses. I do agree with some forum members that the Bunka counter staff attitude and service is very poor compared to Pyaess.

I believe spending time to do revision, watch jap show, listen to jap radio programme is still essential.

 

[smallkuku]

so jcs doesnt teach kanji in intermediate classes?? quite alot of charbo there leh...

 

[smallkuku]

can anyone confirm???
coz if not i wun register at JCS

 

[PingJun]

I am also thinking of joining Pyasess.

 

[mamoo82]

wah.. everyone is going to pyaess

 

[ylsim]

i am thinking of joining pyaess for elementary 4! anybody going to pyaess too? ^^ cuz i heard mr. and mrs.yano gone back to japan and most likely wont be coming back anymore.... anyone care to confirm this piece of news?

you decide not to join jcs? i passed my qualifying test *phew* and registered for intermediate today

left only limited vacancy although registration only start today 230pm.
sad to say.

 

[ylsim]

Oh. So when will your class starts? pyaess course is realtively cheap as a private school i think. But did you confirm with the school will they have enough student to start class as you proceed to the higher level? I think most school has such a problem, for inoue too but they can still start class with 2 ~3 students =)

 

[whoam1]

Hi, I was wonder if any1 heard Tenrikyo Mission Center in Singapore before. It is located @ International Plaza.
It starts its course from June 07, but JCS started @ 10th Jan.

I used to study @ JCS but was thinking some of the teacher's std is not very good... I have passed my JLPT 4 in 2005 and skip learning in 2006, and being a stupid student, I forgotten most of my Jap le... anyone have any recommendation?

 

[ylsim]

Never heard before .... IS it FOC.... Sound like a religious insitute on a mission ....

 

[whoam1]

Hmmm... my colleague's friend recommend it to me... I am working in the building so it is 'convenient' for me... but then again, since I often OT on weekdays, and decide to take the course on weekends... so location is not really an issue. Haha.... tomorrow is the last day I need to decide on the school le... =( Maybe I go back JCS so I no need to take test ... keke... cos I forgotten all my jap le... today pack room dig out all my notes.... tomolo onwards need revised... I am so scare I cannot understand what the sensei are saying!! HELP! :~~

 

[ylsim]

Hi whoam1 , so you going back JCS? What class are u in? SUn class? What you all learn during elementary huh? The text book is it the same as intermediate? I brought the text book, There are 22 lesson. So elementary teach until which lesson huh? ...will be starting from intermediate.....more scare then you...

 

[whoam1]

OH! Just realised I am suppose to go for advanced 1 class .. onli leave one session on Sunday, I think... I took one semseter of the advanced 1 class last year but drop out cos the standard is a 'jump' and also cos of other commitment. From elementary to Intermediate class, we are using the same text, heard from Advance we only depends on notes.

It all depends on the techer. MY first year, the teacher is ichiban but she went back to Japan, my 2nd teacher seems to mutter to herself so I 'drop out' of the class and go for intensive class for my intermediate class, very 'siong', and as kiasu as I, I go take preparatory class for my JLPT 4. Both are taught by a 3rd sensei who is very 'cute' but have a bit of time management problem, at times she is very fast, at time she is very slow... but heard she also went back to Japan.

Have you study in other school before, sorry, I still struggling to read the past history of this tread.... I feel that the school focus a lot of building up foundation for the 1st 2 yrs... which is good in a sense, but they do not focus much on conversation (my mum always luff @ me for passing JLPT 4 without knowing how 2 speak a full sentence of Japanese), and depends on your sensei, quite difficult to get them to answer queries unless you can catch them at the correct timing. I tried to record down their lessons during class, but according to what I know, not all sensei is ok with this idea.

 

[whoam1]

wails~ went down to JCS and they say weekend class is full. Didnt realised within 5 working days, all 3 remaining time slots all taken. Called ikoma and the weekend class also all full. I hate my job

A bit regard to hestitate so long cos my friends luff @ me for thinking of picking up again(they say I study so long still dunno anything.)

Just went to buy the minna no nihongo, think I have no choice but go take test from others not so famous school and chiong for my JLPT 3

 

[ylsim]

how abt bunka? not bad leh

 

[whoam1]

From feedback of all threads... seem like they are very fast in their teaching... I am quite worried I cannot catch up... hmm... maybe call up tomorrow and check with them anyway. =) Any idea what type of leanring materials do they provide?