Japanese Language Basics

[TachyonOne]

Hello!

So, the second year of Japanese Language Basics at Anime Boston is almost here! Last year was a great success, with four panels and, with my best guesstimate, over 200 attendees coming to learn all about studying Japanese. Will this year be bigger and better?

It will start off nearly the same as last time, of course, and goes something like this:
- a brief overview of Japanese and its differences with English
- a model lesson for those with absolutely little or no practice
- a whole bunch of study tips and pointers, as well as where to go in and around Boston to study

Plus, there could also be some extra panels for Japanese over the weekend, in which case more model lessons on the way. If that's enough, you can always accost me at the convention if you're looking for a private lesson or two during the weekend.

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to email me at roehl.sybing@nyu.edu. The official site with handouts and information on Japanese Basics is also here:
http://www.infinitedeferral.com/wiki/in ... age_Basics

Hope I'll see you there!

Roehl

[dokool]

I hope you plan on putting an "Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here" sign over the door :p

[Eilonnwy]

I've heard nothing but praise for this panel and the way he presents it, so I encourage people to go. No Language can be mastered in a weekend, but still it's a really good panel from what I've heard

[dokool]

[quote=Eilonnwy]I've heard nothing but praise for this panel and the way he presents it, so I encourage people to go. No Language can be mastered in a weekend, but still it's a really good panel from what I've heard[/quote]

Oh, I've heard nothing but the same, but there's a limited amount of criteria that can describe who choose to study this language, "insane" being amongst them :p

[TachyonOne]

[quote=dokool]Oh, I've heard nothing but the same, but there's a limited amount of criteria that can describe who choose to study this language, "insane" being amongst them :p [/quote]
I'm going to hope that you are, at minimum, conversational in the language, to justify making this sort of generalization.

[dokool]

[quote=TachyonOne][quote=dokool]Oh, I've heard nothing but the same, but there's a limited amount of criteria that can describe who choose to study this language, "insane" being amongst them :p [/quote]
I'm going to hope that you are, at minimum, conversational in the language, to justify making this sort of generalization.[/quote]

I'm going to hope you are, at minimum, able to recognize "humor" and "sarcasm" in a casual setting, to justify accusing me of generalizing Especially given that I am one of the inmates currently roaming the asylum, so to speak.

[TachyonOne]

[quote=dokool]I'm going to hope you are, at minimum, able to recognize "humor" and "sarcasm" in a casual setting, to justify accusing me of generalizing Especially given that I am one of the inmates currently roaming the asylum, so to speak.[/quote]
That's good, because messing with a teacher's students is like messing with Michael Waltrip's car, don't do it. Not even to joke, or especially to do it poorly. Frankly, risking misunderstanding about a man's work is not worth the headache I deliver. Thanks.

[Kitsuneth]

i'm TOTALLY coming to this!!! when do you think it'll be held? (what day and what time)

[TachyonOne]

Nothing official yet, but last year we had it on a Friday night, with extra lessons on Saturday and Sunday. So don't worry, if you miss one, there will be another one to go to (I hope)!

[TachyonOne]

Needless to say from reading all the other threads, the schedule is tentatively set, and be happy, for there are five chances to stop by Japanese Basics this year!

The main panel is scheduled for Friday 6-8PM. This session will have an explanation of differences between Japanese and English, tips for how to approach studying the language, and a model lesson.

If you miss it, don't worry. Additional model lessons will happen on Saturday and Sunday:
Saturday, 5-6PM
Saturday, 6-7PM
Sunday, 12:30-1:30PM
Sunday, 1:30-2:30PM

Panel handouts will be uploaded in the next two weeks, definitely before the Wednesday before the con. Stay tuned!

[SaiyaJedi]

まぁ、基本的な日本語はいいと思うけど、もう中級で話せる人はどうするのか。日本語能力試験２級のために勉強してるから、漢字をもっと覚えるようになりたいなぁ…

それに、興味のある人は少ないかもしれないが、舊字體と歴史的仮名づかいの讀み方を説明する授業はよいアイデアではないかと思ふ。どうでせうか。

[TachyonOne]

２級ですか。がんばって！

すみませんが、今週末中級の日本語を勉強するためにクラスがありません。そして、ニューヨークから行くので、ボストンの近くコース、授業などを進められません。でも、漢字や上級な文法のために本をパネルへ持っていくですから、ぜひ来て、見てみてください。

しかも、今週末私のプライベートレッスンもありますから、ほしがったら、ほかの質問があったら、メールかＰＭしてください。

[TachyonOne]

As promised, I've uploaded what you're going to get at the panels on Friday and Sunday. The lessons I wrote and planned for Saturday didn't seem to look all that great, so I'm rewriting them. Maybe tomorrow I'll upload them.

If you were at the panels last year, you'll see the Friday and Sunday lessons were done last year. They will be taught differently this year after a year's worth of tweaking at other cons, and there will be completely new lessons on Saturday.

I always produce 100 copies for each panel, but if you want to plan ahead and print a copy for yourself, or get an idea of what we're going to do, have a look at these:
http://www.infinitedeferral.com/first_handout.pdf
http://www.infinitedeferral.com/Sunday.pdf

More to come!

[Skyler23]

I will be stopping by friday and saturday, and i can help you out if you want. also i would like to tell your guests about Showa Boston, which is the school i go to. and Saturday i may be bringing some of the japanese girls from the school to anime boston , so i might bring them and they could maybe say hi or talk or something.

[TachyonOne]

By all means, stop by! Look forward to hearing about it!

Saturday handouts are now uploaded, here's the link:
http://www.infinitedeferral.com/Saturday.pdf

[Akimichi Sazuki]

im gonna try and attend the panel, i know only a few words in japanese but i would love to learn some more ^^

[bigfluffypillow]

i went to his panel last year (the first one of the weekend). It was great fun and a nice time to unwind and actually learn something new!
My only gripe was that at times with people coming and going, though his voice does carry well, it can be a little hard to hear him.

All in all, a very nice time, and if i have free time this year, i'd like to go again! i want to learn more besides "watashi wa....desu" LOL

[TachyonOne]

Hi guys,

Guess it's time to nip this in the bud, and stat. (which I suppose are redundant expressions)

I've been in Nagoya for almost a week now, just getting my sea legs until I start teaching English next week. That's right, I've moved back. Don't when I'll return, I just keep saying "I'm going to build my house over there" when I really mean that I have an open-ended commitment to a place that I really love.

Unfortunately, I just noticed that the panel submission deadline has passed (the con is in March this year? what's up with that? <- rhetorical question), so I'm sorry that, unless someone has stepped forward and you haven't met him/her yet, there's likely to be no Japanese panel this year. I apologize, I know I should've done this sooner.

What I will do is this: Japanese Language Basics can be taught by anyone who is willing and able. If you are interested in presenting at future cons or at cons in other places, please email me (roehl.sybing@nyu.edu) and I'll rustle up my teaching materials and lesson plans to send to you via email. My only requirement is that, if you are using my materials and/or lesson plans, I would like to be credited for it. I want to be famous someday so I may step over all the little people who thought I was a bug to them. That's right.

Those interested should also contact the AB panel coordinator to see if there is still space available to hold a panel.

To answer another point, I will say that there is a very limited set of Japanese that one can teach at a con without requiring attendees to do any preparation or homework (that is the point: attendees should be able to go into a con lesson without knowing the first thing about Japanese). "Watashi wa..." and a few other phrases are pretty much it if you're starting at zero proficiency. But if there's a con on the East coast that could have a series with a sexier title than High Beginner Japanese, it is Anime Boston. It is big enough and I have seen repeat attendees come to my panels.

Anyways, I am always available via email should you have any Japanese questions (or English, for that matter).

Ja mata,

Roehl

[ladylaurajones]

Has anyone picked up this panel yet? I would run it but my Japanese is far too poor to teach others. I can speak it on the fly but would be a terrible instructor. Watashi wa nakushita!
Metro wa doko des ka?
Anno.......

My proficiency is that of a six year old at times because I had to teach myself while living in Japan (and yes, that is super difficult).
Either way, I would really like to see this panel run, mostly so I can see if you teach me anything I didn't pick up on my own (which I'm sure there is something).