FLAVA 2013 Building Speaking Confidence among the Japanese Students

Presented by Yukiyo Moorman Walt Whitman High School Scenario-1: A visitor in my classroom asked my third year students. You have been studying the Japanese for three years. That is commendable. So say something in Japanese for me. My students froze in silence. I as a teacher pray hard and try to send telepathy in desperation, “say something, please. You know you can say.” But there is nothing and awkward silence in the classroom. Many of us share similar situations. I tried very hard not to repeat the same scene and desired to change with new approach. This is the outcome of my students.

There is no excuse for this failing situation for teacher. Scenario-2: One of the parents came to class right after the meeting and asked his daughter, “ You have been studying the Japanese for three years. Now you must be able to say something in Japanese. Let me hear it now.” His daughter’s response was, “ teacher didn’t teach me what to say. We didn’t practice in the Japanese class. I don’t know. It is not my fault I can’t speak the Japanese.” This teacher told herself, I have to do something and not repeating this embarrassing moment again. So here is a solution this teacher developed. Since last year my students response in the similar situation as, “ we did studied and practiced but I don’t remember everything but I can speak Level one because it is so easy. We are practicing a lot but I just can’t remember everything. “

The best response I had from a student. Sure I can say a lot and this level-2 student started this presentational speech from 1 through 25, with a few stumbling moment but completed. Level-3 student also perfumed from 1 though 25 smoothly very nicely. Here is the example of the presentation speech for Level-1, 2, 3, 4 and AP and each level’s length has slightly extended this year. Please read the hand-out copy.

Now Convert well practiced content of Presentational speech into Conversational Form (Interpersonal speech) using interrogatives many times. 1. Hajime mashite.1. Douzo yoroshiku. 2. (variabke) desu.2. Onamae wa?3. Ohayou gozaimasu. 4. (Variable) kara desu.4. Doko kara desu ka. 5. (Variable)nen-sei desu.5. Nan nen-sei desu ka. 6. (Variable) sai desu.6. Nan sai desu ka.7. Douzo yoroshiku. 8. Sukina kamoku wa (variable)desu.8. Sukina kamoku wa nan desu ka. 9. Kiraina kamoku wa (variable) desu.9. Kiraina kamoku wa nan desu ka. 10. Eigo no sensei wa (name) sensei desu.10. Eigo no sensei wa dare desu ka.

11. Watashi no kazoku wa (variable)-nin desu. 11. Kazoku wa nan-nin desu ka. 12. Kyoudai wa (variable)-nin imasu.12. Kyoudai wa nan-nin imaus ka. 13. Watashino heya wa (chiisai/ookii)kedo, 13. Anata no heya wa donna heya desu ka. (kirei/kitanai) desu. 14. Supo-tsu dewa, (variable)ga suki desu.14. Supo-tsu dewa nani ga suki desu ka. 15. Watashi no shumi wa (variable) desu.15. Shumi wa nan desu ka. 16. Ie wa (variable area name)ni arimasu.16. Ie wa doko ni arimau ka. 17. Watashi wa (haru, natsu, aki or fuyu)ga sukidesu.17. Dono kisetsu ga suki desu ka. 18. Kenkou de, genki desu.18. Sore ga ichiban desu. 19. Tabemono dewa (variable)ga daisukidesu.19. Tabemono dewa nani ga ichiban suki desu ka. 20. (Variable)de ryokou suru noga sukidesu.20. Douyatte ryokou suru noga suki desu ka.

1. Kyou mitai na tenki ga suki desu.1. Donna teki ga suki desu ka. 2. Seiji ni kyoumi ga arimasu.2. Nanitou wo shiji shimasu ka. 3. Komakai koto wa kini shimasen.3. Sono hou ga ii desu yo. 4. (Variable)no arerugii ga arimasu. 4. Donna tabemono wo taberuto arerugii ga derun Or Arerugii wa arimasen. desu ka. Or. Kenkou de ii desu ne. 5. Naki/warai yasui desu.5. Ja, Kanashii eiga wa tsurai desu ne. 6. Watashi wa asagata/yorugata desu.6. Asa nanji ni okirareru n desu ka. Or itsu made okite irareru n desu ka. 7. Tokuina kamoku wa (variable) de, 7. Tokui na kamoku to nigatena kamoku wa nan desuka. nigatena kamoku wa (variable) desu. 8.Bukatsu wa (variable)wo shite imasu.8. Bukatsu wa dore wo shite imasu ka. 9.Watashi ni totte tomodachi wa totemo taisetsu desu9. Anata ni totte, nani ga ichiban taisetsu desu ka.

10. Shourai daigaku de 10. Donna koto wo benkyou suru tsumori desu ka. (variable)wo benkyou suru tsumori desu. 11. Shourai (variable)ni naritai desu. 11. Doushite ( repeat other said)ni naritain desu ka. Hito wo tasukeru shigoto dakara desu/ kankyou wo yoku suru shigoto dakara desu/ shakai wo yoku suru shigoto dakara desu. 12. Kazoku wa naka ga iidesu. 12. Douyattara kazoku ga nakayoku naremasu ka. Or watashi no kazoku wa fukuzatsu desu. 13. Watashino kazoku wa (kaimono/ryokou) 13. Anatano kazoku wa donna koto wo isshoni wo isshoni suru noga suki desu. suruno ga suki desu ka. 14. Sofu/sobo wa (variable) kara imin shite kimashita. 14. Itsu imin shite kimashita ka. Or haha wa America no shiminken wo torimashita. 15. Maishuu (house chore variable)wo shimasu. 15. Donna ie no tetsudai wo shimasu ka. 16. Ie wa toshin ni atte, benri desu. 16. Nani ga atte, benri da to omoi masu ka. Or ie wa kougai ni aru kedo benrina tokoro desu.

17. Watashi no heya ga mou sukoshi 17. Sou desu ka. Dou shite desu ka. ookikattara ii na to omoimasu. 18. Terebi yori konpyu-ta de eiga wo 18. Doushie desu ka? miru hou ga suki desu. 19. Kokusai news wa rajio de 19. Dono chan neru wo kiite imasu ka. kiku hou ga ii desu. 20. Amazon dotto comu de kaimono 20. Doushite Amazon de kau hou ga suki desu ka. suru hou ga kantan de, benri desu. 21. Watashi wa ie demo gakkou demo 21. Donna resaikuru wo shite imasu ka. resaikuru shite imasu. 22. Purasuchikku baggu wo tsukau nowa 22. Donokurai warui desu ka. kankyou ni warui to omoimasu. 23. Idenshi koukan shita tabemono wo 23. Donokurai kiken dato omoimasu ka. taberu nowa kiken dato omoimasu. 24. Kenkou no tameni mainichi undou wo shimasu. 24. Donokurai undou wo shite imasu ka. Or Undou wa surubeki desu ga miru dake desu. Or Sou ne. Undou wa kitsui kara ne.

25. Ryouri wo suru noga suki dakara, 25. Erai desu ne. Itsukara ryouri wo hajime maishuu nichiyoubi ni bangohan wo mashita ka. kazoku no tame ni tsukurimasu. 26. Washinton DC no kougai ni sunde imasu. 26. Donna kankyou desu ka. Totemo anzen de, kankyou ga ii tokoro desu. 27. Watashi no machi niwa shika ya, risu ya 27. Doushite sonnani doubutus ga iru n desu ka. usagi nado iroirona doubutsu ga sundeite, ki mo takusan arimasu. 28. Shourai gaikoku ni ryokou shitai desu. 28. Dono kuni ni ikitai desu ka. 29. Yuumeina shinkansen ni notte, 29. Shinkan sen wa donokurai hayai desu ka. Hokkaidou ya Kyuushuu e itte mitai desu. 30 Itsuka hitori de Nihon e itte mitai desu.30. Doushite hitori de itte mitai n desu ka.