Your First Ever Beginner Japanese Class
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You've signed up, bought the textbook and are on your way to class. The day is here! It's your first ever Japanese lesson!
So, what are we going to do? What are you going to learn?
Your first class can be exciting, but also a bit daunting. I've taught lots of first-ever Japanese classes to beginners over the years. Here's what to expect from your first lesson at Step Up Japanese.
A brief introduction to the Japanese writing system
Lots of people are really interested in the Japanese writing system, and it's a bit complex. So I usually start with a quick rundown of the three "alphabets" used in Japanese.
The main reason I start with this is that it helps you with pronunciation.
Pronouncing words in a new language can be difficult. Especially when those words are as long as:
Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
"Nice to meet you."
Understanding the sounds of Japanese from the start will help you pronounce words correctly.
Introduce yourself!
Next, we learn to introduce ourselves in Japanese:
"Nice to meet you!"
"My name is..."
"I'm from..."
"I'm a teacher / engineer / lawyer, etc."
You'll learn to say your job, of course - not just the generic ones in the textbook. This is important.
By this point, you've learned to introduce yourself politely. And to tell a Japanese-speaking person something about yourself. Awesome.
Time for a break, and a cup of ホットコーヒー (hot coffee) from the reception cafe.
Question time!
Next up, we learn some questions:
"What's your name?"
"Where are you from?"
"What's your job?"
We'll practice them over and over, until they're glued into your brain.
Depending on how much time we have, we might practice introducing each other:
"This is Agnes. She's from Poland. She's a structural engineer."
With lots and lots of practice, that's probably all we have time for. But look what you'll have learned in one lesson!
Hopefully, you'll go home with your head full of new phrases, ready to test out on the dog.
(Pictured: graduating Beginner class students, 2016-17)
Like many people in the UK, I studied French in school. I liked French. I thought it was really fun to speak another language, to talk with people, and to try and listen to what was going on in a new country. (Still do!)
When I was 14 we went on a school exchange to the city of Reims, in northeastern France. I was paired with a boy, which I’m sure some 14-year-olds would find very exciting but which I found unbearably awkward. He was very sweet and we completely ignored each other.
That was nearly 20 years ago, and I didn’t learn or use any more French until, at some point in lockdown, I decided on a whim to take some one-to-one lessons with online teachers. Here are some things I learned about French, about language learning, and about myself.