Japanese For Everyone Katakana 1

Japanese For Everyone Katakana 1

Japanese For Everyone 1

Preparatory lesson 3: K1 (Basic Katakana)

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart

- Nelson Mandela

This course will help you use the book

Japanese For Everyone

by Susumu Nagara

This is the first of two lessons lesson to teach you basic Katakana before you start the book.

Week 3. Preparation 1. Learning basic Katakana

The good news #1: All the sounds are exactly the same as for hiragana. They are all still in the same order. You do not have to learn new sounds.
The good news #2: Japanese love using foreign words so you do not have to learn a new Japanese word for hamburger, orange juice, coffee etc.
The bad news #1: They try to make the sounds of these foreign words fit with their basic syllables so you may not recognize English words when you hear them.
The bad news#2: You have to learn a new writing system for the writing of foreign words. Katakana is usually used to write words that are not Japanese like Westerner’s names or food like hamburgers and orange juice or foreign company names like McDonald’s etc.

Strategy for doing this:

1. Remind yourself you already conquered hiragana. You can do this!
2. Enjoy it. Have a sense of humor and laugh at the new sounds of English words.
3. Skip it and go straight to the textbook now picking up a few phrases of Katakana at a time in context (recommended method).

You have a textbook!
It’s called Japanese For Everyone  Here it is: http://alturl.com/dbcvw
I have both writing systems here as preparation for the truly motivated learners but it may be too much for many. Feel free to go to your textbook now and begin and to use this study of katakana Lessons 3 and 4 as a two week break from regular study only after you have completed 5 chapter of the book.
Either way                   頑張って＝Ganbatte = Give it your best!

一Ichi Step 1 Day 1: Listen and repeat
Well then, for all of you devoted linguists who stayed, here is your video once more. This time concentrate on the lower line: http://alturl.com/wwuww Keep watching and repeating the sounds as you read along from the video until you recognize the sounds of the letters and can read them easily.　Only focus on the second line (Katakana). This is important!

二Ni Step 2 Day 2 Read and say aloud. Learn a line at a time.
Now you know the sounds we need to learn the real letters. Try reading the letters in Katakana

ア a

イ i

ウ u

エ e

オ o

カ ka

キ ki

ク ku

ケ ke

コ ko

サ sa

シ shi

ス su

セ se

ソ so

タ ta

チ chi

ツ tsu

テ te

ト to

ナ na

ニ ni

ヌ nu

ネ ne

ノ no

ハ ha

ヒ hi

フ fu

ヘ he

ホ ho

マ ma

ミ mi

ム mu

メ me

モ mo

ヤ ya

ユ yu

ヨ yo

ラ ra

リ ri

ル ru

レ re

ロ ro

ワ 　ヲ　ン ｗa　 o　 n

You can use flashcards to help you learn them if you like: http://quizlet.com/3741224/katakana-flash-cards/

Step 3 Day 3
Try to write your name in Japanese. You may need to add vowels to make a syllable or to drop some letters or to choose the nearest equivalent sound from the Japanese syllables.
Listen to the sound of your name and try to get as close as you can to that using Japanese syllables. It’s about the sound, not about the letters.
John Smith is reduced to the syllables jo n su mi su
Mary Black becomes me ri bu ra ku
Spanish names are easier:
María González becomes ma ri a go n sa re su
Enrique Iglesias becomes en ri ke i gu re se a su
Note the problems with si, ti, tu, hu, th and other sounds that do not exist in Japanese.
For now be creative and try to get the closest sounds you can for your name.
My name in Katakana:___________________________________________________

Let’s start reading:
三San READ
A:            ア　　　　イ　　　　ウ　　　　エ　　　　オ
K:            カ　　　　キ　　　　ク　　　　ケ　　　　コ
S:             サ　　　　シ　　　　ス　　　　セ　　　　ソ
N: 　　　ン
Try reading it forwards and backwards and upwards and downwards.
Now try words:
１．アイス　__        ２．キス__      ３．コイン__          ４カンカン__  ５．センス
1. ice                            2. kiss              3. coin                         4. Can can           5. sense
6. ケーキ＿_　７．サーカス＿＿　８．クーキ＿＿　９．ウイスキ＿＿　１０．エキス
6．cake                7.  circus        　        8. cookie                 9. whiskey                   10. X
How about this word？ ソース
Well done. Take a break. Go for a quick walk.

四Yon Step 4 Day 4. Review, then let’s keep going. You’re doing great!
T:　タ　　　チ　　　ツ　　　　テ　　　　ト
N:　ナ　　　ニ　　　ヌ　　　　ネ　　　　ノ
H:　ハ　　　ヒ　　　フ　　　　ヘ　　　　ホ
Try reading it forwards and backwards and upwards and downwards.
Yes, some letters look alike in hiragana and katakana.
Now try words:
１．テニス　__        ２．ハピ__      ３．タイ__          ４．ネクタイ__  ５．ナイス__
1.        tennis         　　　2. happy            3. tie                4. necktie               5. nice
6. ノート＿７．テキスト＿＿８．テスト＿＿　９．スペイン＿＿１０．ハム
6．notebook    7. textbook        　  8. test                      9. Spain              10. ham
Good job. Reward yourself with a treat. Watch a Japanese Anime.

五Go Day 5 Review all katakana work and let’s push on as we’re almost done. This is great!
M:　マ　　　ミ　　　　ム　　　　メ　　　　　モ
Y:　ヤ　　　　　　　　ユ　　　　　　　　　　ヨ
R:　ラ　　　リ　　　　ル　　　　レ　　　　　ロ
Try reading it forwards and backwards and upwards and downwards.
Now try words:
１．マイホム　__        ２．ミスター__      ３．メセジ__          ４．ヤム__  ５．オレンジ
1. My home                 2. Mr.                            3. message             4. Yam          5. orange
6. コカコラ＿_７．マイケル＿＿８．バーバラ     ９．ドナツ＿＿１０．パスポート＿
6．Coca Cola      7. Michael        　  8. Barbara             9. donuts              10. passport
Last line:　 ワ　　ヲ　　ン.
Excellent. Now you need to buy yourself something good. How about eating mochi? Start with the ice cream type. Oishii.
Study this over and over until you feel very comfortable you can recognize the letters.
     

Let’s get talking a little again

Are you feeling well after all that work? Genki?

Watch, listen and repeat here: http://alturl.com/yhz7c

 Use extra resources as needed
If you like courses from prestigious universities, feel free to supplement your study with free resources from a course from MIT!　日本語 – MIT Japanese 1: http://alturl.com/2aox
 You have a textbook called Japanese For Everyone   Check it out: http://alturl.com/dbcvw
Go to the vocabulary on page 22 so you can prepare for lesson 2 when we will start our textbook! Here’s some more help with the vocabulary Japanese For Everyone Chapter 1 so you can prepare better for Lesson 1 of the textbook if you are feeling very diligent.

頑張って

You have laid the foundation for a successful course. This will pay off big time for you.

At the end of all this work you need to reward yourself and your mind.

Relax with http://alturl.com/7jcgj

That feels so good.

Yatta! You did it!