Tuesday, December 3, 2013

せっけんさん Sekkensan (Mr Soap) Japanese Kids Song (with subtitles)



Sekkensan (Mr Soap) is a Japanese kids' song that my three-year-old daughter is learning in Japanese preschool. She and my older daughter are singing it on this video. I subtitled it three ways ... in hiragana, romaji, and in English. The song is about the wonderful smells of soap and the association with one's mom! Grammatically, it's more like phrases than sentences, so it's easy for even the youngest children or Japanese beginner student to learn.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Japanese Lesson: Use verb stems + に to say why you go somewhere

Learn how to use the Japanese verb stem to say why you go somewhere. For example: I'm going to the store to buy you a Christmas present. I'm going to Japan to get away from my ex. I'm going to Hollywood to star in a new movie. YOU NEED this sentence structure! A verb stem is, simply, a Japanese verb with the "masu" taken off. Simple!

For best studying results, this video is best viewed without closed captioning.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Japanese Katakana Lesson (first five): a~o ア~オ

Learn to read and write Japanese katakana ア~オ (a-o) using the correct stroke order. Then, test your memorization of their pronunciation and writing. I don't speak English in my videos so that you can learn faster. アイウエオ (aiueo)

Sunday, October 20, 2013

Japanese Lesson 10: Halloween Witch's Brew ハロウィーン

Bloody fingers, severed ears, loose teeth, eyeballs, rats, a spider, and a little soy sauce -- all in Japanese -- go into this Halloween witch's brew. In the end, will these Japanese-speaking kids say おいしい or おいしくない?

There is usually no English in my Japanese language-learning videos. Kids learn better this way. It is called the "Natural Approach" to foreign language learning.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Japanese Lesson 9: Giving Information About People, Asking for Information, and Answering Questions

In this video, learn to state, ask and answer information about someone, specifically their name, hometown, and where they live. Because I'm making this video with my six-year-old daughter, Princess Cadence makes a guest appearance.

なまえ (na-ma-e) = NAME
しゅっしん (shu-s-shin) = PLACE OF ORIGIN/HOMETOWN
~にすんでいます (~ni-su-n-de-i-ma-su) = LIVES IN ~
なん = what?
どこ = where?

There is usually no English in my Japanese language-learning videos. Kids learn better this way. It is called the "Natural Approach" to foreign language learning.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Extra Japanese Lesson: Mail a Letter at the Post Office

In this video, you will learn how to talk about mailing a letter in Japanese. The page in the notebook you will see is a journal entry for my three-year-old who is learning Japanese. Yes, I wrote it, not her. The purpose is for me to read it to her so she can remember the different things she did at her Japanese school as well as read it eventually and incorporate personal, relevant vocabulary into her Japanese. I suggest you keep a journal in Japanese to help your studies as well. It helps your long-term retention of new vocabulary.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Japanese Lesson 8: Type in Japanese Hiragana ひらがな

Type in Japanese hiragana (or katakana or kanji) using Windows IME on your computer. First, toggle Japanese input on and then input Japanese characters in different software applications on your computer.