Trying to Not Lose Myself Giving Directions

Last week in Japanese class, we were studying how to ask for direction and how to give directions. Asking is so much easier than giving directions! Since I haven't had a chance to catch up on workbook questions, I decided to hunt for some Japanese language videos online to listen to while I am working.

If you are studying Japanese, you may want to check these out.

This is how I learned "left" and "right":

This is simpler than what we learned, so it's perfect for "survival Japanese":

This one shows the kanji and tips on how to remember them:

This is closest to what we covered in class:

In Search of J-Blogs

A quick post today. Here is a list of some blogs that I've come across to help with studying Japanese:

All Japanese All the Time: The layout is a bit busy, but it's full of useful information.

Japanalicious: An active blog about Japanese Language, Culture and Travel.

Learn Japanese Blog: Lessons, characters, counters and more.

Lingualift Japanese: Check out the Top 100 Resources for Learning Japanese. Sugoi!

Wired in Japan: a blog about learning the Japanese language and the blogger's experiences living and studying in Japan.

Popular Japanese Study Books

Some of my classmates have been using other Japanese language workbooks to supplement their Japanese studies. Our きょうかしょ is jam-packed with information. However, the print is tiny and it's all in Japanese. It would be nice to have some explanations in English.

I'll be ordering my messenger bag soon, so I thought I would do a quick search

to find some of the popular Japanese workbooks on the market and add one or two to my order. Here are 10 of the most popular Japanese text books and workbooks that I found. どうぞ!

1. Japanese DeMYSTiFieD with Audio CD, 2nd Edition

2. Japanese For Dummies

3. Japanese for Young People III: Student Book

4. Japanese Sentence Patterns for Effective Communication: A Self-Study Course and Reference

5. Japanese for Busy People I: Romanized Version 1 CD attached

6. Japanese For Young People I: Kana Workbook

7. Japanese the Manga Way: An Illustrated Guide to Grammar and Structure

8. Japanese For Young People I: Student Book

9. Japanese for Busy People: Kana Workbook (Vol 1)

10. Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook I [Second Edition] (Japanese Edition)

These books are also popular on J-List.com. Click on the link below to shop there:

Japanese Reading Practice with Children's Books

When learning a new language, it's important to try and apply what you've learned into daily living. Our Japanese Language school has a lending library.They are mainly children's books, but with our limited vocabulary, kids' books suit us just fine.

For a good laugh, check out みな うんち！It's the weirdest book I have ever read. The English translation is available on Amazon.

One of my classmates recommends the city library. I've also borrowed children's books in Japanese from the Calgary Japanese Community Association.

In the fall, I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia. There, I visited Daiso Canada, a 100 yen store (or a "toonie" store for us Canucks). There were so many neat things, from kitchenware to slippers and from office supplies to books.

I picked up this puzzle book to work through. It's fun, however, the frustrating part is having to look up every second word!

While doing some spring cleaning, I found the puzzle book again. Guess what I'll be doing during my イースター の やすみ?

I had such a great time wandering the store. One of the staffers looked at me a little oddly when I held up a folder/book protector and asked "いくら です か？" It was before I realized that everything was approximately $2.

One of my friends just returned from a trip to New York City. One of her stops was Kinokuniya Bookstore. She picked up this book for me to practice my Japanese, along with some pamphlets:

Clickity-click, Barba Trick. Now, will I be able to read my Japanese kids' book without singing the Barbapapa Theme?

The Yasumi! Doushiyou? Wheel

In February, I was inspired by an episode of Minami-ke Taidaima to make an activity wheel to plan my long weekend. It was a fun way to study Japanese. This round, I decided to make one that can be used every time I have a break. It's simply called the "Yasumi! Doushiyou?" Wheel (or "Break! What should I do?")

How fitting that I make this as Minami-ke Taidaima wraps up. It's been a fun ride with the Minami sisters and their friends. Certainly, it was a nice mood lightener after watching some deeper shows such as Shinsekai Yoriand Zetsuen no Tempest.

Check out my To Do List for April Fools' Day. Suteki desu ne?