Japanese Greetings and Classroom Etiquette

Greetings and Introductions

• "Hajimemashite" is a common Japanese greeting, meaning "Nice to meet you."
• The translation in Japanese is はじめまして (ha-ji-me-ma-shi-te).
• A common response is "Douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu", which means "Pleased to meet you as well."

Classroom Etiquette

• Listen actively as one person speaks at a time.
• Engage respectfully during discussions.
• Maintain a clean and organized learning space.
• Take responsibility for organization.
• Speak a degree of Japanese as your learning advances.
• The more you practice the more effective you become.
• Take notes in a way that makes sense to you.
• Acknowledge individuals and their learning differences.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions or make mistakes.

Learning Goals

• The goals are related to cultural understanding and relationships.
• Building connections through effective communication.
• Developing relationships across cultures.

Names and Personal Identity

• Names are important to cultural identity and give a sense of who someone is.
• Different ways to say "I, me" exist, especially depending on context or gender.

Week 1, Lesson 1

• The lesson introduces basic Japanese phrases.
• The course is part of a larger intercultural program.

Language Exposure

• Exposure involves various forms, including books, movies, music, TV, shows, and interactions with friends.
• Students should consider their experiences with multiple languages.
• Consider how you know others in your learning environment.
• Multilingualism, exposure to various languages, and its meaning (to know several languages).

Task: Introduce Yourself

• Use appropriate phrases and etiquette.
• Indicate your level of Japanese language.
• Share your background including experiences and languages.
• Your language background and interactions within various contexts (hobbies, interests, likes/dislikes, foods, friends, school, travel, pop culture).

Week 1, Lesson 2

• This lesson focuses on the Japanese family structure, using various methods of reference.
• Family members are referred to according to the context, with informal terms for family members and formal terms for others.

Useful Japanese Words

• Includes Japanese words relevant to family members, family unit, and social relationships such as parents, siblings, children, relatives, niece, nephew, twins and so on.

Useful Japanese Expressions

• Provides examples of Japanese phrases used to describe one's family and the number of family members, such as "brothers/sisters," and the number of people in a family.

Cultural Concepts

• Cultural contexts such as "outside and inside."
• Familial connections and hierarchical relationships.