6.27.16 – 07.03.16
It’s the first week of classes! On Monday, everyone met at KUIS bright and early for first period. The first day was pretty much an introduction to KUIS and the Japanese coursework for the term. The LSAers took a diagnostic test and interview with Professor Dorsey and Professor Yamaji, and received a tour of KUIS’s library shortly afterwards. I must say, KUIS’s library is just as beautiful and resourceful as Baker Berry. We also received a campus tour from some KUIS students.
Tuesday and Wednesday were typical class days. The coursework for the LSA+ revolves around two classes: Japanese 22/23 and Japanese 11. Japanese 22/23 is taught by Professor Yamaji, who is affiliated with Lakeland University. This course centers on Japanese grammar, vocabulary, and kanji. This class is especially important, in that it allows students to build a solid grammatical foundation which they can then utilize in conversations throughout the program. In other words, it’s a perfect supplement to students’ interactions with their host families. Japanese 11 is taught by Professor Dorsey, the Director of the LSA. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Japanese 11 is an incredibly fun class that utilizes Japanese music (specifically folk) as a form of language study and critical analysis of themes in Japanese society. Students thus gain experience with translation while learning new grammatical patterns. During the first week of Japanese 11, students were introduced to a song called “Aishiteru Yo,” or “I Love You,” by Izumiya Shigeru. If you’re interested in hearing it for yourself, take a listen here! Translation courtesy of Professor Dorsey himself!
On Thursday, we had a joint lecture with Sekiya-sensei’s first-year English class. Sekiya-sensei is a professor at KUIS who teaches a course on gender and society. During our joint class, we split into groups to discuss the implications of “Aishiteru Yo,” and how it relates to Japanese society. Half of the class period was spent speaking in Japanese, while the other half was spent speaking in English. Both the Dartmouth students and Sekiya-sensei’s students had a great time exchanging ideas and opinions in both Japanese and English. It was difficult, but I think both groups liked the challenge!
On Friday, we had “conversation club” with members of Dictionary, a KUIS club that specializes in helping exchange students with their transition to life in Japan (or, more specifically, Chiba). During conversation club, the Dartmouth students were split into groups, and sat among members of Dictionary. The members of Dictionary passed around slips of paper with questions and conversation topics, and both the members of Dictionary and the LSAers exchanged answers. It was a great way to get some casual conversation practice in after a day of classes. The LSAers had a great time befriending the Dictionary members, and I certainly hope that the Dictionary members also enjoyed the exchange!
Conversation club with Dictionary
That’s it for the first week of classes – all in all, the LSAers had a rather smooth transition into KUIS life thanks to Dictionary, Sekiya-sensei’s class, and the KUIS staff!