Ritsumei Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 So, we've been working on trying to do Japanese. My oldest is doing some lessons, and I'm talking to all 3 of them as much as I can. I'm not fully fluent, but I'm making great progress right now. I can tell the kids are making progress in a couple of ways. I've figured out a couple of the common requests that I make (come here please, go to the bathroom, let's do dishes, and so on) and they're responding to those more readily. Hero is making slow progress through the lessons as well. But they so seldom say *anything* in Japanese. Is this normal? How long does it take? I really have no idea what I'm doing here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Yes, it is normal unless you really make them speak. I've found that simple games (CandyLand, Hi-Ho Cheerio etc.) are great for playing in a language where you require them to count or say the colors as they play. Sometimes if I ask the kids a question they might ask me (Nihongo de? Eigo de? ie. In Japanese? In English?) to find out if I'm going to require a response in Japanese. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritsumei Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 That's a good idea, 日本語㧠would be an easy way to let them know what I want. I was going to do some games this week and require them to speak. I hadn't thought of Hi Ho Cherry-o. I'll have to see if I can find that one. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Tick Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I can't help with Japanese specifically, but some other basic language games I have used to encourage speaking in another language are - Guess Who? Rory's Story cubes, and Headbandz (sigh). You probably wouldn't have to actually buy any of them if you wanted to try making your own versions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritsumei Posted February 1, 2014 Author Share Posted February 1, 2014 I need to make a list, there are some great ideas here! I think I may also have some unrealisticaly high expectations too. I'm feeling the same way about my efforts to learn Welsh. I'd forgotten how difficult the beginning of a new language is, and how hard it is to say what's on your mind when you know so very few words and less grammar. Even the "nihongo-de", asking them for it in Japanese, is proving more difficult than I'd anticipated. They keep repeating *that* back to me, rather than giving me the Japanese for whatever they just said. On the plus side, they are responding correctly to Japanese more and more, even if they haven't figured out how to give it back in that language. There *is* clear progress. Thank goodness for Lang-8! I go get *my* Japanese fixed up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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