勉強（言語習得）の手段としてのゲーム、映画、漫画

 

Sarah’s Blog Post 18: January 29, 2016

 

There is a good way to use movies, TV, music, games, and comics to learn another language and a bad way to use them. For many years, I watched Japanese movies and TV shows with subtitles and wondered why it still seemed impossible for me to understand them. I think I was having a hard time understanding because my brain had to work too hard to process both languages at the same time. Since English grammar and sentence structure is so different from Japanese grammar and sentence structure, it is too hard to think about both at the same time. My brain automatically chooses to listen to the English. Without subtitles, I can focus on the Japanese and it becomes much easier. Of course, subtitles help you when you start learning, but after a while you should start turning the subtitles off. Today I was looking for cartoon clips to show in class. I saw an American cartoon called “Adventure Time” with Japanese audio and was surprised that I could understand it completely without English subtitles.

 

Recently I have started playing games in Japanese on my iPhone. It is much more fun than reading from a textbook. I play one called “Neko Atsume” and another one called “Bleach: Brave Souls”. Some people say that games, movies, songs, and comics aren’t the best learning materials. However, they help you recognize and review things that you learn in school so that you will remember information quicker, longer, and more easily.

Snow in Japan

 

It snowed a couple weeks ago! Even though experienced snow before, it was exciting to wake up to snowy streets outside. My favorite part about fresh snow is being the first to walk in it and make footprints. I hope that I’ll be able to go snowboarding while it’s still winter. I’ve only been once but it was a lot of fun and it’d be great to go again. It’s supposed to snow again this weekend so I hope I get to wake up to another morning of snow outside.

 

- Yaya Campbell

Train Delays

 

It’s interesting how train delays can make such a huge difference in travel time even though I only live 20 minutes away from work. Before coming to Japan, I knew that train delays were very common here so I am not surprised when it happens. This is probably similar to traffic jams in America, so I guess each country has their own version of delayed transportation. I am fortunate that my co-workers and employers are understanding when it comes to train delays, and luckily I usually manage to still make it on time. The train system in general is very convenient in Japan and I am glad that I get to experience a way of traveling that is different from what I grew up with.

 

- Yaya Campbell

誕生日

 

Sarah’s Blog Post 17: January 21, 2016

 

Yesterday was my birthday! I was a little sad because the time difference between Japan and the United States is so big that my parents wouldn’t be able to say Happy Birthday to me. My sister wakes up very early to get to work around 5:00 or 6:00 AM, so she was able to tell me happy birthday right at 12:00 AM in Japan. It was very nice of her and we had a long conversation on the phone.

 

After work, I went to get sushi with my friends. Yaya and I met up with friends to go to Kura-sushi. My favorite sushi is tuna, but I also really like Kura-sushi because you can get other things like shrimp tempura. I also think Kura-sushi is fun because you get to put your plates in the gachapon machine at the end. I don’t think there are any restaurants like that in the United States. When I got back home, my dad called me and I texted some of my friends from the United States. I feel so lucky to have so many people who care about me in both Japan and America.

Winter Vacation

 

Over winter vacation, I was very lucky to have been able to go home to Hawaii. I spent a lot of time with my family, especially during Christmas and New Years. I ate a lot of local food such as spam and Portuguese sausage with rice. I also ate some Hawaiian food like laulau and kalua pig. For New Years, my family and I usually go camping at the beach where my grandparents used to live. Over the few days we were there, I played with fireworks with my little cousins, went swimming and hiking, and played card games until late at night. Winter vacation was a nice time for me to catch up with my family and I am happy I got to see them. Now that I am back in Japan, it feels like I never left. Despite the cold weather, I am happy to return to my life here and I am excited for 2016 in Japan.

 

- Yaya Campbell

冬の天気

 

Sarah’s Blog Post 16: January 13, 2016

 

Winter weather was one of my biggest concerns when I was planning to come to Japan. I grew up in a part of California that never snows during the winter season. Yesterday morning, Yaya told me that it snowed in Kunitachi. It didn't get cold enough to snow in Suginami, so I jokingly told Yaya that I would have to stay at her house the next time it was cold enough to snow. It will be my first time ever seeing snow. Even though the temperature in California is about the same as it is in Tokyo right now, California is much drier. Since there is very little rain, it can’t snow.

 

Yesterday, I lost my umbrella at school. I will have to buy a new one before it starts raining (or snowing) again. My parents gave me snow boots for Christmas, so I hope I get to use them this year. Jared says that it will definitely snow sometime soon, but I’m not sure. Maybe I bring too much warm weather wherever I go!