Let's Learn Japanese
Let's Learn Japanese | |
---|---|
Genre | Educational television |
Starring | Mary Althaus Yusuke Mine Miki Sugihara Hiroyuki Kaihō Nick Muhrin Mitsuru Yamazaki Midori Kimura Kazuki Yao Kumi Samejima Tae Umino Seiji Andō Chinatsu Koyanagi Yorinobu Kodama |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language | Japanese |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 52 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | The Japan Foundation |
Original release | |
Release | 1984–1985, 1995 |
Let's Learn Japanese is a video-based Japanese language study course for English speakers produced by The Japan Foundation.
The two seasons (Series I and Series II) were originally aired on television at a rate of one episode per day, with each episode consisting of two lessons. Text books which complement the series were also available; these contained vocabulary lists, explanations of grammar, transcriptions of scenes from within the program, and cultural information about Japan. By now, the first book is out of print but the second book is still available from some sources. Both seasons used a drama called Yan and the Japanese People for instruction. This drama consisted of scenes which focus on the experiences of a young man named Yan (played by Nick Muhrin), a foreigner living and working in Japan.
Let's Learn Japanese Basic I
Series one of "Let's Learn Japanese" was made in 1984 and 1985. It was presented by Mary Althaus and featured a number of skits, featuring Mine-san (Yusuke Mine), Sugihara-san (Miki Sugihara), and Kaihō-san (Hiroyuki Kaihō), who were designed to help the viewer memorize, and practice the use of, new words and grammatical structures. The series also followed the story of Yan's new life in Japan working as an architect.
Let's Learn Japanese Basic II
Series two was created in 1995 – 10 years after the end of the first series – and was presented by Tae Umino. The skits were performed by Andō-san (Seiji Andō), Koyanagi-san (Chinatsu Koyanagi) and Kodama-san (Yorinobu Kodama). In this series the story of Yan is continued (based on Episode 14–26 of the original Drama), only this time it is much darker and more interesting. Yan's heart is torn asunder by the young lady he had a crush on in series one, and he goes to Niigata to drown his sorrows in the wild winter Sea of Japan.
Other series
NHK Let's Learn Japanese Series
There was also another Japanese language study series named NHK Japanese: how to survive in Japan? which was produced by the Japanese TV Network NHK in 1989. This 40-part series was about David Roberts (ostensibly an American but speaks with an Australian accent) who went to Japan for work. He was assisted by a beautiful girl named Yuko Goto, and in later episodes they are joined by David's wife, Cathy Roberts. David was going to introduce to Japan American culture and food with the American Train.
Erin's Challenge! I can speak Japanese
A fresh start to the Japan Foundation program was the third series, "Erin's Challenge! I can speak Japanese", which aired first in spring 2007 and is also available as DVD and in form of a interactive website. As it is especially designed for young people it features skits about Senior High School Students which are explained by computer animated figures. The main character Erin is learning Japanese with the help of the teacher Honigon and a small robot called N21-J. Besides the regular skits and explanations, there is also more information about Japan, its students and people around the world who are learning Japanese, too.
Episode list
Let's Learn Japanese Basic I
# | Title, topics |
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1 | I'm Yan. – わたしはヤンです。 Watashi wa Yan desu. Skit: Yan arrives at the airport and meets Mr. Katō (加藤) and his son Tarō (太郎). They drive around town and finally arrive at the Katō family home. |
2 | What's that? – あれはなんですか。 Are wa nan desu ka? Grammar: Giving thanks, possessive pronouns, the も mo particle with nouns, simple negative replies to questions, demonstrative pronouns |
3 | There's a cat. – ねこがいます。 Neko ga imasu. Skit: Yan and Tarō visit a rental agent and look at different housing options. All three then visit the premises and meet the landlord. Yan moves in, with the Katō family helping. |
4 | Where is it? - どこにいますか。 Doko ni imasu ka? Grammar: the に ni particle for indicating locations ("where at"), prepositions, the や ya particle for non-exhaustive object lists, the と to particle for exhaustive object lists, adjectives. |
5 | Please give me some stamps. – 切手をください。 Kitte o kudasai. Skit: Yan goes to the post office to buy some stamps and thereafter rushes to Shibuya. There, he phones Mr. Katō to meet him there. The two take a taxi to work, where Yan meets his future colleagues. |
6 | Please turn left at the next corner. – 次の角を左へまがってください。 Tsugi no kado o hidari e magatte kudasai. Grammar: the て te form for verbs, making requests with 〜て下さい ~te kudasai, giving directions. |
7 | May I look at this? – これ見てもいいですか? Kore mite mo ii desu ka? Skit: Yan leaves for his second day at work, where he gets more enrolled with the group. |
8 | May I write with a pencil? – えんぴつで書いてもいいですか? Enpitsu de kaite mo ii desu ka? Grammar: て te form for verbs, 〜て下さい, 〜てもいい, variations on asking (using 下さいませんか kudasaimasen ka), the に ni particle to indicate a target location ("where (in)to"), the で de particle to indicate means of doing something. |
9 | She gets up at 6 o'clock every morning. – 毎朝6時に起きます。 Maiasa roku-ji ni okimasu. Skit: A day in the life of the Katō family, from morning to night, is depicted. Daughter Midori goes to school, son Tarō to university, and Mr. Katō to work, while Mrs. Katō does housework. Yan visits in the evening. |
10 | He doesn't drink milk. – 牛乳は飲みません。 Gyūnyū wa nomimasen. Grammar: expressing time, negative forms for verbs, で de particle to indicate means, the へ e particle to indicate direction (and sometimes, destination) of movement, the も mo particle with verbs, one-time and habitual actions using the 〜ます ~masu ending, the に ni particle to indicate time in combination with an action. |
11 | I went to Nikkō. – 日光へ行きました。 Nikkō e ikimashita. Skit: Yan visits the Katō family to show pictures of when he went to Nikkō and Tōshō-gū (東照宮). |
12 | When did you go? – いつ行ったんですか? Itsu itta n desu ka? Grammar: past negative verb forms, plain present form for verbs, expressing plans with 〜つもりです ~ tsumori desu |
13 | They're watching a baseball game. – いま野球の試合を見ています。 Ima yakyū no shiai o mite imasu. |
14 | He's drinking beer while watching TV. – ビールを飲みながらテレビを見ています。 Bīru o nominagara, terebi o mite imasu. |
15 | It's hot every day. – 毎日あついですね。 Mainichi atsui desu ne. |
16 | Is it hot enough? – おふろはねるくありませんか? Ofuro wa neruku arimasen ka? |
17 | I want to drink some cold beer. – 冷たいビールが飲みたいですね。 Tsumetai bīru ga nomitai desu ne. |
18 | Do you dislike fish? – 魚はきらいですか? Sakana wa kirai desu ka? |
19 | Mt. Fuji will come into view before long. – そろそろ富士山が見えるでしょう。 Sorosoro, Fuji-san ga mieru deshou. |
20 | It looks good. – おいしそうですね。 Oishi sō desu ne. |
21 | I can't speak English. – 英語は話せませんよ。 Eigo wa hanasemasen yo! |
22 | Is it possible to see the model room? – モデルルームは見られませんか? Moderu rūmu wa miraremasen ka? |
23 | Why aren't cars passing? – どうして車が通らないんですか? Dō shite kuruma ga tooranai n desu ka? |
24 | We're a little late so let's hurry. – 少し遅くなったから急ぎましょう。 Sukoshi osokunatta kara, isogimashō. |
25 | What's in the briefcase? – かばんの中に何が入っていますか? Kaban no naka ni nani ga haitte imasu ka? |
26 | Do you remember? – おぼえていますか? Oboete imasu ka? |
Let's Learn Japanese Basic II
- I think I can be there by 4 PM
- Maybe you should go and meet her soon
- He said he's going to Nagasaki today
- I got them from a friend
- We're thinking of singing Beethoven's ninth
- Try reading the Japanese
- It's nice and clean now
- Will you turn up the volume on the TV a little bit?
- Turn the stove off when you leave the room
- I'm so bored I don't know what to do
- Shall I change the towel?
- Mr.Terada has been taking care of me
- If this design is chosen, I'll go back to my country
- You mustn't tell Yan
- He doesn't seem to be there
- Even if we invite him, I don't think he'll come
- I was in a hurry, so I couldn't buy it
- I'm planning to see the sea, visit old houses and so on
- It's hard, working like that in this snow
- What's this fish called?
- The sakura hasn't bloomed yet, has it?
- There's only one bottle left
- We'll miss you when you've gone
- I've never traveled abroad before
- Give it to him when he's come down
- If you're ever in Japan again please stop by
External links
- Homepage (English) for "Erin's Challenge! I can speak Japanese"
- USN-Page about LLJ; especially interesting for people who want to order the second book
- Homepage of the Japan Foundation, with further information about these and other series & books