Project by: Caleb Kohn-Blank (11th Grade)
Project Advisor: Preethi Thomas-Mcknight
Student(s)’s Advisor(s): Jane Belton

I started the trimester by going over Hiragana again, as well as reviewing the number I had learned last trimester. From there I once again focused on Katakana. I took several tests on Katakana alone and added to my flashcards to cover the new characters I had learned but didn’t have cards for. This process took the first few weeks, as the new format, of our meetings made it slightly harder to meet and a session was missed early only. From there, I started working on learning to translate Hiragana to Katakana. Both were alphabets I had learned, but I had learned them by translating English to either and vice versa. I began taking tests on all three together.

When I realized that Preethi was leaving LREI, and wouldn’t be able to continue this Honors Project with me, I began working on a final poster. I started by choosing a simple phrase, so I decided to go with “My name is Caleb” from there I found the Romanji (transliteration) of this phrase in Japanese. From there I converted the Romanji to Hiragana, and then Katakana. I think that this does a good job showing what I’ve learned over the course of not only this trimester, but the past few, as it incorporates all of what I have learned.

While this was an Honors Project that I struggled with a lot, I’m ultimately happy I took part in it. Though I am by no means fluent, I learned a lot about Japanese, and I am proud of how much I was able to accomplish. I leave this project confident in my ability to transliterate Hiragana and Katakana, two alphabets I was entirely unfamiliar with when I started this project.

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2019-2020 T2 Project Update:

During trimester 2, I continued my work from the first trimester of the yar. I started by taking the first few weeks as a chance to refresh, studying up on the Katakana characters I had learned, and the numbers. From there I continued on both ends, learning starting by finishing learning the katakana characters, then shifting my focus to learning counters. My pricess for learning the new character was the same as in past trimester; I was given a sheet with the characters to fill out, and then I tranfered the characters onto a set of flashcards. This took place over the course of around two week , and after that I took a test on what I head learned. Japanese, there is a prefex or suffex used with number when they are counting something specific,  such as age, or small objects. While there are many, many counters, I focused on a small section from a booklet pdf that Preethi shared with me, and studdied for a few weeks before taking a test on what I had learned.

 

 

2019-2020 T1 Project Update:

The first weeks of the trimester were spent going over what was covered last trimester. I reviewed Hiragana once again, refreshing myself on the characters, both how they sound and how to draw them. After the refresher, I began learning Katakana. Using character sheets, I practiced saying and writing each characters by type. While I was learning these characters I was also learning numbers. I learned how to count from 1 to 99, and how to write these numbers in both Hiragana and Katakana. After learning, I took a test to practice what I learned.

2018-2019 T3 Project Update:

Throughout the trimester, I studied 10 pages featuring the different Hiragana characters. After several weeks of studying, I was able to learn all of the Hiragana characters and completed 2 tests at different points throughout the course of my studies.

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T1 Project Proposal

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

During this honors project, I plan on learning how to write and pronounce Katakana and Hiragana characters. This honors project will be a continuation of an honors project I started last year. By the end of the trimester, I hope to learn to speak and write all Hiragana and Katakana characters.

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

I think that this honors project draws on the value of critical thinking, as learning a new language requires active work, studying, and above all, practicing.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

To demonstrate what I have learned, I can make a poster containing all of the characters I have learned, as well as converting phonetically written Japanese phrases into Katakana.

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

Each week I plan on learning 5 new characters. This will include both how to write the character, and how to pronounce the character.

When do you plan on meeting?
Fridays: 3:15-4:00

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2018-2019 T3 Project Proposal

Please write a description of the project you are proposing. Why do you want to take this on, and what do you hope to learn?

This project would consist of me learning basics of Japanese, starting by learning to read and write Hiragana. I want to take this on because I find the language very interesting, and I am interested in Japanese media. I think knowing the language would make it more impactful.

Critical thinking, creativity, citizenship and courage are essential LREI learning values. Explain how you’ll draw on at least one of these values to complete your proposed project?

I think that this project represents an aspect of critical thinking, as learning another language by itself is challenging, but learning a language that doesn’t use the same characters as yours seems like a challenge that will require a great amount of critical thinking.

What is your proposed outcome? How will you be able to demonstrate successful completion of this Project? How do you plan to share your learnings with the larger LREI community (e.g., exhibit of work, poster of learnings, performance, etc.)?

My proposed outcome would be knowing the basics of Japanese, and perhaps knowing how to write in Hiragana, and I could show that by writing simple phrases on a poster.

Please provide a general outline that indicates your work plan for the trimester? What are some of the key project benchmarks (i.e., goals that will help to ensure that you finish the project)?

I would like to be able to say a few words by the end of the third week, and by the end of the trimester, I would like to know how to write in Hiragana.

When do you plan on meeting?
Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch