Summer Learning

Today I began my plan of studying Japanese over this summer. I have Rosetta Stone, Japanese 1-3. I do not know how far I will get through, hopefully most of year 1. I completed the first Core Lesson and the first lesson on pronunciation. So far I am impressed with the way Rosetta Stone structures their lessons and sort of lets the user discover the meaning of words themselves instead of tradition American school teaching where we are simply expected to memorize word meanings. I really enjoy this more and I believe I will learn it better. I know so many people who take language classes in public school, myself included, who have been taking the same language for years but can barely mangle out a single sentence.

I am in my second year of Spanish, and the only reason I am slightly fluent is because I was raised in a bilingual community and family. Until 3rd grade I was in bilingual classes, where we learned to read and write our basic English and Spanish. I also try and use my language outside of school, so that is, I'm sure, important for real fluency, and it's something a lot of people disregard. My poor sister took Spanish all the way to college and is not much more fluent than I am. She understands more but speaks it less. Like so many things in public education, this needs a serious reform, but that's another discussion!

My boyfriend is a little jealous that I will be more advanced in Japanese than him by the end of summer. He just moved and can't use his computer. I am sad too because he would be the only person I could have talked too, but now I'll have to find something online or a Japanese friend here. Or maybe I will just walk around talking to myself! Who cares if people think I'm crazy?

Maybe I will write some here as I get more advanced, and I know there is a website where I can blog in a foreign language and get corrected by native speakers. I used to use it for Spanish but I cannot remember the name.

I really need to get off of the computer now and go to bed, but I saw an earwig earlier and I know that's going to bother me, thinking about it crawling around... No! Gross! I killed it though, but where there's one bug, there's probably at least 10 more near by. I heard you are always at least 6 feet away from a spider, isn't that weird? I need to stop thinking about this, it will give me nightmares...

Goodnight!
Don't let the bed bugs bite...