HOUGANG(KOVAN) NO NIHONGGO NO GAKKOU!

Been awhile since I last posted as I was busy doing nothing! So, during last month, late May, I decided to use my SkillsFuture Credit to sign up for a language course. Was deciding whether Korean of Japanese. Since I have alot of exposure to the Korean language, I went ahead to sign up for Japanese class. Found a Elementary I from the website over at SkillsFutureSG. I saw the course structure and decided that this is the one mainly because of the duration and the word 'Intensive'. It was a 1 month class and so why not? First day began on 28 May 2018. Every lesson starts at 9:55am to 11:50am - 11:55am.

Paid my due near last minute 25 May 2018 ($210 + $60 = only pay $60):

Here is my 'PERFECT' observation and review:
So the routine was to take the lift of Blk 204 Hougang Street 21, press the 4th Storey button. When reached the fourth level, on the left would be where I registered for the class and on the right, it was the classroom. So everyday(except for the public holiday and weekends) I would enter the classroom, sign in with my signature on an attendance list (Have not missed a single lesson). Collect my mini listening quiz (first few lessons) results.

***During the later lessons, there were homework and this is the time where I will put my worksheets into the A4 box cover lid set on the table and went to sit at my usual spot on the front most 2nd seat to the right. Might I add, the teacher will mark our worksheets during the lesson and will return the marked worksheets before we leave.

***During the second class, there was a new student Brandon came in. Yep so I wasn't the latest lol. This was a snippet of the name list before Brandon and I was added. I think 5 dropped out in the end, sad.

So when we start, the teacher will volume down the music from his Ipad and continue. Yes, you didn't hear me wrong, volume down only. So the music is still playing based on the play icon at the top right of the status bar of the Ipad. I also realize that the songs are on the alternate. So on even days its the same song and on odd days a different set.

To begin the lesson, the teacher (at this point I will name him Nakai) would say "Hajime Masu" which means "Let's Begin". We would then read vocabulary or Examples from the textbook. On occasion (about 4-5 times), Nakai will want us to take out our Hiragana printed text (It was the textbook examples but in Hiragana) to practice reading in hiragana. It had Kanji (chinese characters) but had mini hiragana for translation. I only liked that part as it really could be used to read signboards in Japan. Nakai will also give out reading exercises and signboards (during the kore and sore part, "What is this?", "Is this a Chi Ka Tet Tsu(Stapler)?", "Whose Stapler is that?") kind of questions.

So we learnt the easy part and then I got tongue tied when we got to the usage of "Ni", "De", "E", "Ga", "O" not in the correct order. It was mind boggling as they can be inter-swapped and that was why I got many wrong too.

When exiting the classroom, I would always try an effort to say like "Thank you" and learned some new phrases during lesson like "Mata Ashita(See you tomorrow)" and stuff and had Nakai told me "Otukaresama(You worked hard)" but didn't reciprocate lol. Too bad, can't show off..

Sadly, all things come to and end on 26 June 2018 where it was the last day and the last day only consists of the test which I got 43/50 (7 wrong) 86%. The listening test was too much as the speaker volume was not loud enough to hear the conversation and determine it was right or wrong.

Laid out all my course material and certificate to take a group photo and back to the book stand stash.

Wouldn't want to forget this experience and memory. Till next time!