PE evaluation/new goals

Overall, I'm happy with the progress I've made so far in the PE exercises. One thing I've focused on and will continue to focus on is my pitch. I think my pitch is getting better through the shadowing exercises, and I think my ability to recognize pitch more quickly has gotten better with the listening exercises.The first half of PE exercises have been really helpful for me.

For future goals, first I want to continue to improve my pitch. Second, I want to work on keeping my speech natural more consistently - when I listen to my recordings, sometimes I'm impressed with how I handle certain lines but pretty disappointed with others. Also, what I noticed in my newest recording is that I'm not articulating my consonants clearly enough, so this is something new I want to work on.

せんしゅうまつとつぎしゅうまつ

こんばんは！
ミドタルムのしゅうです。あしたさんじじゅうごふんににほんごのテストがあります。しゅうまつ、べんきょうしました、そしてしゅくだいしました。あまりうちにかえりません、でもどようびにうちにかえりました。うちでばんごはんをたべました。ローストビーフたべました。おいしいです！にちようびにプリンストンにかえりました。ばんのにちようびにテニスをしました。きんようびにハーバードだいがくにいきます。どようびのごぜんよじにプリンストンにかえります。どようびとにちようびにプリンストンにいます。おおきいレポートをかきます。

いま、えいがをみす、そしてべんきょうします。じゃまた！

フリクリ

Here's what is probably my favorite song (but the whole soundtrack is just as good) from one of my favorite anime.

 If you like anime and haven't seen FLCL, I'd highly recommend it! What's great is that even if you don't like it (somehow), the whole series is less than 3 hours long, so you haven't wasted too much of your time.

PE goal statement

• Focus on my pitch/intonation, since these are things I normally wouldn't have to worry about in English
• Listening to the recordings on the audio CD, as well as listening to outside sources (such as TV)
• Speaking faster, but with a natural rhythm
• When memorizing words and learning grammar, practice by speaking out loud and not just in my head
• Try putting together longer sentences/phrases
• Not pausing as much in the middle of sentences while speaking
• Spend extra time learning grammar and particles, so sentences come more naturally
• Take extra time to think through a sentence before speaking, and then try to speak without stopping

( ﾟ▽ﾟ)/ｺﾝﾊﾞﾝﾊ

はじめまして、Piscotta さんです。あめりかじんです。Princeton だいがくのだいがくいんせいです。にねんせいです。わたしはこうがくのせんこうです。

First days of Japanese

Hajimemashite! I'm Frank, a second year PhD student in chemical and biological engineering in the Link lab at Princeton. Learning Japanese is something I've wanted to do for a long time, having always been interested in Japanese culture, but I've never had the chance. I'm most excited to learn how to communicate verbally and hopefully apply this knowledge next summer! It seems like the most difficult part of learning Japanese is going to be writing and memorizing all the different characters.

More to come soon!