Merienda!

No. 25 February 2016

The Japan Foundation, Manila Nihongo Teachers’ Newsletter

みりえんだの読者のみなさん、こんにちは！
みりえんだの読者のみなさん、こんにちは！
Magandang araw po sa inyong lahat!
国際交流基金マニラ日本文化センター所長の、上杉啓明（うえすぎ ひろあき）です。「初めまして」の人も、「お久しぶりです」の人もいらっしゃると思います。
私は、2000年から2005年にも、同じく国際交流
基金マニラ日本文化センターで仕事をしていました。
Balikbayan です。10年ぶりにまたマニラに戻ってくる
ことができて、大変嬉しく思います。
私が以前マニラにいた時と比べて、日本語を勉強している人の数は大きく増えています。ですから、日本語の教師が果たす役割はますます大切になっていきます。皆さんが正しい日本語を、わかりやすく、そして楽しく教えるために、この「みりえんだ」が少しでも役立つことになれば、嬉しいです。
2016年は、フィリピンと日本が国交を正常化してからちょうど60年になる節目の年です。この記念すべき年に、フィリピンと日本の関係がより良いものになるよう、一緒にがんばっていきましょう！！

I feel truly honored and pleased to be able
to work here in the Philippines again!
I was the Assistant Director of the The
Japan Foundation, Manila from 2000 to 2005.
At that time, I never imagined that I would
be back.
As the number of Filipinos who study
the Japanese language is increasing, Nihongo
teachers play a more and more significant rolein Japanese Language Education nationwide.
Therefore, it is essential for teachers to beengaged in gaining deeper knowledge andenhancing their teaching skills.
I believe “Merienda” is of big assistance inenriching teaching ability.
This year-2016, marks the 60th anniversaryof diplomatic relations between the Philippines
and Japan. On this memorable year, let us work
together hand-in-hand towards better mutual
understanding and friendship between ourcountries!!!
Hiroaki Uesugi
Director
The Japan Foundation, Manila

The 22nd Philippine
Nihongo Teachers’ Forum
Through the cooperation of The Japan Foundation, Manila and the Association of Filipino Nihongo
Teachers (AFINITE), the 22nd Philippine Nihongo Teachers’ Forum was successfully held at the
University of the Philippines, Diliman on November 14 & 15, 2015. Around 70 Filipino Nihongo teachers,some from as far as Davao in the south and Baguio in the north, gathered for the 2-day forum entitled“Rethinking & Innovation Assessment Tools for Nihongo Classes”. The program included alecture, workshop, poster presentation, and sharing of ideas about assessment and activities. (Please referto page 2 for more details on the event.)

THIS ISSUE’S MENU
What’s Inside

2-3

Merienda Espesyal 1
The 22nd Philippine
Nihongo Teachers’ ForumJPEPA Batch 8 Training

4-5

Merienda Espesyal 2
From the Nihongo Partners
JPEPA Instructor’s Report
Merienda’s Pick
JLE for Philippine
High Schools

6-7

Merienda Espesyal 3
Yatte mimasen ka?
Magkape Muna Tayo
Hello & Goodbye
Urawa Update
42nd Nihongo SpeechContest Winners in Japan
Sapin-sapin
Sensei no Wa
Oshaberi Salon
Marugoto TT
Banana Q
Glossary for the Serious
Nihongo Teachers
JFM Library Acquisitions

8
9

10
11

THE 22ND PHILIPPINE NIHONGOTEACHERS’ FORUM
November 14 & 15, 2015
University of the Philippines, Diliman“Rethinking and Innovating Assess

Review from the participantsW

ith the K-12 program set in motion, the increase ininterest in manga, cosplay, ramen, tonkatsu, etc., theleniency in obtaining tourist visas, the reality of themuch needed manpower to cater to the needs of Japanesesociety including the 2020 Olympics, Nihongo education has
become the most sought-after language in the country. With
this emerging trend, we Nihongo teachers are faced with amore challenging task and this forum’s theme on assessment
is a manifestation that Nihongo teaching has become morecritical. It opened new perspectives on this other role of
Nihongo teachers. Portfolio writing was new and a nice idea
Maria Eleanor
to guide the participants to attain the overall objective of
B. Tanteo
the forum. In Prof. Metila’s lecture, Rubrics, a new and fuzzy
concept for many teachers, caught the most attention. Parallel
Ms. Tanteo is a graduate
sessions gave examples on various means of assessment inof BSHRM and is currently
the classroom, while the afternoon workshop gave a chancefinishing Master-Tourism
to know other participants, gather opinions to create and do
Mgt. in PWU
a poster presentation on a practical form of assessment.
as well as Training
Day 2 encouraged teachers to let students become
Methodology in TESDA.
performers in class for a livelier environment. Mr. Shingo
She teaches Nihongo in
Usami’s (Happy Family Plan DVD) approach of family interview
several training centers
portraying various characters while expressing emotions
and Japanese companies.
was quite fun. The assessment points used for proficiency,
communication and collaboration skills per family member
was a nice reference.
As we evolve in our profession by creating various assessment tools, at the end of theday, we are left with one question - and that is, did our students really learn from us? With
this, perhaps, we can start assessing ourselves as well to see if we are worthy to be teachers
to these students who are “hungry” for Nihongo.

The Philippine Nihongo Teacher’s Forum which I attended last November 14 and 15
served as a refresher and reference for me and other co-teachers at Fujitsu Ten inteaching Nihongo. The forum gave us many ideas on how to conduct classes in a
fun and interesting manner.
I attended “Learning Kanji Through Student’s Preferences” during the parallelsession, and I agree with the speaker’s point of view that it is easier to learn something
if incorporated with personal experience. I actually apply that learning experience
when teaching vocabularies to my students. I let students choose a vocabulary which
they can relate to, choose a picture that will match the vocabulary and present it toclass. I also find the “Level-Up and Reach the Top!” session very interesting as it taught
me new ideas to make learning fun for students by performing different tasks tolevel up. And lastly, I really appreciated the games and ice breakers during the Drama
Activities on the 2nd day. I will definitely use it as I teach Shinjin class in my work place.
There were many activities that were introduced, but I was only able to remember
some of them. I wished we were given the list of activities andits guidelines during the session.
I also liked the light, friendly and willing to learn
atmosphere of teachers who participated in the forum. At firstI was shy to participate especially during the Drama Activities
on the 2nd day. But when I looked at the participants, they
were all enthusiastic and they actively participated in theactivities that the speaker asked us to perform.
Although there were some teaching methods which
I think are not applicable to me as a Nihongo teacher in a
Japanese company, overall, it was a very nice experience tolearn and meet other Nihongo teachers.
Ms. Dominguez has been teaching Nihongo at Fujitsu Ten Solutions Philippines for more than four years, and itis actually her first Nihongo-related job. She teaches Shinjin (N5), Level 3 (N4) and Level 2.5 (N3) classes. She wasinspired to learn Nihongo because of her interest in anime and was motivated more when she was selected
as the representative for the Japanese Language Program for Overseas Outstanding Japanese Language
Students sponsored by The Japan Foundation in 2010.

PROGRAM
Day 1
Keynote Lecture“Looking at Assessment througha Different Lens: Designing Tests
for Communication”
Prof. Romylyn A. Metila,
Assistant Professor, College of Education,
UP Diliman
Parallel Sessions
Assessing Junior High School Students’
Conversation Skills in Nihongo ThroughOral Examination
Mr. Elizaer Christian E. Cabilan
Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai
International School, Davao City
Learning Kanji through Students’Preferences: An Attempt to Raiseand Assess University Students’Appreciation and Motivation in
Learning Kanji
Ms. Roelia V. Alvarez
University of the Philippines,
Diliman, Quezon City
Level-Up and Reach the Top! -A
Perfomance-based Assessment Tool
Used in Assessing University Students’
4 Communication Skills in Nihongo andKnowledge in Nihongo Writing Systems
Mr. Jose Marie E. Ocdenaria
St. Mary’s College of Tagum, Davao City
Using Q&A Method and Student CanDo Statement Checklist in Assessing
Nihongo Proficiency and Promoting
Automonous-Learning of Japinoy
Caregivers
Ms. Noemi M. Gabines
Career Service Co. Ltd., Cebu City
Assessing High School Students’Nihongo Sentence Construction Skills
Through Blog Writing
Ms. Marie Dominique E. Licup
Miriam College High School,
Katipunan, Quezon City
Raising Autonomous Learners
through Can-Do List Monitoring
Mr. Alexander V. Macainag
Simplify Nihongo Studio Inc., Cebu City
Sharing & Summary
Workshop & Presentation
Day2“Assessing Nihongo Beginners’Communication Skills ThroughDrama/Simulation Project”
Mr. Shingo Usami
Sydney, Australia
SummaryMerienda!

ESPESYAL 1

sment Tools for Nihongo Classes”

Mr. Shingo Usami and Prof. Romylyn Metila

Parallel session speakers with forum proponents

Day 1 Workshop: Brainstorming3

Day 1 Workshop: Brainstorming

Day 1 Workshop: Poster Presentation

Day 2 Activity

JPEPA Batch 8 Training Started in November 2015

Preparatory Japanese-Language Training for the Filipino Candidates of Nurses and Certified Care Workers
under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) Fiscal Year 2015
For fiscal year 2015, The Japan Foundation, Manila (JFM) isagain conducting the preparatory Japanese-Language training on
behalf of the Japanese Government for the participants in the JPEPA
program, after having been successfully matched with Japanesehospitals and caregiving facilities. In November last year, a totalof three hundred forty-four (344) candidates, consisting of sixtysix (66) nurse candidates and two hundred seventy-eight (278)care worker candidates started the training at three (3) different
venues: Language Skills Institute of the Technical Education and
Skills Development Authority (TESDA, Taguig City), Nihongo Center
Foundation, Inc. (NCF, Manila), and the Personal Ability Development
Foundation, Inc. (PAD, Alabang, Muntinlupa City).

The training will continue for six months until May 20, 2016;
the target level of the training is for each candidate to reach
the N4 level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
Besides learning “Comprehensive Japanese-Language”, they also
study specific vocabulary and essential expressions for nursing
and care-taking. In addition, they will be given lectures on Japan– “General Life Culture” and “Things Japanese”, as well as “Medical
Care in Japan.” They will also learn how to get into the habit ofself-learning (autonomous learning), so that they can continue
to study Japanese on their own after the training. Those whowill complete the training are scheduled to leave for Japan byJune 2016.
The Opening Ceremony held on November 6, 2015

4

FROM THE NIHONGO PARTNERS
The “NIHONGO Partners” Program endeavors to support local Japanese-language teachers and students bydispatching Japanese nationals predominantly to secondary education institutions in the 10 ASEAN countries.

What I learned in the Philippines...

フィリピンの人は、なんでもシェアします。たとえば、つくえにたべものがあると、それをみんなで分けて、たべます。
そして、楽しいことがあれば、みんなで楽しみます。かなしいことがあれば、みんなでたすけます。わたしはこのフィリピンの文化がすきです。
(Azumi Fukushima, Quezon City)

私は私の先生から、まいにちたくさんのことをまなんでいます。
いちばんいんしょうてきなことは、えがおをたやさないことです。
せいとの前にたつことはきんちょうします。でも先生がこわいかお、ふあんなかおをしたらダメです。あかるい
かお、たのしいかお、おもしろいかおでじゅぎょうをします。これがいちばんた
いせつなことだと先生からまなびました。(Misuzu Iijima, Quezon City)

What I shared to the Philippines…
We are learning how to play therecorder, which is very popular among
Japanese students. More than 70
recorders were donated from Japanin July and November 2015. Somestudents have started practicing
since July and are now able to playsome Japanese songs. When we had aseasonal event 「Tanabata」 in Baguio
Museum, they presented
the Japanese song
「Tanabatasama」
by singing andplaying recorders.
Let’s learn moresongs and enjoy
more!（Mariko
Fukada, Pangasinan）

In Davao City
National HighSchool, I conduct
special sessions (文化紹介) every
Thursday. So far, I
was able to share withmy students about Tea ceremony,
Yukata, Hokkaido, the manner of using
the public bath, and many more.
The opportunity is very precious
for me because I could find “NewJapan” through my Nihongo students.
I hope that the special sessions that I
teach during the Nihongo classes will
let the students learn Japanese in amore meaningful way as well.
これからもいっしょにがんばりましょう！ (Natsumi Sugiyama, Davao)

My friends
and colleagues
normally talk toeach other in
Visayan, the native
language of the Cebu
area in the Philippines.
They also speak English and Tagalog
as the national language, but I feel likethey are proud of their mother tongue.
They have taught me some Visayan
words, phrases, greetings and so on.
It was a very precious experience
for me to learn the Visayan dialect
because it is interesting. I teachthem NIHONGO, while they teachme VISAYAN. That is a great crosscultural exchange for me. (Sho Tanaka,
Cebu)

フィリピン
にきてから、もうすぐ６か月。
これまでにたくさんの「Cultural
Activity」をしました。はじめてのCultural Activityは「FUROSHIKI Wrapping」でした。はじめてだったので、準備が大変で、きんちょう
しました。FUROSHIKIは「むかしの日本文化」のようですが、さいきんでは、わかい
人もFUROSHIKIをつかっています。べんり
で、オシャレだからです。ぼくも大好きで、つかっています。この授業のために、日本からたくさんのFUROSHIKI
をもってきました。ラ
ンチバックスラッピン
グ、ティッシュバック
スラッピング、ボトル
ラッピング、ギフトラッ
ピング、FUROSHIKI
バッグのつくり方をおしえました。生徒も先生も、みんなよろこんでくれました。
これからもたのしくて、まなべるCultural
Activityをかんがえます。(Hiroaki Ueno,
Quezon City)

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Merienda!

ESPESYAL 2
What surprised me in the Philippines...

学校でたくさんイ
ベントがあります。イベントの日はクラスがありません。フィリピン人
はうたとダンスがすきです。せいとたちはイベントをとてもたのしみます。フィリ
ピンは月ごとにかもくがきめられています。日本とフィリピンの学校をくらべるのはおもしろいです。(Ai Tanaka,
Valenzuela City)

Filipinos really lovesharing food. They
always ask me, ‘Did
you eat?’ or ‘Are
you hungry?’,
and whatever myanswer is, they
let me eat even if I
have just finishedeating. This is reallysurprising to me, because people rarely
share their food in modern Japan. I
really appreciate this genuine warmthand hospitality that Filipinos show me. I
myself love eating and I’m interested in
Filipino food, too, but I’m also worried
about my weight. I have been gaining
weight since the first day I arrived in
the Philippines! (Noriko Sakaguchi,
Manila)Hello, I am Togo
Umetsu. Today, I
would like to tell
you about my カル
チャーショック andthat is Christmas
in the Philippines.
In にほん, we alsocelebrate Christmas on December 24
and 25. After that, all the decorations
are taken away immediately and theneveryone gets ready for the New
Year. In the Philippines, however, thepreparation of Christmas begins in くがつ, and a whole city or a town will be
decorated beautifully by December 24.
I felt that Filipino people are religious
and they really love Christmas. すごい！(Togo Umetsu, Pangasinan)

JPEPA Instructor’s ReportIjoined the JPEPA Batch 7 last 2014. I was having mixed
emotions at that time. I was so nervous as it was myfirst time to experience TEAM TEACHING. The team iscomposed of four (4) Japanese Teachers and two (2) Filipino
Teachers.
No worries, though, because before the actual teaching
started, The Japan Foundation, Manila conducted seminars
for the new teachers. During these seminars, the JPEPA
head teachers taught us how to make our lesson plans andexecute it. I also had the opportunity to watch the JPEPAFilipino repeater teachers conduct their classes. It was
the most exciting part of the seminar. Watching the otherteachers’ techniques gave me a lot of ideas on how will I
conduct my own class.
Every morning, the Filipino teachers
have a group study about the lesson

that we will teach that day. We share our ideas andactivities for that day, and ask each other’s opinions andsuggestions. For example, My plan is to give my students asituation according to the lesson and let them create shortconversations using the sentence pattern they learned.
Some teachers use an interview sheet and let the candidates
interview each other. The Japan Foundation, Manila also
provides a lot of books and pictures that can be used forclass. Therefore, there was no need to worry as everything isbeing provided. Watching my students execute the activities
beautifully makes me so proud, because as a teacher, ourstudents are the reflection of our job. It is really a very nicetraining ground for all Filipino Japanese Language Teachers.
Having this experience is a very helpful tool for myfuture in teaching Nihongo.
Thank you very much. Arigatou gozaimasu.

Jennifer G. Diones
Graduate of BSBA major in Business Managament at Cavite West Point College. NC2 holder of caregiver course. Currently working asJapanese instructor/ administrative officer at Philippine Assist Life Language Development Center, Inc.

6

JLE FOR PHILIPPINE HIGH SCHOOLS「おもってたのとちがう！」
A Journey to Self-discovery and Discovery of One’s Identity as an Asian NihongojinW

hen you think about Japan or Japanese people, what comes to mind? When somebody asks you about Thailand, what do you say? Whatis your image of Vietnam? What are our similarities with Indonesia and Malaysia? Or are we so different from them? Coming from different
countries, is it possible for us to cooperate with each other? If so, how do we achieve this? These were some of the questions faced by the 12
teachers and 24 students who participated in the Japanese Speakers’ Forum 2015 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last August 6 to 14, 2015.
This year’s theme was「思い込み」or “preconceptions”. Just like generalizations, 「思い込み」is what usually occurs when meeting someone
for the first time or when learning about something for the first time. It’s something we naturally spout out or think about unmindfully. Most of thetime, it is not intentional or that it’s something we like to do, rather it happens due to lack of knowledge and experience.
Coming from different countries, students learned about their differences, on the other hand, coming from the same part of the world which is Asia,
they discovered a lot of similarities as well. How the participants said「おもってたのとちがう！」as they realized things during their AHA moments were asight to remember for both the participants and organizers. Little by little, they learned to do away with their 「思い込み」. More interestingly, what unitedthese students and what made it possible for these young people from different countries to discover about these similarities and differences was theircommon identity, being Nihongojin or Japanese Language Speakers.
[Message from Student 1]“These are my“tea-party” mates.
We enjoyed tea while
discussing our different
countries’ cultures andtraditions. We had alittle culture exchange
in our communications
and actions.” –JonasAngelo L. Abadilla,
student at Muntinlupa Science High School[Message from Student 2]“Even with 5 countries that speak theirown native language, with the Japanese
language, we
could share
our thoughts. I
also developed
more of mycooperativeskills for we
did so manytasks. I learned
to cope withpeople whoare really different from me, especially in race,
origin and culture, and this is my first time.”–Mary Grace R. Fuentes, student at Sauyo
High School

Let’s Try かみずもう!

[Message from Student 3]“As the days came to an end, I had
noticed the change in myself, not just that
I could at least understand Nihongo prettymuch easier ascompared to
the first time,
but I noticed
that all of myprejudiceswere allcorrected.
Although
we areseparated byterritorial boundaries of our countries, using
Nihongo as a medium for understanding, wewent through the boundaries of language
proficiency and timidity to share what
our nations truly are.” –John David G.
Sarmiento, student at Makati Science HighSchoolDuring the lectures and activities,
Nihongo became a high wall for the students
who were just beginning their journey inlearning the language. However, as time
passed by, Nihongo then became an ally indiscovering new things about themselves
and in developing new skills throughcommunicating in Nihongo.

[Message from Student 4]“During the first few days we were basicallyplaying charades, but now I can finally see the
3 dimensional subtitles even without gestures.
I can fully comprehend
Nihongo and I’m able to talktoo. I was happy and I wassort of sad that it was only inthe second half of the forum
that I was actually able to bepart of the group. I became
more sociable. It seems
that all I needed was notconfidence in what I can do,
but confidence in what I needed to do.” –Racel
Ivy D. Francisco, student at Marikina Science
High School
Although they were also present for a
few times during the students’ activities, theteacher-participants had a different program.
The core program of the Japanese Speakers’
Forum is actually the Teachers’ Program.
During the forum, teachers observed the“model” Student Program, listened to thelecturers from the Japanese-Language
Institute, Urawa Center of the JapaneseFoundation, and designed a lesson or a
project, incorporating the idea of nurturing
21st Century Skills in the Classroom. During
the Final Presentation, the teachers presented

Some teachers say it’s hard for non-native teachers to introduce
cultural activities in their Japanese class. Well, that’s not entirely
true! Here is an idea from a Japanese Language Education Advisor
assigned to support high schools in the Philippines. Check it out!!

Do you know “すもう”?
“すもう” is the national sport of Japan.
In sumo, two りきし (sumo wrestler) fight wearing “まわし” .The one who forces his opponent to theground or pushes him out of the “どひょう (ring)” is the winner.
This time, I will introduce a “かみずもう (paper sumo)” activity
because it is hard to actually do thesumo in class. “かみずもう” can be easily done in your classes.
“りきし”: can be made by ORIGAMI. (http://en.origami-clu
b.com/fun/sumo/index.html)
or by using any thick paper“どひょう”: can be made using an old shoe box or any empty
cardboard box and a paper to makethe “circle with two lines” in the middle). (http://en.origami-clu
b.com/fun/sumo/dohiyo/index.html)
A student acting as Umpire shouts, “はっけよいのこった！
” to signal the start of the game.
The audience encourages the two “りきし” by cheering “がんばれ！がんばれ！’’.
The 2 students representing their cardboard “りきし” hitor tap around the edge of the box using their index fingers,
to move their cardboard “りきし”.
If one of the “りきし” falls out of the “どひょう”, is overturnedor goes out of the “どひょう”, he/she becomes the loser.
The winner then shouts “かった！ (I won)”.

their ideas and faced the questions from theaudience which included Japanese language
teachers, experts from the field of Foreign
Language Education, and even from the bigwigs ofthe organizers themselves.
[Message from Teacher 1]“What I really enjoyed in this year’s JS Forum(which I also enjoyed last year) is extending my
network of influence. I had a great time studying
with the other teacher and student delegates fromother countries, as well as our program facilitators.
I had shared good laughs and cheers with them.
Although I really had a hard time expressing myself
in the language
during sharing andpresentations (asmy Nihongo skills
are still limited), I
am happy with myachievements as aparticipant in thesaid forum. Lastly,
I learned the mostimportant lesson asa Japanese language
implementer:
CHALLENGE MYSELFAND THINK OUT OF THE BOX.” –Joey B. Bisenio,
teacher at Makati Science High School[Message from Teacher 2]“During the Forum, I realized how tremendous
the tasks of Nihongo teachers: that is not only toteach the Japanese language and improve the
Nihongo proficiency of the students but also forthe students to use the knowledge of the language
to become socially responsible citizens. Indeed,
the Forum became a platform for people who
are fluent and not so fluent in Nihongo to sharewithout hesitation, help each other without

H.S. Nihongojin

reservation, and build friendship despite
cultural differences without apprehension!”–Eduardo B. Tan, teacher at F. Torres HighSchoolThis
year was afirst for theJapanese
Speakers’
Forumorganizers
to hold its
programoutsideJapan.
Logistically, it was a challenging task andquestions were even raised about thesignificance of carrying out a program on
Japanese Language Education outside Japan.
Naturally, Japanese language teachers andstudents would want to go to Japan toexperience what they hear and read in theclassroom. Being able to go to Japan is oneof the dreams of any Japanese language
teacher or student. However, as it turned
out, Japanese Speakers’ Forum in Malaysia
became an avenue for Asian teachers andstudents to discover about themselves andtheir identity as Japanese language speakers
or Nihongojin. Nihongo did not only become
a tool for communication outside Japan, but
it became a binding common identity forthe participants who came from 6 different
Asian countries- Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand,
Philippines, Vietnam and Japan. Nihongo
made it possible for the different participants
to cooperate. Just like what their messages
during their respective “Final Presentations”,
hopefully, Nihongo would continue to create
and connect bridges among Asian teachersand students.

CJH Update
The enTree 3 Course (E3), being
participated by CJH 3rd batch ofteachers, is on its last leg. This course’s
final output is a compilation of theparticipants’ lesson plans on using
authentic materials in developing 21stCentury Skills in their students. The
last Follow-through Training Sessions
will be on January 30 (NCR and Cebu),
February 20 (NCR) and March 5 (Cebu),
March 12 (NCR).
Past CJH-related Activities (2015-2016)•
November 7, 2015: Special
CJH Pedagogy Seminar-“Click
Nippon! Click Real Stories
from Real People for Nihongo
Classes!” (A Seminar-Workshop
on Utilizing ICT and Authentic
Resources for Nihongo Classes)•
December 12, 2015: CJH
Pedagogy Seminar- “High
School Nihongo Program in
Asia and in the Philippines:
Reflecting on & Responding toStudents’ Needs Effectively”
Incoming CJH-related Activities(April~July 2016)•
Tentative: CJH Summer
Nihongo Training Course for
Batch 1, 2 & 3•
Tentative: enTree 1 Course(E1) Batch 4•
May to July 2016: 2-month
Training in Japan*CJH: Course on Japan for High School
Classroom Instruction; Teacher Training
Program for Public High School Teachers
under the Special Program in Foreign Language:
Japanese of DepED-BSE

This corner aims to introduce high school students who are studying
Nihongo. Let’s expand our Nihongojin* network

HIGH SCHOOL NIHONGOJIN 19

HIGH SCHOOL NIHONGOJIN 20

Student name: Arisa Mae D. Vijungco
Year and Section: Grade 10-SSC Einstein
Suki na koto: internet o suru, anime to eiga o miru

Student name: Regine C. Balaoro
Year and Section: 9-Narra
Suki na koto: I love reading books, manga, textbook
or any novels. I like sports, watching anime and also
researching something new.

Weeaboo. I have been in love with the Japanese culture
ever since I was young. I’ve set my mind in learning more
about it and luckily, it was offered as an elective subject
in high school.
In ninth grade, I got to participate in Nihongo
quiz bee and it was really fun and exciting, especiallythe ambiance where everyone around you is alsointerested in what you are interested in. And throughunyielding determination, I won the second place in
the National Festival of Talents 2015.
I know that my knowledge about Japan and its
language will be a milestone for me in the future! I hopeJapan will inspire more people like how it inspires me.
School:JUAN G. MACARAEG NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL,
Canarvacanan, Binalonan, Pangasinan
Principal: Mrs. Susan N. Mangrobang
Teachers: Dr. Cristy M. Bautista and Mrs. Juliet A. Estrada

I joined Nihongo class because I wanted
to learn how to speak Nihongo. In our Nihongoclass, I learned the culture and tradition ofJapanese people! It’s a “SUGOI Experience”
because aside from learning the culture andtradition of Japanese people, I also learned
about Hiragana. Learning Hiragana is one of
the challenging lessons. It is hard but very
rewarding. It’s very rewarding because in the
future, I’d like to go to Japan to work with myJapanese friend and relatives. Tanoshimi!
School: General Ricardo Papa Sr. Memorial High School,
Tuktukan Taguig City
Principal: Dr. Maria Delia F. Perocho
Teachers: Mrs. Merlicita Evangelista*Nihongojin is a term coined from the words ‘Nihongo’ and ‘jin’, which mean ‘Japanese Language’ and ‘person’, thereby giving it meaning “people who are involved in Japanese Language, both nativeand non-native, regardless of their level of proficiency.” The concept was created to give learners a sense of belonging to a growing international community of Japanese speakers all over the world.

8

Merienda!

ESPESYAL 3

YATTE MIMASEN KA? わかりやすい発音って？
PROSODY ADJUSTMENT
By Hideaki IshidaDespite speaking Nihongo with essentially perfect grammar, there are times when native speakers struggle inunderstanding non-native speakers. A major reason may have to do with pronunciation, which is difficult tocorrect, as learners have no idea as to what is wrong with their pronunciation. But by adjusting prosody (the patternsof stress and intonation in a language) not only native speakers, but the learner himself will also be able to notice theimprovements.
There are only 2 points in prosody training – dividing a sentence into chunk(s) (a group of words which express a certain meaning) and making
a pitch mountain in each chunk.
1. Dividing into Chunks① Basically a sentence is one chunk, but sometimes it can be divided into several chunks, where each chunk always expresses a certain meaning.
Place a slash ( / ) between chunks, and also, always place a slash after the particle「は」.
ex.1) わたしの うちの ちかくに / スーパーが みっつ あります。
(First chunk: explains the place) (Second chunk: expresses the main point)② A slash can also be placed before the focus of the sentence. Therefore, slashes can be placed in different places, depending on the part of thesentence to be emphasized.
ex.2) わたしの うちの ちかくに / スーパーが / みっつ あります。 (“みっつ” is the focus.)<QUIZ> Make two chunks and place one slash in each sentence.
A： きのう ははが つくった りょうりを たべました。(I ate it yesterday.)
B： きのう ははが つくった りょうりを たべました。(Mother made it yesterday.)
Note: One can also practice creating chunks by placing slashes in a text while listening to its audio. Place a slash after each short pause, or before a phrase
said with a high tone.
2. Making Pitch Mountains or Intonation Curves
In Nihongo, intonation is used to convey meaning. Each chunk always has only one mountain (highest point). The
mountain looks like the Hiraganaへ. The pitch rises immediately and goes down smoothly. The Intonation Curve is a
visualization of the pitch movement as a line. It helps the learners control their pitch.
ex.1 with I.C.)
ex.2 with I.C.)
Note: At the “OJAD” internet site, you can create more detailed Intonation Curves and mp3 audio files under “Prosody Tutor Suzuki-kun”. http://www.
gavo.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ojad/eng/pages/home
3. Read the sentences aloud, following the Intonation Curve
Read the text using the Intonation Curve. Control the pitch by following the line without stopping, and smoothly decrease the pitch. You can put
short pauses between chunks (mountains), but it is not necessary. It depends on the speed of the speech and the words to be emphasized.
If you have the Audio file of the text, Repeating (imitating the prosody of the audio) and Shadowing (speaking simultaneously with the audio) are
techniques for prosody training.

<Answer ><Reference on prosody / pronunciation learning>
河野俊之ほか, 2004, “1日10分の発音練習” Tokyo, Kuroshio publishersくろしお出版.
ISBN：9784874242865 C2081
戸田貴子, 2004, “コミュニケーションのための日本語発音レッスン” Tokyo, 3A
Corporation株式会社スリーエーネットワーク. ISBN：978-4883192953

A： きのう / ははが つくった りょうりを たべました。
(I ate it yesterday.)
B： きのう ははが つくった りょうりを / たべました。
(Mother made it yesterday.)If you don’t divide きのうand はは, the listenerunderstands that きのうis part of the descriptionof りょうり.

<More information on this topic>
Japan Foundation, 2009, “国際交流基金 日本語教授法シリーズ２ 音声を教える”
Tokyo, Hitsuji Shobooひつじ書房. (p.106～). ISBN：978-4-89476-302-9
中川千恵子, 2010, “Japanese Pronunciation Activities初級文法でできるにほんご発
音アクティビティ” Tokyo, ASK株式会社アスク. ISBN：978-4-87217-741-1

9Magkape Muna Tayo
AKIKO ISHIKAWA

ASAHI KUNITO

はじめまして、石川晶子（いしかわあきこ）
です。2015年8月からJFMで働いています。
フィリピンは笑顔が素敵な人が多いので、わたしも同じようにいつも笑顔でいようと思います！
これからよろしくお願いします。

はじめまして。國頭あさひ（くにとうあさひ）と申します。9月14日にフィリピンに来ました。EPAの日本語研修チームで働いています。フィリピンと日本のために、みなさんと一緒に楽しくがんばりたいと思います。どうぞよろしくおねがいします。

５年間、皆さんと一緒に日本語の勉強ができて、とても楽しかったです。
どうもありがとうございました。皆さんの暖かくて素敵な☺(=笑顔)が、私のフィリピンで一番大切な思い出です。また近いうちに、フィリピン
や日本でお会いできることを楽しみにしています。これからも、JFMに皆さんが知りたいこと、やってみたいことをお知らせください。
Mabuhay! Maraming salamat po!

SHUJI TAKATORI

URAWA
UpdateThe program is designed to provide teachers of theJapanese-language overseas an opportunity to improvetheir Japanese language skills and teaching methodology
and to deepen their knowledge of Japan. It is being
conducted at The Japan Foundation Japanese- Language
Institute in Urawa, Saitama, Japan.

42nd Nihongo SpeechContest winners
in Japan

Mr. Daniel L. Ulanday and Ms. Gia Paola C. Eser, winnersof the 42nd Philippine Nihongo Speech Contest,
together with fellow Overseas Japanese Speech Contest
winners during the week-long all-expense-paid study
tour in Japan.

Ms. Cheryl T. Pahamutang on a field trip (Osaka Catle) with 42 participants of different nationalities.

10

Sapin-sapin
先生の輪は、日本語教師の交流の場です。もっと楽しく、もっとおもしろく一緒に
日本語教育を勉強しましょう！

“Sensei no Wa” is open to both experienced and neophyte Japanese-language teachers, and offers a platform for information exchangewith one’s peers. It is for the further encouragement of Japanese Language Education and aims to support professional enrichment andnetwork expansion through interactive learning.
日本語：日本の文化・事情を教えるときの大切なヒント“Important things when teaching Japanese Culture”

発音の指導“Japanese Pronunciation Activities for Non-native Teachers”

Ms. Marie Dominique
E. Licup (Miriam
College High School)
Grantee, Long- term
Training Program for
Foreign Teachers of
the Japanese language(Urawa, Japan /September 2014 –March 2015)
July 25, 2015

Mr. Hideaki
Ishida (The JapanFoundation, Manila)
Japanese-language
Education
Adviser, JFM
September 18, 2015

“Oshaberi Salon” is a free event for Nihon enthusiasts held at theJapan Foundation, Manila. During each session the participants try
to complete a task on their own or collaborate with others using
Nihongo. The participants not only discover something new about
Nihon or Nihongo, but they can also try their Nihongo, get a lot of
inspiration, and form a new network. If you know someone who is a
Nihon enthusiast, “Oshaberi Salon” might be ideal!

Osaka (Dialect & Culture) July 3, 2015

音楽の秋 (Ongaku no aki) September 4, 2015
恋愛映画&小説(Romantic
movies & Novels)
November 6, 2015

Module 2 in Cebu
January 9 & 10, 2016

The JFM MARUGOTO Teaching Techniques Course introduces teachers to simple tips on how to use MARUGOTO, JapaneseLanguage & Culture, a textbook based on the JF Standard. The course shows the flow of a lesson taking into account the Can-dostatement as the objective, and presents the effective use of the textbook photos and CD conversation tracks for the students toeasily learn how to communicate in Nihongo. Participants have an opportunity to do demo teaching and evaluation test.

Module 1 in Manila
September 26 & 27, 2015

Teacher Training:

Marugoto

巻き寿司(Makizushi)
January 8, 2016

Banana Q
Glossary for the
Serious Nihongo
Teacher「くだものに目がない！？」
By Miki Mori

あたら

しごと

11

１ くび

「 新 しい仕事はどう？」「それが・・・①首になっちゃったんだ」㻌
い

み

こた

した

に ほ ん ご

からだ

ぶぶん

つか

みなさん、この意味がわかりますか（答えは下にあります）㻫㻌 このように日本語には 体 の部分を使った
おもしろ

ひょうげん

し

面白い 表 現 があります。いくつ知っていますか？㻌
㻌
わたし

まち

ゆうめい

㻌 ②㻌 Ａ「これ、どうぞ。 私 の町の有名なくだものです」㻌
め㻌 㻌 㻌 㻌 Ｂ「ありがとう。わたし、くだものに目がないんです」㻌
あたら

さが

ひと

し

㻌 ③㻌 Ａ「 新 しいスタッフを探しているんですが、だれかいい人を知りませんか？」㻌
かお

ひろ

し

Ｂ「マリアさんなら顔が広いから、だれか知っているかもしれませんよ」㻌
かいしゃ

おお

たの

㻌 ④㻌 Ａ「ジョーさんの会社はパーティが多くて楽しそうですね」㻌
じばら

Ｂ「ええ。でも、いつも自腹ですよ」㻌
㻌
さいごに ほ ん ごなんいどうですか？では、最後のクイズです。⑤㻮㼞㼑㼍㼐㻌㼏㼞㼡㼟㼠 は日本語で何と言うでしょう？㻌
ほか

しら他にもいろいろあります。ぜひ調べてみてください。㻌
For this issue, Merienda will be featuring books that may be used for cultural activities during
Nihongo classes or simply as one’s past time at home.
The books offer a variety of designs with different levels of difficulty, which makes it suitable forlearners of different ages and preferences.

Be part of thegrowing familyof the JFM library;sign up now for membership!
The library is open to
researchers/borrowers from10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.,
Mondays to Fridays, and from9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on Saturdays.
It is closed on Sundays & Holidays.
Please present an ID card
at the Charging Desk.

For those who wish to become
Library members or want to know
more about the library, visit
www.jfmo.org.ph/about_us_libraryor call (02) 811-6155 to 58.

Furoshiki Nyuumon by Morita Chizuko
This beginner Furoshiki book walks us through various ways on how
to use the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth for different purposesin our everyday life. It provides step-by-step pictures on how to makeone’s own unique and creative shopping bag, table centerpiecedecoration, lunchbox wrapper, bottle gift wrapper, and a lot more.

Yum-Yum Bento Box by Crystal Watanabe and Maki Ogawa
One is never too old for a beautifully-prepared meal that is both
appetizing to the palate and a joy to behold! Amaze everyone or
simply lighten up your day the moment you open your kawaii
homemade bento. Doing this in class with the students or even on
one’s own at home would surely turn out to be a fun and enjoyable
experience.

Trash Origami by Michael Lafosse and Richard Alexander
We’ve got trash everywhere. Why not utilize this abundant resource
and turn it into something worth keeping? From trash thatusually ruins your mood to a pretty and colorful decoration that
automatically makes you feel good. Give it a try and make your own
one-of-a-kind origami masterpiece!

JFM Courses & Workshops
February to June 2016 • Venue: The Japan Foundation, Manila

COURSES FOR NIHONGO TEACHERS
日本語教師のための中上級日本語２
Upper-Intermediate Japanesefor Nihongo Teachers 2
February 3 – March 16 (Wednesdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (12 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 900
Practice Teaching (PT)
March 19-20 (Saturday & Sunday) 11 hours
March 19 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. /12:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
March 20 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tuition: Php 800
COURSES FOR NIHONGO LEARNERS
Marugoto Writing (Moji) Course
March 17 – April 18 (Mondays & Wednesdays)
6:20 – 8:00 p.m. (15 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 2,400
Marugoto Starter (A1) Module 1
March 28 – May 5 (Mondays & Thursdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (24 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 4,400 (Php 3,800 + Php 600
for textbook)
Marugoto Intermediate (B1) Module 1
March 29 – June 28 (Tuesdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (24 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 3,800

Marugoto Elementary 1 (A2) Module 1
May 2 – June 8 (Mondays & Wednesdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (24 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 4,500 (Php 3,800 + Php 700
for textbook)
Marugoto Starter (A1) Module 2
May 16 – June 23 (Mondays & Thursdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (24 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 3,800 (For those without
textbook, + Php 600)
Marugoto Elementary 1 (A2) Module 2
June 20 – July 27 (Mondays & Wednesdays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m. (24 hrs.)
Tuition fee: Php 3,800 (For those without
textbook, + Php 700
JLPT Interactive Lecture & Exercises
N5 April 16 (Saturday) 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
N4 April 30 (Saturday) 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
N3 May 28 (Saturday) 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
N2 June 4 (Saturday) 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuition fee: Php 200
REGULAR EVENTS (FREE ADMISSION)
Sensei no Wa
March 11, April 15, June 10 (Fridays)
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Oshaberi Salon
March 4, May 6 (Fridays)
6:20 – 8:30 p.m.

N2
275
43
42
360

N3
517
101
38
656

N4
N5
1,332 1,129
150
191
151
178
1,633 1,498

THE 43rd NIHONGOSPEECH CONTEST
10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Cinema 1
THE 8th NIHONGO QUIZ BEE FORHIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Organized in cooperation with the
Association of Filipino Nihongo Teachers
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Grand Atrium
THE 43rd NIHONGO SPEECHCONTEST AWARDING CEREMONY
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Cinema 1
FILM SCREENING
Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Cinema 1

2016JAPANESELANGUAGE
PROFICIENCYTEST(July 3, 2016)
Manila, Cebu, Davao

Number of Applicants

N1
122
16
15
153

February 27, 2016 (Saturday)
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

KAWAII5 LIVE
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Grand Atrium

2015 JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
(December 6, 2015)

Manila
Cebu
Davao
Total

NIHONGO FIESTA 2016

Total
3,375
501
424
4,300

Registration period
March 9 toApril 8, 2016

DIANA GARNET LIVE
5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Shangri-La Plaza Grand Atrium

23rd

The
Philippine Nihongo
Teachers’ ForumMay 21, 2016

WATCH OUT FOR DETAILS!

Merienda!
The Japan Foundation, Manila Nihongo Teachers’ Newsletter

EDITORIAL STAFF
KIMY TANMOKELI BISCARRAMICHIKO IMAMURATATSUYA NAKAGOME
MIKI MORISACHIKO KUWANOHIDEAKI ISHIDA

C.E.J. AQUINOMUTSUKO IKEDATOMOKO KUROIWA
SANAE NAKATSUKA
KOZUE TAKASUFLORINDA PALMA GILFIONA TINDUGAN

Published by The Japan Foundation, Manila(JFM) located at the 23rd Floor, Pacific Star Building,Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, cor. Makati Avenue, Makati
City 1226, with telephone numbers (632) 811-6155 to 58,
fax number (632) 811-6153; and email address atemail@jfmo.org.ph.  •  www.jfmo.org.ph