Prex J.D.V. Ybasco's Blog, page 37
August 5, 2016
School for Good and Evil
I would like to thank National Bookstore for giving me gift certificates which I used to purchase these new babies, The School for Good and Evil. ^-^ TBR this August in preparation for what is going to happen in September. Stay tuned for more reviews. And yes, I will post my review on Harry Potter and The Cursed Child soon.
The School for Good and Evil
August 2, 2016
Goodreads Giveaway Winners!
Lora Owens
Beverly Herrington
Amber Piersol
for winning copies of
[To Be Continued]
Until next giveaway.
To be Continued is available in Kindle, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
July 31, 2016
160731 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
2:00 pm Happy Birthday Harry.
And just like how Harry felt when he won the Quidditch Cup, I feel I can produce the world’s best Patronus right now.
UPDATE
10:55 pm amidst work, I was able to finish the entire book. JK Rowling played with my heart again. All I know was I was able to finish it today…while people went on with their lives, so many things had happened in my head and my heart.
REVIEW TO FOLLOW
July 30, 2016
[To Be Continued] Giveaway July 31, 2016
Last day to get a chance to win a copy of
[TO BE CONTINUED]
Click here:
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/185995-to-be-continued
July 27, 2016
July 26, 2016
NBS Promo: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
National Bookstore’s 10 % Discount for Pre-Ordered Harry Potter and The Cursed Child is still on, until the 30th of July.
For more information regarding this please don’t hesitate to visit:
Or you can also visit their branches nationwide.
Note: This post is NOT sponsored by National Bookstore nor have I been given anything for it. I’m merely sharing my happiness and excitement as I look forward to the end of the month.
Prex
July 21, 2016
Nihongo 101: Are Post-its Necessary?
Does using post-its really help in studying Nihongo?
In the beginning, I thought it was not necessary. I merely used a journal to jot down words and expressions I needed to remember. However, as grammar structures became more complex and Kanji became a pain to memorize, I had to give in and swallow my useless pride.
Yeobo posted different words and expressions around the room so wherever I looked I got the feeling that I was indeed studying Japanese. I had to admit that it took sometime getting used to seeing Kanji as soon as I woke up but it was worth it.
Yeobo’s posts and mine, strategically posted beneath the top bunkbed, first things I see in the morning
I even posted a number of Kanji in my work station as it helps me recognize them-albeit this is not good if you’re learning how to write because you don’t need to count the strokes anymore. You can use an App called Kanji Q for that. For more, see here.
all them kanjis
What a learner must remember then is to group the words accordingly, be it according to grammatical functions, or how they look like. Some recommend putting post-its on the actual things like boxes or television but I find that messy so I just put them somewhere I can easily see.
a wall of Japanese inspiration ^-^
July 15, 2016
Self-Studying Japanese
by Prex JDV Ybasco
Watching Japanese cartoons and dramas probably is the primary reason why I am taking up Japanese. Apart from that, their OSTs are amazing! They have a certain feel to them that even though I hardly understand them, I feel like I can do the impossible. However, there are always some moments when subtitles or English lyrics do not satisfy me. As they say, some things are lost in translation. I do not intend to live in Japan (but I certainly want to visit!) so I have decided not to take professional classes in Japanese and just learn the language by myself. After all, if language learning can be considered one’s hobby then how hard will that be?
I would not consider myself an expert in languages but here are some ‘strategies’ I have used to study Nihongo.
Anime / Drama /Music
Exposure to the language is very important. Since I don’t take classes, the best I can do is to go back to the very reason I study Japanese: animation. Watching one’s favorite animation is a great way to pick up some casual expressions! One of my students told me that a number of learners can even recognize expressions in porn Good anime is always a great learning material. I do love to watch One Piece episodes and movies over and over again that by the time I learned how to construct Japanese sentences, I sounded like a Japanese…boy! [Japanese has a different set of Grammar rules used by women.]
from: alphacoders.com
For those who are not into two-dimensional characters, you can also watch Japanese dramas. They are known to be very short, about eight to ten episodes in one season, so it is easy to finish one whole drama in a matter of hours. As Japanese are quite oriented with their culture, there are some expressions that are customary said in various occasions presented in television series or even movies. It will not be difficult for you to remember what to say once you are offered meals in Japan!
Listening to music also helps a lot to remember words, if not the sentence construction. It also gives me immense satisfaction when I recognize some words and what they mean in the songs without even checking the translated lyrics online. One OK Rock’s and Cross Gene’s music take up most of the songs in my playlist but there are some anime OSTs here and there.
Manga / Japanese Comic Books
Manga 漫画- Japanese comic books
When your focus is to learn casual expressions and vocabulary, you can read Japan’s very famous Manga. This is not the most useful tool to study grammar but you may be able to remember certain words you can’t use daily due to the fact you have to use your L1.
As it is quite challenging to look for raw Japanese manga in my country, my colleague 
has lent me the Japanese versions of Rurouni Kenshin and Fairytail. Don’t get me wrong. Mangas are available everywhere. You can visit MangaFox and you will have tons that will last your lifetime. However, comic books in their native language are very difficult to come by as they are heavily protected by some copyright in Japan– you’ve got to hand it to the Japanese! Some recommend downloading Nihongo manga through Torrent but having a hard copy still is good because you can leave notes or mark pages you want to study. Now, I am not going to be judging anybody who will do anything to get his or his hands on a good copy
Language Learning Websites
When you work with computers about eight to ten hours a day, you may have found out Google can be your best friend. All you have to do is type keywords such as “Japanese study” or “Nihongo” in the search bar and the search engine will give you a number of sites that will help you learn Japanese. The following are the sites I have found most helpful:
Lang-8 http://lang-8.com/
If you want a place to practice writing Japanese sentences and essays and expect good feedback, Lang-8 is the site for you. For a full review, see here.
JPLANG https://jplang.tufs.ac.jp
Those who are still trying to learn the basics of Japanese including studying Hiragana and Katakana, you may want to visit JPLANG. It is a good site where you can toggle settings (Full Japanese/ English) to suit your needs. It also has sample conversations you can practice.
Learn Japanese~Tae Kim’s Guide to learning Japanese http://www.guidetojapanese.org/
In depth study of the Japanese language is what this site offers. You can find vocabulary and expressions in the beginning, and exercises at the end of every chapter. Somehow, this site gives me a more professional feel.
Nihongo o Narau (Learn Japanese) http://www.learn-japanese.info/
If you don’t want to be so overwhelmed by grammar rules and you want to take things a little slowly, you can use this site. It teaches Hiragana and Katakana and basic Kanji in the first chapters and sufficient grammar lessons in the succeeding ones. I still have the notes I took when I was using this site as users aren’t allowed to put the answers there. Then again, it still is a pretty good.
Japanese Test For You http://japanesetest4you.com
The title of the site already shows what it has to offer. I have taken my JLPT N5 exam and will take N4 in December, and this site provides me all the review materials I need. The exams are arranged according to levels and according to skills (Reading, Listening and Vocabulary identification). What is more is the interface allows the users to input their answers and the site gives the result after the test. You can also find phrases and expressions taken from animations!No wonder, this is my current go-to site.
Workbooks
Click to view slideshow.
I cannot deny having a good book is a great way to go in language learning. Whether you are taking classes or not, a textbook you can write on is a good tool to reinforce the grammar points you have painstakingly memorized! The books I use are Genki 1 and 2 and the worktext accompanying Genki 2. These are packed with grammar points that can save you in the time of your confusion as it saved me. What I like about Genki, apart from the CDs, is the Culture Note at the end of the chapters as it lists common and up-to-date expressions used in Japan. If you don’t want to sound ‘bookish’ you can consult that part.
Apps
For the not so committed people, or those who have no time to study, or those who are too busy with their jobs they just can’t find the time to look at a page of their workbooks or visit a website, you can study a different language using the device you certainly cannot live without these days: your smartphone.
A number of applications are available in Appstore and even Google Playstore for language learners’ consumption. Kanji Q is a good one for those who want to practice stroke order of Kanji. The dictionary is also handy for the times I encounter words I haven’t used before, or to recall ones I don’t often use.
You can see in the picture the icons of those applications I often use including practice apps for JLPT. I have to admit that the questions in the apps are more difficult and stressful than the actual examination (N5) but that is better compared to an app that gives you easy questions and therefore rendering you completely unprepared for the JLPT.
Exams
You may not take my word for it but I do love taking grammar exams to check my proficiency. As my goal in learning the language is to be able to read Japanese comic books and understand Japanese animation, in the beginning I scoffed at the idea of taking the JLPT. I certainly did not need a license nor a proficiency certificate at work so needless to say I had no reason to. However, I had to admit as I went through my workbook, there were some parts I skipped because I got lazy… or not so motivated. Yeobo then persuaded me to take N5. Looking back at it, I am glad I took the exam.
No matter what the results are as soon as you take the exams, you will feel have a sense of purpose to study, another motivation. Besides you only need to take one exam per level–and even skip levels–per year for a small price. For more information regarding JLPT, visit this site: JLPT.jp
If your heart isn’t set on taking the exams a 100% then you can go to Japanesetest4you.com and take mock tests. Believe me when I say that once you take the exams and don’t get at least seven out of ten, you will start reading your books and using your apps with renewed vigor.
I don’t promise that my techniques are effective for all learners but these are the ones that work for me. Some say you have to follow a strict schedule for you to study and that’s good too but I have had enough of classroom language learning to last me for lifetime. I don’t want to use the same methods for me to learn a 3rd language. After all, how many of us learned our subjects by heart when we were in high school, forced to stay in the class for 50 minutes?
Note:
I may write my review about these different websites and applications but don’t count on when I can post them. Please leave a note which application or site you want me to post an in depth review on and I will do my best to work on it as soon as possible. Thank you!
Prex
July 9, 2016
Lang-8| 02 一番好きな映画 / My Favorite Movie
私の一番好きな英語の映画と小説はハーリポータです。高校生の時、ハーリポータ本を読んで始めました。英雄たちはすごくて楽しいです。ハーリが若すぎてとてもかっこいくて強いです。まほうはでかけるから。ハーリは二人友達がいます、ローンとHermione。ローンは笑うな人そしてHermioneは頭が良いです。ハーリは強くて怖いてきがいます。てきの名前はVoldemort です。でもハーリはたくさんなかまがいますから、大丈夫。
学生の時はホグワツに行きたかった。そして、まほうワンド使いたかった。まほうの世界に住んでいたらどこでも出来たと思った。電車の駅 9 ¾ も見たかった．まほうの世界を見られないことがわかるけどこのは私のバーカな夢です。
今もイギリス国に行きたいから、一週間に一回ハーリポ－タの映画を見ます。
どう思いますか。あなたの一番好きな映画は何ですか。
English Translation:
My favorite movie
My favorite English movie and novel is Harry Potter. (Please check the Katakana for Harry Potter.)
I first read Harry Potter when I was in high school. The main character is cool and interesting. Harry Potter is young but he is amazing and strong. He can do magic.Harry has two friends, Ron and Hermione (once again, please give me the Katakana for Hermione). Ron is a funny guy while Hermione is smart. Harry also has a strong and scary enemy. His name is Voldemort. However, it is just fine because Harry has a lot of friends.
I also want to go to Hogwarts when I was studying. In addition, I wanted to use a magic wand. I thought living in a magical world will let me go anywhere I wanted. I also wanted to see Platform 9 and 3/4. I know that it is impossible to see a magical world but it’s my stupid dream.
I still want to go to England so I watch Harry Potter movies once a week.
What do you think? What is your favorite movie?
Edited:
私の一番好きな英語の映画と小説はハリーポッターです。
高校生の時、ハリーポッターの本を読み始めました。主人公たちはすごくておもしろいです。ハリーは若いですが、とてもかっこよくて強いです。まほうをかけることができるから。ハリーには、二人の友達がいます。ロンとハーマイオニーです。ロンは面白い人です。そして、ハーマイオニーは頭が良いです。ハリーには強くて怖いてきがいます。敵の名前はヴォルデモート です。でもハリーにはたくさんのなかまがいるので、大丈夫。
学生の時、ホグワーツに行きたかったです。そして、魔法の杖を使いたかったです。魔法の世界に住んでいたら、どこにでも行けると思いました。電車の駅 9 ¾ も見たかった。まほうの世界を見られないことがわかっているけど、これは私のバカな夢です。
今もイギリスに行きたいから、一週間に一回ハリーポッターの映画を見ています。
どう思いますか。あなたの一番好きな映画は何ですか。
Disclaimer: Harry Potter Quote JPG was from
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/harry-potter-printables.html
June 17, 2016
City — The Daily Post
Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt. Not sure how to participate? Here are the steps to get started.
