Discussion Dojo

Discussion Dojo is our premiere Japanese conversation class, intended for Beginner 2 students who have completed half or more of the Beginner 2 curriculum, and all intermediate students.)

The focus is entirely on practical, real-life conversation in Japanese. Discussion Dojo is a FlexLessons class.

Discussion Dojo is a place to make mistakes speaking Japanese. Real language learning comes from those mistakes. So, here in our dojo, please speak up, and don’t be afraid to make one mistake after another—they all help you become a better speaker of Japanese.

Discussion Dojo Class Schedule

Classroom Activities

	Expressing Your Opinion Most Discussion Dojo classes include time for you to express your opinion on the topic selected for the class. For example, “What do you think about TV infomercials?” or “Which do you like better, winter or summer, and why?” There are a host of ways to express your opinion in Japanese, each with its own nuance and suitability for a particular situation. In Discussion Dojo, you’ll learn natural phrasing in a variety of real-world situations.
	Explaining Situations The teacher will present a situation, and ask a student to explain what is happening. Your teacher might show a photograph of someone laughing, and ask you to describe a situation that explains the laughter. Or, the teacher might describe a situation you could find yourself in, and ask you to explain how you would react. For example, on an overseas trip, suppose you try some unfamiliar food at a restaurant, but it tastes odd—maybe not right. What would you do? What phrases would you use to explain the situation to your server?
	Role Playing The teacher will explain a situation, and assign each student a role. Role playing is one of our teachers’ favorite classroom activities— it generates a lot of laughs and learning at the same time! For example, the situation might be planning a party for your office. First, the teacher will explain the party planner’s typical responsibilities, and assign one student to lead a planning discussion among all the students. During the discussion, the teacher will interject grammar corrections and suggested changes in word choice.
	Phrase of the Day Many sessions wrap up with a well-known Japanese saying. Just as an English speaker might say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” or “Every cloud has a silver lining”, Japanese has a rich collection of sayings for different situations. Learning a few of these phrases will make your Japanese speaking much more natural and lively. Discussion Dojo is the place to get started.

Sample Lessons

These teachers offer Discussion Dojo classes. Click the link to view a sample lesson from each teacher. Then, join us in a live Discussion Dojo next time!

ARASE Masako	Emotions—Why Are These People Laughing? Explaining Situations: Look at a photo of someone laughing, crying, or expressing another emotion, and describe a situation that would explain the photo. Phrase of the Day: “Kao-de waratte, kokoro-de naku” (literally, a laughing face, a crying heart)
ITAYA Sayuri	Happy New Year—End-of-Year and New Year's Customs Expressing Your Opinion: Share your opinions of Japan's end-of-year vacation. Explaining Situations: Explain which news events of the past year were most significant to you. Share your resolutions for the new year. Phrase of the Day: “Ichinen-no-kei-wa gantan-ni-ari” (check out the sample lesson!)
SAKUDE Emi	Year-End Parties Expressing Your Opinion: What are your views on year-end office parties? Role Playing: Learn about this Japanese workplace custom, and plan your own year-end party. Learn how to ask for others’ input and provide your input, Japanese-style. Phrase of the Day: “Mizu-o eta uo” (literally, a fish in water, as in doing very well)
SENO Chiaki	Sample lesson is coming soon.
SHIMADA Chie	Awkward Situations—What Would You Do? Explaining Situations: What if you were late for an appointment or noticed someone’s unzipped zipper! It’s these times when just the right words can make all the difference. Role Playing: Pretend you’ve run into an old acquaintance, but can’t remember his/her name. Role-play with another student, and learn how to ease out of this prickly situation.