Sponsored Links

 

新人君
新人君
It’s finally time to start learning grammar today.
First, we’ll begin with Lesson 1.
The class has just started, so it’s a bit nerve-wracking.
Well, don’t worry too much!
The class atmosphere improved a bit during the introduction of greetings, didn’t it?
This time, let’s think together about how to flow through Lesson 1!!
先輩さん
先輩さん

新人君
新人君
In Lesson 1, we’ll be learning the basic Japanese sentence pattern “~は~です“, right?
Ah, that’s right.
The goal for this lesson is precisely this!!
Veteran
Veteran

Goals for Minna no Nihongo “Lesson 1”

To be able to talk about oneself and others

中堅さん
中堅さん
Structure the lesson around this goal…
If by the end of this lesson, they can introduce their nationality, job, and age, then they’ve passed…
新人君
新人君
Yes, I will prepare thoroughly!!
Here are some common difficulties in this lesson:
Below are the points to watch out for!!
先輩さん
先輩さん

Points to watch out for in this lesson!!

Q&A using “Ano kata wa donata desu ka?” and “~san desu. ~ no ~ desu.”
The sentence patterns are long and hard to remember.
Since they are not frequently used, they do not stick.
Focus on learning the use of 「の」 here!!

中堅さん
中堅さん
Well, they aren’t used often, and even if they memorize the phrases, they quickly forget them.
Once they get more accustomed to Japanese, they will naturally start using them.

 ~は~です。(Nationality)

Now, it’s time to practice sentence patterns.
This is the first sentence pattern learners will study.
Be mindful of the blackboard as you proceed with the class.
先輩さん
先輩さん

Self-introduction

Teacher
Teacher
Watashi wa Tanaka desu.
Watashi wa Nihonjin desu.

Have each student introduce themselves one by one.
If there are many students, those waiting for their turn may get bored.
If there are many students, create and distribute a self-introduction sheet so they can freely introduce themselves to each other.
If there is really no time, call on a few students to quickly go through it.

 
Blackboard

Watashi wa Tanaka    desu.
Watashi wa Nihon jin desu.

Introducing Others

Teacher
Teacher
Kochira wa Riza-san desu.
Riza-san wa Amerika-jin desu.

Practice sentence patterns with flashcards.
If there aren’t many students, take turns introducing the person next to you.

 
Blackboard

Kochira wa Riza-san desu.
Riza-san wa Amerika-jin desu.

 
 
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!

~は~です(国籍)のサムネイル
You can download the materials here.

~は(Occupation)です。

Teacher
Teacher
Watashi wa kaishain desu.
Riza-san wa isha desu.

Practice sentence patterns with flashcards.
(If it’s a class for working adults, have them say their occupations.
It can be a hassle to confirm the vocabulary of the occupations that come up…)

 
Blackboard

Watashi wa kaishain desu.
Riza-san wa isha desu.

中堅さん
中堅さん
If you let students in a class of international students go in turns,
they’ll all say “Watashi wa gakusei desu” and it’ll be a failure…
Practice various occupations with flashcards…
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!

~は~です(職業)jaのサムネイル
You can download the materials here.

 

~は~(Age)です。

中堅さん
中堅さん
The next item in the text is “~ja arimasen.”
Hmm, should we introduce “~wa (age) sai desu.” first instead,
following the flow of “~wa~desu”?
That’s not a bad idea.
You can also align nationality, occupation, and age vertically on the blackboard!!
Veteran
Veteran

ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー

Teacher
Teacher
Watashi wa sanjuhassai desu.
Riza-san wa nijugosai desu.

Blackboard

Watashi wa 38-sai desu.
Riza-san wa 25-sai desu.

新人君
新人君
When everyone reads off the blackboard,
won’t they get stuck at the numbers?
That’s okay.
Use that as a transition to “learning numbers,”
and once they can read the numbers, they’ll be able to say their age.
That leads to a sense of achievement as
they feel they’ve increased their ability to express themselves with new sentence patterns (knowledge).
先輩さん
先輩さん

Introduction of Numbers (1-100)

Confirm special readings like issai (1 year old), hassai (8 years old), jussai (10 years old),
and also hatachi (20 years old). These come up often in listening comprehension.
Once they have a general grasp of number readings,
use flashcards to confirm how to say ages.

 
 
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!

Numbers thumbnail
You can download the materials here.

How old are you?

Teacher
Teacher
Q: ~san wa nansai desu ka?
A: 26-sai desu.

Confirm with a few students, and once you feel they understand the meaning of “how old are you,”
practice by having them take turns asking the person next to them.

 
Blackboard

Riza-san wa nansai desu ka.
        26-sai desu.
Yamada-san wa oikutsu desu ka.
        56-sai desu.

 
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!
This time it’s pair work!!
Pair work is good because it’s easy to have them practice asking and answering questions.
It gives all students a chance to speak at once.
The teacher only needs to check if the students are speaking correctly,
so it’s easy!!
Veteran
Veteran

Age thumbnail
You can download the materials here.
That’s all for today.
The second half will cover “~ja arimasen” and “~desu ka” teaching plans and materials.
先輩さん
先輩さん

新人君
新人君
Alright, it’s Lesson 2. We will study “Kore, Sore, Are”. This is similar to Lesson 1 with the sentence pattern “~ wa ~ desu.” so it should be easy!
We’ll also learn the particle “no” which indicates possession or content!
先輩さん
先輩さん
中堅さん
中堅さん
The difference between “kore, sore, are” and “kono, sono, ano”…
Can I teach them to understand and use them correctly without mistakes?
There are also many new vocabulary words!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん
新人君
新人君
I’m starting to get worried…
Don’t worry! The vocabulary will naturally settle in through practice. As long as we teach the key points of the sentence patterns clearly, there won’t be any confusion!
先輩さん
先輩さん
The goal of this lesson is clear!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん
Minna no Nihongo “Lesson 2” Goal

Be able to talk about the content and ownership of objects!!

中堅さん
中堅さん
Progress steadily while observing to ensure it doesn’t become a burden for learners!!

【Kore / Sore / Are】 wa ~ desu.

(Pointing to objects in the actual classroom…)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa enpitsu desu.
Sore wa kaban desu.
Are wa tokei desu.

Confirm the sentence pattern with flashcards
Create sentences about actual classroom objects

Board Notes

Kore wa enpitsu desu.
Sore wa kaban desu.
Are wa tokei desu.

 

Important Points Here!!

Note that “kore, sore, are” refer to objects that are visible.
Also, be aware that the words used differ based on the distance from oneself and the other person.
Example:
Me: Kore wa hon desu.
Person A: Sore wa hon desu.
In conversation between two people, use “kore” and “sore” regardless of how far apart they are.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

Lesson 2-1 PDF thumbnail
You can download the materials here.

Kore wa ~ desu ka.
Hai, ~ desu. / Iie, ~ ja arimasen.

(Holding a ballpoint pen)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa boorupen desu ka.
Hai, boorupen desu.
学生さん
学生さん

(Holding a mechanical pencil)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore mo boorupen desu ka.
Iie, boorupen ja arimasen. Shaapupenshiru desu.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Notes

Kore wa boorupen desu ka.
Hai, boorupen desu.

Kore mo boorupen desu ka.
Iie, boorupen ja arimasen. Shaapupenshiru desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

Lesson 2-2 Kore Sore Are? A PDF thumbnail Lesson 2-2 Kore Sore Are? B PDF thumbnail

Kore wa nandesu ka.

(Holding a pencil)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa nan desu ka.
Enpitsu desu.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Notes

Kore wa nan desu ka.
Enpitsu desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

Nandesu ka PDF thumbnail
You can download the materials here

Kore wa nan no ~ desu ka. / ~ no ~ desu.

(Showing a car magazine)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa nan desu ka.
Zasshi desu.
学生さん
学生さん

(Pointing at the car illustration…)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa nan desu ka.
Kuruma desu.
学生さん
学生さん
Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa kuruma no zasshi desu.

Practice sentence patterns with flashcards.

(Holding a key…)

Teacher
Teacher
Kore wa nan desu ka.
Kagi desu.
学生さん
学生さん
Teacher
Teacher
Nan no kagi desu ka.

学生さん
学生さん
Teacher
Teacher
Tsukue no kagi desu.

Board Notes

Kore wa kuruma no zasshi desu.

Q: Kore wa nan no kagi desu ka.
A: Tsukue no kagi desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

Nano PDF thumbnail
Japanese grammar material “Nano ~ desu ka”
You can see the latter half of Lesson 2 on this page.
先輩さん
先輩さん

 

Lesson 3 has a lot of vocabulary too.
Let’s naturally teach vocabulary through practice.
先輩さん
先輩さん

This is the goal for Lesson 3!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

Objectives for “Lesson 3” in Minna no Nihongo

Be able to say where things or people are located.
Be able to ask where something was made and how much it costs to shop.


中堅さん
中堅さん
The latter part takes quite some time to practice large numbers…
Well, you can hand out printouts and say, “Please memorize them,” but it’s up to the students’ efforts after that…
It’s up to you as the teacher to decide how to proceed.

新人君
新人君
Since this lesson has a lot of content, I’ll be careful with time allocation.

 

Here/There/Over there is ~.

教師
教師
Here is the classroom.
There is the restroom.
Over there are the stairs.
Points to Note in This Lesson!!

“Asoko” refers to a place that is visible or can be anticipated even if not visible.

 

Board Writing

Koko wa kyoushitsu desu.
Soko wa toire desu.
Asoko wa kaidan desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Here, There, Over there thumbnail
You can download the materials from here.

 

 

Where is ~?

(Draw a person on the whiteboard who seems to have a stomachache…)

教師
教師
Excuse me.
Where is the restroom?

(Draw another person pointing to a distant restroom… and prompt the student to answer.)
It’s over there.
学生さん
学生さん

(Draw a person holding their head on the whiteboard…)
教師
教師
Excuse me. Where is the hospital?

(Draw another person answering with a place name… and prompt the student to answer.)
It’s (place name).
学生さん
学生さん

(If it’s not visible, confirm to answer with the place name instead of using “here,” “there,” “over there.”)
Practice with pictures of items in the classroom and famous buildings in the world and Japan.

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!
It’s practice to ask where someone is!!

Where is it thumbnail
You can download the materials from here.

What floor is ~ on?

(Draw a picture of a department store on the whiteboard. Draw items on each floor.)

教師
教師
Excuse me.
Where is the camera section?
What floor is the camera section on?

It’s on the third floor.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
Excuse me.
What floor is the cafeteria on?

It’s on the basement first floor.
学生さん
学生さん

 

Board Writing

Q: Kamera uriba wa doko desu ka?
    Kamera uriba wa nangai desu ka?
A: Kamera uriba wa sangai desu.
Q: Shokudou wa nangai desu ka?
A: Shokudou wa chika ikkai desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

What floor thumbnail
You can download the materials from here

 

Which way is it? / This way, That way, That way over there

Points to Note!!

Since this is practice for switching from “koko,” “soko,” “asoko,” “doko” to “kochira,” “sochira,” “achira,” “dochira,” you can use the same picture cards you used to introduce “doko desu ka.”
Using the same situation makes it easier to understand that only the words change.

 

Which country are you from?

(Select a student)

教師
教師
Which country are you from, ~san?

I’m from China.
学生さん
学生さん
 
Board Writing

Q: ~san no okuni wa dochira desu ka?
A: Chuugoku desu.

Ask other students as well.
Practice with picture cards.

Points to Note in This Lesson!!

Sometimes students may misunderstand and answer with “Europe,” “America,” etc.
Confirm that it’s the name of the country, not the location.

 

Which company/university are you from?

Select a student (or use a picture with the name and address of a company)

教師
教師
Which company are you from, ~san?

It’s (company location).
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
The company name, please.

It’s (company name).
学生さん
学生さん

Practice with university and hospital names as well.

Board Writing

Q: ~san no kaisha wa dochira desu ka?
A: (Kaisha no namae) desu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Which country, which company thumbnail
You can download the materials from here
Please refer to this for teaching “Where” and “How much” in Lesson 3.
先輩さん
先輩さん

新人君
新人君
It’s Lesson 4.
Verbs start appearing from this lesson onwards.

Yes…
The changes at the end of the sentence due to tense are tricky.
But don’t worry.
Even if you can’t smoothly transform the sentence endings due to tense differences in this lesson,
verbs will continue to appear in the following lessons,
so you’ll naturally be able to say them smoothly in no time.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Is it okay to say that…
If the teacher doesn’t consciously incorporate tense in practice,
it will take a considerable amount of time to master…

Well, well,
let’s first check the goals of this lesson.
To the point, it’s this!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

Goals of Minna no Nihongo Lesson 4

1. Be able to say the time and days of the week.
2. Understand how to construct sentences with verbs.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
The time and days of the week you’ll learn in this lesson are used very frequently.
Let’s make sure to have them memorize the vocabulary thoroughly!!

 

Time (~時~分)

Introducing time using a clock without batteries…
Pay attention to 4 o’clock, 7 o’clock, 9 o’clock, and the differences between “fun” and “pun”, and “han”.

Board Writing
いち じ          ご  ふん
に  じ         じゅっ ぷん
さん じ         じゅう ご ふん
よ  じ        にじゅっ ぷん
ご  じ        にじゅう 五 ふん
ろく じ       さんじゅっ ぷん / はん
しち じ       さんじゅう 五 ふん
はち じ       よんじゅっ ぷん
く  じ       よんじゅう 五 ふん
じゅうじ        ごじゅっ ぷん
じゅういち じ     ごじゅう 五 ふん
じゅうに  じ   

 

Points to Note in This Lesson!!

Some students might add “fun” to “han” and say “9:30 minutes”, so let’s be careful.

Practice saying the time using clocks and picture cards.
Practice listening to the time said by the teacher.

 

What time is it?

Teacher
Teacher
What time is it now?

It’s 10:15.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Writing

Q: いま   なん じ   ですか。
A:  10じ15ふん です。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of What Time Is It PDF
You can download the materials from here

 

AM and PM

(Use a map showing world times if available…)

Teacher
Teacher
Excuse me.
What time is it in Japan now?

It’s 10:30.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
Then, what time is it in Brazil now?

It’s 10:30.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What? Is it 10:30 in Brazil too?

No, it’s 10:30 PM in Brazil.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
Ah, it’s 10:30 PM…

 

Board Writing

Q:にほん は いま なんじ ですか。
A:    ごぜん10じはん です。

Q:ブラジル は いま なんじ ですか。
A:      ごご10じはん です。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of AM and PM PDF
You can download the materials from here

 

~は~曜日です。

Teacher
Teacher
Everyone, what day is it today?

It’s Wednesday.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What day is tomorrow?

It’s Thursday.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What day is the hiragana test?

It’s Friday.
学生さん
学生さん

(Be careful not to use terms like “yesterday” and “the day before yesterday” as they turn into past tense sentences like “was ~.”)

< strong>Board Writing

Q:きょう は なんようび ですか。
A:      すいようび です。

Q:あした は なんようび ですか。
A:      もくようび です。

Q:テスト は なんようび ですか。
         きんようび です。

It’s from ~ to ~.

(Draw a picture of a company with work hours and holidays written on it)

Teacher
Teacher
What are the work hours of the company?

It’s from 9 to 6.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What day is the company holiday?

It’s Saturday. And Sunday.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Writing

Q:かいしゃ は なんじ から なんじ まで ですか。
A:       9じ  から  6じ まで です。

Q:かいしゃ の やすみ は なんようび ですか。
A:      どようび と にちようび です。

 

Points to Note in This Lesson!!

It’s easy to remember the particle “と” (to), so they’ll naturally remember it.
However, in English, when listing three or more items, it becomes “A, B, C, and D”.
In Japanese, even when listing three or more items, you use “と” (to) every time, like “AとBとCとD”.
Make sure to explain this.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

 Thumbnail of What Day is it and What Time is it PDF
 
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared such practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of From - To PDF
You can download the materials from here

Phone Numbers

(Add phone numbers to the previous whiteboard drawing)

Teacher
Teacher
What is the company’s phone number?

019 ✖✖○○ ○✖ ✖○です。
学生さん
学生さん
Board Writing

Q:かいしゃ の でんわ ばんごう は   なんばん     ですか。
A:                019 ー ✖✖○○ ー ○✖ ✖○  

 

Points to Note in This Lesson!!

Teach them that the hyphen in phone numbers can be read as “no”.
Also, mention that the sounds of “2” and “5” become elongated like “nii” and “goo”.

 
中堅さん
中堅さん
That’s all for now.
In the second half, verbs will appear…
Will it be alright?
 
 

新人君
新人君
It’s Lesson 5.
This lesson also has a lot of vocabulary.
Dates like the first, second, third…
This is going to be tough.

That’s right.
Also, some verbs will appear in this lesson.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Verbs related to movement.
It’s good to practice while being aware of tenses…

The tricky points in this lesson are…
“Not going anywhere,” “alone,” “walking,” etc.
Well, it’s relatively easy to remember, but…
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

If you check the dates and days of the week before starting each class,
students will gradually remember them.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Just like in Lesson 4, include verb tense practice and get students used to sentence endings.

This is the goal for this lesson!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

Goals for “Minna no Nihongo” Lesson 5

Be able to have conversations using sentence patterns related to moving to a location

 

Go to (location).

(Draw a picture of a person heading to a location on the whiteboard,
and write the timing to get students used to tenses)

Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital.
Every day, I come to school.
Yesterday at 7, I went home.

Important points for this lesson!!

When the teacher points to a drawing,

encourage students to spontaneously create sentences and speak up.

 

Board Writing

あさって、びょういんへいきます。
まいにち、がっこうへきます。
きのう、しちじにうちへかえりました。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

行きます 来ます 帰りますのサムネイル
You can download the materials from here

Where are you going?

(Draw a person heading to a place with a question mark on the whiteboard)

Teacher
Teacher
Ken, where are you going on Sunday?

(Draw a department store at the question mark)
I am going to the department store.
学生さん
学生さん

(Draw a person heading to a place with a question mark on the whiteboard)
Teacher
Teacher
Maria, where did you go last night?

(Draw a picture of studying at home at the question mark)
I didn’t go anywhere.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
I didn’t go anywhere.


Confirming (nowhere ~ません/ませんでした)

Board Writing

けんさん、にちようびにどこへいきましたか。
            デパートへいきました。
まりあさん、きのうのばんどこへいきましたか。
            どこへもいきませんでした。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

どこへいきますかのサムネイル
You can download the materials from here

 

Go to (location) by (transportation).

(Use the picture from the previous introduction…)

Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital.

(Add a taxi picture to the person…)
Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital by taxi.

(Practice by replacing transportation and destinations for a while)
(Finally, replace with a picture of a person walking and encourage students to make sentences.)
The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital on foot.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital on foot.

Board Writing

あさって、タクシーでびょういんへいきます。
きのう、バスでスーパーへいきました。
あさって、あるいてびょういんへいきます。

Practice with flashcards

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

乗り物で行きますのサムネイル
You can download the materials from here

 

Why are you going to (location)?

(Draw a question mark on the transportation part of the board)

Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, how will you go to the hospital?

I will go by taxi.
学生さん
学生さん

(If a student answers in a full sentence like “The day after tomorrow, I will go to the hospital by taxi,” correct them to give shorter answers.)

Teacher
Teacher
The day after tomorrow, how will you go to the hospital?

I will go on foot.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Writing

あさって、なんで   びょういんへいきますか。
     タクシーで
あさって、なんで   びょういんへいきますか。
     あるいて

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!

なんで行きますかのサムネイル
You can download the materials from here
 
新人君
新人君
Let’s stop here for today.
In the latter half, “with whom” and “when” will appear.
Those who want to continue, please see the page below.


新人君
新人君
It’s lesson 6.
This lesson is about studying verbs used in daily life.

As students learn this lesson,
they will be able to express more things,
making it more fun to speak in Japanese.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
By asking various questions as a review,
you can also build closer relationships with students…

From now on, before starting the class,
I can ask students various questions
to create an ice-breaking time!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

中堅さん
中堅さん
The goal of this lesson is this…

Goals for Lesson 6 in “Minna no Nihongo”

“To be able to talk about daily life using verbs”
“To be able to invite people”

 

~を(verb)./(person)にあいます。

(Draw pictures of people doing various things on the whiteboard)

(Pointing to the part of the picture where it says “tonight” and shows eating fish…)

Teacher
Teacher
これはなんですか。
(What is this?)

さかな です。(It’s a fish.)
学生さん
学生さん

(Pointing to the picture of the person eating…)

たべます。(I eat it.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
こんばん わたし は さかな を たべます。(Tonight, I will eat fish.)

Use flashcards of drinks, books, cigarettes, etc. to check the sentence patterns.

(Pointing to the part of the picture where it says “last week” and shows meeting a friend…)

Teacher
Teacher
これは なんです か。(What is this?)

ともだち です。(It’s a friend.)
学生さん
学生さん

 

(Pointing to the picture of the action of meeting…)

せんしゅう ともだち を あいました。(I met a friend last week.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
せんしゅう ともだち に あいました。(I met with a friend last week.)

Point!!

In this lesson, continue to introduce verbs with “affirmative/negative” and “present/past” in mind.
I think this will help students to use them more smoothly.

 
 
On the board

あした   さかな   たべます。
きのう   ビール   のみました。
まいばん  テレビ   みます。
せんしゅう  ともだち  あいました。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!


Thumbnail of Verbs Sentence 1 PDF
You can download the materials from here.

 

 

(Tense) ~ますか。/ ~ましたか。
    Yes, ~ます。/ ~ません。
    No, ~ません。/ ~ませんでした。

(Adding a question mark to the notes on the board)

Teacher
Teacher
~さん、あした さかな を たべますか。(Will you eat fish tomorrow?)

はい、たべます。(Yes, I will eat it.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
~さん、きのう ビールを飲みましたか。(Did you drink beer yesterday?)

いいえ、飲みませんでした。(No, I didn’t.)
学生さん
学生さん
On the board

Q: あした さかな たべますか?
A:       はい、たべます。
        いいえ、たべません。
Q: きのう ビール のみましたか?
A:       はい、のみました。
        いいえ、のみませんでした。
Q: せんしゅう ともだち にあいましたか?
         はい、あいました。
        いいえ、あいませんでした。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!


Thumbnail of Verbs Sentence 2 PDF
You can download the materials from here.

 

Q: ~ますか。
A:Yes, (always/ sometimes) ~ます。
   No, (not much/ never) ~ません。

(Draw a weekly schedule on the whiteboard)

Teacher
Teacher
ケンさんは
げつようび ビール を のみます。
かようび も ビール を のみます。
すいようび も ビール を のみます。
もくようび も、きんようび も、どようび も、にちようびも…。 (Ken drinks beer on Monday. He drinks beer on Tuesday. He drinks beer on Wednesday. Thursday too, Friday too, Saturday too, and Sunday too…)

(Adding circles under each day)
Teacher
Teacher
ケンさんは いつも  ビール を のみます。(Ken always drinks beer.)

Teacher
Teacher
ミカさんは
げつようび と すいようび と きんようび テレビ を みます。
ミカさん は ときどき テレビ を みます。 (Mika watches TV on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Mika sometimes watches TV.)


Introduce “not much” and “never” in the same way.

On the board

ケンさん いつも ビールをのみます。
ミカさん ときどき テレビをみます。
エドさん あまり ビールをのみません。
わたし ぜんぜん テレビをみません。
(Ken always drinks beer. Mika sometimes watches TV. Ed doesn’t drink much beer. I never watch TV.)

 

Teacher
Teacher
Aさん は ビール を のみますか。(A-san, do you drink beer?)

はい、ときどき のみます。(Yes, sometimes I do.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
Bさん は えいが を みますか。(B-san, do you watch movies?)

いいえ、あまり みません。(No, I don’t watch them much.)
学生さん
学生さん

Once students have learned about frequency, practice QA by asking questions.

Point!!

Remember that “very” and “sometimes” are used in affirmative sentences,
while “not much” and “never” are used in negative sentences.
Sometimes students make mistakes like saying “I eat not much.”

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!


Thumbnail of Verbs Sentence 3 PDF
You can download the materials from here.

 

 

What do you (verb)?

(Draw a picture of a person eating something on the whiteboard. What is it? Mark)

Teacher
Teacher
~さんは こんばん なに を たべますか。(What will you eat tonight?)

さかな を たべます。(I will eat fish.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
~さん は けさ なに を のみましたか。(What did you drink this morning?)

コーヒー を のみました。(I drank coffee.)
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
~さん は きのう だれ に あいましたか。(Who did you meet yesterday?)

ともだち に あいました。(I met a friend.)
学生さん
学生さん

Encourage students not only to answer but also to create questions.

Point!!

In the practice so far, if answers like “nothing” or “no one” come out of the students’ mouths,
you can introduce them at that time.
If it doesn’t come up, draw a picture or explain orally.
“There is no one to meet.” might come up as an answer.
Explain that “no one” connects naturally with “to meet” and that “に” cannot be omitted.

 

 
On the board

Q: こんばん なにを たべますか?
A:    さかなをたべます。
       なにもたべません。

Q: けさ なにを のみましたか?
A:   コーヒーをのみました。
       なにものみませんでした。

Q: きのう だれに あいましたか?
     ともだちにあいました。
       だれにもあいませんでした。

 

What did you do?

(Write “Sunday” on the whiteboard and draw various activities below it)

Teacher
Teacher
~さん は にちようび なに を しましたか。(What did you do on Sunday?)

(Pointing to the picture of reading a book)
ほん を よみました。(I read a book.)
学生さん
学生さん

(Pointing to the picture of going to the supermarket)
スーパー へ いきました。(I went to the supermarket.)
学生さん
学生さん

(Pointing to the picture of meeting a girlfriend)
かのじょ に あいました。(I met my girlfriend.)
学生さん
学生さん


Point!!

The answer to “What do you do? / What did you do?” doesn’t always have to use “~をします。/~をしました。”.
Make sure that students can freely use other verbs.
It’s also good to introduce and practice “nothing” here.

 

On the board

Q: にちようび なにをしましたか?
A:      ほんをよみました。
     スーパーへいきました。
     かのじょにあいました。
      なにもしませんでした。

Make students aware of the freedom in answers!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん
中堅さん
中堅さん
I have prepared practice materials here!!


Thumbnail of Verbs Sentence 4 PDF Thumbnail of Verbs Sentence 5 PDF
You can download the materials from here.
 
中堅さん
中堅さん
Is this the end of the first part…?
In the second part, we will learn “verb + at place”, “won’t you”, and “let’s”.
 

新人君
新人君
So, this is Lesson 10.
In this lesson, we will learn about the expressions “arimasu” and “imasu” used to indicate existence.

Start by carefully categorizing which words to use with “arimasu” and “imasu”.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
The phrases “(place) ni ~ ga…” and “~ wa (place) ni…” have tricky particle positions.
Anyway, make sure to always include “ni” after the place…

There are many words to indicate positions,
which can be hard to remember.
It’s good to make many sentences to naturally memorize them!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

新人君
新人君
The goal of this lesson is…

Minna no Nihongo “Lesson 10” Goals

“Being able to convey whether something exists or who is present at a location”
“Being able to convey the whereabouts of things, people, and animals”

 

There is/are (object/person/animal) in (place)

(Draw a picture of a park on the whiteboard, including trees, a dog, a bench, etc.)

Teacher
Teacher
There is a tree in the park.
There is a bench in the park.
There is a dog in the park.
There is a girl in the park.

Point

Explain that “arimasu” is used for objects and “imasu” is used for people and animals.

 

(Draw a picture of a classroom on the whiteboard, adding people and objects.)

Teacher
Teacher
In the classroom…

There is a boy in the classroom.
There is a desk in the classroom.
There is a teacher in the classroom.
学生さん
学生さん

Point

To avoid confusion, also explain the differences between “(place) e” and “(place) de” learned previously.

Confirm and practice sentence patterns with flashcards

Board Writing

(place) ni object ga arimasu.
kouen ni ki ga arimasu.
kyoushitsu ni tsukue ga arimasu.
toukyou ni onsen ga arimasu.

(place) ni person/animal ga imasu.
kouen ni inu ga imasu.
kyoushitsu ni otokonoko ga imasu.

 

There is/are ~ at the place (position)

(Draw a picture of a desk. On the desk, draw a pencil, under the desk draw a boy, a cat, and on the desk draw a book and a pencil.)
(Pointing to the top and bottom of the desk…)

Teacher
Teacher
On top of the desk, under the desk… these are places.

(Pointing to the pencil on the desk)

Teacher
Teacher
On top of the desk…

There is a pencil on top of the desk.
学生さん
学生さん

Confirm and practice sentence patterns with flashcards

Board Writing

(place) ni object ga arimasu.
(tsukue no ue) ni hon ga arimasu.
(tsukue no shita) ni kaban ga arimasu.

(place) ni person/animal ga imasu.
(tsukue no shita) ni neko ga imasu.
(doa no mae) ni kodomo ga imasu.

(honya to ginkou no aida) ni yuubinkyoku ga arimasu.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials for you!!

Thumbnail of Basho ni arimasu imasu PDF
Japanese Grammar Materials: “Basho ni arimasu/imasu”

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
This time, I’ve prepared two practice materials!!

Thumbnail of Basho ni arimasu information gap PDF
Japanese Grammar Materials: “Arimasu/Imasu” Information Gap

 

~ya~nado

(Pointing to a student’s desk with few things on it…)

Teacher
Teacher
On top of A-san’s desk…

There are books and pens.
学生さん
学生さん

(Pointing to a student’s desk with many things on it…)

Teacher
Teacher
On top of B-san’s desk…

There are pens, a cellphone, a book, an eraser, and…
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
There are pens, a cellphone, a book… It’s a lot.
There are things like pens and cellphones.

It’s a lot to list everything,
so emphasize giving two examples.
Teacher
Teacher
In the classroom…

There are things like a clock and a TV.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Writing

A to B to C to D to E ga arimasu.
→ A ya C (nado) ga arimasu.

Take a break, then it’s time for the second half.
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

新人君
新人君
This is Lesson 11 of “Minna no Nihongo.”
This lesson seems difficult because of the counters.

Yes, the counters covered in this lesson
are just a part of all the counters.
先輩さん
先輩さん

The difficult ones to remember are
“hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu…”
You just have to memorize them with determination!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Also, be careful with the sound changes for
“ichinen,” “ikkagetsu,” and so on for “one year,” “one month,” etc.

The goal of Lesson 11 is clear!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

Goals of “Minna no Nihongo” Lesson 11

“To use various counters.”
“To say the number of times something happened and the duration of activities.”

 

Counters (~枚)

(Draw a picture of a person finishing a report on the whiteboard and prompt them to say the sentence)

I finished writing the report.
学生さん
学生さん

(Draw a speech bubble with “3” on the picture of the report)
3… I finished writing the report.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
I wrote 3 reports.

Point

Check the sounds for 1 to 10.
Make them aware that the “counter” goes before the verb.
Also, remind them that particles do not attach after the “counter.”

 
 
Board Writing

レポート を 3まい かきました。
てがみ  を 2まい おくります。
かみ   が 9まい あります。

How Many Sheets (何枚)

(Pointing at the desk)

Teacher
Teacher
Everyone, how many sheets of paper are on the desk?

There are 5 sheets.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice Q&A with flashcards.

Board Writing

Q:つくえ の 上 に かみ が なんまい ありますか。
A:               5まい  あります。

Q:てがみ を なんまい おくりますか。
A:       2まい おくります。

~ Machines (~台)

(Draw a picture of a room with a computer and prompt them to say the sentence)

There is a computer in the room.
学生さん
学生さん

(Add 3 more computers to the drawing)
There are 4 computers in the room…
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
There are 4 computers in the room.

Practice counting cars and other electronic devices using flashcards.
Check the counting for 1 to 10

Board Writing

へや に パソコン が 4だい あります。
わたし は くるま が 2だい あります。

How Many Machines (何台)

(Add a question mark to the previous drawing of the computers)

Teacher
Teacher
How many computers are in the room?

There are 4 computers.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice Q&A with flashcards

Board Writing

Q:へや に パソコン が なんだい あります か。
A:             4だい あります。

Q:Aさん は くるま が なんだい あります か。
A:             2だい あります。

~ People (~人)

(Draw a picture of multiple men and women in a room on the whiteboard)

Teacher
Teacher
There are two men in the room.
There are three women in the room.

(Show a picture of a family structure)
Teacher
Teacher
There are five people in my family.
I have two siblings.

Point

※ It’s more natural to say “There are ~ people in my family” with “です”. “I have ~ siblings” sounds more natural with “います”.
Also, note that “There are ~ people in my family” includes oneself, but “I have ~ siblings” does not include oneself.

 
 
Check with picture cards. If time allows, make sentences about the population of countries and their own family structures.
 
Board Writing

へや に おとこのひと が ふたり います。
わたし  の  かぞく は ごにん です。
わたし は きょうだい が ふたり います。

How Many People (何人)

(Draw a question mark on the previous picture of the people in the room)

Teacher
Teacher
How many men are in the room?

There are two men.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
How many women are in the room?

There are three women.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice asking about the number of people in the actual classroom, family, and siblings.

Board Writing

Q:おとこ の ひと が なんにん います か。
A:           ふたり  います。

Q:おんな の ひと が なんにん います か。
A:           さんにん います。

 

Hitotsu, Futatsu, Mittsu…

(Draw a picture of a person eating an apple)

Teacher
Teacher
I ate an apple this morning.

(Increase the number of apples)
Teacher
Teacher
I ate three apples.

Check the counting for 1 to 10 and note that “つ” is not added after 10.

Teacher
Teacher
There are desks in the classroom…

There are 11 desks.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
There are doors in the classroom…

There are two doors.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice with flashcards

Board Writing

りんご を みっつ    たべました。
つくえ が じゅういち  あります。
ドア  が ふたつ    あります。

How Many (いくつ)

(Add a question mark to the previous drawing)

Teacher
Teacher
How many apples did you eat?

I ate two apples.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
How many desks are there in the classroom?

There are ten desks.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice Q&A with flashcards

Board Writing

Q:りんご を いくつ たべました か。
A:      ふたつ たべました。

Q:つくえ が いくつ あります か。
A:      とお あります。

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here.
First, let’s practice making basic sentences!!

Thumbnail of counter sentences PDF
You can download the materials here

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!
Now let’s practice Q&A

Thumbnail of counter QA PDF
You can download the materials here
 
中堅さん
中堅さん
Let’s stop here.
Please look at the second half later.

新人君
新人君
Lesson 12, right? It’s about the past tense of adjectives, comparative, and superlative forms.

Yes, it’s a relatively easy sentence pattern to understand, and introducing and practicing it is engaging, so this lesson is good.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Past tense of adjectives… Can we get it to stick smoothly?

Since adjectives are studied less frequently compared to verbs, regularly include them in example sentences and teaching materials to make sure students don’t forget them!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

Here are the goals for this lesson!!
先輩さん
先輩さん

Goals for Lesson 12 of “Minna no Nihongo”

“Using the past tense of adjectives to talk about impressions and feelings of past events.”
“Using comparative expressions to evaluate things.”

 

Past Tense of な-Adjectives and Nouns

教師
教師
A-san, are you free tomorrow?

Yes, I am free. / No, I am not free.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
B-san, were you free yesterday?

Yes, I was free?
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
Yes, I was free. / No, I was not free.

教師
教師
Everyone, is tomorrow Tuesday?

Yes, it is Tuesday.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
Was yesterday Sunday?

Yes, it was Sunday.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
Was the day before yesterday Friday?

No, it was not Friday.
学生さん
学生さん
Board Notes

(な-Adjectives)
Q: あした ひま ですか。
A: はい ひま です。
 いいえ ひま じゃありません。

Q: きのう ひま でしたか。
A: はい ひま でした。
 いいえ ひま じゃありませんでした。

Practice converting present tense to past tense orally.
(For example: 便利です → 便利でした / 雨じゃありません → 雨じゃありませんでした。)

 

Past Tense of い-Adjectives

教師
教師
C-san, are you busy tomorrow?

Yes, I am busy. / No, I am not busy.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
D-san, how about yesterday?

Yes, I was busy…
学生さん
学生さん

(Writing transformation rules)

教師
教師
I was busy.

教師
教師
No, I was not busy…

(Writing transformation rules)
教師
教師
I was not busy.


Board Notes

(い-Adjectives)
Q: あした いそがしい ですか。
A: はい いそがしい です。
 いいえ いそがし くないです。

Q: きのう いそがしかった ですか。
A: はい いそがし かった です。
 いいえ いそがしくなかったです。

After confirming the rules, practice converting present tense to past tense orally.

Points

Be careful with 「いいです」→「よかったです」/「よくないです」→「よくなかったです」.
Watch out for mistakes like “暑かったでした” and “おいしくなかったでした”.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of Adjective Past Tense PDF
Download the materials from here
 

How Was It?

教師
教師
Everyone, how was today’s study?

It was difficult.
It was easy.
It was interesting.
It was tough.
学生さん
学生さん

教師
教師
It was interesting but difficult.

(Remind about the conjunctions “そして” and “が” to connect sentences.)

教師
教師
How was last month’s party?

There were many people. And it was lively.
It was fun, but the food was not good.
Etc.
学生さん
学生さん

Ask various other questions and let the students answer freely.

Points

This unit is just about making sentences in the past tense and connecting them, so it’s an easy unit to understand without much detailed introduction.

 
中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared some practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of How Was It (Adjectives) PDF
Download the materials from here
 

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve also prepared conversation practice materials this time!!

Thumbnail of Adjective Past Tense Conversation PDF
Download the materials from here
 
新人君
新人君
We’re now in the second half. Comparative expressions will come up next.


新人君
新人君
This is lesson 13.
“I want to do ~.” “I’m going to ~.”
These are sentence patterns using the “masu” form.

It’s easy because you just replace “masu” with another word.
先輩さん
先輩さん

中堅さん
中堅さん
Making sentences is easy, but listening to sentences like “mi ni ikimasu” and “shi ni ikimasu” is difficult…

If you emphasize that “~hoshii” and “~tai” are adjectives, it should be fine!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん

新人君
新人君
The negative form of “~tai desu,” “~takunai desu,” seems hard to remember too.

This is the goal for this lesson!!
先輩さん
先輩さん

Goals for Lesson 13 of “Minna no Nihongo”

Communicate what you want or want to do
Communicate the purpose of going somewhere

In this lesson, students will make sentences using “kara” (because) to express reasons, using previously learned sentence patterns and vocabulary. It’s a great review opportunity!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん
新人君
新人君
You can get the materials on this page.

 Japanese Grammar Materials: “I want to do ~ / I don’t want to do ~”

 

~が欲しいです。

(Draw a person who looks thirsty on the whiteboard. Draw a speech bubble and a picture of water.)

Teacher
Teacher
I’m thirsty, so I want water.

(Draw a person who looks hungry on the whiteboard…)

Teacher
Teacher
I’m hungry, so…

I want food.
学生さん
学生さん

(Draw various other pictures…)

Teacher
Teacher
I’m lonely, so…

I want a boyfriend.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
I have a lot of work, so…

I want time.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice with flashcards, creating sentences with given clauses.

~が欲しくないです。

Teacher
Teacher
Everyone, tomorrow is a holiday.
Do you want homework?

No, I don’t want it.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
“Hoshii” is an “i-adjective.”

No, I don’t want it.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice with other YES/NO questions.

Board Notes

(Noun) が ほしい です。
I want money.
I want time.
I want water.

Q: Do you want a bag?
A: Yes, I want it.
No, I don’t want it.

 

What do you want?/ What kind of ~ do you want?

Teacher
Teacher
Mr. A, what do you want for your birthday?

I want a shirt.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What kind of shirt do you want?

I want a nice shirt.
学生さん
学生さん

Ask other students as well.

Points

Confirm that when answering, “Noun + no + Noun,” “i-adjective + Noun,” and “na-adjective + na + Noun” will appear.

 

Board Notes

Q: What do you want?
A: I want a shirt.

Q: What kind of shirt do you want?
A: I want a nice shirt. (na-adjective)
I want an expensive shirt. (i-adjective)
I want a Japanese shirt. (Noun)

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of Lesson 13 13-1 (Want)

~たいです。

Points

If sentences like “nemasu ga hoshii desu” appear in the “I want ~” section, you can introduce this naturally.


(Draw a person who looks like they want to eat cake on the whiteboard)

Teacher
Teacher
I want to eat cake.

(Draw a person pointing at a movie theater)
Teacher
Teacher
I want to watch a movie.

(Draw a person who looks like they want to smoke on the whiteboard)

Teacher
Teacher
I want to smoke…

I want to smoke.
学生さん
学生さん

Practice with flashcards.
Provide a reason (first clause) and practice creating sentences with “~tai” (second clause).
Example: (Head hurts, so…) I want to go home.
(I’m tired, so…) I want to rest.

Board Notes

I want to eat cake.
I want to watch a movie.
I want to smoke.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of Thumbnail of
You can download the materials here

 

What do you want to do? / What kind of ~ do you want to do?

Teacher
Teacher
Mr. A, what do you want to eat tonight?

I want to eat fish.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
Mr. B, what do you want to do on Sunday?

I want to buy a bag at the department store.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
What kind of bag do you want to buy?

I want to buy a small bag.
学生さん
学生さん

Introduce this by asking other questions as well.

Board Notes

Q: What do you want to eat?
A: I want to eat fish.

Q: What kind of bag do you want to buy?
A: I want to buy a small bag.

Q: Where do you want to eat lunch?
A: I want to eat at Matsuya.

Q: When do you want to go back to your country?
A: I want to go back in April next year.

 

~たいです。 / ~たくないです。

Teacher
Teacher
Everyone, do you want to have a party at school tomorrow?

Yes, I do.
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
Do you want to have a test tomorrow?

No, I don’t want…
学生さん
学生さん

Teacher
Teacher
“~tai” is an “i-adjective.”

No, I don’t want to.
学生さん
学生さん

Ask a few more questions to confirm the sentence pattern.

Board Notes

Tomorrow, I want to have a party.
Tomorrow, I don’t want to have a test.

Tonight, I want to drink beer.
Every night, I don’t want to drink beer.

 

中堅さん
中堅さん
I’ve prepared practice materials here!!

Thumbnail of Thumbnail of Thumbnail of
You can download the materials here

中堅さん
中堅さん
This should be fine for now.

Now, let’s continue to the second half!!
ベテランさん
ベテランさん