Foreign Language Friday Meme #3

Wow, this week has whizzed by! I'm keeping this post short since I'm not feeling amazing this afternoon. But at least I rested up with lots of anime!

I love foreign languages because even if you don't go to classes, even if you don't have a native speaker it is still possible to hang on to the skills you learn, and reinforce them too.

My favourite way of reinforcement for French and Spanish is reading. I've seen a few French films, but not that many. I love those languages just for reading. Although I haven't really read them in ages, so perhaps I'll start doing so.

Japanese - I find reading a bit trickier, because of the different writing systems. I can read them, especially if the kanji is written in small hiragana/katakana (the other 2 alphabets), but it's still slow going. My favourite mode of learning Japanese by far is watching anime. I'm really recognising various grammar structures now, as well as going over vocab I already know, and learning new words as characters repeat them all the time. I'm learning different types of speech - formal and informal, and the variety used among friends.

Today I've been watching Sasami Magical Girls' Club. A group of girls who are mostly loners each have magic, and it brings them together. They train up under the guise of a cooking club, with a teacher and the handyman/janitor person. They get to go to the world of witches, which is full of glitz and glamour. However, beneath the surface there are secrets abound, and the girls end up being split from one another, as one of them takes the side of the witches and carries on learning offensive magic. That hasn't quite happened yet, but I'm in the 2nd season (which really is half of the first, since the seasons were only 13 episodes long). Misao hasn't cut her hair yet, although the way the last episode ending she's nearly taken in by the other witches! I love this anime because it's a feel good one. The central themes are friendship, and the troubles & joys that go with it. I love the girls hair, and the magic they can do is cool. I like it that the witches manages to turn Misao, but eventually she comes around.

One last thing...I'm hoping to maybe try sashiko, which is a particular form of Japanese sewing. I'll give more details when I get a book or a kit :) Hopefully I'll have pictures then too!

Have a great weekend, be sure to pop in both tomorrow and Sunday where I'll have book reviews here!