THE LINGUISTICS AND
LANGUAGE SOCIETY
PRESENTS
Japanese
Crash Course
2026
日本語クラッシュコース
An introductory lesson with a linguistics lens
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Before we start
Crash course = useful first contact, not fluency
I am not presenting this as a full university language paper.
Pronunciation and pitch accent vary by region; examples mostly use Standard/Tokyo Japanese.
The aim is: understand how Japanese works, then use a few useful lines confidently.
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What we will cover
Modelled on previous LLS crash courses
Language background: Japonic, “language isolate”, dialects, contact, speakers.
Writing and phonology: scripts, kana, vowels, consonants, mora timing, pitch accent.
Greetings, self-introductions, university degrees, languages, and study lines.
Small grammar toolkit: pronouns, particles, verbs, questions.
Useful phrases, numbers, slang, and tongue twisters.
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Requests?
何を知りたいですか？ / Nani o shiritai desu ka?
Anything you already know about Japanese?
Any pronunciation questions?
Any anime / music / travel / food phrases you want decoded?
Write requests now; we can revisit them later.
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01
言語背景
Language background
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Basic facts
日本語 / Nihongo
Japanese is the national language of Japan and the primary language of everyday public life there.
It belongs to the Japonic family: Japanese plus the Ryukyuan languages, and often Hachijō.
It is commonly described as a language isolate in popular contexts because no external family relationship has been proven.
More precise phrasing: Japonic is a small family, and its external relationships remain unconfirmed.
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Where does “Japanese” fit?
A useful taxonomy for today
Indo-European: English, German, Italian, Hindi, Persian…
Bantu: Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Shona…
Japonic: Japanese, Okinawan, Miyako, Yaeyama, Yonaguni…
Proposed links to Korean, Ainu, Altaic, Austronesian etc. are debated and not accepted as established genealogy.
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Speakers and learning
Japanese is globally studied, but not a global lingua franca
Roughly 120–125 million native speakers, mostly in Japan.
Over 4 million people study Japanese outside Japan according to the Japan Foundation FY2024 survey.
Big learning motivations: media, travel, business, research, heritage, and exchange.
Most L2 learners learn the standard written language first, then encounter regional speech later.
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Dialects and regional speech
方言 / hōgen
Tokyo/Standard Japanese is the default for textbooks, news, and this crash course.
Kansai Japanese is very prominent in media: different intonation, vocabulary, and endings.
Tohoku, Kyushu, and other dialects can differ sharply in pronunciation and grammar.
Ryukyuan languages are related but not “just dialects” in a simple mutual-intelligibility sense.
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A very compressed history
From contact to modern standardization
Old Japanese is attested in 8th-century texts.
Chinese writing entered early and shaped vocabulary, literacy, and later kanji/kana systems.
Kana developed from simplified/adapted Chinese characters.
Modern Standard Japanese was strongly shaped by Edo/Tokyo prestige and national education.
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Contact and vocabulary layers
Why Japanese words can feel different from each other
Native Japanese: yama 山 “mountain”, mizu 水 “water”.
Sino-Japanese: gakusei 学生 “student”, daigaku 大学 “university”.
Loanwords: kōhī コーヒー “coffee”, pātii パーティー “party”.
Different layers can behave differently in sound patterns and word formation.
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02
文字と音
Writing + sounds
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The writing system
Three scripts + rōmaji
Hiragana: native grammar, particles, many native words. Example: ひらがな.
Katakana: loanwords, emphasis, sound effects. Example: カタカナ.
Kanji: logographic characters, often meaning-bearing. Example: 日本語.
Rōmaji: Latin alphabet, useful for learners, but not the normal writing system.
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Kana: the basic idea
Each kana usually represents one mora, not one alphabetic sound.
| a | i | u | e | o |
∅ | あ a | い i | う u | え e | お o |
k | か ka | き ki | く ku | け ke | こ ko |
s | さ sa | し shi | す su | せ se | そ so |
t | た ta | ち chi | つ tsu | て te | と to |
n | な na | に ni | ぬ nu | ね ne | の no |
h | は ha | ひ hi | ふ fu | へ he | ほ ho |
m | ま ma | み mi | む mu | め me | も mo |
y | や ya | | ゆ yu | | よ yo |
r | ら ra | り ri | る ru | れ re | ろ ro |
w | わ wa | | | | を o |
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Kanji: not an alphabet
漢字 / kanji
A kanji typically carries meaning and can have multiple readings.
山 = mountain: yama in native Japanese, san/zan in Sino-Japanese compounds.
日本 can be read Nihon or Nippon depending on context.
For beginners: learn words, not isolated characters only.
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Rōmaji choices
Hepburn-style spellings are learner-friendly
し = shi, ち = chi, つ = tsu, ふ = fu.
Long vowels are often written with macrons: ō, ū.
Tokyo = Tōkyō = とうきょう.
This deck uses common learner rōmaji, not strict technical transcription.
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Vowels
Japanese has five vowel qualities. Length matters.
Kana | Rōmaji | IPA-ish | Example |
あ | a | [a] | ame 雨/飴 |
い | i | [i] | inu 犬 dog |
う | u | [ɯ] | suki 好き like |
え | e | [e] | eki 駅 station |
お | o | [o] | otoko 男 man |
English speakers: do not turn vowels into diphthongs. Japanese お is not usually English “ohhh”.
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Consonants to notice
Not impossible, but not English either
ら・り・る・れ・ろ: the Japanese “r” is usually a tap/flap, between English r/l/d.
ふ / fu: often [ɸɯ], with both lips, not an English f exactly.
し / shi and ち / chi are expected before /i/.
ん / N changes its exact sound depending on what follows.
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Mora timing
Japanese rhythm is counted in morae.
Word | Kana | Moras | Meaning |
Nihon | に・ほ・ん | 3 | Japan |
Tōkyō | と・う・きょ・う | 4 | Tokyo |
gakkō | が・っ・こ・う | 4 | school |
sensei | せ・ん・せ・い | 4 | teacher |
Special morae: long vowel, ん, and small っ each take rhythmic time.
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Length contrasts
Small timing differences can change meaning
obasan おばさん = aunt / middle-aged woman
obāsan おばあさん = grandmother / elderly woman
saka さか = slope
sakka さっか = writer
koko ここ = here; kōkō こうこう = high school
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Pitch accent
Japanese is not stress accent like English.
あめが
ame-ga
飴が “candy + NOM”
Often unaccented in Tokyo Japanese: low → high → high
あめが
ame-ga
雨が “rain + NOM”
Accented: high → low after the first mora
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Pronunciation practice
Find someone near you. Speak, switch roles, then rotate.
A | あ・い・う・え・お a i u e o |
B | か き く け こ / さ し す せ そ ka ki ku ke ko / sa shi su se so |
A | 東京、学校、先生 Tōkyō, gakkō, sensei |
B | おばさん vs おばあさん obasan vs obāsan |
Together | あめ「飴」 vs あめ「雨」 ame “candy” vs ame “rain” |
2–4 minutes
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03
挨拶
Greetings + introductions
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The basics
基本 / kihon
こんにちは — konnichiwa — hello / good afternoon, formal
おはよう(ございます) — ohayō (gozaimasu) — (good) morning
こんばんは — konbanwa — good evening, formal
さようなら — sayōnara — goodbye, formal
じゃあね — jā ne — see you / bye, casual
ありがとう(ございます) — arigatō (gozaimasu) — thanks (thank you, formal)
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Say your name
名前 / namae
お名前は何ですか。Onamae wa nan desu ka. — What is your name?
名前は…です。Namae wa … desu. — My name is …
…です。… desu. — I am …
よろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. — Nice to meet you / please treat me well.
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A simple introduction
自己紹介 / jikoshōkai
こんにちは。Konnichiwa.
名前はアレックスです。Namae wa Alex desu.
大学生です。Daigakusei desu. — I am a university student.
よろしくお願いします。Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
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What do you study?
大学で何を勉強していますか。
大学で何を勉強していますか。Daigaku de nani o benkyō shite imasu ka? — What are you studying at university?
何を専攻していますか。Nani o senkō shite imasu ka? — What is your major?
…を勉強しています。… o benkyō shite imasu. — I study …
専攻は…です。Senkō wa … desu. — My major is …
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University degrees
専攻 / senkō
English | Japanese | Rōmaji |
Linguistics | 言語学 | gengogaku |
Languages | 言語 | gengo |
Japanese | 日本語 | nihongo |
Engineering | 工学 | kōgaku |
Science | 理学 / 科学 | rigaku / kagaku |
Arts | 文学 / 人文学 | bungaku / jinbungaku |
Law | 法学 | hōgaku |
Commerce | 商学 | shōgaku |
Education | 教育学 | kyōikugaku |
Psychology | 心理学 | shinrigaku |
Chemistry | 化学 | kagaku |
Politics | 政治学 | seijigaku |
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Languages you speak
何語を話しますか。
何語を話しますか。Nanigo o hanashimasu ka? — What language(s) do you speak?
英語を話します。Eigo o hanashimasu. — I speak English.
日本語を勉強しています。Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu. — I am studying Japanese.
少しだけ。Sukoshi dake. — Only a little.
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Country / language words
国・言語
Country | Person | Language |
日本 Nihon | 日本人 nihonjin | 日本語 nihongo |
ニュージーランド Nyūjīrando | ニュージーランド人 | 英語 / マオリ語 |
中国 Chūgoku | 中国人 chūgokujin | 中国語 chūgokugo |
韓国 Kankoku | 韓国人 kankokujin | 韓国語 kankokugo |
ドイツ Doitsu | ドイツ人 doitsujin | ドイツ語 doitsugo |
フランス Furansu | フランス人 furansujin | フランス語 furansugo |
イタリア Itaria | イタリア人 itariajin | イタリア語 itariago |
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Practice: introduce yourself
Find someone near you. Speak, switch roles, then rotate.
Greeting | こんにちは。 konnichiwa |
Name | 名前は…です。 namae wa … desu |
Study | 専攻は…です。 / …を勉強しています。 senkō wa … desu / … o benkyō shite imasu |
Languages | 英語を話します。日本語を勉強しています。 Eigo o hanashimasu. Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu. |
Closer | よろしくお願いします。 yoroshiku onegaishimasu |
2–4 minutes
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Degree reference
English | 日本語 | Rōmaji |
Linguistics | 言語学 | gengogaku |
Languages | 言語 | gengo |
Japanese | 日本語 | nihongo |
Engineering | 工学 | kōgaku |
Science | 理学 | rigaku |
Commerce | 商学 | shōgaku |
04
文法ミニキット
Grammar mini-kit
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Word order
Japanese is often SOV
English: I study linguistics.
Japanese: 私は 言語学を 勉強しています。Watashi wa gengogaku o benkyō shite imasu.
Literal order: I-TOPIC linguistics-OBJECT studying am.
Key idea: particles mark roles (は wa, を o), so word order is not doing all the work.
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Particles: tiny but powerful
助詞 / joshi
Particle | Core job | Example |
は wa | topic | 私は学生です。I am a student. |
が ga | subject / focus | 雨が降っています。Rain is falling. |
を o | object | 日本語を勉強します。I study Japanese. |
に ni | to / at / indirect target | 大学に行きます。I go to university. |
で de | at/by means of | 大学で勉強します。I study at university. |
の no | possession / noun link | 私の名前 my name |
か ka | question marker | 学生ですか。Are you a student? |
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Pronouns
Often omitted when context is clear
私 watashi — I / me
僕 boku — I / me, often masculine/casual
あなた anata — you, but often avoided if name/title is known
彼 kare — he; 彼女 kanojo — she / girlfriend �(彼氏 kareshi — boyfriend)
私たち watashi-tachi — we
彼ら kare-ra — they (hes / hes and shes);
彼女たち kanojo-tachi — they (shes)
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日本語 usually prefers names, titles, or omission over constant pronouns.��私は... watashi wa → omitted (except when there’s emphasis on “I”)
あなたは... anata wa… → (your name) wa… / omitted
彼は... kare wa…/ 彼女は... kanojo wa…� → (his / her name) wa… (even if it’s the 2nd or more time referring to this person)
You should not use any of these pronouns when referring to someone older than you. If it is not clear from the context who you are referring to, use their names (+さん san) instead.
Desu and verbs
Two beginner sentence engines
…です。… desu. — is / am / are
学生です。Gakusei desu. — I am a student.
勉強します。Benkyō shimasu. — I study.
話します。Hanashimasu. — I speak.
行きます。Ikimasu. — I go.
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Verb forms: polite present
Start with -ます / -ません
Meaning | Positive | Negative |
study | 勉強します benkyō shimasu | 勉強しません benkyō shimasen |
speak | 話します hanashimasu | 話しません hanashimasen |
go | 行きます ikimasu | 行きません ikimasen |
eat | 食べます tabemasu | 食べません tabemasen |
drink | 飲みます nomimasu | 飲みません nomimasen |
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Questions
No subject-auxiliary inversion
学生です。Gakusei desu. — I am a student.
学生ですか。Gakusei desu ka. — Are you a student?
日本語を話します。Nihongo o hanashimasu. — I speak Japanese.
日本語を話しますか。Nihongo o hanashimasu ka. — Do you speak Japanese?
Rising intonation helps, but か does the grammatical work.
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Practice: ask and answer
Find someone near you. Speak, switch roles, then rotate.
A | 大学で何を勉強していますか。 Daigaku de nani o benkyō shite imasu ka? |
B | …を勉強しています。 … o benkyō shite imasu. |
A | 何語を話しますか。 Nanigo o hanashimasu ka? |
B | 英語を話します。日本語を少し勉強しています。 Eigo o hanashimasu. Nihongo o sukoshi benkyō shite imasu. |
Both | よろしくお願いします。 Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. |
2–4 minutes
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05
使える表現
Useful phrases
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How are you?
元気ですか。
(お)元気ですか。Genki desu ka? — Are you well? (お adds politeness)
元気です。Genki desu. — I’m well.
疲れています。Tsukarete imasu. — I’m tired.
眠いです。Nemui desu. — I’m sleepy.
お腹がすきました。Onaka ga sukimashita. — I’m hungry.
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Classroom survival phrases
聞き返す / asking again
もう一度お願いします。Mō ichido onegaishimasu. — One more time, please.
ゆっくりお願いします。Yukkuri onegaishimasu. — Slowly, please.
分かりません。Wakarimasen. — I don’t understand.
分かりました。Wakarimashita. — I understand.
これは何ですか。Kore wa nan desu ka? — What is this?
どう言いますか。Dō iimasu ka? — How do you say it?
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Numbers
数字 / sūji
1 | 一 ichi |
2 | 二 ni |
3 | 三 san |
4 | 四 yon / shi |
5 | 五 go |
6 | 六 roku |
7 | 七 nana / shichi |
8 | 八 hachi |
9 | 九 kyū / ku |
10 | 十 jū |
Tip: 4, 7, and 9 have alternate readings. Counters can change readings too.
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Example:
4 o’clock → 四時 (yoji) ❌shiji�April → 四月 (shigatsu) ❌yon/yo gatsu
7 o’clock → 七時 (shichiji) ❌nanaji
July → 七月 (shichigatsu) ❌nanagatsu
9 years old → 九歳 (kyūsai) ❌kusai�September → 九月 (kugatsu) ❌kyūgatsu
Days and time
A tiny taste
今日 kyō — today
明日 ashita — tomorrow
昨日 kinō — yesterday
今 ima — now
何時ですか。Nanji desu ka? — What time is it?
三時です。Sanji desu. — It is 3 o’clock.
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Politeness basics
Not every “you” or “I” is neutral
です / ます style is safe for beginners and public settings.
さん san after names is the default polite suffix.
先生 sensei is used for teachers and specialists.
Dropping names/titles can sound abrupt in some contexts.
Casual Japanese exists, but start polite and adjust by context.
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Filler words
Sound less like a textbook
えっと etto — um / let me think
あの ano — um / excuse me / well
そうですね sō desu ne — that’s right / let me see
なんか nanka — like / kind of
まあ mā — well / I guess, まあいっか mā ikka — it’s fine / never mind (accept an imperfect situation)
じゃあ jā — then / well then
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Useful little words
High-frequency glue
はい hai — yes
いいえ iie — no
すみません sumimasen — excuse me / sorry
大丈夫です daijōbu desu — it’s okay / I’m okay
お願いします onegaishimasu — please / I request
大好きです daisuki desu — I really like it
もしもし moshi moshi — Hello? (when answering or initiating a phone call)
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Practice: survival exchange
Find someone near you. Speak, switch roles, then rotate.
A | すみません。これは何ですか。 Sumimasen. Kore wa nan desu ka? |
B | それは…です。 Sore wa … desu. |
A | もう一度お願いします。 Mō ichido onegaishimasu. |
B | …です。 … desu. |
A | 分かりました。ありがとうございます。 Wakarimashita. Arigatō gozaimasu. |
2–4 minutes
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06
文化と言葉遊び
Culture, idioms + fun
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Set phrases with cultural weight
Literal translations undersell them
いただきます itadakimasu — said before eating; “I humbly receive.”
ごちそうさまでした gochisōsama deshita — after a meal; thanks for the meal.
お疲れ様です otsukaresama desu — work/social acknowledgement; “thanks for your efforts.”
よろしくお願いします yoroshiku onegaishimasu — flexible social lubricant, not just “nice to meet you.”
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Idioms and expressions
慣用句 / kanyōku
猫の手も借りたい neko no te mo karitai — so busy you’d borrow a cat’s paw.
猿も木から落ちる saru mo ki kara ochiru — even monkeys fall from trees; even experts make mistakes
花より団子 hana yori dango — dumplings over flowers; practicality over aesthetics.
口が軽い kuchi ga karui — light mouth; cannot keep a secret.
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Onomatopoeia
Japanese is rich in sound-symbolic words
わくわく wakuwaku — excited / thrilled
どきどき dokidoki — heart pounding
ぺらぺら perapera — fluent / chatty
きらきら kirakira — sparkling
ごろごろ gorogoro — rumbling / lazing around
もぐもぐ mogumogu — munching
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Tongue twisters
早口言葉 / hayakuchi kotoba
生麦生米生卵
namamugi namagome namatamago
raw wheat, raw rice, raw egg
隣の客はよく柿食う客だ
tonari no kyaku wa yoku kaki kuu kyaku da
the customer next door often eats persimmons
Try slowly first; keep each mora clear.
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Mini review
What you should leave with
Japanese = Japonic; often popularly called an isolate, with external links unproven.
Writing = hiragana + katakana + kanji, with rōmaji as a learner aid.
Rhythm = mora timing; length and pitch can change words.
You can introduce yourself, say what you study, and ask others what they study.
Particles are small words that do major grammatical work.
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Final conversation challenge
Find someone near you. Speak, switch roles, then rotate.
A | こんにちは。お名前は何ですか。 Konnichiwa. Onamae wa nan desu ka? |
B | 名前は…です。よろしくお願いします。 Namae wa … desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. |
A | 大学で何を勉強していますか。 Daigaku de nani o benkyō shite imasu ka? |
2–4 minutes
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B | …を勉強しています。Aさんは？ … o benkyō shite imasu. A-san wa? |
A | …を勉強しています。何語を話しますか。 … o benkyō shite imasu. Nanigo o hanashimasu ka? |
B | 英語を話します。日本語を勉強しています。 Eigo o hanashimasu. Nihongo o benkyō shite imasu. |
Questions?
質問がありますか。 / Shitsumon ga arimasu ka?
Ask about pronunciation, scripts, pitch accent, grammar, or anything requested at the start.
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Language practice sessions survey
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ありがとうございました
Arigatō gozaimashita
Thank you for your attention, time, and effort.
またね！ / Mata ne!
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Sources + build notes
For presenters who want to revise the deck.
Created as a .pptx with PptxGenJS, which can be uploaded to Google Drive and opened/converted in Google Slides.
Reference structure adapted from prior LLS crash courses: German 2024, Swahili 2025, Italian 2025.
Core references: Encyclopaedia Britannica on Japanese/Japonic; Japan Foundation FY2024 survey; Agency for Cultural Affairs language policy; Shigeto Kawahara on Japanese pitch accent; standard Japanese phonology references.
Suggested timing: 45–55 slides for 1–2 hours, with pronunciation and conversation practice breaks.
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