Note to reader: Today is the final section in the third unit of my motivational multi-literacy curriculum. This lesson is usually taught in late February. Currently I am posting writings from my graduate program in preparation for a speech in November.
This is UNIT 3 in the Possible Selves program: Thinking of our hopes, expectations & fears as a Japanese language user. This is the Exploring section. Here’s part of the conclusion to get students to reflect on what they learned in this unit.
You can find links to the other units here: Possible Selves as a Japanese Language User
Below is my message and reflective prompt for my students completing Unit 2. This unit has been about discovering their strengths and interests. Unit 3 takes them deeper into thinking about who they are as a language user. By the end of Unit 7 they have a detailed 10 year plan for attaining proficiency in Japanese.
Unit 3 Review
Just like there are an innumerous different kinds of 招き猫, you and your experiences are uniquely your own. Think back to the beginning of this unit.
- How many different kinds of 招き猫 did you notice at first?
- What about now?
Just as your journey through life will not follow the same path as your peers, neither will your journey to master Japanese. Having a clearer picture of what your distant future hope is allows you to manage your expectations and create a more realistic vision of what can be accomplished in a certain amount of time. Even though you may want to ignore the things that cause you anxiety and fear, being able to identify those feelings and situations will help you navigate around them or at least prepare for them.
As you go forward remember that your Hope is a dream, your Expectation is something you are certain will happen, and your Fear is something we can identify and do our best to avoid. Knowing what we are afraid of is certain to motivate us in a different path so we can set our intentions on what we hope to achieve.
Reflection Prompts
- In a short reflection (about 200 words), write about your strengths and interests you identified
- Post this reflection on your blog along with the 招き猫 you created
- Include the hashtags #possibleselves3 and #manekineko at the end of your blog post.
If you are joining me on this journey, please include #mynihongolessons.
Coming up
Next week I will share portions of Unit 4 from my motivation curriculum. Unit 4 focuses on the SKETCHING step of the Possible Selves method. Students will create a tree that represents who they are while exploring volitional verb endings, the song “Ue wo Muite Arukou” and its use in Japanese society to inspire hope in difficult times. (trigger warning: this unit does contain a section on the 3.11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, and its aftermath)
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If you would like to discuss how Possible Selves and multi-literacy programs can be adopted to your program, please contact me.
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