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 Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 8:28 am
I copied this from another guild.
Chinotenshi (her screen name), who has majored in Japanese, I believe, is trying to bring up a new site for learning Japanese. Here is our conversation: chinotenshi Since January I have been working at a language school in Gifu, Japan as an English teacher. The owner of the school is interested in offering online Japanese classes via chatrooms and webcams. Students will be able to have classes with native Japanese teachers, as well as other foreign teachers who can speak Japanese (most likely me as the other teacher whose Japanese is really good is going home to America in a week). The catch is, she wants to charge a minimum fee for this. Various resources would be available, as well as schedules of when certain teachers would be available. For one price you could take as many of the chat/webcam lessons as you wanted. Details aren't worked out yet, but I'm interested in knowing if anyone would be interested in such a service or not, and if you are, how much you'd be willing to pay by month, or if you'd rather pay per lesson. Also, what would you like to see in such an online lesson service? This wouldn't be like a lot of the pages out there that has learn-it-yourself stuff, this would be actual lessons with actually teachers. Hermonie Urameshi I think it would be great. I don't know how much these usually go for...I think $5-$10 a month? Maybe not enough, but it's all I can afford right now... sweatdrop The only thing I would really want is the lessons to be in kana if it's going to be many people taught at once. chinotenshi If it will be done, it will be done via webcams and a chat (kind of like MSN Messenger) where the teacher could talk, write on a white board that can be seen from the webcam, and also be able to type in kana and romaji. That way if there is someone in the class at the time who can't read kana yet, both are available. Hermonie Urameshi That'll work.  Any idea when it might be coming up? chinotenshi Not sure. We're still in the planning stages, and finding information about other learn-it-yourself Japanese websites, and trying to get opinions from people who want to learn Japanese. This is one reason why I posted this in here, because I know there are people who want to learn here on Gaia. If you have any other questions than what I asked, please note that it might take a little while for meto get back to you on it because I have to go ask her first and she's not on very often.
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 10:23 am
We need some comments, please. amabimus vos! （僕らは君達が好きです。）
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:12 pm
How will the payment system work?
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:20 pm
Wow! This sounds wonderful. I'm very interested in it! I really hope it doesn't end up costing too much...I can only afford like you, $10 a month, but they will probably be working to earn more than that. @_@;;
Questions:
Will this chatroom have other students who are video-cammed, or just the teacher?
Will there be audio on the teacher's webcam to hear the pronunciations and pitches?
Will the students be able to talk through a microphone, to demonstrate their pronunciation and be critiqued accordingly?
Last question...
Would there be certain times we would be required to come on? (Exactly how will the schedule system work? For instance, would we have one, single teacher per course, and continue the lessons through the days as if a real school system?)
(I think it might be difficult to teach from Japan to the rest of us, considering Japan has such different times! Here, it will be afternoon, but in Japan, it will be daybreak..)
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Posted: Tue May 15, 2007 1:46 pm
I went to ask. Hopefully we'll have answers soon. 3nodding
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 6:58 am
chinotenshi Koiyuki How will the payment system work? We're not sure yet. Most likely though PayPal, credit card and International Money order, but the exact details haven't been worked out yet as we're still working on a price. s.o.l.e.m.n.-p.r.i.d.e. Wow! This sounds wonderful. I'm very interested in it! I really hope it doesn't end up costing too much...I can only afford like you, $10 a month, but they will probably be working to earn more than that. @_@;; Questions: (1) Will this chatroom have other students who are video-cammed, or just the teacher? (2) Will there be audio on the teacher's webcam to hear the pronunciations and pitches? (3) Will the students be able to talk through a microphone, to demonstrate their pronunciation and be critiqued accordingly? Last question... (4) Would there be certain times we would be required to come on? (Exactly how will the schedule system work? For instance, would we have one, single teacher per course, and continue the lessons through the days as if a real school system?) (I think it might be difficult to teach from Japan to the rest of us, considering Japan has such different times! Here, it will be afternoon, but in Japan, it will be daybreak..) If I have any say in the matter, we'll have different price levels that'll offer more stuff... (1) Students will not be required to have their own webcam or microphone, but it would be in their best interests to have it. It's easiest if the teacher can both see and hear them. We know that all students do not have access to webcams or microphones, and may not have the broadband internet access needed for them either, so they won't be required, just optional. (2) The teacher will have a microphone so pronounciation can be heard. It wouldn't be a real lesson without it! Students will be able to hear and see the teacher. (3) If students have a microphone, they will be more than welcome to demonstration their pronounciation, answer questions, etc. (4) The schedules of teachers available will be listed on the website. Our English class schedules vary from day to day, so different teachers will be available at different times of the day. There will be daytime and nighttime classes, and maybe afternoon classes if any of us get insomnia and stay up all night over here. Most likely the system will be an interactive schedule of available classes listed by time and/or teacher, so if you have a favorite teacher you can sign up for just their class or if you're only available at a certain time you can look at classes around that time. If we can do it, I'm going to see if we can get the sign up buttons for the classes on that schedule so once you find a session you can join, you can click on it right on that page instead of having to go to another page. You wouldn't be required to stick to just one teacher, unless you'd want to. The lesson plans I put forward to my boss are as follows: Bi-monthly: Students can only take two lessons/sessions a month (2 times a month) Weekly: Students can only take one lesson/session a week (4 times a month) Bi-weekly: Students can only take two lessons/sessions a week (8 times a month) Unlimited: Students can sign up for as many lessons/sessions they want in a month For the bi-monthly, weekly and bi-weekly plans, you can take the lessons at any time during the month. For example, with the weekly plan, you can take 1 lesson the first week of the month, 2 the next week, skip a week, then take one the last week. Any combination would be acceptable. If students still can't make all the lessons they signed up for (i.e. paid for 4 lessons a month but can only make it to three), other arrangements (a special extended lesson, private lesson, roll over to the next month) can be made so students don't lose the money they paid. We do this with our regular English classes at the moment, so I'm sure we'll be able to do it over the internet as well. We will probably also have a price for individual lessons so if you find that you have time to take one more class but have used up your lessons that you already paid for, you can purchase another session.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 2:40 pm
I see! They're really thinking this through well, aren't they? Those plans sound gorgeous. I just really hope I'll be able to afford the lessons!
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