The Japan America Society of Pennsylvania will host its next "Japanese-English Reading Circle" in Shadyside on December 5. An overview, from the event's Facebook page:
Mission: to promote language learning through reading and language exchange. We aim to keep positivity and motivation high while developing reading fluency, vocabulary, content discussion, and reading strategies in a fun, collaborative environment.The apartment complex at 401 Shady Ave. (map) has a large number of Japanese residents who work and study in the city, and often hosts cultural events for its international residents. The event on Saturday the 5th runs from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.
How it works:
- Members choose what they want to read (we have a library of Japanese and English books)
- Members read individually on their own time (meetings are for conversation)
- Reading material is generally easier level (to limit looking up vocabulary)
- Members usually read for the purposes of pleasure, information, or general understanding (instead of tests/quizzes, we have conversations, discussions, language-related games)
- Members read as much as possible (to promote reading fluency)
Meetings: will consist of icebreaker language games, discussions about book topics, questions about language, formation of reading goals, and reading strategy sharing/reflection
Who can join: Japanese learners of English or English-speaking learners of Japanese. Any proficiency level is okay, although it would help to have at least beginner level knowledge of the second language you are studying.
Cost: Free for the first meeting. After that, the group will be free for JASP members, with a $5 book deposit to be reimbursed upon return of all borrowed books. Non-members will be $10 +$5 book deposit.
