How did the semester go....
Japanese this semester really pushed me to a new level. I felt in the months of September and October I truly was diligent about practicing and reviewing Japanese. Then for various reasons at the end of October and into November my Japanese suffered. However now that I look at a page of hiragana, kanji, and katakana; it amazes me that I can read for the most part the sounds that the characters make and grasp some meaning. My favorite aspect of Japanese class were the closeness of the small class size and the unforgettable skits. My frustrations with Japanese probably occurred because I feel that the Genki textbook does not do a great job explaining grammar materials. Currently, I am on the borderline about whether to continue Japanese next semester. I know that if I do decide to continue I will need to enter a Japanese relearning mode over the winter break.

How did the speech go...
I felt the speech was a great experience and it was easier practicing by myself to prepare to speak in front of the class. I enjoyed the speech because I was able to discuss a topic in which I was interested. I practiced a multitude of times in my dorm room, but I felt that actually nothing could prepare me for speaking in front of the class. Even though I had memorized my speech, standing in front of the class made my nerves go a little haywire. Well, at least I survived. The other part of the speech project that I enjoyed was listening to the speeches of my classmates. It was interesting hearing about their various interests and experiences.