助け合って みんなで 向上しよう！
We support ourselves!

from アンドリュー

"Professor Fumiko Tachibana uses a variety of activities and techniques in her classroom. She mixes traditional grammar lecture with skits, speeches, essays, multimedia presentations, and internet research to give her students plenty of exposure to Japanese language. The more language students use a target language, the greater chance that they will actually learn it, and Professor Tachibana gives an incredibly wide range of ways in which to master Japanese. Further, Professor Tachibana has a great love of Japanese culture and desires to share Japanese history and modern popular culture with her students. Many Japanese language classes focus on survival level Japanese, which cover basic greetings, common social situations such as ordering at a restaurant or going to a bank, etc. However, these basic classes lack the knowledge of colloquial Japanese in more involved situations, such as what to say when visiting someone's home, and even what to do in order to make Japanese hosts feel at ease. At the Tachibana Language Center, students go beyond the standard curriculum of alphabet, kanji, and grammar into actual language use. The students meet regularly and engage in actual Japanese conversation, as opposed to drilling textbook-driven, idealized dialogues and expressions that tend to be unrealistic. Professor Tachibana instructs not only in proper Japanese speaking, hearing, writing, and reading, but also in proper etiquette and behavior if one's goal is to travel to Japan. I cannot emphasize enough Professor Tachibana and the Tachibana Language Center as a resource for Californian Americans seeking successful entry into Japan. Her experience, teaching ability, and the activities she organizes give many potential entry-ways into Japanese culture."

-アンドリュー

* アンドリュー　was a recipient of Best Efforts Award at San Diego Japanese Speech Contest 2009. He studied Japanese at Palomar.

1.
“I recently applied to the JET Program, an extremely prestigious and competitive program that allows international exchange with Japan. As my Japanese language teacher at Palomar College, Fumiko Tachibana wrote me an excellent letter of recommendation that impressed the program directors enough to grant me an interview. Because of her language instruction, I was able to respond to an impromptu evaluation of my Japanese speaking ability given by the Japanese Consul General himself, to listen to questions asked in Japanese, and to give replies in Japanese. I believe that Professor Tachibana's advice helped me to prepare for the rigorous panel interview session. I have been accepted into the JET Program for 2010, beating the one in five odds of being accepted. I owe it all to Professor Tachibana's assistance.” April 27, 2010

2.
“Professor Fumiko Tachibana once told me that she believed that language instruction should be fun. Professor Tachibana does indeed put her educational beliefs into practice: one of her favorite classroom tools is her ping/buzz paddle, (ping for correct answers; buzz for incorrect answers)--much like a Japanese game show. This is not to say that Professor Tachibana does not take language instruction seriously. I share this small remembrance in order to illustrate how Professor Tachibana uses a variety of activities and techniques in her classroom. She mixes traditional grammar lecture with skits, speeches, essays, multimedia presentations, and internet research to give her students plenty of exposure to Japanese language. The more language students use a target language, the greater chance that they will actually learn it, and Professor Tachibana gives an incredibly wide range of ways in which to master Japanese. Further, Professor Tachibana is a firm believer that any language cannot be taught in isolation from the culture which uses it. She has a great love of Japanese culture and desires to share Japanese history and modern popular culture with her students. Many Japanese language classes focus on “survival” level Japanese, which cover basic greetings, common social situations such as ordering at a restaurant or going to a bank, etc. However, these basic classes lack the knowledge of colloquial Japanese and more involved situations, such as what to say when visiting someone’s home, and even what to do in order to make Japanese hosts feel at ease. At the Tachibana Language Center, students go beyond the standard curriculum of alphabet, kanji, and grammar into actual language use. The students meet regularly and engage in actual Japanese conversation, as opposed to drilling textbook-driven, idealized dialogues and expressions that tend to be unrealistic. Professor Tachibana instructs not only in proper Japanese speaking, hearing, writing, and reading, but also in proper etiquette and behavior if one’s goal is to travel to Japan. Finally, Professor Tachibana organizes the yearly San Diego Regional Japanese Speech Contest, an organization which encourages high school and various colleges to come together and share their skills in Japanese language. As head of the organizing committee, Professor Tachibana encourages international relations between Japanese American citizens, Californian youth interested in Japan, and representatives of Japan itself. This is in addition to Professor Tachibana’s yearly trips to Japan, where she takes a group of dedicated students on a tour of her native country. I cannot emphasize enough Professor Tachibana and the Tachibana Language Center as a resource for Californian Americans seeking successful entry into Japan. Her experience, teaching ability, and the activities she organizes give many potential entry-ways into Japanese culture.

” March 27, 2010