復習１：自己紹介Unit I Review: Introducing Yourself
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Greet someone, introduce yourself, and exchange names using です, は, and か.
- Identify classroom objects and people, and ask for clarification using これ／それ／あれ／どれ and の.
- State where you are from, what language(s) you speak, and what you study, using から, を, and と.
- Introduce family members and friends, ask だれですか, and choose correctly between います and あります.
- Combine a location and an existing person or thing using [place]に[person/thing]が います／あります.
- Read and write complete hiragana, the first fifteen katakana symbols (ア・カ・サ rows), and the fourteen kanji introduced in Unit I.
- Demonstrate control of the small っ, long vowels, and moraic ん in both reading aloud and writing.
- Produce a connected spoken and written self-introduction that combines every system from Chapters 1 through 4.
Communication Scenario
A new international exchange program is holding its first meeting at the community center. Everyone in the room is a stranger, and the organizer has asked each participant to prepare a short self-introduction: name, origin, language(s), what they study or do, and one or two words about their family or a friend who is important to them. Tom and Keiko, who have already met through their earlier study sessions, are each preparing to introduce themselves to the wider group and to meet other new people for the first time.
- This chapter does not introduce anything new. Instead, it asks you to combine everything from Chapters 1 through 4 into one connected performance — exactly the kind of task a real first meeting like this would require.
- As you review, notice how naturally the systems from separate chapters fit together: a greeting leads into a name, a name leads into an origin, an origin leads into a family or friend, and a family member leads into a simple description.
Vocabulary Review
No new vocabulary is introduced in this chapter. The tables below reorganize the most important words from Chapters 1 through 4 by communicative function, so that you can check your control of each domain before the assessment tasks later in the chapter.
あいさつとなまえ — Greetings and names (Chapter 1)
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| はじめまして | はじめまして | How do you do; nice to meet you (first meeting only) |
| よろしくおねがいします | よろしくおねがいします | Please treat me well / pleased to meet you |
| 〜さん | さん | polite title attached to a name |
| わたし | わたし | I; me |
きょうしつのことば — Classroom language (Chapter 2)
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これ／それ／あれ／どれ | これ／それ／あれ／どれ | this / that / that over there / which one |
| なん／なに | なん／なに | what |
| ほん | ほん | book |
| えんぴつ | えんぴつ | pencil |
じぶんのこと — About yourself (Chapter 3)
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 〜から来ました | 〜からきました | I came from 〜 (I am from 〜) |
| にほんご | にほんご | Japanese language |
| えいご | えいご | English language |
| 学生 | がくせい | student |
| はなします | はなします | speak (polite, nonpast) |
かぞくとともだち — Family and friends (Chapter 4)
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 家族 | かぞく | family |
| 父／母 | ちち／はは | (my) father / (my) mother |
| お父さん／お母さん | おとうさん／おかあさん | (someone's) father / mother |
| 友だち | ともだち | friend |
| やさしい／きびしい／げんき | やさしい／きびしい／げんき | kind / strict / healthy, well |
Before moving on, take a few minutes to sort your own notebook vocabulary from Chapters 1 through 4 into these same four categories. If any word feels unfamiliar, review the relevant chapter before continuing, since this chapter's tasks assume comfortable control of all four domains together.
Script Review: Hiragana, Katakana, and Unit I Kanji
ひらがな — Complete hiragana check
By this point you have met the complete core hiragana inventory, dakuten and handakuten, small ゃゅょ, small っ, and the particle spellings は・へ・を. Before continuing, write out the full hiragana chart from memory, row by row, and check it against your Chapter 1–4 notes. Pay special attention to visually similar pairs such as さ／き, ぬ／め, and わ／ね／れ.
カタカナ — ア・カ・サ rows check
Chapter 4 introduced the first fifteen katakana symbols. Review them here before the writing and script tasks later in this chapter.
Unit I かんじ — The fourteen Unit I kanji
These fourteen kanji, introduced across Chapters 2 through 4, are assessed in this chapter's reading and writing tasks. Review each reading in its taught word before continuing; do not try to memorize every possible reading of a character.
All fourteen Unit I kanji still receive furigana in this chapter's reading passages, exactly as they did when first introduced. Furigana reduction for these kanji does not begin until Unit II. Use the furigana to confirm your reading rather than avoiding it — the goal of this review is confident recognition, not memory without support.
れんしゅう — Practice: Without looking at the chart, write the fourteen Unit I kanji from memory in the order they were introduced, then check your strokes and readings against the grid above. Note any kanji you are unsure of and review its chapter before the performance task.
Pronunciation Review
Every word you have learned in Chapters 1 through 4 is built from morae of equal length: short vowels, long vowels, the moraic ん, and the small っ. Say the following words aloud, tapping once per mora, and check your rhythm against the mora count given:
- はじめまして — 6 morae
- がくせい — 4 morae (long vowel in せい)
- がっこう — 4 morae (small っ, long vowel in こう)
- おじいさん — 5 morae (long vowel) versus おじさん — 4 morae (short vowel)
Review the Japanese ら-row tap, the vowel quality of う, and basic statement, question, and confirmation intonation. Read the Integrated Dialogue in this chapter aloud, paying attention to rising intonation on questions ending in か and level intonation on ordinary statements.
Grammar Review
No new grammar is introduced in this chapter. The four systems below are the ones this chapter's tasks require you to combine.
5.1 です／は／か — The basic sentence frame
Purpose: identify, describe, and ask about people and things.
- トムです。Tomu desu. — I am Tom.
- わたしはがくせいです。Watashi wa gakusei desu. — I am a student.
- これはなんですか。Kore wa nan desu ka. — What is this?
5.2 の — Connecting nouns and showing relationships
Purpose: connect two nouns, including possession and family relationships.
- にほんごのほんです。Nihongo no hon desu. — It's a Japanese-language book.
- わたしのちちです。Watashi no chichi desu. — This is my father.
5.3 から／を／と — Origin, object, and connection
Purpose: state where you are from, what you speak or study, and what things go together.
- カナダから来ました。Kanada kara kimashita. — I came from Canada.
- にほんごをはなします。Nihongo o hanashimasu. — I speak Japanese.
- ちちとははがいます。Chichi to haha ga imasu. — I have a father and a mother.
5.4 います／あります — Existence, with and without location
Purpose: state that a person, animal, or thing exists, and where.
- きょうだいがいます。Kyōdai ga imasu. — I have siblings.animate → います
- いえがあります。Ie ga arimasu. — There is a house.inanimate → あります
- がっこうにともだちがいます。Gakkō ni tomodachi ga imasu. — My friend is at school.[place] + に + [person] + が + います
Across Chapters 1 through 4, you have repeatedly seen subjects and topics dropped once they are clear from context — for example, answering トムです。 instead of わたしはトムです。. This chapter's tasks reward natural omission. Do not add わたし or あなた to every sentence simply because English requires a subject.
One connected introduction, four systems working together. A complete self-introduction moves naturally from a greeting, to a name and origin, to what you study or speak, to a family member or friend, and finally to one small description. Every piece of this sequence was taught separately in Chapters 1 through 4; this chapter asks you to produce it as a single connected performance, spoken and written.
Practice — Mixed particle review
Fill each blank with the correct particle from Chapters 1–4: は・が・の・を・と・から・に・か.
- わたし＿＿トムです。
- アメリカ＿＿来ました。
- えいご＿＿にほんご＿＿はなします。
- これはだれ＿＿ペンですか。
- いえ＿＿かぞく＿＿います＿＿。
Integrated Dialogue
Setting: The first meeting of the exchange program. Tom introduces himself to Aiko, a new participant he has not met before.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- Where is Tom from, and what two languages does he speak?
- What does Tom have at home, and how does he describe his mother?
- Name Aiko's two family members mentioned in the dialogue.
- Which of Aiko's family members is described as strict, and which as kind?
- Identify every use of の, が, を, and に in this dialogue and explain the function of each.
Listening Assessment
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following three self-introductions at a clear, moderate pace. Each one combines material from all four chapters of Unit I.
じこしょうかい① — Self-introduction 1: Marco
はじめまして。マルコです。イタリアから来ました。えいごをはなします。がくせいです。かぞくはちちとははといもうとがいます。いもうとはわかいです。
じこしょうかい② — Self-introduction 2: Priya
はじめまして。プリヤです。インドから来ました。えいごとヒンディーごをはなします。がくせいです。あにがいます。あにはやさしいです。いえにねこがいます。
じこしょうかい③ — Self-introduction 3: Keiko
はじめまして。けいこです。おおさかから来ました。にほんごをはなします。がくせいです。かぞくはちちとははとあにがいます。ちちはきびしいです。
聞くタスク — Listening task:
| Name | Origin | Language(s) | Family mentioned | One detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Priya | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| Keiko | ______ | ______ | ______ | ______ |
ディクテーション — Dictation: Listen to Priya's introduction a second time and write the final two sentences in hiragana, adding furigana over any kanji you are not confident in. Compare your writing against the script above.
Reading Assessment
Read the following three profile cards, each combining material from Chapters 1 through 4, and answer the comprehension questions below.
プロフィールカード① — Profile card 1
なまえ：マルコ・ロッシ
くに：イタリア
ことば：えいご
家族：父、母、いもうと
いもうとはわかいです。
プロフィールカード② — Profile card 2
なまえ：山田あいこ
くに：日本
ことば：日本語
家族：父、あね
父はきびしいです。あねはやさしいです。あねは今がっこうにいます。
プロフィールカード③ — Profile card 3
なまえ：プリヤ・シン
くに：インド
ことば：えいご、ヒンディーご
家族：あに
あにはやさしいです。いえにねこがいます。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- Which student speaks two languages, and what are they?
- What is Aiko's father like, and what is her older sister like?
- Where is Aiko's older sister right now?
- What animal does Priya have, and where is it?
- Write one complete Japanese sentence describing Marco's family, using vocabulary and grammar from Unit I.
Writing Assessment
In this chapter you will write a complete, connected self-introduction that draws on every system from Chapters 1 through 4.
- Complete your own profile card. Fill in name, country, language(s), and family, following the format of the reading passages above.
- Write a connected self-introduction of six to eight sentences. Include: a greeting; your name; your origin with から; at least one language or field of study with を; at least one family member or friend with います; one location sentence with に; and at least two descriptive sentences using adjectives from Chapter 4.
- Add one negative statement, such as きょうだいはいません。
- Add one question you could ask a new acquaintance, using だれ, なん, どこ, or います.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your work.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I used complete hiragana accurately, including small っ where needed.
- I used only the fourteen Unit I kanji, with furigana where required.
- I chose です／は／か correctly for statements and questions.
- I used の correctly for relationships and possession.
- I chose between を、と、から、に、が correctly in each sentence.
- I chose います for people/animals and あります for things.
- I used plain family terms (ちち、はは) for my own family.
- I ended each sentence with a Japanese full stop 。.
Speaking Assessment
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Interview chain
With a partner, or aloud on your own, ask and answer each question in turn.
- おなまえは？
- どこから来ましたか。
- なにをはなしますか。
- かぞくがいますか。
- （かぞくのひとり）はどんなひとですか。
コミュニケーションタスク — Information gap: Whose profile is it?
One partner reads a profile card from the Reading Assessment above without showing it. The other asks yes/no questions in Japanese to identify which student it describes.
- えいごをはなしますか。
- きょうだいがいますか。
- おとうさんはきびしいですか。
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: The full introduction
Record yourself delivering your complete self-introduction from the Writing Assessment section without reading directly from the page. Listen back for accurate mora timing, correct particle choice, and natural omission of unnecessary pronouns.
Culture Review
Across Chapters 1 through 4, you have learned that はじめまして and よろしくおねがいします mark a first meeting and open an ongoing relationship, not a single closed exchange. As you deliver your self-introduction in this chapter's performance task, remember that these are formulaic expressions used specifically for first encounters — you would not repeat はじめまして to someone you already know.
Recall the in-group/out-group pattern from Chapter 4: plain family terms (ちち、はは) for your own family when speaking to someone outside it, and polite terms (おとうさん、おかあさん) for someone else's family. This distinction is tested directly in this chapter's writing and speaking tasks, since you will both describe your own family and ask about a partner's.
Chapter 3 introduced Keiko's origin in Osaka, and Chapter 4 mentioned casual Kansai terms such as おかん and おとん as recognition-only regional vocabulary. These forms remain receptive only in this chapter; continue to use the standard forms taught in Unit I for all speaking and writing tasks.
Common Mistakes Review
Error: *これはなにですか when pointing at a person.
Correction: これはだれですか。 — Reserve だれ for people and なに／なん for things, as taught in Chapter 4.
Error: *いぬがあります。
Correction: いぬがいます。 — Animate beings always take います.
Error: Beginning every sentence with わたしは, as English speakers often do with "I."
Correction: Once you have stated your topic once, later sentences often omit it entirely, as in トムです。カナダから来ました。 — no repeated わたしは is needed.
Error: *おかあさんはやさしいです when describing your own mother to a classmate.
Correction: はははやさしいです。 — Plain forms for your own family; polite forms for someone else's.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Write the Japanese for "How do you do" and the closing phrase used with a new acquaintance.
2. Write the four demonstrative words for "this/that/that over there/which."
3. Write the plain and polite forms for "father" and "mother."
4. Name two い-adjectives and one な-adjective from Chapter 4.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write the complete hiragana chart from memory, row by row.
2. Write the fifteen katakana symbols from the ア・カ・サ rows.
3. Write all fourteen Unit I kanji and give one word using each.
4. Explain the difference between おじいさん and おじさん, and between いた and いった.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write a sentence introducing your name using です.
2. Write a sentence saying where you are from, using から.
3. Write a sentence saying what language you speak, using を.
4. Write a sentence saying you have a family member, choosing correctly between います and あります.
5. Write a sentence saying that person is at school, using に.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at Profile Card 3 (Priya). Write two sentences in Japanese summarizing her profile, using vocabulary and grammar from Unit I.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Write a complete six-to-eight sentence self-introduction for a fictional student, including origin, language, one family member, one location sentence, and two descriptions.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. Deliver your self-introduction aloud without reading from the page, then answer two follow-up questions.
Unit I Capstone Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
自己紹介 — Meeting someone new
You are meeting another participant at the exchange program's first gathering for the first time.
- Written: Write a complete self-introduction of at least eight sentences, including a greeting, your name, origin with から, language or field of study with を, at least one family member or friend with います, one location sentence with に, two descriptive sentences, and one negative statement.
- Spoken: Deliver your introduction from memory or with only your profile card as a note.
- Interaction: Greet a partner for the first time, exchange introductions, and ask at least three follow-up questions using だれ, なん, どこ, or います.
- Script check: Hand-write the complete hiragana chart, the ア・カ・サ katakana rows, and all fourteen Unit I kanji from memory.
- Reflection: Write one sentence in English about a mistake you used to make in Unit I and how you now avoid it.
Assessment focus: accurate hiragana and katakana; correct use of the fourteen Unit I kanji with furigana; correct choice among は・が・を・の・と・から・に・か; correct choice between います and あります; correct choice between plain and polite family terms; natural omission of unnecessary pronouns; accurate mora timing, long vowels, and small っ; and an organized, connected performance drawing on all four chapters of Unit I.
Answer Key
Practice — Mixed particle review
1. わたしはトムです。 2. アメリカから来ました。 3. えいごとにほんごをはなします。 4. これはだれのペンですか。 5. いえにかぞくがいますか。
Integrated Dialogue — Comprehension
- Tom is from Canada and speaks English and Japanese.
- Tom has his mother and a dog at home; he describes his mother as やさしい (kind).
- Aiko mentions her father and her older sister.
- Aiko's father is described as きびしい (strict); her older sister is described as やさしい (kind).
- の connects nouns (e.g. relationship); が marks the subject of existence (いぬがいます); を marks the object of はなします; に marks location before います (がっこうにいます).
Listening task — Model answers
- Marco: Italy · English · father, mother, younger sister · younger sister is young
- Priya: India · English and Hindi · older brother · older brother is kind; has a cat
- Keiko: Osaka · Japanese · father, mother, older brother · father is strict
Reading — Comprehension
- Priya speaks two languages: English and Hindi.
- Aiko's father is strict (きびしい); her older sister is kind (やさしい).
- Aiko's older sister is currently at school (今がっこうにいます).
- Priya has a cat, at home (いえにねこがいます).
- Model answer: マルコさんのかぞくにちちとははといもうとがいます。いもうとはわかいです。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section A
- はじめまして / よろしくおねがいします.
- これ／それ／あれ／どれ.
- Father: plain ちち, polite おとうさん. Mother: plain はは, polite おかあさん.
- い-adjectives: やさしい、きびしい (also acceptable: わかい、おもしろい). な-adjective: げんき.
Chapter Review — Section B
- Complete hiragana chart — check against the Chapter 1–4 charts in your notes.
- ア行: ア イ ウ エ オ; カ行: カ キ ク ケ コ; サ行: サ シ ス セ ソ.
- 日・本・人 (e.g. 日本語); 語 (e.g. 日本語); 学・生 (e.g. 学生); 年 (e.g. 一年生); 家・族 (e.g. 家族); 友 (e.g. 友だち); 母・父 (e.g. 母、父); 女・男 (e.g. 女のひと、男のひと).
- おじいさん (grandfather, long vowel) differs from おじさん (uncle, short vowel) by vowel length. いた (was, two morae) differs from いった (went, three morae) by the small っ, which adds a full extra mora of held consonant time.
Chapter Review — Section C
- Model: トムです。
- Model: カナダから来ました。
- Model: にほんごをはなします。
- Model: ちちがいます。 (animate → います)
- Model: ちちはがっこうにいます。
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: プリヤさんはインドから来ました。あにがいます。あにはやさしいです。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Assessment checklist above, and evaluate spoken work against the Performance Task assessment focus.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You have completed Unit I. You can greet someone for the first time, introduce your name and origin, state what languages you speak and study, introduce family members and friends, correctly choose between います and あります, and combine location and existence with に. You can read and write complete hiragana, the first fifteen katakana symbols, and fourteen kanji, all with furigana support where needed.