もう一度つながるReconnecting and Review Bridge
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Reintroduce yourself and give an updated account of your recent life, using Volume I systems with greater confidence.
- Ask about and describe changes since you last spoke with someone, using expressions such as 「お元気でしたか」and「ひさしぶり」.
- Recognize the difference between polite です／ます style and plain style, and identify which one a speaker is using and why.
- Connect two or more sentences about recent events using て-form linking and simple discourse connectors.
- Read a short reconnection message or profile update written in mixed script with reduced furigana on consolidated Volume I kanji.
- Write a short self-update message that could be sent to a teacher, host family, or friend after time apart.
- Identify your own strengths and goals from Volume I as you begin Volume II.
Communication Scenario
It has been a few months since Yuki last saw her pen pal Emma, who studied Japanese with Speak and Write Japanese: Foundations of Practical Communication. Emma is joining a new online conversation group with learners and native speakers from several countries, and everyone is asked to reconnect with a partner from a past exchange before the first meeting. Emma messages Yuki to say hello again, ask how she has been, and share a short update about her own life. This chapter does not introduce a large new topic. Instead, it asks you to reactivate everything from Volume I so that you can move forward with confidence into new material.
- This chapter reviews and reactivates vocabulary, kanji, and grammar from Volume I, especially self-introduction, daily life, and simple past narration.
- By the end of the chapter, you will complete a performance task that includes a written reconnection message, a short spoken update, and a polite/plain recognition check.
Core Vocabulary
This chapter controls vocabulary for reconnection, self-updates, recent changes, and learning goals. Most words below were active in Volume I and are recycled here in new combinations; a small number of new items support reconnection specifically.
Reconnecting
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 久しぶり | ひさしぶり | long time no see |
| 元気 | げんき | well; energetic (recycled) |
| 相変わらず | あいかわらず | same as always |
| 連絡 | れんらく | contact; getting in touch (recycled) |
| 近況 | きんきょう | recent news; how one has been |
「近況」is a new item introduced formulaically in the phrase「近況を話す」(to talk about recent news). Its internal grammar receives no separate treatment in this chapter.
Self-Update and Recent Life
| Japanese | Reading | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 最近 | さいきん | recently (recycled) |
| 変わりました | かわりました | changed (past, recycled verb group) |
| 目標 | もくひょう | goal |
| 続けています | つづけています | have been continuing (recycled て-form + いる) |
| 新しい生活 | あたらしいせいかつ | new life; new routine |
Before continuing, look back at your Volume I vocabulary notes for family, daily life, school, and travel. This chapter assumes that vocabulary is available to you. New items in this chapter are limited so that your attention can go toward reactivating what you already know.
Script and Kanji Focus
This chapter introduces no new kanji. It reactivates a representative sample of Volume I kanji connected to identity, daily life, and time, and it establishes the furigana-reduction pattern that Volume II will use going forward.
Starting in this chapter, furigana is reduced on kanji that the Kanji Recognition and Furigana Matrices mark as consolidated from Volume I, such as 元気, 生活, and 友. Furigana remains on kanji still developing, on names, on rare readings, and on any character outside the schedule. If a word feels unfamiliar, check the reactivated word list above rather than guessing the reading.
れんしゅう — Practice: Write 元気, 最近, 生活, and 友 three times each from memory, then use each one in a short phrase you remember from Volume I.
Pronunciation Review
After time away from speaking, learners often let mora timing slip, especially with long vowels and moraic ん. Before the Model Dialogue, review these contrasts:
- Long vowels: ゆうき (a name) versus ゆき (snow) — listen for the extra mora
- Moraic ん held for a full beat, as in れんらく and げんき
- Phrase-level rhythm in a greeting exchange, where falling intonation closes a statement and rising intonation marks a question
Read the vocabulary tables above aloud slowly, then again at a natural pace, checking mora count rather than English-style stress.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
This chapter authorizes review of Volume I systems, stronger topic chaining across connected sentences, and recognition of the polite/plain contrast as a system rather than a single rule. No new grammar paradigm is introduced.
1. Reconnecting and asking about time apart
Purpose: to greet someone after time apart and ask how they have been.
- 久しぶりですね。お元気でしたか。It's been a while, hasn't it? How have you been?
- はい、元気でした。相変わらず忙しいです。Yes, I've been well. Busy as always.
2. Connecting recent events with て-form and それから
Purpose: to link two or more recent events into one connected account, recycling the て-form from Volume I.
- 学校が終わって、アルバイトを始めました。School ended, and I started a part-time job.
- 日本語を勉強しました。それから、新しい友だちができました。I studied Japanese. After that, I made new friends.
3. Recognizing polite and plain style side by side
Purpose: to recognize when a speaker or writer has chosen polite です／ます style versus plain style, and to understand that the choice depends on relationship and setting rather than one form being more correct.
- （ていねい）最近、忙しいです。(polite) I've been busy recently.
- （普通）最近、忙しい。(plain) I've been busy recently.
Both sentences are grammatically correct Japanese. The first suits a message to a teacher, host family, or someone you do not know well. The second suits a diary entry or a message to a close friend. This chapter asks you to recognize the contrast; Volume II will expand your ability to produce plain forms deliberately in later chapters.
Error: Assuming plain forms are always rude and polite forms are always safe, in every context.
Correction: Polite style is the safer default with teachers, host families, and people you have just reconnected with, such as Emma writing to Yuki's family. Plain style is not rude by itself; it is simply the expected choice among close friends, in diaries, and in certain informal written genres. Choose based on relationship and setting, not on a fixed judgment about politeness.
Grammar Review Practice
- Write one sentence greeting someone after time apart, using 久しぶり.
- Write two connected sentences about something that happened recently, using て-form or それから.
- Rewrite one of your sentences in the other style (polite to plain, or plain to polite), and note which setting each version fits.
- Write one question you could ask a reconnecting partner about their recent life.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Yuki calls Emma on a video chat for the first time in several months.
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- How does Emma describe her recent life change?
- What has Yuki been doing that keeps her busy?
- Why has Emma joined a new conversation group?
Guided Practice
タスク１ — Reconnect with a partner. With a partner (or on your own, imagining a partner), greet each other as if you have not spoken in several months, using at least one question from the Model Dialogue.
タスク２ — Style sort. Look back at the Grammar section's polite/plain pair. Write two more short sentence pairs of your own, one in each style, describing something about your own recent life.
Listening Practice
Ask your instructor, a partner, or a text-to-speech tool to read the following passage aloud at a clear, moderate pace.
きくタスク — A voice message from Emma
ユキさん、久しぶり。元気？わたしは相変わらず忙しいけど、元気だよ。学校が終わって、新しいアルバイトを始めたの。それから、日本語の会話グループにも入ったよ。近況を聞きたいから、また連絡してね。
聞くタスク — Listening task: Note what has changed in Emma's life, what she asks Yuki to do, and whether this message uses polite or plain style. Compare your notes with a partner or check them against the passage.
This script uses plain style because it represents an informal voice message between close friends; contrast this with the polite style used in the Model Dialogue's video chat, which was framed as a slightly more careful reconnection.
Speaking Practice
コントロールされた練習 — Controlled practice: Quick answers
- 最近、元気でしたか。
- 最近、何か変わりましたか。
- 日本語の勉強を続けていますか。
コミュニケーションタスク — The reconnection call
With a partner, act out a short reconnection call. Greet each other after time apart, share one recent change each, ask a follow-up question, and close by agreeing to stay in touch.
ひとりでもできる練習 — Solo practice: Recorded self-update
Record yourself giving a one-minute spoken self-update as if speaking to a partner you have not seen in several months, using polite style throughout.
Reading Practice
Read the following short reconnection message, then answer the questions below.
近況のメッセージ — A message from Emma to Yuki's family
みなさん、お元気ですか。久しぶりです。最近、わたしの生活は少し変わりました。学校が終わって、新しいアルバイトを始めました。それから、日本語の会話グループに入って、いろいろな国の友だちができました。これからも連絡したいです。皆さんの近況も聞きたいです。
ないようりかい — Comprehension questions:
- According to the message, what two things has Emma done recently?
- What does Emma say she would like from Yuki's family?
- Is this message written in polite or plain style? How can you tell?
Writing Workshop
In this workshop you will write a short reconnection message of your own, using the four-part Building Block pattern from the Grammar section.
- Choose a reader. Decide whether you are writing to a teacher, a host family, or a friend you have not spoken with in a while, and choose polite or plain style accordingly.
- Write an opening greeting, using 久しぶり and a question about how the reader has been.
- Write one or two connected sentences about your own recent life, using て-form linking or それから.
- Write one question back to the reader about their recent news.
- Write a closing sentence expressing a wish to stay in touch.
- Revise and check using the checklist below before finalizing your message.
チェックリスト — Editing checklist:
- I greeted the reader clearly after time apart.
- I chose one consistent style (polite or plain) appropriate to my reader and kept it throughout.
- I connected at least two events using て-form or それから rather than listing separate sentences.
- I asked at least one question back to the reader.
- I closed with a sentence about staying in touch.
- I used furigana correctly, keeping it on kanji not yet consolidated and removing it from consolidated Volume I kanji.
- I ended each sentence with 。 and used consistent script and punctuation throughout.
Culture and Communication
When reconnecting after time apart, many Japanese speakers open with 「久しぶり」or the more formal「お久しぶりです」before moving to other topics, though the exact wording and warmth of a reconnection message can vary by relationship, generation, and platform.
Yuki's family's habits around messaging, phone calls, and video chats reflect one household's practice. Other families and communities in Japan may prefer different platforms, timing, or degrees of formality when reconnecting. Later chapters in this unit will widen this picture.
Compare the polite written message to Yuki's family with the plain spoken voice message to Yuki herself. Both come from Emma and describe the same events, but the register shifts because the relationship and setting shift. This is normal in Japanese and will become a more explicit focus later in this volume.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *久しぶり。お元気でしたか。最近、忙しい。
Correction: 久しぶりです。お元気でしたか。最近、忙しいです。 — Keep one consistent style across a written message unless you are quoting someone else's words.
Error: *学校が終わりました。アルバイトを始めました。会話グループに入りました。
Correction: 学校が終わって、アルバイトを始めました。それから、会話グループに入りました。 — Use て-form linking or それから to connect events into one account rather than presenting a flat list of separate sentences.
Error: Adding furigana to 元気, 生活, and other consolidated Volume I kanji out of habit.
Correction: Check the Furigana / Reading-Support Matrix before deciding. Consolidated kanji from Volume I no longer need furigana in Volume II unless the specific word or reading is new, rare, or a name.
Chapter Review
Section A — ごい (Vocabulary)
1. Give at least five vocabulary items connected to reconnecting and self-updates from this chapter.
Section B — もじ (Script)
1. Write 元気, 最近, 生活, and 友 from memory, and explain why they no longer need furigana in Volume II.
Section C — ぶんぽう (Grammar)
1. Write a short greeting after time apart, using 久しぶり.
2. Write two connected sentences describing a recent change in your life.
3. Rewrite one sentence in the opposite style (polite or plain), and explain when each version would be appropriate.
Section D — どっかいりかい (Reading comprehension)
1. Look again at Emma's message in the Reading Practice section. Write two sentences summarizing her recent news in your own words.
Section E — かくこと (Writing)
1. Complete your reconnection message, following the Writing Workshop steps.
Section F — はなすこと (Speaking)
1. With a partner or instructor, act out a short reconnection call and answer at least one follow-up question.
Practical Performance Task
パフォーマンスタスク
もう一度つながる — Reconnecting after time apart
This performance task draws together the systems reactivated in this chapter. Complete all three components below.
- Written reconnection message: Write a message of at least six sentences to a chosen reader (teacher, host family, or friend), including a greeting after time apart, at least two connected recent events, one question back to the reader, and a closing wish to stay in touch, in one consistent register.
- Spoken self-update: Present a one-minute spoken version of your update to a partner, instructor, or recording, in polite style.
- Polite/plain recognition check: Given three short unfamiliar sentences, correctly identify which are polite and which are plain, and explain what setting or relationship would suit each one.
Assessment focus: accurate reactivation of Volume I vocabulary, kanji, and predicate forms; connected rather than listed narration of recent events; consistent register choice appropriate to the chosen reader; accurate recognition of the polite/plain contrast; correct furigana reduction on consolidated kanji; and comprehensible pronunciation with attention to mora timing and phrase rhythm.
Answer Key
Grammar Review Practice
1. Model: 久しぶりですね。お元気でしたか。 2. Model: 最近、新しいアルバイトを始めました。それから、日本語の勉強も続けています。 3. Model (plain version): 最近、新しいアルバイトを始めた。それから、日本語の勉強も続けている。 This version suits a diary entry or a message to a close friend, while the polite version suits a teacher, host family, or someone recently reconnected with. 4. Model: 最近、何か変わりましたか。
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- Emma's school ended and she started a new part-time job.
- Yuki has been busy but says it has been fun; the dialogue does not specify one single cause.
- Emma joined the conversation group to keep talking with people from various countries and continue her Japanese studies.
Listening task — Model summary
Emma's school ended and she started a new part-time job. She also joined a Japanese conversation group and made friends from various countries. She asks Yuki to get in touch with her again. This message uses plain style, appropriate for a close friend.
Reading — Comprehension
- Emma's school ended and she started a new part-time job; she also joined a Japanese conversation group and made friends from various countries.
- Emma says she would like to hear the family's recent news too.
- The message is in polite style, shown by forms such as お元気ですか, 始めました, and したいです.
Chapter Review — Section A and B
Open-ended; check against the Core Vocabulary tables and the Script and Kanji Focus section above.
Chapter Review — Section C
Open-ended; models follow the patterns shown in the Grammar section above.
Chapter Review — Section D
Model answer: エマさんは学校が終わって、新しいアルバイトを始めました。それから、日本語の会話グループに入って、いろいろな国の友だちができました。 (Other accurate answers accepted.)
Chapter Review — Section E and F, and Practical Performance Task
These are open-ended production tasks. Evaluate written work against the Writing Workshop checklist above, and evaluate the spoken update and recognition check against the assessment focus listed under the Practical Performance Task.
Looking Ahead
いまできること — What you can do now
You can reconnect with someone after time apart, give a connected update about recent events, recognize the difference between polite and plain style, and write and speak a short self-update message in ordinary polite Japanese, supported by reactivated Volume I kana, kanji, and grammar.