Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes
Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes
Donguri Kai – Big Kids Classes
Big Kids classes are for students in 3rd-5th grade who are learning Japanese for the first time or continuing their studies.
Big Kids Class Offerings, Fall 2024
Tuesdays, 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm (Central Time)
Formerly Level 1 Returning Students Class. This class is for students in 3rd-5th grade who will learn Japanese for the first time. Students learn Japanese vocabulary, phrases, and simple sentence structure. They will also learn to identify and read the Japanese alphabets; Hiragana and Katakana. Class is taught in English.
Format: Online (Zoom)
Class Dates: 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/29, 11/12, 12/19, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17
No Class On: 10/15, 10/22, 11/5, 11/26
Class size: 6 students
Instructor: Airi Okura
Registration Form – Click HERE
Wednesdays, 6:00 pm – 6:45 pm (Central Time)
Formerly Level 1 Returning Students Class. This class is for students in 3rd-5th who will learn Japanese for the first time. Students learn Japanese vocabulary, phrases, and simple sentence structure. They will also learn to identify ad read the Japanese alphabets; Hiragana and Katakana. Class is taught in English.
Format: Online (Zoom)
Class Dates: 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/23, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18
No Class On: 10/16, 10/30, 11/6, 11/27
Class size: 6 students
Instructor: Airi Okura
Registration Form – Click HERE
Thursdays, 4:00 – 5:00 pm (Central Time)
Formerly Level 2 Class. This class is for students who can follow simple instructions in Japanese and independently attend class. Students learn to make sentences with the focus of tense and practice conversations.
Format: Zoom (Online)
Class Dates: 9/12, 9/19, 9/26, 10/3, 10/10, 10/24, 11/14, 11/21, 12/5, 12/12, 12/19
No Class On: 10/17, 10/31, 11/7, 11/28
Class size: 6 students
Instructor: Tomoko Hanna
This class is now full. – Click HERE to join our waitlist. We may be able to open an additional class if there is enough interest.
Tuesdays, 5:00 – 6:00 pm (Central Time)
Formerly Level 3 Class. This class is for students who are able to follow instructions in Japanese and make short conversations without assistance. They can comprehend short questions, but need English translation to fully understand.
In this class, students will build skills to compose short essays and practice to make good presentations. Students learn important basic Kanji letters and key radicals to make assumptions of the meaning and pronunciation. Students will participate in various Japanese American community events as a volunteer to practice their language skills and interpersonal skills. Class is taught in English.
Format: Online (Zoom)
Class Dates: 9/10, 17, 24, 10/1, 8, 29, 11/12, 19, 12/3, 10, 17
No Class On: 10/15, 10/22, 11/5, 11/26
Class size: 6 students
Instructor: Aiko Brodecki
Registration Form – Click HERE
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:00 pm (Central Time)
Formerly Level 4 Class. This class is for students who are fluent in reading, writing, and speaking.
In this class, students will practice their bilingual skills in various projects, contest challenges, and volunteer work. Students learn Kanji and vocabulary using Kanji in a way that they can enjoy and develop skills to search for Kanji by themselves.
Format: Online (Zoom)
Class Dates: 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20
No Class On: N/A
Class size: 6 students
Instructor: Kaoru Fairbanks
Registration Form – Click HERE
Registration for Fall Sessions is now open.
Class size is limited to 6 – 8 students. Register early to ensure a spot for your child.
Please email (dongurikai@jasc-chicago.org) to consult with Donguri Kai teachers if you are unsure which class to sign up for.
Airi Okura
I am currently living in Osaka, Japan. I worked for a couple years in Chicago, then moved back to Japan in August 2023. I have been teaching children for 6 years. I worked at an international school in Japan teaching Japanese to international students for 4 years. Hope to make my class fun for children to teach Japanese and culture through Donguri Kai.
Tomoko Hanna（ハンナ朋子
I have been teaching English and Japanese to adults and children since 1995. As a mother of two who speaks the two languages, I deeply understand the need for bilingual education in the U.S. Currently, I sub Tampopo class, and teach Baby Tampopo class and Japanese program at Banner Preschool.
Aiko Brodecki
