Earlier this week I set myself the goal of improving my spoken Japanese. Specifically, I wanted to improve the rhythm and intonation when I speak, focusing on pitch patterns. In order to achieve this goal, I came up with three basic activities to help me practice regularly: 1) practice reading vocab from the textbook aloud as often as possible; 2) meet with my Japanese friend to practice my speaking and hear his feedback; and 3) arrange to meet with one of my teachers during their office hours to practice my spoken Japanese and ask them to help me with my intonation.

I will try to do these three activities every week. This week, for instance, I have been able to review vocab from the textbook almost every day, practicing speaking the new words and phrases out loud to improve my pronunciation. I have also been able to talk with my Japanese friend and get some advice from him. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to meet with any of my teachers during their office hours this week, since I have been so busy with other commitments. But I am hoping to arrange a meeting at some point next week. Watch this space!