おはようございます！

はじめまして。劉です。　いちねんせいです。　わたしはアメリカじんです。　どうぞよろしく。

Intro - Why Japanese?

こんにちは！ My name is Stephanie, and I am a beginning Japanese student. I chose to study Japanese, because I am interested in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, as well as the Department of East Asian Studies here at Princeton. I believe studying Japanese is useful for those hoping to go into business, environmental studies, and other disciplines. I hope to study abroad in Japan within the next few years. Japanese culture also interests me; like many of my fellow students, I have always loved Japanese food, fashion, pop culture, and more.

In the first few days of class, we have been learning　ひらがな　and basic words and phrases. It feels rewarding to be able to read and write nearly anything in hiragana within a few short days, whether I understand it or not. It can be difficult to train myself to think quickly enough to write down the hiragana immediately. As we begin to learn grammar and more phrases, the hiragana begins to fit together, and the symbols and sounds on the page transform into something meaningful.