There are some pros and cons to having individual counters. Some pro’s would be that you would be able to quickly identify the context of the number you are counting. Some cons would be that having many counters can be confusing to learn. Also, if one person knew a counter for a particular thing and another person didn’t, their conversation could get confusing. There is a wide range of counters that can be used. One common counter is the 〜つ(tsu) counter. It can be used to count almost everything in Japanese. It is good to know for when you don’t know the counter to something, as it is very versatile. A common counter is the (えん）counter. This is used to count amount of yen and is the unit for Japanese currency. A someone what common counter is the (めい）counter. It is used to count number of people. Although there are other counters used to count people, this is more polite. It can not be used to count people as an order. Ex) the first person, the second person etc. This counter is only used to count the number of people. A rare but interesting counter is the (あく）counter. It is used to count handfuls of sand, powder, or rice. It is not used very common while speaking, but it can be nice to put in literature. A counter that is new is the (いてむ）counter. This counter is use to count items or products. While its usually read with Kango, the counting method can be used for one through three as well. A counter i wish existed in English is a day of the week and month counter. This would be beneficial because you would only need to learn the number that is related to the month or day of the week. English still works without it though because we have designated words for month or day of the week rather than numbers. I think Japan should get rid of most of the counters and keep some. By getting rid of some, there would less confusion. By keeping some, there would still be some distinguishing between common day to day things that need to be counted. For example, counters for people, age, animals etc should be kept, however very specific counters like ‘large surfaces that drape over wood and make loud noise’ (taiko counter) should be omitted. These specific counters can be replaced by other counters which are versatile and can be used in many different circumstances. By being selective of which counters are kept and which are gotten rid of, Japanese can become a simple language and easier to learn.

What I did well this course was that I always finished my homework. I think to improve my study habits, I should make sure to complete or at least partially complete homework or studying a couple days before the due date.

To celebrate my accomplishments such as productively studying, I eat good food. Some skills I have developed to make my creative activities better are stretch for a few minutes before bed and then make sure to get enough restful sleep the night before an important academic event (test). When faced with ambiguity or setbacks, I take a break from what I am doing by going on a walk or playing with my dog and then continue what I was doing to advance the development of my ideas.

I will continue my Japanese language acquisition over the year by talking on the phone with my family in Japan and maybe go to Japan.

If I could travel back in time, some study or language advice I would give to myself or others is to make sure you start studying early instead of cramming the night before because it helps to memorize more information. I would also say to revise previous course material from the year before.