Lesson 2Making Requests - School -
Let's see
High School Student Life
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Explanation through photos
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Going to school
This is the high school life of Aya Kousaka, a third-year student. She goes to school by bicycle. High school students normally go to school by bicycle or on foot in Japan. If the school is far, they use a train or bus.
Taking off shoes
When she arrives at school, first she changes her shoes. When you enter buildings, you often take off your shoes in Japan.
Shoe box
You put your shoes in a shoe box. A space for your shoes is assigned at school.
Indoor shoes
Shoes you wear when you are in the school are called indoor shoes. Indoor shoes are kept in the shoe box. She changes into her indoor shoes and enters the building.
Hallway
Having changed into her indoor shoes, she goes to the classroom.
Morning greetings
When she enters the classroom, she says Good morning to her classmates. In the classroom, students have assigned seats. When entering the classroom, she puts her textbooks in her desk.
Girls' school
Aya's school is a girls' school. There are boys' schools where only boys go and girls' schools where only girls go in Japan. Schools for both boys and girls are called coed schools.
Chatting 1
Female high school students are very interested in fashion and makeup. They bring magazines and look at them together.
Chatting 2
Before the class starts, she chats with her friends. Some students study.
Start of lessons
Lessons start at 8:50.
Class
This is a Japanese class. She pays attention to the teacher and seriously takes notes. Different teachers teach different subjects in high school.
Lunch
It is lunchtime. Students eat box lunches in the classroom. Lunch isn't usually served at high school. Students bring a box lunch or buy something at a school stall.
Box lunch 1
Aya eats her box lunch, which her mother made for her. Some students make their box lunch by themselves.
Box lunch 2
The carrot is shaped like a star. Box lunches are often made to be pleasant to the eye, with vegetables cut into various shapes and decorations used.
Eating a box lunch with friends
She eats her box lunch with her friends in the classroom.
Library 1
During lunch break, Aya goes to the library.
Library 2
There are many books in the library. You can borrow books you like from the library. You can also read books and study there.
Studying in the library
She studies even during lunch break. Third-year students will take university entrance examinations soon.
Studying English
Because Aya will take the entrance exam of a foreign studies university, she studies English very hard.
Cleaning
The classes finish after four. She does some cleaning before going back home. In Japanese schools, cleaning is the students' task. They clean the classroom themselves.
Broom and dustpan
She collects any trash on the floor using a broom and dustpan.
Returning home
She comes back home in the early evening. When you return home, you say Tadaima.People at home welcome your return, saying Okaeri.
Dinner 1
They are Aya's father and younger brother. At her house, the family eats dinner together. Recently, many students don't eat dinner with their family because they come home late due to school club activities, cram schools and other after-school lessons.
Dinner 2
Here are Aya and her mother. Her mother is drinking beer. The dinner is rice, miso soup, meat dishes and other things. In your left hand you hold the rice bowl. With chopsticks held in your right hand you take rice and side dishes and carry them to your mouth.
Cell phone e-mails
She enjoys exchanging e-mails with friends in the evening. Most high school students have a cell phone. They talk on the phone but more frequently use cell phones to enjoy exchanging e-mails.
In her room
Besides e-mailing, Aya also likes listening to music. But because she has an entrance exam coming up, she has to study, too.
Study before bed
Since Aya is a student preparing for an exam, she studies even at night. She posted a sign on her desk to encourage herself. On the sign, the words read You have to prepare to achieve the goal and Fortunately or unfortunately, you won't be preparing for exams forever.
Electronic dictionary
Nowadays, most high school students in Japan use an electronic dictionary. It contains an encyclopedia and a Chinese character dictionary as well as an English dictionary, and it is very convenient. Very few people use a printed dictionary these days.
Going to bed
She goes to bed around 1 am. High school students are said to sleep 6-7 hours a night on average.
