My MIL is a second grade teacher with her very first japanese exchange student what can she do to help?

Question

The language barrier is what is so difficult. She is a teacher in Mississpi and does not know the japanese language. Are their any programs online that she can use? I found babelfish which will translate it but how would the girl type her question in using the english keyboard.

Thanks in advance...

Answer 1

DOWNLOAD  the asian language package( just go to a japanese site and the computer will prompt for it to download. You will need a disk that came with your computer) Then go to the task bar at the bottom of your screen, right click go to language bar and choose japanese. You may have to download a new IME, but don't worry it is all free.

When you do that your computer will be able to display and type in Japanese and English.

This is a translator that she will aready know about, but it is my favorite so..   http://honyaku.yahoo.co.jp/

Good luck.

PS. you can try to learn key words and phrases and try and speak with her, but it is more work then it seems and it will make it harder on the exchange student.

         I really don't think that she will use the computer for anything other than nessesary questions.

Answer 2

i think the idea of the Japanese student is that he/she is tehre to learn English.  So rather than using translation software, how about just using simpler expressions/words to communicate with the Japn student?