日本語でGO! Let's Practice Japanese with Lightning Talks

Join us for an evening of casual, beginner-friendly Japanese practice and broken-Japanese conversations.

The first half will consist of 10-20 Lightning Talks in Japanese. After that, we'll discuss the talks and converse in broken-Japanese and/or English.

We'll have some drinks and snacks, and you're welcome to bring some to share.

Doors will open at 6:30pm and we'll try to get started around 7:00pm.

## Lightning Talks Needed ##

Giving a Lightning Talk is not mandatory, but it'd be great if everyone could prepare at least one talk. There will likely be more slots than attendees, so don't hesitate to prepare multiple talks.

Feel free to bring your own computer or just email a link to a presentation (Google Slides, PowerPoint, etc).

## About our Lightning Talks ##

A Lightning Talk is simply a 1-5 minute, slide-based presentation. However, we won't be doing "normal" Lightning Talks that you might see at a conference or event.

Instead, the primary purpose for our Lightning Talks are for the speaker to practice Japanese in front of other learners using an easy-to-understand topic that everyone can relate to.

It's totally fine to read from a script that you've prepared. Or read the bullets on your slide. You can also improvise if you'd like - remember, it's all about getting speaking practice.

The only requirements are that the talk is in Japanese and within 1-5 minutes. Slides are strongly encouraged, if for no other reason than to help the audience follow along.

### Recommend Topic: Yourself ###

Any topic is fine, but some of best topics for this format will be about yourself and/or your hobbies, family, trips, work, etc. You could even just tell a story about a relatively mundane experience.

For example:
✔️ Why I love fishing at Coe Lake
✔️ Weekly Meal Preparation Schedule
✔️ My Summer Trip to Portugal
✔️ Cycling Routes in Cleveland
✔️ How I Lost and then Found My Car Key Last Week
✔️ Intro to Settlers of Catan
✔️ Why to visit Fukui, Japan

These kind of topics will be much easier to talk about later.

### Avoid Complex Topics ###

If everyone was fluent in the language, complex topics could make for an interesting 1-5 minute presentation. But they're a poor fit for this format: even if YOU are comfortable communicating abstract or technical ideas, most of the audience will not understand them.

Examples of talks NOT to give:
🚫 "A Crash Course in Black Holes"
🚫 "The Rise of Meme Culture"
🚫 "The Weird World of Quantum Entanglement"
🚫 "Why Humans are Bad at Guessing Passwords"

As a general rule, if the topic is too advanced for a middle-school child, it's probably a poor fit for this format.

That said, you might be able to simplify some topics if you use a lot pictures and break the idea down into simple concepts.

Some examples of "maybe okay" topics are:

⚠️ "How to Spot a Liar in Ten Seconds"
⚠️ "The Five-Second Rule: Science or Myth?"
⚠️ "How to Nap Like a Pro"
⚠️ "Space Junk: The Mess We Left in Orbit"

But again, simpler is better.

## About our Conversation Time ##

Any topic is okay, but this is a great chance to ask questions about everyone's presentation. Although Japanese is preferred, you're welcome to use English.

However, as a general rule, don't switch to English if the person you're talking to is really struggling. Instead, try to match their level and, if you can't understand what they're saying, then politely clarify in Japanese.

Some other guidelines:

• Speak Don't Think; don't focus on the correct way to say something, just communicate your idea
• Don't Correct Each Other; focus on understanding, not speaking properly
• No Teaching; it's not lesson time, but speaking time!

## Location ##

The location is Inedo, on the Berea triangle. We'll be meeting in the board room, which is on the 2nd floor, up the front steps. Parking is plentiful, free, and available in the front, back lot, or on the street.