LEARNING & STUDY (Gakumon)
Loco in Yokohama #3: Learn that Japanese!
This should go without saying but I’m gonna say it anyway: #3 Learn that Japanese!
I studied French for 2 years in JHS, 4 years in HS and 2 years in University, and if you asked me right now how to say anything in French except “Would you like to do the nasty with me tonight?” I’d be hardpressed to answer you. Btw, it’s: voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Thanks for the French lesson Patti LaBelle (-;
Demo, Go-nen ni Nihon ni sunde ite mada perapera jyanakute mo kekkou syaberemasuyo. (But, I’ve been living in Japan for five years and even though I’m not fluent yet, I’m pretty good.) Listening is still difficult, my vocabulary is still embarrassingly low and the improper pronunciation of certain sounds persists despite my efforts (? and ? are my nemeses,) but I can get by until i can get there.
And, at the risk of overstating the obvious, it’s very useful, not to mention good manners, to at least try to speak the language of the people in the country where you live. Unfortunately, there are some people in the world who don’t agree.
“Why are you studying English?” I always ask potential students when I first meet them. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Deciphering Japanese brand names: Rubetta
Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) & PlaySay
It’s that time again! Those planning on taking the JLPT test or interesting in improving your Japanese should check out PlaySay. Click on the BT PlaySay link to test it out! PlaySay can be downloaded to ANY MP3 device. The picture above and below show PlaySay on an iPod. (Pix credit to Japan Newbie)
PlaySay is a great resource for preparing for the Japanese Language ProficiencyTest (nihongo n?ryoku shiken?), or JLPT, which is a standardized test to evaluate and certify the language proficiency of non-native Japanese speakers. It is held once every year, on the first Sunday of December. The JLPT has four levels beginning at level 4 and progressing to level 1 – the most difficult. The Japan Foundation estimates that level 4 is reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study.
Content
The content of the test is determined by the Test Content Specification (Shutsudai kijun?). The Test Content Specification was first published in 1994 and partially revised in 2002 and serves as a reference for examiners to compile test questions (rather than as a study guide for students). The JLPT student is therefore required to obtain past-exam papers or other publications that reference the Test Content Specification in order to determine what to study.
The test specification is written in Japanese and consists of kanji lists, expression lists, vocabulary lists and grammar lists for all four JLPT levels.
The JLPT exam does not require the examinee to write in Japanese, as all of the questions are multiple choice. The questions classified as writing involve choosing the correct word or grammar to complete a sentence, or choosing which kanji is used in a particular word. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) & PlaySay
It’s that time again! Those planning on taking the JLPT test or interesting in improving your Japanese should check out PlaySay. Click on the BT PlaySay link to test it out! PlaySay can be downloaded to ANY MP3 device. The picture above and below show PlaySay on an iPod. (Pix credit to Japan Newbie)
PlaySay is a great resource for preparing for the Japanese Language ProficiencyTest (nihongo n?ryoku shiken?), or JLPT, which is a standardized test to evaluate and certify the language proficiency of non-native Japanese speakers. It is held once every year, on the first Sunday of December. The JLPT has four levels beginning at level 4 and progressing to level 1 – the most difficult. The Japan Foundation estimates that level 4 is reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study.
Content
The content of the test is determined by the Test Content Specification (Shutsudai kijun?). The Test Content Specification was first published in 1994 and partially revised in 2002 and serves as a reference for examiners to compile test questions (rather than as a study guide for students). The JLPT student is therefore required to obtain past-exam papers or other publications that reference the Test Content Specification in order to determine what to study.
The test specification is written in Japanese and consists of kanji lists, expression lists, vocabulary lists and grammar lists for all four JLPT levels.
The JLPT exam does not require the examinee to write in Japanese, as all of the questions are multiple choice. The questions classified as writing involve choosing the correct word or grammar to complete a sentence, or choosing which kanji is used in a particular word. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Top 60 Japanese words/phrases of 2008
Pink Tenacle reports that publishing company Jiyu Kokuminsha has released its annual list of the 60 most popular Japanese catchwords and phrases of the year. This diverse collection of expressions highlights many of the events, trends and people that caught the attention of the Japanese mass media in 2008.
From this list, a panel of judges will select the 2008 Japanese catchphrase of the year (and 10 runners-up) and announce the results on December 1. The expressions are listed below in no particular order.
* * * * *
1. Guerrilla rainstorm (gerira g?u – ?????): Sudden, unpredictable rainstorms struck Japan with alarming frequency and intensity this year. Although the expression “guerrilla rainstorm” has been in use for about 30 years, this summer’s abnormally unstable weather really hammered home the meaning.
2. Dumb characters (obaka-kyara – ??????): “Dumb characters,” a.k.a. “dumb idols” (obaka-aidoru – ???????), are entertainers loved for their lack of brains. Nobody better embodies this phenomenon than clueless TV talents Mai Satoda, Suzanne and Yukina Kinoshita, who, as regular guests on Fuji TV’s “Quiz! Hexagon” trivia show, made a name for themselves by consistently displaying a stunning lack of basic knowledge.
Pabo
The trio recently formed a musical group called “Pabo” (which means “idiot” in Korean) and released their first CD in September.
3. Subprime (sabupuraimu – ??????): The word “subprime” began seeping into the public consciousness last year, but it was relatively easy to ignore because the problem remained confined to the other side of the Pacific. The word took on greater significance this year as the mess washed up on Japan’s shores.
4. Morning banana (asa banana – ????): Years of online discussion between weight-conscious Mixi users resulted in the creation of the “Morning Banana Diet,” a simple diet program which, among other things, involves eating bananas for breakfast. The diet program took the nation and mainstream media by storm after it was featured on a popular TV show. Sporadic banana shortages occurred at some supermarkets as suppliers struggled to keep up with demand. [More]
5. Change (????): While Obama brought a message of “change” to the United States, Fuji TV delivered a hit drama, entitled “Change,” starring SMAP idol Kimutaku (Takuya Kimura) as a school teacher who reluctantly becomes prime minister. (さらに…)
Japanese Language in the Age of English
A very interesting post on the fate of the Japanese language!
[1] The Fall of the Japanese Language in the Age of English [ja], the latest book by Japanese novelist and essayist [2] Minae Mizumura [????] [en], roused debate among many Japanese bloggers recently over the fate of their national language. In this essay, the writer, who had the opportunity to live and receive an education both in Japan and in the U.S., examines the role and future of the Japanese language. Mizumura contextualizes her discussion of this language, used for centuries by many literates and intellectuals to produce works of great literary value, in a modern age in which English is invading all fields of knowledge, to the point of becoming a universal written language used by everyone across the world to communicate.
The first blogger who wrote about the book in enthusiastic terms was [3] Mochio Umeda, who expresses his hope that the work becomes the basis for any future debate over the relationship between English and Japanese. At his blog [4] My Life Between Silicon Valley and Japan, Umeda-san writes:
Every Japanese person should read this book now. Maybe “every [person]” is an exaggeration, but what I mean to say is every person who wishes to produce something intellectual, every secondary, high school, graduate or postgraduate student (no matter their specialization), and also people who are thinking of expressing their thoughts in the future through the use of language, and finally people involved in education and parents with children. These people should absolutely read [this book]. (さらに…)
Obama is the “death-death” President?
This was posted on Japan Probe today,”The 44th President: The “Death Death” President?” by Fat Blue Man.:
“I was happy to see the result of the election yesterday, as were the residents of Obama City, the little town in Fukui-ken near the Japan Sea. Apparently they had a big festival just to celebrate this wonderful same-name meaningless coincidence.
Whatever. I get it. I brag about the Dutch model Chantal Janzen, and if we happen to be cousins, the link would be about 500 years old.
But I was thinking about Japanese superstition when I noticed that Obama is the 44th president. In Japan that is a bad number. You would read it “shi shi” which has the connotation of “death death”. I once went to a yakiniku restaurant where there were no 4’s or 9’s on any of the shoe lockers. Apparently 9, or “ku”, can sound like “painful/difficult”.
The opposite is also true. On the years when November 22 lands on a Saturday or Sunday, the wedding places are packed out. This is due to the fact that 11/22 is read “ii fuufuu” which means “good couple”.?I had to laugh when an elderly student of mine pointed out that her license plate was 87-06, “hanarero” which translates roughly to “Back the hell off”. Perfect license plate for tailgaters.
Anyway, not meaning to rain on the Obama parade, it’s just a superstition.? But if only he could have been the 39th president. Then he would have been the “sankyuu” president which is close to “Thank you!” which is what the whole world is saying this morning.”
Zurui’s comment: Now I really do not believe in all of that but let’s use these meanings of “shishi” to shed some light on the doom and gloom:
Lion (jishi or shishi) which is used to ward of evil spirits and guard shinto shrines. The lion is the defender of law and Obama does have a law degree!
I like this meaning of Shishi even more, “noble-minded patriot.”
How about that for CHANGE!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) & PlaySay
It’s that time again! Those planning on taking the JLPT test or interesting in improving your Japanese should check out PlaySay. Click on the BT PlaySay link to test it out! PlaySay can be downloaded to ANY MP3 device. The picture above and below show PlaySay on an iPod. (Pix credit to Japan Newbie)
PlaySay is a great resource for preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (nihongo n?ryoku shiken?), or JLPT, which is a standardized test to evaluate and certify the language proficiency of non-native Japanese speakers. It is held once every year, on the first Sunday of December. The JLPT has four levels beginning at level 4 and progressing to level 1 – the most difficult. The Japan Foundation estimates that level 4 is reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) & PlaySay
It’s that time again! Those planning on taking the JLPT test or interesting in improving your Japanese should check out PlaySay. Click on the BT PlaySay link to test it out! PlaySay can be downloaded to ANY MP3 device. The picture above and below show PlaySay on an iPod. (Pix credit to Japan Newbie)
PlaySay is a great resource for preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (nihongo n?ryoku shiken?), or JLPT, which is a standardized test to evaluate and certify the language proficiency of non-native Japanese speakers. It is held once every year, on the first Sunday of December. The JLPT has four levels beginning at level 4 and progressing to level 1 – the most difficult. The Japan Foundation estimates that level 4 is reached after approximately 150 hours of study and level 1 after approximately 900 hours of study. (さらに…)
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