learning japanese script

J.sharp j.sharp
Wed Aug 15 03:27:16 EDT 2007


And more than that - the kind of passages you'll get in the more advanced
Japanese For Busy People chapters, which feature quite complex grammar and
vocab all written in hiragana/katakana, just dont exist in real life.
Actually once you get a bit of kanji behind you and see how verb endings and
particle markers work, these passages are actually very difficult to read
only in hiragana.

--------- Original Message --------
From: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
Subject: Re: learning japanese script
Date: 14/08/07 09:14

>
> And I third that.
> Learning kanji first has helped me from the beginning, and still helps
now.
> As Jasper said, if I can visualize the kanji, I can learn any associations
> thereof much easier than if I were to learn the speaking portion first.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: &quot;Cindy Tokumitsu&quot; &lt;cindytoku at optonline.net&gt;
> To: &lt;KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu&gt;
> Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:19 AM
> Subject: Re: learning japanese script
>
>
> &gt; Jasper and Emma --
> &gt;
> &gt; I guess I'm about at Jasper's level (6 years) -- and I wholeheartedly
> &gt; agree with his approach of integrating kanji learning/use as early as
> &gt; possible -- for many reasons, not least enjoyment, clarity, holistic
> &gt; orientation within the language...
> &gt;
> &gt; Cindy
> &gt;
> &gt; At 11:16 AM 8/14/2007, you wrote:
> &gt;&gt;Hi Emma,
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;Good look on taking the plunge. Yes, the three scripts do all
occur in the
> &gt;&gt;same sentence on many occasions!
> &gt;&gt;I'll just add that as someone who started learning fairly recently
(about
> &gt;&gt;6
> &gt;&gt;years ago) and counts himself as a far better reader than a
speaker, I
> &gt;&gt;found
> &gt;&gt;Japanese For Busy People very limited in their usefulness. The
fact that
> &gt;&gt;they use only romaji and hiragana up a fairly high level, without
really
> &gt;&gt;introducing kanji at all, indicates that they werent designed by a
> &gt;&gt;Japanese
> &gt;&gt;person.
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;There's a school of though that says you should learn how to speak
first
> &gt;&gt;and
> &gt;&gt;learn kanji later. I personally disagree - I think they are too
seperate
> &gt;&gt;skills which can be learn in tandem without any detriment to each
other,
> &gt;&gt;and
> &gt;&gt;in fact facillitate the learning of each other. As you'll have
noticed,
> &gt;&gt;Japanese vocab, esepcially at a more abstract level, doesnt bare
much
> &gt;&gt;relationship to any European language, and i found it a lot easier
to
> &gt;&gt;remember how to pronounce a word if you can visualise its kanji.
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;So I would suggest keeping Japanese For Busy People on the
backburner or
> &gt;&gt;as
> &gt;&gt;supplmentary material, and use the brilliant Minna no Nihongo
books, which
> &gt;&gt;is what any Japanese teacher in Japan would use.
> &gt;&gt;I am not sure if these books are easy to get on line, as I bought
mine in
> &gt;&gt;Japan, but here's a starting place for your search:
> &gt;&gt;http://www.3anet.co.jp/english/books/books_01.html
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;The books are great because they introduce the simple kanji, for
example,
> &gt;&gt;'hito' or 'ue', as you come across them. You can get up to a good
100
> &gt;&gt;serviceable characters in a very short time.
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;Another great resource for kanji that I used which explains how it
works
> &gt;&gt;was
> &gt;&gt;a Tuttle publication called something like How to Learn Kanji. It
only
> &gt;&gt;introduces a few simple ones, but it explains how they work
conceptually.
> &gt;&gt;I
> &gt;&gt;remember when I first moved to Japan sitting on the Odakyu line
every day
> &gt;&gt;looking at the signs with this book in my hands and gradually
working out
> &gt;&gt;that places like Machida  meant &quot;town-field&quot; and
Yokohama meant &quot;next to
> &gt;&gt;the
> &gt;&gt;beach&quot; etc, and it soon flowed from there.
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;I've also got a great book, A Guide to Remembering Japanese
Characters,
> &gt;&gt;which lists about 1800 kanji and explains their derivations - its
very
> &gt;&gt;intimidating at first, but very useful in the long run.
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;So there's my tips - Minna no nihongo!
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;Jasper
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;--
> &gt;&gt;Midnight Eye: The Latest and Best in Japanese Cinema
> &gt;&gt;www.midnighteye.com
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;===
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;View my Myspace page: www.myspace.com/jaspersharp
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;--------- Original Message --------
> &gt;&gt;From: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> &gt;&gt;To: kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> &gt;&gt;&lt;kinejapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu&gt;
> &gt;&gt;Subject: learning japanese script
> &gt;&gt;Date: 14/08/07 05:03
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt; Hello all.
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt; I have just embarked upon the long path of learning to read
and write
> &gt;&gt; &gt; Japanese. I am using the 'Japanese for busy people'
workbooks, and have
> &gt;&gt;been
> &gt;&gt; &gt; sailing through learning hiragana, but much to my dismay
when i went to
> &gt;&gt;try
> &gt;&gt; &gt; out my new skill on www.amazon.jp i find all the sentences
to be
> &gt;&gt;combination
> &gt;&gt; &gt; of hirigana, kanji and katakana. I realise to all you who
know how to
> &gt;&gt; &gt; read
> &gt;&gt; &gt; japanese this is very obvious, but it there anyone out there
to whom
> &gt;&gt; &gt; japanese is not their first language who can instill me with
some
> &gt;&gt;confidence
> &gt;&gt; &gt; that it is possible to learn it all -  and why are there 3
forms within
> &gt;&gt;one
> &gt;&gt; &gt; sentence!
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt; Emma Newbery BA (hons), MA, PGCE
> &gt;&gt; &gt; Programme Leader
> &gt;&gt; &gt; BTEC National Diploma in Media Productions
> &gt;&gt; &gt; Blackpool and the Fylde College
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
_________________________________________________________________
> &gt;&gt; &gt; The next generation of Hotmail is here! 
http://www.newhotmail.co.uk
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt; &gt;
> &gt;&gt;
> &gt;&gt;________________________________________________
> &gt;&gt;Message sent using Hunter Point Online WebMail
> &gt;
>
>
>
>
>
>

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