Japanese language programs

Fri Feb 5 12:10:13 EST 2010

Per Daniel's comments, I now want to 'play' this 漢検DS game.  I guess there
is something about the stylus/text recognition aspect that makes it kind of
charming.

I had no idea that RS was a Sierra property.  That's very interesting and
makes sense.  By the way, if you're familiar with the ubiquitous Rosetta
Stone ads in certain publications (New Yorker, Economist, etc.), here's a
spoof that was in the New Yorker awhile back:
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2009/04/13/090413sh_shouts_frazier?printable=true

I wonder if any of this is helping the OP...?

BC

On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:24 AM, <drainer at mpinet.net> wrote:

>  Interesting article, though I wonder if there was more to it than just
> the software...
>
> As I said earlier, I think it is a good listening tool for an intermediate
> speaker. It's mostly repetition and although not exactly groundbreaking, it
> could suffice for learning vocabulary. Regarding Benito's criticism, he is
> right, version 2.x (roughly 10+ years old) was rubbish. The newer versions,
> 3.2.x offer substantial improvements. From my understanding, this was when
> Rosetta became a LLC (it was originally owned by Sierra) and revamped the
> whole line of products. The newer edition also offers Japanese levels 1-3,
> so for someone who does not live in Japan and wishes to bridge the
> gap between intermediate and advanced, it could be useful (especially level
> 3 if you'd like to practice reading).
>
> Anyway, I would not encourage anyone to purchase it, but if you can use it
> through your department it is worth taking a look--that was my original
> suggestion. And as mentioned by others, these days you can supplement your
> learning with an online tutor (through Skype, etc), though my caveat on that
> one is to try to pick the most "serious" instructor, otherwise you won't get
> far.
>
> It essentially comes down to self-discipline and picking the right
> sources...learning languages can be quite tedious and boring, I certainly
> know it was like that for me....
>
> -daniel
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>  *From:* Bruce Baird <baird at asianlan.umass.edu>
> *To:* KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>  *Sent:* Friday, February 05, 2010 11:06 AM
> *Subject:* Re: Japanese language programs
>
> There was an article in the NYTimes just the other day about Rosetta
> Stone--
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/28/technology/personaltech/28basics.html?scp=1&sq=rosetta%20stone&st=cse
>
> I've never used it and I don't know if something has changed, but it
> apparently worked for someone going from Farsi to English. Whether it is as
> good at going away from english is another question.
>
>
>  On Feb 4, 2010, at 11:20 PM, Benito Cachinero wrote:
>
> Sorry, I just think Rosetta Stone is a scam geared towards dilettantes.
> Maybe something miraculous happened to the software, but when I tried it
> 10ish years ago it was a laughable collection of mini-games.
>
> Your other suggestions are good, though.  I wish I had had KanKen games
> when I was coming up...
>
> Benito
>
> On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 11:00 PM, <drainer at mpinet.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> No apologies necessary.
>>
>> I was not suggesting flashcards, but rather Japanese games like 漢検 or even
>> something like  ことばのパズル (which is a *great* vocabulary builder). Remember,
>> these are made for Japanese who are learning vocabulary or kanji; if you
>> master all the 漢検 games you will be well beyond a scholar's grasp...
>>
>> Textbooks, of course, are also great, but I believe in following all of
>> the paths, and I think that media, especially television, is the way to
>> fluency. It worked for me well beyond Japanese...
>>
>> -d
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "BC" <pencileraser at gmail.com>
>>
>> To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 10:36 PM
>>
>> Subject: Re: Japanese language programs
>>
>>
>> In case you are considering doing something stateside, you might try the
>>> Monterey Institute of International Studies in California or the
>>> Middlebury
>>> programs in Vermont (though these might be geared towards younger people?
>>> I
>>> don't know much about Middlebury).  I believe that Cornell also does
>>> something similar.
>>>
>>> Some years ago when I was starting out I did an intensive Japanese
>>> program
>>> at Stanford's summer session, and it was exceedingly good because there
>>> were
>>> only two of us in the class!
>>>
>>> But if you can manage to get to Japan to do it, by all means go that
>>> route.
>>>
>>> I wouldn't under any circumstance recommend Rosetta Stone.  Textbooks
>>> (usually of 1970s-80s vintage are best) will get you up to speed in no
>>> time;
>>> as a PhD candidate I assume you have no qualms about reading!  It will
>>> help
>>> you in the long run more than fun graphics and flashcard drills will.
>>> (With
>>> apologies to previous poster.)
>>>
>>> Barring all of these options, you can have your own intensive program by
>>> hiring a tutor privately.  This may hurt your pocketbook, but Tachibana
>>> Takashi seems to agree that you can learn something 10x faster when you
>>> do
>>> it alone; group classes lessen the cost, but also the learning potential.
>>>
>>> Benito Cachinero
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 10:30 PM, <drainer at mpinet.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Robyn,
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately that seems to be the requirement for most formal
>>>> institutions, though I think there could be placement tests. Perhaps
>>>> others
>>>> on the list could give you better advice on specifics.
>>>>
>>>> Cornell University also has a good program (FALCON) designed for
>>>> beginner/intermediate/advanced students, though the costs are a bit
>>>> prohibitive.
>>>>
>>>> There are many intensive language schools in Japan, some good, many bad.
>>>> There is an institute which keeps costs low--the name escapes me, anyone
>>>> remember it? I think it is somewhere in kansai and starts with an Y,
>>>> though
>>>> I am not sure at all....
>>>>
>>>> Your best bet would be an intensive course at a university in Japan for
>>>> one
>>>> or two semesters, though I am not sure if you have the time as you are a
>>>> focusing on the PhD.
>>>>
>>>> To be honest, I would even recommend Rosetta Stone, if you've got the
>>>> time
>>>> and patience and can get it through your department. It's not the
>>>> greatest
>>>> learning tool in the world, but it works well enough for an intermediate
>>>> learner or someone adept at listening.
>>>>
>>>> I did not take three semesters of Japanese at university, so I had to
>>>> learn
>>>> on my own (and trust me, I never studied). In my experience, listening
>>>> is
>>>> the key...the hardest part is bridging the gap between intermediate and
>>>> advanced...after that, just get a Nintendo DS and some Kanji learning
>>>> games!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -d
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robyn Citizen" <rc1434 at nyu.edu>
>>>>
>>>> To: <KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 9:55 PM
>>>>
>>>> Subject: Re: Japanese language programs
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Thanks! I checked into IUC but the it seems that I have to be somewhat
>>>>
>>>>> more proficient in Kanji (500-700 characters) then I currently am and
>>>>> need
>>>>> to have three semesters of university courses in Japanese.
>>>>>
>>>>> Robyn Citizen
>>>>> PhD Candidate
>>>>> Cinema Studies
>>>>> New York University
>>>>> alternate e-mail: ladykaede1221 at gmail.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> "I'm giving her all she's got Captain!" - Scotty, Star Trek 2009
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: Lindsay Nelson <lrnelson at usc.edu>
>>>>> Date: Thursday, February 4, 2010 9:45 pm
>>>>> Subject: Re: Japanese language programs
>>>>> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
>>>>>
>>>>>  I second IUC Yokohama, have heard great things from friends who did
>>>>> it--I
>>>>>
>>>>>> did a one-year intensive program at Sophia that was really helpful (I
>>>>>> think
>>>>>> they've also got a summer course now, www.sophia.ac.jp), and I
>>>>>> applied
>>>>>> for a
>>>>>> similar program at Waseda.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 6:40 PM, Eija Niskanen <
>>>>>> eija.niskanen at gmail.com
>>>>>> >wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> > Hi!
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > This one, IUC in Yokohama, is a good one. I studied their 1-yr
>>>>>> > program, but they have summer courses as well.
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > http://www.stanford.edu/dept/IUC/
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > Eija
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > On Fri, Feb 5, 2010 at 11:37 AM, Robyn Citizen <rc1434 at nyu.edu> >
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> > > Hi all,
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > I was wondering if anyone on the list could recommend a good
>>>>>> program or
>>>>>> > school in Japan for intensive short-term (summer) Japanese lessons.
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > I've been learning Japanese informally and through weekly Japan >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> Society
>>>>>> > classes for a couple of years now and have decided that at 30 and
>>>>>> with a
>>>>>> > natural ineptitude when it comes to grammar, I probably need to
>>>>>> invest in
>>>>>> > the immersion experience if only for a brief period.
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > Ideally, this will put me on the right track to being able to
>>>>>> watch
>>>>>> > Japanese movies without subtitles - which is necessary since I can
>>>>>> only find
>>>>>> > certain films like KIKU TO ISAMU, without them - and read the
>>>>>> original text
>>>>>> > of film reviews and analyses by Japanese critics.
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > Thanks much,
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > Robyn Citizen
>>>>>> > > PhD Candidate
>>>>>> > > Cinema Studies
>>>>>> > > New York University
>>>>>> > > alternate e-mail: ladykaede1221 at gmail.com
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > > "I'm giving her all she's got Captain!" - Scotty, Star Trek 2009
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> > >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> > --
>>>>>> > Eija Niskanen
>>>>>> > c/o Fujita
>>>>>> > Kichijoji Honcho 4-12-6
>>>>>> > Musashino-shi
>>>>>> > Tokyo 180-0004
>>>>>> >
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Benito Cachinero
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/benitocachinero
>
>
>  Bruce Baird
>
> Assistant Professor
>
> Asian Languages and Literatures
>
> University of Massachusetts Amherst
>
> Butô, Japanese Theater, Intellectual History
>
>
>  717 Herter Hall
>
> 161 Presidents Drive
>
> University of Massachusetts Amherst
>
> Amherst, MA 01003-9312
>
> Phone: 413-577-4992
>
> Fax: 413-545-4975
>
> baird at asianlan.umass.edu
>
>
>
>
>
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