Our Podcast Project: Kevin san + Clio san + me

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clbavimrDno

Communicate, Communication, Communicating

1. What do you expect to learn from this pod-casting project? (List as much as possible.)
2. What does "communication" mean to you? 

 I expect to learn three things in this pod-casting project: 1) learn to work in a team together, which is an application to "communication"; 2) learn the subject area that we propose to do; 3) learn the pod-casting techniques, which will be a challenge to me, since I have never done video editing before.

"Communication" means two-way communication to me.  There should be clear evidence that A is communicating to B, and B is communicating with A.  That means, A expresses A's thoughts to B, and B clearly listens.  And the content in A's thought clearly influenced B's decision making, although it does not mean that B will uncritically follow every thoughts of A, but it must show that A's thoughts influenced B's decision.  Such influence can modify or alter B's original decision.

ことし なにが いちばん ほしいですか。

ことし　なにが　いちばん　ほしいですか。

ニューヨークの　せいかつになれましたか。

きれいなへやが　ほしいですか。

ともだちが　ほしいですか。　

あたらしいふくが　ほしいですか。

コロンビアの　せいかつになれましたか。

はやいコンピュータが　ほしいですか。

おいしいたべものが　ほしいですか。

にきやかなパーティーガ　ほしいですか。

せいかつは　いいですが、わるいです。

せいかつは　むずかしいですが、たのしいです。

せいかつは　たいへんですが、すてきです。

ことし　なにが　いちばん　ほしいですか。

Katakana Analysis Final

I am most intrigued by the development history of the three writing system in Japanese, namely, Kanji, Katakana and Hiragana.  Particularly, I ask why there is the need to develop the paralleled systems Katakana and Hiragana.  Although Katakana is used for loan words now, such as  fork (フォーク) and bus (バス), they were not so historically.  These two systems primarily represented two writing systems without particular distinction of what kind of words they may be used.  That means, historically, each word can be written in both Katakana and Hiragana.

1) The origins of the two systems

   Katakana system was believed to be originated in the Heian period, i.e., nineth century Japan.  However, in April 2002, Yoshinori Kobayashi, professor of Japanese at Tokushima Bunri University, suggested in a lecture that he gave at Otani University in Kyoto that the Katakana system may have originated in the eighth century on the Korean Peninsula and introduced to Japan through Buddhist texts (Refer to: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20020404b7.html ).  Nevertheless, this hypothesis is being critically examined and debated.  For example, Minami Hirakawa (平川南) argued contrarily in his book  Ancient Japan: The Passage the writing system came through (歴博フォーラム古代日本文字の来た道), published one year later in 2005 in Japanese.  Hiragana system was also believed to be originated near the same time, although it gains its popularity among women who were denied of formal education; while men, received formal education of Hanji.  

2) Why the two systems

      If both systems can fully represent words and grammar, why would there any need for the two systems.  Some interesting hypothesis may be suggested.  From the usage point of view, Kanji was regarded as the exalted scholastic form used by literati class.  However, Kanji is limited because there are indigenous Japanese words used in verbal communication that cannot be expressed in Kanji.  For this reason, Hiragana or Katakana was introduced.  As it turns out, the literati class, which consisted mostly of men,  used Katakana to supplement their writings.  While on the other hand, Hiragana was used mostly by women.  Another reason behind such division may be due to the aesthetic consideration because Hiragana looks more artistic in its curves and turns compared to Katakana, which makes it suitable for cultivating women's aesthetic interest.  Thirdly, and probably most importantly, is that Katakana is introduced and widely used because of the technology of printing.  The block style of Katakana makes printing much more accessible.  Interestingly, the earliest printing history of books, which is in the late eighth century, coincides with the introduction of Katakana system (See Kornicki, Peter F. The Book in Japan : a Cultural History from the Beginnings to the Nineteenth Century. Handbook of Oriental Studies, Japan VII. Boston: Brill, 1998).

3) Evolution within the two writing systems

These three writing systems evolved over time within themselves, due to social and cultural changes or sometimes direct state interference.  For example, the significant reforms in the 19th century Meiji Era introduced three reforms aimed at improving the education in Japanese writing through the Education Ministry:

• standardization of hiragana, eliminating the range of hentaigana then in use;
• restriction of the number of kanji taught in elementary schools to about 1,200;
• reform of the irregular kana representation of the Sino-Japanese readings of kanji to make them conform with the pronunciation.

The first two of these were generally accepted, but the third was hotly contested, particularly by conservatives, to the extent that it was withdrawn in 1908 (See Seeley, Christopher, A History of Writing in Japan. University of Hawai'i Press, 1991).  One may notice today that there are Hiragana, Full-width Katakana and Half-width Katakana in the input system on the computer.  These tangible divergences continue to give us hints for changing faces of Japanese writing system in the future times.  

Composition 3 にじょうにんごのわたし

にじょうにんごのわたし　はアメリカに　います。　わたしはだいがくのがくせいにおしえます。　わたしは　こどもと　おっとと　かそくと　うちに　います。　わたしのうちは　おおしくありませんが、　きれいです。　わたしのまちは　にぎやかです、そしてべんりです。　げっようびから　きんようびまで　はたらきます。　おもしるいですから、だいがくのがくせんがすきです。　いちねんいっかい　ちゅうごくへ　いきます。　わたしはちゅうごくでおしえます！

A Poem Using Katakana (literary work due 11/17)

かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)

かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
せんしゅう、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last week, together with you, I met with you.)

はなをかいました。(I buy you flowers.)

デンワヲカケマスカ。(Will you make a telephone call?)

かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
せんげつ、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last month, together with you, I met with you.)
しゃしんをみました。(I look at your picture.)

デンシャヲキマスカ。(Will you take a train to come?)

かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
きょねん、わたしはいっしょにあいました。(Last year, together with you, I met with you.)
てがみをかきました。(I write you a letter.)

ヒコウキヲカエリマスカ。(Will you take a plane to come home?)

かれはどこですか。(My lover, where are you?)
これから、へもあいません。(From now on, I have nothing.)
ハナハアカイジャ、アリマセン。(Flowers are not red.)
ヤマハレイジャ、アリマセン。(Mountains are not beautiful.)
オンガクハタノシク、アリマセン。(Music are not enjoyable.)
カレハカエリマセン！(My lover, you will not come home!)
カレハドクデスカ。(My lover, where are you?)
カレハカエリマセン！(My lover, you will not come home!)


カレ、カレ！ (My lover, my lover!)
カレハドクデスカ。(My lover, where are you?)

Composition 2

やまたさん、

はじめまして。わたしはQiuです。わたしはコロンビアだいがくいんのいちねんせいです。わたし はにほんごをべんきょうします。まいしょうげつようびからもうようびまでです。わたしはParkせんせいににほんごをなりいます。わたしははじにおきま す。ごごきじにかえります。わたしはじょうにじにやすみます。わたしはにほんへしがつむいかにいます。どうぞよるしく。おねがいします。