Structure of the Japanese Language |
Spring 2015
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Course Information
JAPN 401
MLO 1: Language & Communication Course Description
This course aims to develop basic understanding of structural features of Japanese language. Students will be introduced to basic phonological, morphological, syntactic, and discourse analysis of Japanese.
Course Work
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Reflective Narrative
This course supported the Language & Communication major learning outcome (MLO 1). The the first half of the semester, we took a very close look at grammar and similar grammar points. During this time, we discussed why grammar points that appear similar convey different messages. In the second half of the semester, we learned the International Phonetic Alphabet for Japanese and English with a focus on the pronunciations of Japanese. Specifically, we learned about Pitch-Accent and the standard dialect for verbs, adjectives, and nouns. An important take-away from this experience is the skill of listening for the pitch and mora in Japanese words and then replicating the nuance in order to convey the correct meaning. This half of the semester also covered intonation, which means we covered pronunciation from a single sound, to a word, to a full sentence. All of this was summarized in the final exam review.
I feel that I have acquired a strong foundation in the pronunciation of Japanese and understand the material logically, but now I will have to practice more in order to fully grasp the concept. I want to continue practicing by listening to Japanese speakers and identifying the pitch changes when they speak, then replicate the sound myself in sort of a shadowing exercise. I tried this with the self-introduction project. I think that listening properly is key for learning real pronunciation. Similarly, I think that reading is key for grasping grammatical structure, which is why I will start to read more in Japanese beyond classroom texts. Personally, I found Pitch-Accent very difficult and I have not completely developed a confidence in my ability to distinguish between high and low pitches, but I believe this semester has taught me the techniques to continue developing the skill. During the semester, what really helped with learning about Pitch-Accent were the audio tapes connected with the textbook. Listening to the example many times and identifying the correct Pitch-Accent helped my ears learn the difference |