An evaluation of independent learning of the Japanese hiragana system using an interactive CD

ReCALL ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Geraghty ◽  
Ann Marcus Quinn

AbstractAs Japanese uses three writing systems (hiragana, katakana, and the ideograms known as kanji), and as materials in the target language include all three, it is a major challenge to learn to read and write quickly. This paper focuses on interactive multi-media methods of teaching Japanese reading which foster learner autonomy.As little has been published on interactive multi-media methods of teaching Japanese reading, it seems likely that traditional resources are generally used for this activity. The courseware includes sound files showing the pronunciation of each kana as well as simultaneous animation showing how to write each character. This paper investigates whether interactive courseware, used independently of classroom interaction, results in measurably greater recognition of the hiragana syllabary than more traditional methods. After briefly situating the study in the context of research on the teaching of Japanese reading and learner autonomy, the paper will present the courseware as well as an empirical study comparing the results of the use of the courseware by learners at beginners’ level: one group using the courseware, and the other using paper-based materials. This is followed by an account of learner diaries written by zero-beginner level learners of Japanese using the courseware.The study indicates that acquisition of a recognition-level knowledge of hiragana is approximately twice as fast using the courseware as using paper-based materials. Learners also learned to write the hiragana without explicit instruction.

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Danu Angga Vebriyanto

Questioning is a basic method implemented by teacher in order<br />to build interaction in the classroom and also to stimulate the stu-<br />dents to perform their speaking skill in target language. The present<br />study attempted to describe the types of questions that the teacher<br />usually applies in the classroom during teaching and learning pro-<br />cess, to fi nd out the teacher’s purposes of applying those levels of<br />questioning, and to describe the effects of applying the levels of<br />questioning for the students’ understanding of English, and to iden-<br />tify students’ oral responses towards teacher questions. The data<br />were collected by recording the teaching and learning process and<br />interviewing the English teacher. Based on the research fi ndings, it<br />was discovered that the teacher utilized certain types of questions.<br />Referential-open questions that can elicit longer responses were<br />31%. On the other hand, the percentage of display-closed questions<br />was 69%. Questions that are categorized as display/closed ques-<br />tions were widely used for checking students’ understanding of the<br />materials questions that categorized as referential/open questions<br />were widely used for looking for certain information from the stu-<br />dents. It was found that in all season 70% of students’ responses<br />were in form of words. The production of words was the effect of<br />employing display or closed question. In the other hand, students’<br />responses in form of sentence were 7 sentences. It was the effect of<br />employing referential or open question.


Author(s):  
Norhazlina Husin ◽  
Nuranisah Tan Abdullah ◽  
Aini Aziz

Abstract The teaching of Japanese language as third language to foreign students has its own issues and challenges. It does not merely involve only teaching the four language skills. Japanese language has its own unique values. These unique values also tend to differentiate the teaching of Japanese language as a third language from other third language acquisitions. The teaching of Japanese language as third language to foreign students also involves the teaching of its writing system. This makes the teaching of Japanese language rather complicated because Japanese language has three forms of writings, namely: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. Students are required to fully understand the Hiragana system of writing first before proceeding to learn the other two forms of writings. The main challenge in the teaching of Japanese writing systems is the time allocated that can be considered as very limited as other language aspects need to be taught too. This, which relates directly to students’ factor very much contribute to the challenges foreseen. Students are likely to face problems in understanding and using the writings as they simultaneously need to adhere to the findings teaching and learning schedules. This article discusses on the analysis conducted in terms of the learning of the Hiragana and Katagana systems of writing among foreign students. The discussion in this article is based on the teaching of Japanese language to students of Universiti Teknologi MARA(UiTM), Shah Alam. Keywords: Third language, Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji


Author(s):  
Bairon Oswaldo Vélez

This paper comments on the first Spanish translation of João Guimarães Rosa's short story "Páramo", which narrates the exile of a Brazilian lost with mountain sickness in a cold and hostile Bogotá. This translation is briefly explained in the following pages, giving special emphasis to some prominent features of the original version, in addition to the cultural context, critical and theoretical readings and the translation strategy evident in the translator‘s intervention. Finally, it is made clear how a certain perspective of the other – present in the original version as well – passes through the translation process and indicates the conditions of its presentation in the target language. The original article is in Portuguese.


Relay Journal ◽  
2018 ◽  
pp. 360-381
Author(s):  
Gordon Myskow ◽  
Phillip A. Bennett ◽  
Hisako Yoshimura ◽  
Kyoko Gruendel ◽  
Takuto Marutani ◽  
...  

The distinction between Cooperative and Collaborative Learning approaches is not a clear one. Some use the terms interchangeably while others consider Cooperative Learning to be a type of Collaborative Learning. Still others clearly differentiate between them, characterizing Cooperative Learning as more highly structured in its procedures, involving a great deal of intervention by the teacher to plan and orchestrate group interactions. Collaborative Learning, on the other hand, presupposes some degree of learner autonomy-that groups can work effectively toward shared goals and monitor their own progress. This paper takes the view that the distinction between Cooperative and Collaborative Learning is a useful one and that both approaches can play valuable roles in fostering autonomous interaction. It argues that while Collaborative Learning formations may be the ultimate goal for teachers wishing to develop learner autonomy, Cooperative Learning is a valuable means for modeling the skills and abilities to help students get there. The discussion begins with an overview of the two approaches, focusing on their implementation in the Japanese educational context. It then presents seven highly structured Cooperative Learning activities and shows how they can be modified and extended over time to encourage more autonomous interaction.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026765832110158
Author(s):  
Radek Skarnitzl ◽  
Petr Čermák ◽  
Pavel Šturm ◽  
Zora Obstová ◽  
Jan Hricsina

The use of linking or glottalization contributes to the characteristic sound pattern of a language, and the use of one in place of the other may affect a speaker’s comprehensibility and fluency in certain contexts. In this study, native speakers of Czech, a language that is associated with a frequent use of glottalization in vowel-initial word onsets, are examined in the second language (L2) context of three Romance languages that predominantly employ linking between words (Spanish, Italian and Portuguese). In total, 29 native speakers and 51 non-native learners were asked to read a short text in the respective language. The learners were divided into two groups based on their experience with the target language. A number of other factors were examined in a mixed-effects logistic regression model (segmental context, lexical stress, prosodic breaks, and the semantic status of the words). The main results show that, regardless of the target language, the more experienced (ME) learners displayed significantly lower rates of glottalization than the less experienced (LE) learners, but significantly higher rates than native speakers. The pedagogical implications of the results are discussed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 333-355
Author(s):  
Joanna Szerszunowicz ◽  

The aim of this paper is to discuss the usefulness and reliability of the onomasiological approach in the cross-linguistic analysis of fixed multiword expressions based on the example of Polish phrases coined according to the model: ADJECTIVENOM FEM SING + GŁOWA ‘HEAD’ and their English and Italian counterparts. The three corpora are constituted by expressions registered in general and phraseological dictionaries of the respective languages to ensure that the units belong to the canon of Polish, English and Italian phraseological stock. The analysis of units collected for the purpose of the study clearly shows that in order to determine the true picture of cross-linguistic equivalence, the study should be focused on semantics of analysed phrases. Furthermore, the formal aspectmay be of minor significance in some cases due to the similarity of imagery of a source language idiom and the target language lexical item. On the other hand, stylistic value may have a great impact on the relation of cross-linguistic correspondence of the analysed units.


2021 ◽  
pp. 238-256
Author(s):  
Amal Arrame

Translation is not simple transpositions operations or transcoding processes from one language to another, it involves complex mental processes where linguistics alone cannot be sufficient. It is a communication situation between two languages, Arabic and French in this case, where the objective of the translator is the transmission of his final product in a clear way, respecting the meaning and the author intention of the original version. Translation of phrases is a real dilemma for translators; however, it turns out that it is a necessity in order to discover the other, and to try to keep the same effect as the source text by giving it a stylistic touch typical to the target language. To this end, we have carefully chosen the corpus that we have translated. A corpus that reflects the originality of the Arabic language and the possibility of reducing the linguistic, cultural and discursive gaps between Arabic and French through translation. The translation processes we have chosen, take into account the target language, French in this case, its idioms, phrases and proverbs inventory, its particularity and, finally, its ability to comprehend the idea contained in the idioms of the source language.


Author(s):  
M Melvina ◽  
Nenden Sri Lengkanawati ◽  
Yanty Wirza

The present study sought to scrutinize undergraduate EFL students’ learning autonomy in a state university in Indonesia. This study employed a triangulation study of mixed-method design by distributing questionnaires and conducting interviews to get quantitative and qualitative data. The questionnaire was distributed to 40 second year participants enrolled in listening, speaking, reading, and writing for academic purposes classes, whereas 15 participants were selected for the interview Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data collected from the questionnaire and the interview. Findings revealed that the level of students’ learner autonomy was classified as moderate level of autonomy. This indicated that Indonesian undergraduate students were considered somewhat autonomous learners. In addition, the Indonesian undergraduate students defined learner autonomy as independent learning with or without the teacher’s assistance, students responsible for their own learning, and learner autonomy was the student’s self-awareness and self-initiated to learn outside the classroom to find ways of learning and collaborate with others. The study recommended that teachers should consistently develop learner autonomy in their teaching practice.


Target ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Venturi

Translations are facts of target cultures, but the perceived status of source texts has a bearing on how these are reflected or refracted in the target language. This proposition is particularly evident in the case of classics: when translators have to work on literary creations occupying a pivotal position in the source/target cultures, they adopt strategies of literalness and ennoblement which betray a quasi-religious awe—on the one hand, a desire to ruffle the surface of the revered original as little as possible; and on the other, a determination to reproduce the supposed ‘classical qualities’ of the classic even when they are not present in the source. In the following article, I examine how the ‘idea of classic’ influences translation theory and practice, substantiating my theoretical observations by looking at Italian translations of English classics. A marked—and historically determined—disparity between source and target readerships, and the translators’ reverence for their prestigious originals, conspire to produce Italian versions which are much more ‘wooden’ and ‘elegant’ than their English counterparts.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-170
Author(s):  
Nasimah Abdullah ◽  
Lubna Abd. Rahman ◽  
Abur Hamdi Usman

A mutashabihat verse (anthropomorphism) is a verse that contains many interpretations as it has various dimensions of meaning. Explicitation is one of the translation procedures introduced by Vinay and Darbelnet as an effort to make the target language readers understand clearly the implicit meaning contained in the source text. In other words, the implicit meaning contained in the source text can be revealed into the target text through this procedure. A translator whose role is to transfer the meaning of source text is always bounded by a certain ideology that will influence his translation works. This study aims to examine the forms of explicitation used in the translation of the mutashabihat verses in the Quran and relate them to translators’ ideologies. This study adopted a qualitative approach that led to the analysis of text content of the Quran, which is elaborated descriptively by selecting three (3) words found in the text of the Quran that is related to Allah, as the sample of the study which are )يد( ,)استوى( and (أعين ). The corpus texts used are the Malay Quran translation by Abdullah Basmeih, Mahmud Yunus, and Zaini Dahlan. The findings showed that the translation of the mutashabihat verses used various forms of explicitation to enhance a clearer understanding of the target readers to the meaning of the Qur'an, such as lexical specification, the addition of explanatory remarks, additional information in brackets and footnotes. In addition, studies found that Mahmud Yunus and Zaini Dahlan retained the meaning of translated mutashabihat verses literally without giving an esoteric interpretation of the Quran and sometimes inclined towards the ideology of al-Ta’wil. On the other hand, Abdullah Basmeih was more prone to the ideologies of al-Ta’wil and al-Ithbat bi Dawabit in translating the verses. ABSTRAK Ayat mutashabihat ialah ayat yang mengandungi banyak pentafsiran kerana mempunyai pelbagai dimensi makna. Eksplisitasi pula ialah salah satu prosedur terjemahan yang diperkenalkan oleh Vinay dan Darbelnet sebagai usaha agar pembaca bahasa sasaran memahami dengan jelas makna implisit yang terkandung di dalam teks sumber. Melalui prosedur ini, bentuk makna implisit yang terkandung di dalam teks sumber dapat dizahirkan ke dalam teks sasaran. Penterjemah selaku pihak yang memainkan peranan dalam memindahkan makna sebenarnya sentiasa terikat dengan ideologi tertentu yang akan mewarnai teks sasaran yang dihasilkannya. Kajian ini bertujuan meneliti bentuk eksplisitasi yang terdapat dalam terjemahan ayat-ayat mutashabihat dalam al-Quran serta menghubungkaitkannya dengan pengaruh aliran pemikiran yang dipegang oleh penterjemah. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif yang menjurus kepada analisis kandungan teks al-Quran yang dihurai secara deskriptif dengan memilih tiga (3) perkataan yang dinisbahkan kepada Allah SWT yang terdapat dalam teks al-Quran sebagai sampel kajian iaitu lafaz )ىوتسا(, )دي( dan (أعين ). Korpus kajian pula adalah teks al-Quran yang diterjemahkan oleh Abdullah Basmeih, Mahmud Yunus dan Zaini Dahlan. Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa terjemahan ayat-ayat mutashabihat menggunakan pelbagai bentuk eksplisitasi untuk memberi kefahaman yang lebih jelas kepada pembaca sasaran terhadap makna al-Quran iaitu bentuk pengkhususan, penambahan maklumat, maklumat tambahan dalam kurungan dan nota kaki. Selain itu, kajian juga mendapati bahawa Mahmud Yunus dan Zaini Dahlan mengekalkan makna literal teks al-Quran tanpa takwilan dan kadang-kadang condong kepada aliran pemikiran al-Ta’wil dalam menterjemahkan ayat mutashabihat. Manakala Abdullah Basmeih pula lebih cenderung kepada aliran pemikiran al-Takwil dan al-Ithbat bi Dawabit dalam memberikan maksud ayat mutashabihat.


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