scholarly journals Searching for the semantic boundaries of the Japanese colour term ‘AO’

2003 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-86
Author(s):  
Francis Conlan
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Foreign Loan ◽  
Loan Words ◽  
Traffic Lights ◽  
Bilingual Dictionaries ◽  
Colour Term ◽  
Colour Terms

The Japanese language has a colour term, ‘ao’, which is usually referred to in bilingual dictionaries as being the equivalent of English ‘blue’. Very often, however, it is used to describe things which English speakers would describe as being green. Granny Smith apples are ‘ao’, so are all Westerners ‘ eyes, regardless of whether they would be described as being ‘blue’ or ‘green’ in English. The sky and the sea are prototypically ‘ao’, but this term is also used to describe lawns, forests, traffic lights and unripe tomatoes. What, then, do Japanese native speakers (JNS) understand by this term? How do its semantic boundaries relate to those of the term ‘midori’ (‘green’)? What is the JNS understanding of the foreign loan words ‘guriiri (green) and ‘buruu’ (blue)? This paper reports on ‘ao’ prototypes and prototype theory’s good and bad examples of referents for these four colour terms. It explores, from a semasiological perspective, both the relationships of entailment and the processes of exclusion which operate when JNS select amongst these colour terms. The possibilities and non-possibilities for the shared use of these colour terms are identified for a variety of referents.

scholarly journals The colour lexicon of the Serbian language - a study of dark blue and dark red colour categories Part 1: Colour-term elicitation task

Psihologija ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-213
Author(s):  
Ivana Jakovljev ◽  
Suncica Zdravkovic
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Calculated Frequency ◽  
Basic Colour ◽  
The Status ◽  
Colour Term ◽  
Colour Terms ◽  
Dark Blue

In this study, we linguistically investigated Serbian colour terminology. We administrated colourterm elicitation task aiming to establish the inventory of basic colour terms (BCTs) in the Serbian language and, in particular, to investigate the salience and the status of colour terms teget ?dark blue? and bordo ?dark red?. Native speakers of Serbian (N = 83) participated in a list task (Morgan & Corbett, 1989), in which they had to list as many Serbian colour terms as possible during five minutes. Based on the collected data, we calculated frequency of each term, its mean position and two indexes of salience. Results showed that 11 Serbian most salient colour terms correspond to the eleven BCTs found by Berlin and Kay (1969), namely, plavo ?blue?, crveno ?red?, zuto ?yellow?, zeleno ?green?, crno ?black?, belo ?white?, ljubicasto ?purple?, narandzasto ?orange?, sivo ?grey?, roze ?pink?, and braon ?brown?, but that basic status of braon needs to be further examined. Teget ?dark blue? and bordo ?dark red?, along with tirkizno ?turquoise? and oker ?ochre? were frequently used, with higher salience indices than other non-BCTs. Further research is needed to find out whether teget and bordo meet criteria of BCTs in the Serbian language.

scholarly journals The polysemy of the colour term white in English, Russian, Tajik and Uzbek

ExELL ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-134
Author(s):  
Daler Zayniev
Keyword(s):  
Everyday Life ◽  
Present Article ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Bilingual Dictionaries ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Colour Term ◽  
Colour Preferences ◽  
Colour Terms ◽  
White Colour

Abstract Colour is one of the central categories of both a conceptual and a linguistic world of image, correlated with an axiological and an esthetic assessment, a semiotic and value world of image of a given national culture, which allows us to talk about colour preferences, ethnic colour mentality, colour gaps and colour universals, that is, about the colour world of image. In addition, colours have senses specific to particular fields, from physics over printing to senses used in everyday life. In the present article, I carry out an analysis of the colour term white in English, and its counterparts in Russian, Tajik and Uzbek from the lexicological and lexicographical point of view, starting with a semasiological perspective, following Steinvall’s (2002: 56) methodology. The conceptual space of the colour term white in lexicographic work tends to be kept compact rather than articulated in great detail, just like in the case of other types of colours, i.e. in an attempt to minimize polysemy, its senses are typically lumped, rather than split. The main aims were to investigate the differences in the representation of adjectives denoting white colour across languages and to compare monolingual and bilingual dictionaries with respect how they structure their meanings, as well as collocations and idiomatic expressions (often based on metaphors and metonymies). A number of field-like clusters of concepts related to the colour terms for white were established. Based on these findings, I proceed to make some suggestions for the improvement of the approach to colour terms for white and other colours in general use and pedagogical dictionaries.

The Involvement of Native Speakers in Teaching and Learning Japanese Language at UiTM

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Choong Pow Yean ◽  
Sarinah Bt Sharif ◽  
Normah Bt Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Lexical Density

The Nihongo Partner Program or “Japanese Language Partner” is a program that sends native speakers to support the teaching and learning of Japanese overseas. The program is fully sponsored by The Japan Foundation. The aim of this program is to create an environment that motivates the students to learn Japanese. This study is based on a survey of the Nihongo Partner Program conducted on students and language lecturers at UiTM, Shah Alam. This study aims to investigate if there is a necessity for native speakers to be involved in the teaching and learning of Japanese among foreign language learners. Analysis of the results showed that both students and lecturers are in dire need of the Nihongo Partner Program to navigate the learning of the Japanese language through a variety of language learning activities. The involvement of native speaker increases students’ confidence and motivation to converse in Japanese. The program also provides opportunities for students to increase their Japanese language proficiency and lexical density. In addition, with the opportunity to interact with the native speakers, students and lecturers will have a better understanding of Japanese culture as they are able to observe and ask the native speakers. Involvement of native speakers is essential in teaching and learning of Japanese in UiTM.

The cognitive saliency of word associations of verbs of speech in English as a Lingua Franca interactions

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-443
Author(s):  
Yang Pang
Keyword(s):  
Common Ground ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Word Associations ◽  
Similar Word ◽  
Speech Communities

AbstractBuilding on the theoretical insights into the socio-cognitive approach to the study of interactions in which English is used as a lingua franca (ELF)), this paper reports on the idiosyncratic phenomenon that ELF speakers do not adhere to the norms of native speakers, but instead create their own particular word associations during the course of the interaction. Taking the verbs of speech talk, say, speak, and tell as examples, this study compares word associations from three corpora of native and non-native speakers. The findings of this study reveal that similar word associative patterns are produced and shared by ELF speech communities from different sociocultural backgrounds, and these differ substantially from those used by native English speakers. Idiom-like constructions such as say like, how to say, and speakin are developed and utilized by Asian and European ELF speakers. Based on these findings, this paper concludes that ELF speakers use the prefabricated expressions in the target language system only as references, and try to develop their own word associative patterns in ELF interactions. Moreover, the analysis of the non-literalness/metaphorical word associations of the verbs of speech in the Asian ELF corpus suggests that ELF speakers dynamically co-construct their shared common ground to derive non-literal/metaphorical meaning in actual situational context.

Speech Rate Is No Simple matter

1990 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey M. Derwing
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Pause Time ◽  
Short Film ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Simple Matter ◽  
Communicative Success

Speech rate (articulation rate and pauses) was examined for its relation to communicative success. Native English speakers (NSs) were paired with other NSs and with non-native speakers (NNSs). The subjects viewed a short film, the content of which they were to relay to their two partners independently. Communicative success was measured through comprehension questions addressed to the listeners at the completion of the task. Analyses indicated that although a slight majority of NSs slowed their speech rate for NNSs, they did not adjust articulation rate, but did significantly increase pause time. Neither speech rate nor articulation rate varied over the course of the narrations. Contrary to intuition, the subjects who successfully communicated the story to NNSs did not adjust their speech rate, while those who had difficulty communicating with NNSs increased pause time significantly. The implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for further research are made.

Compliment Strategies Employed by Japanese and Malaysian Tour Guides during Tour Sessions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roswati Abdul Rashid ◽  
◽  
Roslina Mamat ◽  
Rokiah Paee ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Tour Guides ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
Research Goal ◽  
Tourist Guides

This research is a comparative study of Japanese language communication between the Japanese and Malay tourist guides during tourism tour sessions. The research goal is to examine patterns of compliment strategies implemented throughout the interactions of the tour sessions. The study results acquired are in the form of four recordings of a dialogue between the tourist guides and the tourists, in audio and video modes. The conversations are transcribed and coded. The tour guides included two Japanese native speakers and two Malaysian-Japanese speakers. In contrast, the tourists are Japanese native speakers who visited Malaysia, and Malaysians who attended the tourist attractions in Japan. The study reveals that the frequency of compliments applied by both Japanese and Malaysian tour guides are alike, or in other words, there are no significant differences. Nevertheless, category, function and topic or theme of compliment utterance present ssubstantial distinction.

scholarly journals Innovations in Integrating Language Assistants: Inter-Collaborative Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 54-62
Author(s):  
Fumie Kato
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Japanese Study ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
One Year ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
Study Abroad Students

A language assistant (LA) program was introduced into a university-level Japanese program. The LAs in this program consisted of Japanese study abroad students, that is English as a second language students, coming to study from Japanese universities for either one semester or one academic year, as well as American learners returning from a one-year academic study abroad program in Japan. In the southeastern region of the United States, the Japanese language is not yet considered a major foreign language, thus few opportunities exist for American learners to connect with native speakers of Japanese. The LA program endeavors to ease this limitation. It has been extremely beneficial for our American learners to have opportunities to communicate regularly with Japanese study abroad students in the classrooms. Furthermore, it was found tremendously valuable for Japanese study abroad students and greatly helpful for the instructors as well. This paper describes the procedures and examines the effectiveness of introducing an LA program into Japanese language classes. To analyze the program, questionnaires were distributed to LAs (N=20); five department instructors wrote comments concerning the program; and five Japanese language learners submitted reflection papers. Analyses of the qualitative data indicate that the LA program has many advantages for everyone participating.

scholarly journals A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Perceptions Regarding Human Trafficking

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 155
Author(s):  
Adam Tanielian ◽  
Sangthong Tanielian
Keyword(s):  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Cultural Comparison ◽  
Cultural Perceptions ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Cross Cultural Comparison ◽  
Native Speakers Of English

This study surveyed 135 individuals, of which 68 were native speakers of English and 67 were native speakers of Thai. Respondents answered questions on issues related to human trafficking, its causes, and potential solutions. Statistical tests showed significant variance in opinions between language and other groups regarding factors associated with trafficking, and regarding the potential impacts of legalization of prostitution. Thai responses reflected collectivist cultural perceptions while English responses reflected more individualistic views. Males and English speakers were most likely to think legalized prostitution would lead to a reduction in human trafficking while females and Thais were most likely to believe legalized prostitution would increase trafficking. Responses to an open-ended question showed participants felt similarly about potential remedies for human trafficking, including information and awareness campaigns, interaction between civilians and police, increased penalties for offenders, and reduction in macro-environmental variables such as poverty.   

scholarly journals Psycholinguistic Studies of Chinese Worldview Fragments

2020 ◽  
pp. 35-49
Author(s):  
Olga V. Dubkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Chinese Word ◽  
Chinese Speakers ◽  
Bilingual Dictionaries ◽  
Practical Research ◽  
Mental Connections ◽  
The Russian Language

At present, fragments of the Chinese worldview are studied on the basis of theoretical and practical research developed by the Moscow Psycholinguistic School. In Russian and Chinese psycholinguistics, sufficient material has been accumulated to determine the main advantages of the free associative experiment. The problems of identifying stimulus words and interpreting reactions reflecting the Chinese picture of the world are also obvious. The free associative experiment allows us to determine the deep mental connections of the phonetic and graphic appearance of the Chinese word, represented by graphemes different from those of the Russian language, the latter having their own lexical and additional “graphic” meaning. The difficulties in learning languages of different typological systems are associated with the problems of compiling a vocabulary of stimulus words and the possibility of a multivalued interpretation of Chinese recipients’ reactions, reflecting the images of the Chinese consciousness. For this reason, it is unacceptable to transfer the “reification” of fragments of the Russian worldview to the fragments of the Chinese worldview. When compiling a vocabulary of stimulus words, one should take into account the structural and grammatical features of the Chinese word, the structure of Chinese characters and their origin, the frequency in the speech of native speakers, etc. To interpret the reactions of a free associative experiment, in addition to bilingual dictionaries, it is advisable to use various dictionaries of the Chinese language, including etymological ones. Based on the established tradition of analyzing the results of associative experiments, the author typologizes the reactions of Chinese speakers, which allows to establish the dynamics of the Chinese worldview.

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