scholarly journals Automatic Geminate Insertion Algorithm for Japanese Audio Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
Hirofumi Maeda ◽  
◽  
Kenta Yamamoto ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Noise Removal ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Speech Acquisition ◽  
Practical Solution ◽  
Insertion Algorithm ◽  
Audio Data

Generally, it is quite difficult for Japanese language learners to acquire Japanese special morae, namely, geminate, syllabic nasals and long vowels compared to independent morae. Among these three special morae, geminate is particularly difficult, and it takes much longer to fully acquire both production and perception of it. Especially for learners of Chinese native speakers, previous studies has shown that both production and perception of geminate are difficult in terms of the fact that not only no geminate is found in Chinese language, but also the phonological interaction between Japanese accent and Chinese tones. However, in the field of Japanese speech acquisition, research has not making progress because of a major problem, that is, researchers themselves manually create the acoustic experiment stimuli. Therefore, in this study, as a method to solve this problem, we propose an algorithm that automatically inserts geminate into the audio data used in Japanese speech acquisition research. This algorithm automates the insertion of geminate by performing three processes in order: mora extraction by noise removal, matching of original audio data and extracted mora, and insertion of soundless duration and geminate. The algorithm makes it possible to remove the noise, which is -50 dBFS and continues for 10ms or more, and replace it with soundless duration instead, allowing Japanese native speakers to percept it as geminate. The accuracy was equivalent as a result of comparing the data that was manually modified by a phonology researcher with the data that was generated by the algorithm. The result shows that the algorithm can be a practical solution for the automation of geminate insertion.

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.

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 ANALISIS KONTRASTIF KOTOWARI HYOUGEN ANTARA PEMBELAJAR BAHASA JEPANG DAN PENUTUR ASLI

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Novia Hayati
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Speech Act ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Contrastive Analysis ◽  
Completion Test ◽  
Unpleasant Feeling ◽  
Japanese Learners

 Abstrak Analisis Kontrastif Kotowari Hyougen  antara Pembelajar Bahasa Jepang dan Penutur Asli. Di antara beberapa aktifitas berbahasa, tindakan menolak sering dianggap sebagai tindakan yang cukup sulit karena memberikan perasaan tidak menyenangkan terhadap lawan tutur. Tindak tutur menolak tidak terlepas dari latar belakang tindak tutur berbahasa oleh pengguna bahasa tersebut. Pembelajar yang berbahasa ibu bahasa Sunda memiliki kemiripan dengan penutur asli dalam membuat tindak tutur penolakan dikarenakan adanya kedekatan aturan undak usuk bahasa sunda dengan tainguu hyougen dalam bahasa Jepang. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui ungkapan penolakan yang digunakan oleh pembelajar bahasa Jepang kemudian melalui perbandingan dengan penutur asli diketahui persamaan dan perbedaanya serta permasalahan dalam ungkapan penolakan oleh pembelajar. Instrumen yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah Discourse Completion Test (DCT). Hasil analisis data menunjukan terdapat persamaan diantara pembelajar dan penutur asli dalam pengguna {wabi} terhadap dosen akrab (penggunanya lebih rendah). Sebagai permasalahan dalam ungkapan penolakan yakni pembelajar menggunakan {fuka} dalam bentuk futsuu no hiteikei, dan {koshou} dalam frekuensi yang cukup tinggi. Sebaliknya, penutur asli menggunakan fukanoukei, dikarenakan apabila menggunakan futsuu no hiteikei akan diterima sebagai arti penolakan yang kuat/keras.Kata kunci: Kotowari hyougen, DCT, Taiguu hyougen, penutur asli, konstraktif  Abstract Contrastive Analysis of Kotowari Hyougen between Learners of Japanese Language and Japanese Native Speakers. Among several speaking activities, action of refusal is often considered a difficult act as it gives an unpleasant feeling againts interlocutors. Refusal speech act cannot be separated from the background of the speech act by the user of the language. Learners whose mother tongue is Sundanese language has similarities with Japanese native speakers in making the speech act of refusal due to the proximity of the undak usuk in Sundanese with tainguu hyougen in Japanese. This study aims to determine the expressions of refusal used by Japanese learners then, through comparison with native speakers, to determine the similarities, differences and problems in the expression of rejection by the learners. The instrument used in this study is Discourse Completion Test (DCT). Form the analysis of the data it was found that there were similarities between learners and native speakers that {riyuu/iiwake}, {wabi}, {fuka} were used as the main semantic formula. There are similarities between learners whose mother tongue is Sundanese and native speakers in using language {wabi} to professors considered familiar (lower usage). The problem of expressions of refusal used by learners {fuka} in the form Futsuu fuka no hiteikei and {koshou} was in a fairly high frequency. In contrast, native speakers use fukanoukei, because using Futsuu no hiteikei will be considered as a strong/hard sense of refusal.Keywords: Kotowari hyougen, DCT, Tainguu hyougen

Communication networks of Japanese language learners in their home country

2004 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Kurata
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Language Play ◽  
The Relationship

This paper deals with communication networks of four upper-intermediate level Japanese language learners with in-country experience who are studying at an Australian university, and it also examines the relationship between the learners’ networks and language learning. Utilizing Boissevain’s criteria for network analysis, I compared the characteristics of the informants’ current networks with those that existed prior to their in-country experiences. In addition, this study applied the framework of communicative competence developed by Hymes and Neustupny to analyse the informants’ language learning that occurred within their networks. The study found that a number of characteristics of the informants’ networks, such as their multiplex social roles and the variety of backgrounds of their Japanese network interactants, were probably related to the raising of the learners’ non-linguistic as well as linguistic awareness. It therefore appears that learners’ out-of-class communication networks with native speakers of the target language play an important role in terms of language learning.

scholarly journals Strategi Merespon Pujian Pada Pembelajar Bahasa Jepang: Kajian Komparatif Dengan Penutur Asli

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Rosi Rosiah
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
The West ◽  
Scale Down ◽  
Happy Expression

This study compares the use of responding praise strategies by 20 subjects of Japanese language learners and 20 native speakers. Using DTC (Discourse Complemente Test) as an instrument which consists of 18 situations, the data of 360 sentences were then analyzed using a semantic formula from the concept of Korsatianwon Sayan (2003) that divides the response of praise into 15 strategies, namely: gratitude, approval expression, happy expression, praise upgrade, disagreement, suspect intent, comment acceptance, reassigment, empty, return, question, change topic, scale down, laugh and shame or shock. In conclusion, many Japanese language learners respond to praise with the strategy of rejecting praise. This is in accordance with the concept of ‘refusing praises’ in the East, which means humbling ourselves. Meanwhile, the native speakers of Japanese respond to praise with ‘being grateful’ strategy. This is in accordance with the conception of ‘thank you’ in the West to respond to praises, which aims to maintain the positive face of the other person.

scholarly journals Kajian Kesantunan dalam E-Mail Permohonan yang Ditulis oleh Penutur Jepang dan Pembelajar Indonesia

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Hani Wahyuningtias
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Electronic Mail ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Final Part ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Linguistic Politeness ◽  
E Mail

Nowadays electronic mail (e-mail) is a communication tool that is often used in everyday life. One of the utilizations of e-mail is used in practical purposes such as making a request. This paper provided views on linguistic politeness in submitting an e-mail containing the request based on e-mail data written by native speakers of Japanese (J) and the Indonesian Japanese language learners (IJL). The data was analyzed using the theory of politeness expressed by Brown and Levinson. This paper focused on the strategy that what more likely was to be used by J and IJL in the expression of request. In the final part, it concluded the view about what should be considered in connection with the linguistic politeness in Japanese e-mail containing request. It was intended for learners of foreign language, especially Indonesian people, to know the limitation of politeness, so that IJL will not repeat the same mistakes in the future.

Chatbot for the Improvement of Conversational Skills of Japanese Language Learners

2021 ◽  
pp. 101-134
Author(s):  
Ossiel Villanueva-Mendoza ◽  
Martha Victoria González ◽  
Maritza Varela ◽  
Lucero Zamora
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Software Tool ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Conversational Agent ◽  
Conversational Skills

Conversation practice is essential for second-language acquisition and necessary for learners to reach an acceptable communicative level. In an ideal scenario, students should regularly hold conversations with native speakers of the target language, but this is often not possible. Although the teachers use the target language during the classes, they cannot offer a continuous conversation with each student, and they are usually not available wherever and whenever the student requires them to practice. This chapter presents the development and use of a mobile application to hold conversations in the Japanese language. The objective is to provide a software tool to improve the level of communicative competence (both inside and outside a classroom environment). So, the authors created and used a conversational agent (chatbot) using Dialogflow (a Google API), which is connected to the application's interface through the Internet using a client access token to give responses to user inputs in real time.

Investigating the degree of humorous enjoyment in reading Chinese language errors

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-223
Author(s):  
Guangyan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Gender Difference ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Chinese Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Chinese Teachers ◽  
Reading Chinese ◽  
People’S Perceptions

AbstractSecond language learners often make errors when they use their target language for communication. People perceive some of these errors as humorous. Many factors influence these perceptions. The purpose of this study is to investigate how these factors affect people’s perceptions when they read CSL (Chinese as a second language) learners’ humorous errors. The factors mainly refer to error stimuli and readers’ backgrounds. The researcher collected 25 error stimuli from two popular and often-cited online articles. 57 participants responded to these errors and rated them in the following three categories: Very Funny, Somewhat Funny, and Not Funny. These participants included 51 Native Speakers (NSs) of Chinese and six Non-Native Speakers (NNSs). The NSs consisted of 28 females and 23 males. Out of the participants, 17 were Chinese teachers and 40 were non-teachers. The results indicate that teachers perceived these texts as less funny than non-teachers; No significant gender difference was found; NNSs seemed to perceive these error stimuli as less funny than NSs, however, readers should be cautious in interpreting this result because of the limited number of NNSs. In addition, this study compared the humorous texts that were perceived as the funniest and the ones perceived as the least funny. The results demonstrate that an error-evoked “Very Funny” joke text had two overlapping and opposing scripts. The more overlapping and opposing the two scripts within a joke text were, the more humorous enjoyment a reader experienced. These findings improve our understanding of the interrelationship of language and humor that has been neglected in CSL, Chinese linguistics, and humor literature.

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