by Toni | Nov 6, 2019 | Chinese, Culture and Community, Language
Language Partners Wanted
Learning Chinese language as a hobby started a few years ago (much the same with learning Japanese, most recently Vietnamese and Spanish). In the beginning, the only words I could utter correctly were “Ni hao,” 你好. The reading and writing and understanding the Hanyu 汉语were good due to my background in Japanese. But I continued to struggle with the Chinese tones. Thankfully, a few associates encouraged and inspired me to learn Mandarin Chinese. I was invited to join their lunch table during our workday lunch hour. Lunch and conversation (they talked, I listened) was often followed by a stroll near our office building. For this, I am truly grateful. Special thanks to Lin Wu, Julia Zhu, Zhimin Liu, Ping Li, and Dr. Jeffrey Zhang. I also offer thanks for my dear friends, Fei Li, and San Wu, owners of the premier and authentic Chinese cuisine near Memphis, The Royal Panda Restaurant in Germantown, Tennessee. I further praise the on-line tutelage and instruction that I continue to receive from Liu Lihong. The success was revealed in my ability to communicate accurately (able to use both spoken and written Chinese) during my recent tours in China (Beijing, Xi’an, Lhasa Tibet, Chongqing, Dazu, and Shanghai).
To learn a foreign language, we must be willing to build relationships. Maybe it is similar to developing a business partner. In other words, there should be a mutual exchange; therefore, partners. It is difficult sometimes working with people, yes? Forming this partnership can compare to the business theory of Tuckman’s stages of group development “storming, norming, forming” (see Wikipedia). I believe that the very act of building a relationship (an honest one) involves ebb and flow, pull-and-tug, a struggle. It eventually requires a commitment but also a kind of submission between participants. This dualism leaves me in a vulnerable state. When I know vocabulary, can read and write, but unable to form an accurate sentence in the target language, without someone else’s help, this is an uncomfortable feeling. I have resolved that it is OKAY! This is the standard stuff of learning a foreign or second language.
I think this discomfort is one reason learners (especially older students) struggle with acquiring a foreign language. But having a friend, not just any friend, someone to partner with in your language journey will motivate you in your learning efforts. This kind of language partner is a helper. The person could be a native or nonnative teacher or simply someone that you meet by incident. A language partner can improve the learner’s standing. Explain? Think of it this way, like a business partner, language partners must observe and listen. They are learning, too. Eventually, they will find a comfortable place (within themselves) for not only understanding words; but also, becoming more knowledgeable about the learner and more sociable. In turn, I seek to do the same, finding comfort zones in learning the language and culture I seek to know. Language partner relationships build foundations to harmonious communications.
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by Toni | Nov 2, 2019 | English, Japanese, Language, Latest Posts
What is your language curiosity? In other words, what interests, baffles, or gets under your skin about language learning? Of course, if you are a heritage speaker, you already have a (non-English) first language (L1). I know of parent complaints about their children of Hispanic or Asian heritage, who lacks skill in their heritage language; instead, showing preference toward English, with little or no interest in their ” mother tongue.” Or, maybe you are struggling with a second language (L2), perhaps struggling with English. In some countries where several languages are spoken, English is used as the primary language of communication, a kind of lingua franca,“a language of commerce and widely used as such. As our program receives funding support through donations and grants, in addition to Japanese Language, our site will offer a menu of other languages, including English langauge tutoring, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. This site is also translation capable, scroll down to bottom of ‘Home Page’ and choose your language to join us in making language and culture great again!
As a healthy reminder and a means of rejuvenation, think about when you first met (began to listen, learn, speak) “the language you’re in.” Revive that feeling of never wanting to stop practicing, peeling away pages of a language dictionary, and piecing together words, stumbling over grammar, straining through audio and (and most recently, video). Did you make a complete fool of yourself, trying? Good! This is how language is learned, with great effort and lots of self-motivation.
My interest in Japanese language began with a chance meeting while working at a multinational chemical company in Memphis, TN. Prior to meeting Kaoru Matsuyama and Takeshi Suzuki, I had no interest in the language nor Japanese culture. My curious view of the world was crowded from the perspective of single-parenting, work-a-lifestyle-work-a-holic, with the usual trials and error of the day-to-day. (more…)
by Toni | Oct 11, 2019 | Culture, Culture and Community, Language
How we define community is important to our survival. The perspectives that we take on the community of others work for us or against us, against our own community. One point of foreign language acquisition is to broaden one’s view of community by extending interaction with others.
Checking the definition from Dictionary.com, we could subscribe to what is generally agreed upon as a community or at least by definition. I submit that this is a limited view, but a good place to start. What is your idea of community? Why does community matter? I propose that we agree to start here, with at least a general description:
community[ kuh-myoo-ni-tee ]
noun, plural com·mu·ni·ties.
- a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
- a locality inhabited by such a group.
- a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by the): the business community; the community of scholars.
- a group of associated nations sharing common interests or a common heritage: the community of Western Europe.
- Ecclesiastical. a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.
- Ecology. an assemblage of interacting populations occupying a given area
Whoa! It’s way too deep! How about this: community, commune, commute, come, comic, communist, commutate… I’m not looking these words up in the dictionary, do we see any pattern though, relationship to an exchange or transfer, crossing over and over crossing, maybe? Ok, so I couldn’t resist going out to do a “cheap” search on Google for the “commutative property of addition”… my husband is a mathematician so he speaks the language of numbers, it’s really the language of everything just about, at least in principle, the principle thought explained is best communicated (more…)
by Toni | Oct 8, 2019 | Culture and Community, Language
Except for the foresight and forward-looking culture of Buckman Laboratories International, Inc., created by the company’s President at that time, I would not have had the opportunity to complete my education at Rhodes College and further develop my interest in Japanese language. To the Buckman corporate family, my Rhodes College professors and conselors, and all of those whose help I relied upon at a very difficult period in my journey, I will forever remain grateful, mindful, and always thankful. The attached article proclaims details of my journey.
As I moved on to other employment experiences, however, I recall the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment while working at another company. I was elected co-chair of a company employee resource group, The Asian Resource Group. Our team was set to task to produce a Prospectus of potential business in ASEAN (the Association of South East Asian Nations) countries. Our team’s focus was the country of Indonesia. Whether due to gender or ethnicity, or some other reason/non-reason, many of my employers perceived no value in my language ability and cultural interests, and there were no work-related opportunities to integrate these competencies into my career path. I decided by faith that my future and dreams do not require the validation of an employer, but the confirmation of the creator. (Proverbs 3:6 KJV)
Making a decision to leave corporate work and focus on my passion for foreign language learning and teaching did not appear from an otherwise clear blue sky. I worked in the corporate sector for many years, never giving up on the desire to improve fluency and understanding of the Japanese language. For years, I searched out and found opportunities to tutor, teacher, speak, and encourage learners and language enthusiasts to love the language they learn and no longer defer their dream of understanding other cultures and acquiring a new language.
My dream of language acquisition and sharing my love of language and culture is no longer a dream deferred. *Love the Language You’re In*
(more…)
by Toni | Oct 3, 2019 | Beginner, Culture, Intermediate, Japanese, Language
What makes the characters so difficult to remember? Why do Japanese have two readings for Kanji? What are keys to memorization? This blog does not attempt to teach linguistics nor the elements for learning the Kanji (this can be done in your own self-study) , but in my experience (with learning Mandarin Chinese and Japanese), I have tracked a few tips: spending time looking at the characters is the first step to becoming comfortable with what we see! That feeling of discomfort with foreign writings and sounds, letters, script is no doubt the same feelings that we get in the presence of those (characters or persons) most unlike ourselves, linguistically and culturally.
Learning Kanji or any other non-alphabetic, non-Western writing system is like making new friends.. from a different culture. We size them up first, their appearance, hair, features phenotypes/genotypes, speech, sound or what they portray in character. Is this right? I think that the more we look, listen, and pay attention, the more familiar we become with the unfamiliar. Thus, the less uncomfortable we feel learning Kanji…. and characters!
Dare to look, breathe, read.
Kanji are Japanese characters (adopted from the Chinese writing, called Hanyu (in the early 7th century,) literally meaning Han Characters https://www.japan-guide.com. Laying to rest formal linguistic words, like orthography, logographic, let’s simply agree that as English-speakers, non-alphabetic characters seem very scary!
Remembering The Kanji 1 Flash Cards 2 http://www.polarcloud.com/rikaichan/ offers Kanji Cards for free download. These are suitable for Beginners, great review for more advanced learners. Kanji is the subject here, but also the underlying human feeling of discomfort with the unfamiliar.
Clifford Black, https://redpilltraining.ning.com/profile/CliffordBlack, a former mentor, and I refer to as, a Super Educator par excellence, introduced me to the concept of “taking a picture” with my eyes at a time when I was struggling with Kanji. This is among the many tips and tricks for learning how to learn that he proposes to learners of various subjects. It’s been helpful in remembering the Kanji.
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