Sunday, November 11, 2012

PE3 Goals

Pronunciation Exercise Goals 3

I need to practice speaking more fluidly. I realize that I am choking a little because I forget my vocabulary. I want to focus on learning my vocabulary much more diligently because I recognize this to be why my sentences don't come out as fluently as I would like them to.

I need to remember to add my に particles to my time units in my sentences. There are so many time when I miss this particle.

I need to focus on getting my tenses correct. I think in present tense, so I often forget to conjugate my endings to represent past events in the correct tense.


PE2 Reflection

PE 2 Goals
Shadow the beginning introduction of the Seven Samurai movie trailer.

I shadowed the beginning of the Rashoomon trailer for my PE2 exercise. I think I was able to get the flow of the dialogue much better because I had the script in Japanese in front of me. I knew I could get every syllable while following the recording. I also liked how I could emphasize the right elements because I had the English translation in the YouTube video. I think I had good speed and was able to emulate the intonation of the narrator. 

I want to be able to speak with emphasis. I like the dialogue of the old Kurosawa trailers because it harkens back to an old era of Japanese speaking instead of many of the new era TV shows and dramas where people seem to speak in a more “cute” and high-pitched manner. I think there is an element of Japanese language that one can emulate that shows a certain confidence and mastery. I would like to find more recordings and practice shadowing that type of Japanese. 

Pronounce one Japanese tongue twister perfectly.

I practiced this easy one:
 Kisha no kisha wa kisha de kisha shita.
貴社の記者は汽車で帰社した。

However, I got interested in what were some other Japanese tongue twisters and found the top ten here:
1) 生麦生米生卵
なまむぎなまごめなまたまご
namamuginamagomenamatamaga

2) 東京特許許可局
とうきょうとっきょきょかきょく
tookyootokkyokyokakyoku

3) 赤巻紙青巻紙黄巻紙
あかまきがみあおまきがみきまきがみ
akamakigamiaomakigamikimakigami

4) バスガス爆発
ばすがすばくはつ
basugasubakuhatsu

5) カエルぴょこぴょこ三ぴょこぴょこ合わせてぴょこぴょこ六ぴょこぴょこ
かえるぴょこぴょこみぴょこぴょこあわせてぴょこぴょこむぴょこぴょこ
kaerupyokopyokomipyokopyokoawasetepyokopyokomupyokopyoko

6) 隣の客はよく柿食う客�
となりのきゃくはよくかきくうきゃく�
tonarinokyakuhayokukakikuukyakuda

7) 赤パジャマ青パジャマ黄パジャマ茶パジャマ
あかぱじゃまあおぱじゃまきぱじゃまちゃぱじゃま
akapajamaaopajamakipajamachapajama

8 ) 坊主が屏風に上手に坊主の絵を描いた
ぼうすがびょうぶにじょうずにぼうずのえをかいた
boosugabyoubunijoozuniboozunoewokaita

9) スモモも桃も桃のうち 桃もスモモももものうち
すもももももももものうち もももすももももものうち
sumomomomomomomomonouchi momomosumomomomomonouchi

10) 隣の竹やぶに竹立てかけたの誰�
となりのたけやぶにたけたてかけたのだれ�
tonarinotakeyabunitaketatekaketanodareda

Make sure that my particles are not said separately from the object or verb that they are supporting. Speak more fluidly across prepositional phrases and other units within one sentence (stop faltering mid-sentence).

I tried to take notice of this during my classes to pronounce お fluidly and not detached from my object. These particles are very similar to how Koreans use particles in the Korean language. I think that mindset helps when I speak Japanese. 


Sunday, November 4, 2012

わたしのあきやすみ

わたしは先週、秋の休暇をとった。わたしはアフリカに行ってきました。

わたしは選挙の暴力に関する研究を行った。楽しかったよ。わたしは写真撮影をするのが好き。私は多くの写真を撮りました。

 せんしゅうあまつわたしはろくじごろおきました。 しちじごろあさごはんをたべました。 ごぜん8じからごご7じまで、わたしがインタビューを行った。わたしは多くの人にインタビューを行った。わたしはソマリアの選挙について彼らに話を聞いた。 

ソマリアにおける民主主義があります。 わたしわげつようびごぜんいちじごろりょうへかえりました。 7時間後、わたしはにほんごのクラスを持っています。 たいへんですね。