Japanese

[secular_mom]

My daughter (14) has been mesmerized by all things 'Japan' for a while now. She has taken it upon herself to learn how to write some of the characters, how to pronounce the vowels, etc. She does this all on her own, finding the info online.

Yesterday, she told me that not only do you have to learn how to speak the Japanese words, but you also need to learn how to speak 'Japanese'- meaning mannerisms and culture. She was telling me that from what she's read, it is considered rude to just say 'no', in reply to someone in Japan. She said you are expected to make excuses for why you can't take what they are offering or join them for an outing, etc.

 

So, I'm wondering if Rosetta Stone teaches this 'language culture' as well as the language. I guess she's off to a good start, learning it all on her own- and I suppose she could continue in that manner 'if' Rosetta Stone does not teach culture also.

 

Okay, enough rambling. Thanks for reading. :)

[Annie G]

Dd took 2 years of Japanese from BYU and although she learned to speak, read and write Japanese, she didn't learn much about the cultural nuances like your daughter mentioned. She picked that up from Japanese drama shows and the internet and suggests that dd might have good luck with a Japanese email friend who has passable English.

 

She's now taking German though Oklahoma State University and is learned MUCH more about the culture...I'm pretty impressed with their program.

 

Do you have a Japanese market nearby? There is a Mitsuwa about an hour from here and besides the food, they have an awesome bookstore/news stand and a fabulous food court (no fast food...all the food is served on real plates). She learned a great deal by visiting the store, talking to the people, and reading the many flyers and ads that are available there.

[myfunnybunch]

I don't know about Rosetta Stone, but my daughter is fascinated by all things Japan too. She's taking Japanese at school right now, and much of what they cover in the class is culture and manners. She'll be visiting Japan this summer, as a matter of fact.

 

Do you live near a university, or is there some kind of exchange program in your community? Here there is a friendship program for college and summer exchange students from other countries. Families sign up to do things like host a student for a weekend, or house a student for a week or two while they look for student housing and adjust to the community. Those kinds of activities might give your daughter the opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture and customs. :)

 

Cat

[secular_mom]

We haven't live here very long, I don't know if there is a market but I will get on my local lists and find out. That is a great idea, thanks for sharing. :)

[secular_mom]

I will ask the folks on my local lists about the exchange programs, that's a great idea too! Do you think you could find out what curriculum they are using in her school? Thanks!

[akmommy]

My DD(15) is currently taking Japanese at the local community college. Her professor is a native speaker and learning about the culture is a big part of the class. DD has really enjoyed the class and is learning alot both about the language and culture.

This is where I would start if it is a possibility for you. I think having a native instructor and learning in a group setting where there are others to interact with is just a much better experience when it comes to learning a second language.

Edited February 5, 2009 by akmommy
my keyboard is throwing fits

[Karen in CO]

My ds was also fascinated by Japanese - he is now attending college in Tokyo. And yes, your dd is right. There is much more to Japanese besides the three character sets , the vocabulary and grammar. It is a very traditional and formalized culture. And how you answer people also depends very much on your relative social status - you use different words and such for elders, superiors, people who are equal to you, and people who are "below" you.

 

My ds took Japanese at the local community college starting when he was 16. He also participated in speech competitions and plays. Every opportunity your dd can find to speak will help her. There are several Japanese podcasts available - my dh has been finding them and showing them to my ds for years. I haven't seen any, but I know they are out there.

 

 

Good luck. I never imagined when my ds started being interested in Japanese that it would lead as far as it has.

[Amira]

Rosetta Stone can't teach language culture because of the way it's set up. About all it's good for is learning vocabulary. This is one of the many reasons why I am not satisfied with RS. We only use it for languages that have no other resources suitable for children, because it is better than nothing.

[secular_mom]

Thank you SO much for this reply. That is very helpful information. I'll be googling japanese language programs, :-) DD isn't old enough to take classes at our local CC yet.

[Spy Car]

Not only is there "culture" but there is an elaborate "hierarchy" of social relations which impacts acceptable means of speaking to others depending the relationship of your "stations".

 

Fortunately, the Japanese are very tolerant of the unintentional errors made by westerners, that would cause "offense" from a county-men. More than "tolerant" in fact, they very gracious and pleased that someone has gone to the trouble to learn (even imperfect) Japanese.

 

Bill-san

[Guest Katia]

There are some good, free, on-line videos put out by Georgia Public Television that teach Japanese, along with the culture. My dd enjoyed watching these when she was just starting her study of Japanese.

 

Japanese the Easy Way stressed culture and usage (what to use and when), but they also utilize Romangi instead of moving on to all Hiragana and/or Katakana. But, it's good for a beginning.

 

When my ds studied in Japan at Kansai Gaidai University, he used the text Genki. We've purchased the Genki program for my dd and she is now using it for self-study at the high school level.

[Danestress]

Fortunately, the Japanese are very tolerant of the unintentional errors made by westerners, that would cause "offense" from a county-men. More than "tolerant" in fact, they very gracious and pleased that someone has gone to the trouble to learn (even imperfect) Japanese.

 

Bill-san

 

If she want to improve her fluency socially as well as linguistically, she should not count on her Japanese friends to help her because they are likely to be too polite and just *amazed* by her ability to speak basic Japanese to really help her iron out things that aren't quite right. Better to read, study, take classes, and not give too much weight to the approving smiles:)

 

Japanese is actually pretty easy to learn to speak at a basic level - good luck to your daughter!