(no subject)
Nov. 29th, 2004 02:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akujunkanSix days until the Japanese Language Proficiency test. Six days. Imma die.
I've been thinking a lot about Japanese recently, and it's kind of awe-inspiring the way language works. My listening comprehension is pretty kickass at this point - I can follow native speakers speaking at regular conversation speed, easily watch television and movies, and breeze through my Korean lectures. But I always stop and catch my breath when I realise that these people are speaking their native language - this is the language that they think in, that their worldview is shaped (and limited) by, and not some extended listening test for my benefit. "What an adorably Japanese way to phrase things!" I think to myself, before it dawns on me that it is only 'adorably Japanese' to native speakers of English; it's just par for the course for a native Japanese speaker - that is how they view the world.
I spent an amusing hour at work on Friday trying to explain the concept of cheesy to one of my JTEs. It's yet another bit of proof that language absolutely does constrict one's worldview. There is no word for cheesy in Japanese; in fact, the things westerners consider cheesy, or lame, or trite, fall into the category of 'cute' as far as Japanese people are concerned. The 'cheesy' subdivision doesn't exist, and it's incredibly difficult to explain, even when working in both English and Japanese. The concept doesn't exist in the mentality of Japanese speakers. They just can't grasp it, in the same way that they can't really grasp the difference in vowel sounds native speakers hear in 'sang' and 'sung.'
I think I have a pretty good grasp on Japanese, but it makes me wonder how much nuance I'm actually picking up after all. OTOH, I've had a lot more extended experience with native speakers than most of my JTEs have.
In other news, I am complete and total teacher's pet in my Korean classes, to the point where I will now be doing a one-on-one Korean/English exchange with my sensei after class ends. How cool is that? I might actually have the chance to learn to speak Korean after all, as opposed to just reading and hearing it, which is all I'd previously hoped to accomplish, not seeing the chance to live in Korea in the near future.
Had my first embarassing experience with homophones in Korean last Friday. Gods, language is complex. But it's so very cool.
In other I Am A Language Nut news, I've really been toying with the idea of going back and relearning French again. It seems such a shame to have spent all that time learning it to let it drop. Of course, I should probably be doing the same with Latin as well, but I only have so many hours in a day.
What I really need is someone who's willing to pay me to be a professional student. That would be the life.
That will be all.
I've been thinking a lot about Japanese recently, and it's kind of awe-inspiring the way language works. My listening comprehension is pretty kickass at this point - I can follow native speakers speaking at regular conversation speed, easily watch television and movies, and breeze through my Korean lectures. But I always stop and catch my breath when I realise that these people are speaking their native language - this is the language that they think in, that their worldview is shaped (and limited) by, and not some extended listening test for my benefit. "What an adorably Japanese way to phrase things!" I think to myself, before it dawns on me that it is only 'adorably Japanese' to native speakers of English; it's just par for the course for a native Japanese speaker - that is how they view the world.
I spent an amusing hour at work on Friday trying to explain the concept of cheesy to one of my JTEs. It's yet another bit of proof that language absolutely does constrict one's worldview. There is no word for cheesy in Japanese; in fact, the things westerners consider cheesy, or lame, or trite, fall into the category of 'cute' as far as Japanese people are concerned. The 'cheesy' subdivision doesn't exist, and it's incredibly difficult to explain, even when working in both English and Japanese. The concept doesn't exist in the mentality of Japanese speakers. They just can't grasp it, in the same way that they can't really grasp the difference in vowel sounds native speakers hear in 'sang' and 'sung.'
I think I have a pretty good grasp on Japanese, but it makes me wonder how much nuance I'm actually picking up after all. OTOH, I've had a lot more extended experience with native speakers than most of my JTEs have.
In other news, I am complete and total teacher's pet in my Korean classes, to the point where I will now be doing a one-on-one Korean/English exchange with my sensei after class ends. How cool is that? I might actually have the chance to learn to speak Korean after all, as opposed to just reading and hearing it, which is all I'd previously hoped to accomplish, not seeing the chance to live in Korea in the near future.
Had my first embarassing experience with homophones in Korean last Friday. Gods, language is complex. But it's so very cool.
In other I Am A Language Nut news, I've really been toying with the idea of going back and relearning French again. It seems such a shame to have spent all that time learning it to let it drop. Of course, I should probably be doing the same with Latin as well, but I only have so many hours in a day.
What I really need is someone who's willing to pay me to be a professional student. That would be the life.
That will be all.
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no subject
on 2004-11-29 01:11 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2004-11-29 08:36 pm (UTC)Oooh, I am so jealous. Level 3 listening proficiency is kicking my tail at the moment. You can go ahead and laugh.
What I really need is someone who's willing to pay me to be a professional student. That would be the life.
Amen. I would recommend academia... but then, they make you teach and sit on committees. ;-) I think half the reason I study Japanese is so that I can still feel like a student on my off hours.