Love's Answer


Book Description

This is Michael Heffernan's fourth book of poetry, the work of a masterful and deeply intelligent practitioner at the height of his maturity. A pleasurable, wry, sweet book, full of prayers against the difficult passage of the night. Despite the surface demeanor, some of these poems seem to be rendered in a state of spiritual disquiet. There is also a powerful intellectual quarrel which Heffernan infuses in his work and through which he attempts to discover a sustaining metaphor rather than a rational conclusion.




Japanese Phrase A Day Practice Pad


Book Description

This page-a-day Japanese language pad teaches a new Japanese phrase each day—useful vocabulary that comes in handy for everyday situations when visiting Japan. Although more people are studying the Japanese language than ever before, others are still wary of starting because they believe, "it's too difficult." But A Japanese Phrase A Day will show absolute beginners that Japanese is in many ways much easier than other languages and it will help intermediate Japanese learners review and improve upon their past studies and practice Japanese everyday. Japanese is a fascinating language that uses Chinese characters (kanji) as well as two other alphabets (hiragana and katakana). After a few weeks of gradual progress your ability to read Japanese, write Japanese and speak Japanese will grow tremendously. This calendar like desk companion is divided into monthly topics and builds upon itself, one day at a time. Japanese phrases are kept short, simple and functional. Each of the 365 pages include these four components: The phrase or dialogue in Japanese characters A transliteration using English letters (romanji), which gives English speakers a guide to pronunciation The English translation A related note about the phrase, Japan, or Japanese culture to add context. Audio for all of the Japanese Phrase A Day entries is available online. Listening and repeating after the native speakers in the audio files will help you to practice Japanese regularly and polish your spoken Japanese and Japanese listening comprehension. To get started, turn to Day One and begin studying the phrase, its meaning, pronunciation and cultural context. Then tear off the sheet and practice writing it a few times. In a matter of days you'll be on your way to reading and writing Japanese!




Japanese Phrases Language Practice Pad


Book Description

With Beginning Japanese Phrases Language Practice Pad you can master essential Japanese phrases in just minutes a day! Although more people are studying the Japanese language than ever before, others are still wary of starting because they believe, "it's too difficult." But Beginning Japanese Phrases Language Practice Pad will show absolute beginners that Japanese is in many ways much easier than other languages and it will help intermediate Japanese learners review and improve upon their past studies and practice Japanese everyday. Japanese is a fascinating language that uses Chinese characters (kanji) as well as two other alphabets (hiragana and katakana). After a few weeks of gradual progress your ability to read Japanese, write Japanese and speak Japanese will grow tremendously. This calendar like desk companion is divided into monthly topics and builds upon itself, one day at a time. Japanese phrases are kept short, simple and functional. Each of the 365 pages include these four components: The phrase or dialogue in Japanese characters. A transliteration using English letters (romanji), which gives English speakers a guide to pronunciation. The English translation. A related note about the phrase, Japan, or Japanese culture to add context.




Practical Japanese


Book Description

This is a concise and effective Japanese phrase book and guide to the Japanese language with color pictures and accompanying exercises for each section. In this modern jet age, one can reach any part of the world within a day or less. Although English is widely spoken, it is very helpful to have some knowledge of the language of the country which you are visiting in order to make your trip more enjoyable by communicating with the local people and understanding their culture. Intended for beginners who wish to learn to speak Japanese at a very basic level within a few hours, this book is written in a clear and simple yet versatile way. With approximately 350 basic words and examples of how they are used in practical conversation speech, one can acquire a fundamental working knowledge of spoken Japanese from this book, so you can express yourself in simple Japanese sentences. This book has several exercises for each lesson. And, to get acquainted with Japanese culture, the student may enjoy the photos which the author has provided as a visual aid. Complicated grammatical explanations are omitted since detailed explanations sometimes discourage people from actually speaking. Only the essential points in pronunciation and grammar are given, and the Japanese phrases and sentences are repeated presented in each lesson so that the student can easily learn the phrases and practice using them without hesitancy or discouragement. Key features of Practical Japanese are: Over 350 essential Japanese words and 96 pages of practical conversational usage. 25 carefully structured lessons to reinforce Japanese vocabulary and Japanese grammar. Accompanying practice exercises for every lesson. All words and phrases are shown in written Japanese--Kanji and Kana (Hiragana and Katakana), Romanized Japanese (Romanji), and English Over 200 simple illustrations. A concise pronunciation guide. Businesspeople, tourists as well as the student or prospective foreign resident in Japan, young or old, will find this Japanese phrasebook a helpful and enjoyable tool in speaking Japanese for the first time.




Japanese Language Composition Notebook


Book Description

This beautiful notebook makes studying a pleasure! Each double page spread has squared paper on the right-hand side for practicing formation of the Japanese characters, and lined paper on the left-hand side for note-taking. A ten-page reference section at the back of the notebook gives hiragana and katakana charts, a list of the 100 most common kanji; key vocabulary, and basic grammar tips. Contents: Pages 1-118 Alternate Pages of lined and squared paper for note-taking and handwriting practice Pages 119-120 Hiragana alphabet charts Pages 121-122 Katakana alphabet charts Page 123 100 most common kanji Pages 124-125 Key vocabulary lists Pages 126-128 Basic grammar tips




Japanese Hiragana and Katakana Practice Pad


Book Description

Learn the Japanese alphabets with 365 practice sheets -- a new character or word for each day of the year! In 365 days (or less) you can learn the two Japanese alphabets, hiragana and katakana with the Japanese Hiragana & Katakana Practice Pad. Practice writing new characters and words every day, learn how to pronounce and write Japanese correctly, and enjoy the process with an easy method for busy people! The 365 practice sheets introduce syllables in a logical order, along with their equivalents in the Roman alphabet, several examples, followed by practice opportunities to write simple, useful Japanese language words. Word-stroke diagrams are provided for each character. Structured space around the edge of each page allows the user first to trace the shapes on top of the models, and then write the syllables independently. This resource provides a strong foundation for anybody interested in mastering the basic kana syllables essential for learning Japanese.




Lao Basics


Book Description

This is a concise, do–it– yourself guide to the Lao language Lao Basics teaches conversational Lao from the very beginning with an emphasis on reading and writing an is the easiest way to learn Lao. Students of Thai will find Lao quite simple, as much of these two languages are the same or very similar. These languages derive from Sanskrit and share many of the same consonants, vowels, vocabulary and grammar. Lao Basics is organized so that you first learn to read Lao, write Lao, speak Lao and comprehend the 26 consonants in their tonal classes. Once you have mastered these you will study the 28 vowels in subsets. Within each vowel grouping, you will learn vocabulary, conversational phrases, alphabetical order and sentence structure through exercises that grow more challenging as your vocabulary increases. As you progress through Lao Basics, vocabulary from previous lessons will be repeated regularly and our command of the written and spoken language will steadily improve. And you can do all this on your own. Each chapter's Lao words and exercises have been recorded on the accompanying downloadable audio, and all of the exercises answers are in the back of the book. Highlights of this book are: Throughout, review exercises with answer keys help you polish your skills. The vocabulary and phrases are written in Lao script, and are accompanied by pronunciations that help English speakers to say them accurately. The downloadable audio includes every vocabulary item, sample phrases, and exercises, so that you can learn from native voices.




Japanese Kanji a Day Practice Pad Volume 1


Book Description

"An easy and effective way of steadily building up your kanji."—Kenneth G. Henshall, A guide to Remembering Japanese Characters This calendar–like practice pad allows you to effectively practice basic Japanese kanji and learn a year's wroth of kanji in just minutes a day. Although more people are studying the Japanese language than ever before, others are still wary of starting because they believe, "it's too difficult." But Kanji–A–Day, Volume 1 will show absolute beginners that learning Japanese kanji is highly manageable when absorbed in small doses. It will help intermediate Japanese learners review and improve upon their past studies and practice Kanji every day. Japanese kanji are fascinating pictographic characters that were originally adopted from written Chinese. After a few weeks of gradual progress your ability to read Kanji, write Kanji and pronounce Japanese will grow tremendously. This calendar like desk companion starts with the most basic Kanji and builds upon itself, one day at a time. For easy reference and review, a booklet listing the 365 kanji is included. Each of the 365 pages contain these six components: The featured Japanese kanji character. The English meaning. The readings written in Japanese script (Hiragana). Related compounds with their meanings and readings. Stroke–order diagrams. 28 practice squares. To get started with Kanji–A–Day, turn to Day One and begin by studying the character, its readings, meanings and sample compounds. Then tear off the sheet and, using the stroke–order guide, practice writing the character in the spaces provided. In a matter of days you'll be on your way to reading and writing kanji with ease!




Drawing From Memory


Book Description

Caldecott Medalist Allen Say presents a stunning graphic novel chronicling his journey as an artist during WWII, when he apprenticed under Noro Shinpei, Japan's premier cartoonist DRAWING FROM MEMORY is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his "spiritual father." As WWII raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained--and ultimately came to understand who he really is. Part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, DRAWING FROM MEMORY presents a complex look at the real-life relationship between a mentor and his student. With watercolor paintings, original cartoons, vintage photographs, and maps, Allen Say has created a book that will inspire the artist in all of us.




Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book Volume 1


Book Description

This is an invaluable study guide and practice book for learning basic Japanese kanji. Learning Japanese Kanji Practice Book is intended for beginning students or experienced speakers who need to practice their written Japanese. Kanji are an essential part of the Japanese language and together with kana (hiragana and katakana) comprise written Japanese. This book presents the kanji characters that are most commonly used. All the kanji and related vocabulary words in this book are those that students are expected to know for Level 5 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. (JLPT). Characters that appear in the AP Japanese Language and Culture Exam are flagged. Readings, meanings, and common compounds are presented. The correct method of writing each character is clearly indicated, and practice boxes with strokes that can be traced are provided, along with empty boxes for freehand writing practice. Lots of exercises are included to give students the opportunity to practice writing sentences containing the Kanji. Indexes at the back allow you to look up the characters by their readings and English meanings. This kanji book includes: Step-by-step stroke order diagrams for each character. Special boxes with grid lines to practice writing characters. Extra printable practice grids Words and phrases using each kanji. Romanizations (romanji) to help identify and pronounce every word.