The Japanese Writing System


Book Description

This is the first book devoted to exploring issues of learning written Japanese, focusing on the challenges the writing system poses for the second language learner. It weaves together previous research on Japanese second language acquisition and kanji learning with original studies on self-regulation and kanji learning strategies. It provides the most comprehensive overview of the Japanese writing system and kanji learning to date; helps further our understanding of second language writing acquisition and offers new directions for research in the wider fields of language learning strategies, motivation and self-regulation. Each chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the implications of the content of the chapter for the Japanese language learner, instructor and researcher. It will appeal to researchers of the teaching and learning of Japanese as a foreign/second language, the Japanese writing system and second language acquisition, as well as to instructors and learners of Japanese who are struggling with the teaching and learning of kanji.




Japanese Kanji & Kana


Book Description

This comprehensive book helps you learn the 92 basic Kana characters and 2,136 standard Kanji characters. Complete, compact and authoritative--this Japanese language book provides all the information needed to learn kanji and kana, including the 92 basic hiragana and katakana phonetic symbols (known collectively as Japanese Kana) and the 2,136 standard Joyo Kanji characters that every Japanese person learns in school. This new and completely revised edition reflects recent changes made to the official Joyo kanji list by the Japanese government. The kana and kanji are presented in an easy and systematic way that helps you learn them quickly and retain what you have learned and improve your mastery of the Japanese language. The ability to read Japanese and write Japanese is an essential skill for any student and will build on their previous knowledge and improve their overall capacity to learn Japanese. A concise index allows you to look up the Kanji in three different ways (so the book also serves as a Japanese Kanji dictionary) and extra spaces are provided to allow you to practice writing Japanese. Japanese Kanji and Kana contains: All 2,136 official Joyo kanji with readings and definitions. Characters are graded by their JLPT examination levels. Up to 5 useful vocabulary compounds for each kanji. Brush and pen cursive forms as well as printed forms. 19 tables summarizing key information about the characters. Kanji lookup indexes by radicals, stroke counts and readings.




A History of Writing in Japan


Book Description

This book deals chronologically with the history of writing in Japan, a subject which spans a period of 2,000 years, beginning with the transmission of writing from China in about the first or second century AD, and concluding with the use of written Japanese with computers. Topics dealt with include the adoption of Chinese writing and its subsequent adaptation in Japan, forms of writing employed in works such as the Kojiki and Man'yoshu, development of the kana syllabaries, evolution of mixed character-kana orthography, historical kana usage, the rise of literacy during the Edo period, and the main changes that have taken place in written Japanese in the modern period (ca. 1868 onwards). This is the first full-length work in a European language to provide the Western reader with an overall account of the subject concerned, based on extensive examination of both primary and secondary materials.




Neurolinguistic Aspects of the Japanese Writing System


Book Description

Neurolinguistic Aspects of the Japanese Writing System provides an account and an analysis of cases of dissociation between kana (syllabic) and kanji (ideographic) script in reading and/or writing. Organized into five chapters, this book begins by discussing the aspects of the Japanese writing system relevant to neurolinguistic research. Experimental kanji/kana processing studies and clinical case reports are then presented. This book also explains the clinical dissociations in performance between aspects of the writing system. This book will serve as a model for further studies in which a similarly detailed analysis is attempted of the neurolinguistic structure of other non-Western orthographies.




Writing Systems


Book Description

During its long history the problem of reducing language to writing, and conversely that of interpreting written signs as language, has found a variety of solutions which still exist in the form of different writing systems. Written by a leading expert, this new textbook provides an accessible introduction to the major writing systems of the world, from cuneiform to English spelling. Florian Coulmas presents detailed descriptions of the world's writing systems and explains their structural complexities as well as the intricate relationship between written and spoken language. The book also provides a clear and engaging account of the history of writing and its consequences for human thought and literate society. This illustrated textbook includes questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, and an up-to-date explanation of theoretical issues. Clearly organised and engagingly written, it is the ideal textbook for use on courses on writing systems.




The Routledge Handbook of the English Writing System


Book Description

The Routledge Handbook of the English Writing System provides a comprehensive account of the English writing system, both in its current iteration and highlighting the developing trends that will influence its future. Twenty-nine chapters written by specialists from around the world cover core linguistic and psychological aspects, and also include areas from other disciplines such as typography and computer-mediated communication. Divided into five parts, the volume encompasses a wide range of approaches and addresses issues in the following areas: theory and the English writing system, discussing the effects of etymology and phonology; the history of the English writing system from its earliest development, including spelling, pronunciation and typography; the acquisition and teaching of writing, with discussions of literacy issues and dyslexia; English writing in use around the world, both in the UK and America, and also across Europe and Japan; computer-mediated communication and developments in writing online and on social media. The Routledge Handbook of the English Writing System is essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students working in this area.




The Chinese Writing System in Asia


Book Description

The Chinese Writing System in Asia: An Interdisciplinary Perspective integrates a diverse range of disciplinary approaches in examining how the Chinese script represents and actively shapes personal and social identities in and beyond Asia. It is an ideal read for students and scholars interested in a broad and culturally rich introduction to research on the Chinese writing system. It can also serve as the main text of an undergraduate course on the subject. Key features of this volume include: Insights from studies of the Chinese writing system in linguistics, script reform and technology, gender, identity, literature, and the visual arts; Examples embedded in inquiries of the cultural history and contemporary society of Asia; Rigorous yet accessible discussions of complex concepts and phenomena that assume no prior knowledge of Asian languages or linguistics; Supplementary multimedia materials and resources, including instructional support, available online.




Second Language Writing Systems


Book Description

Second Language Writing Systems looks at how people learn and use a second language writing system, arguing that they are affected by characteristics of the first and second writing systems, to a certain extent independently of the languages involved. This book presents for the first time the effects of writing systems on language reading and writing and on language awareness, and provides a new platform for discussing bilingualism, biliteracy and writing systems. The approach is interdisciplinary, with contributions not only from applied linguists and psychologists but also corpus linguists, educators and phoneticians. A variety of topics are covered, from handwriting to spelling, word recognition to the mental lexicon, and language textbooks to metalinguistic awareness. Though most of the studies concern adult L2 learners and users, other populations covered include minority children, immersion students and bilingual children. While the emphasis is on English as the L2 writing system, many other writing systems are analysed as L1 or L2: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Gujarati, Indonesian, Irish, Italian and Japanese. Approaches that are represented include contrastive analysis, transfer, poststructuralism, connectionism and corpus analysis. The readership is SLA and bilingualism researchers, students and teachers around the world; language teachers will also find much food for thought.




A First Course in Japanese


Book Description

A First Course in Japanese (2007 Edition) has been written specifical ly for students who are beginning their study of Japanese in the last tw o years of high school. The textbook is based on the new syllabus publis hed in 2006 and covers two years of study. It has three resources : the Course Book is based around six main topics. Each top ic has a number of units. Each unit begins with sentence structures foll owed by explanations of the structures. This is then followed by various texts, a grammar summary, Kanji, activities, cultural notes, vocabulary and remember of pictorial charts. the Workbook contains gramma tical exercises, listening, comprehension, composition and Kanji writing exercises. the CDs: the CD that comes with the Course Book cov ers all the sentence structures and dialogues. The Workbook CD covers al l the listening exercises, text and questions.




Introduction to Japanese Kanji Calligraphy


Book Description

This step-by-step Japanese calligraphy book explains the systems of Japanese language and delves into details of written Japanese characters and techniques of kanji calligraphy. The word calligraphy literally means "beautiful writing." It is an art form that can be found in most civilizations with a written script. Originally developed to stress the importance of culture, religion and philosophy, over time calligraphy in most languages has developed into a purely artistic expression. In Japanese culture, kanji characters from the Japanese writing system are used in calligraphy. An Introduction to Japanese Kanji Calligraphy is an exploration of this Asian art form and examines how calligraphic poetry developed in Japan. Written by a Japanese shodo master, it is a wonderful introduction to the beautiful art of Japanese calligraphy. Japanese Kanji Calligraphy includes: An introduction to Japanese calligraphy Background information on the modern Japanese language Hiragana and katakana charts An explanation of the tools of calligraphy A guide to correct calligraphy techniques Step-by-step calligraphy instructions An extensive kanji character library




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