ブログのポスト

ブログのトピックはわかりません。そしてさいきんのことを話したつもりです。さいきん私は友達と週末にちょっとテレビを見ました。私と友達はテレビを見すぎます、でもたくさんしゅうくだいがあります。先週の週末二スーパーナチュラル（Supernatural）を見ました。ショウはとてもおもしろいですね。

みなさんはショウを見たことがありますか。

ショウは二人サームとデイーン（Sam and Dean）があります。

デイーン

サーム

いっしょにモンスター（Monster）とけんかをします。とてもかっこいいですからつよいですね。

でもショウはたくさんエピソド（Episodes）があります、百六十七ぐらいです。

そしてたくさん時間がいますね、だけどたのしいですね。

ビデオブログ２

こんにちわ、みなさん！

私のビデオブログはどうですか。

クロクダイル









パイチェ

ワーム









モテルサークル

Katakana Literary Work Final

こんばんわ、みなさん！

コメントはとてもやさしいですね！アりがとございます、みなさん！コメントは私のプロジェクトをちがいません。My commenters didn't really recommend any changes for me to do, so I think I'll keep my poem the same. I also decided to keep it monochromatic so as to not give away the twist at the end and keep the tone of the poem more polarized. Anyway, here's the poem again!

PE4 and PE5

こんばんわ、みなさん！

私のPE4はゆかったですね。

PE4 Reflection

• I have improved on trying to understand spoken Japanese by not focusing on words I don't know, which then keeps me from hearing the words that I do understand.
• I have also improved listening comprehension in general, although I still have to piece sentences together in my head after I hear it.
• I think my pitch is better, although I still need to work on that.
• I did most of my activities, although most of the dialogue listening was not from the textbook.

PE5 Goals

• The rest of the semester, I want to focus on pronunciation, pitch and intonation-wise.
• I also want to keep improving listening comprehension, but my focus will be on pitch and intonation.

Activities

• Listen to anime and imitate the phrases said by the characters that are in plain form.
• Again, sing along to Japanese songs because the words are correctly pitched.
• Go to the Japanese Language table.
• Practice with Shibata-sensei.

カタカナのLiterary Project

私のプロジェト。私はパントン（Pantoum）をつくりました。パントンのスタイル：ABDC BEDF EGFH ACHJ.

プロジェトの（meaning）はcarpe diem and appearances are deceiving. みなさん、プロジェトはどうですか。

Katakana Analysis Final

Here is the link to my initial analysis if you want to read: Katakana Analysis Draft

Thanks to all the great commentary by the higher-level Japanese students, it was greatly appreciated. I will now paraphrase and revise my original analysis.

カタカナ, in the textbook examples is generally defined as used for onomatopoeia, foreign loanwords, and for emphasis. The last category seems to be the most vague and brings confusion even to native Japanese speakers. I originally said that the purpose of this vague category could be attributed to the popularity of writing words in カタカナ to connect to the more trendy 'Western' world and imply a connection to the future, which is why some of the カタカナ words have hiragana and kanji counterparts but カタカナ is used anyway. There is also importance in shape of the カタカナ, that it is seen as more masculine, as contrast to feminine hiragana and the sharpness of the characters that can give different connotations to the words written in that fashion.

I would revise my current description by adding how the switches to カタカナ can act in part, as italics, capitalization, and bold style of writing, and to add nuance to a phrase or word. An interesting point one of my commenters has brought up is, 'what would be the significance of writing someone's name is hiragana?' It is interesting to note how the katakana rules are more vague compared to katakana and I think the alphabets serve to distinguish the Japanese from the non-Japanese, although with the recent trend, it appears that the younger generation wants to make more connections with the Western world. Also, I agree with another commenter that part of the reason that some of the Japanese textbooks do not mention all the nuances and give stricter definitions of カタカナ in order to keep the Japanese student less confused in the beginning, which I sort of implied by remarking that such ambiguity could disillusion prospective learners of Japanese. Another commenter also added to the definition of カタカナ by saying that the use of katakana implicitly expresses sensation, emotion, and feelings that cannot be completely expressed in hiragana.

Sorry for such the long post, but the uses of カタカナ are many and varied, not able to fit in a a single definition or category. Hope you guys gained a better understanding of the many nuances of カタカナ from this post!

ビデオブログ

Katsucon 2013

こんにちは、みなさん！

おげんきですか。（ごめなさい、ここにたくさんしゃっしんがあります）

私はげんきです。二月の十五日から十七日にカツコンニ行きました。私はアニメトマンガクラブに行きました。とてもたのしいですよ！私はたくさんコスプレ(cosplayers)を見ました。たとえば：

アニメのコスプレ

ちびのイタリのヘタリアです。

ヂギモンです。

ヘラリア

くろしつじ

ソルイタル

えいがのコスプレ

アリスノワンデルラン

ジャクフロストのライスオフェガウヂアンス

ロキのアベンゲレス

ビデオゲームのコスプレ                      

スライコオペル

ポタル

テレビのコスプレ

アアングのアイルベンダ

ドクトフウ

神田はかみがながいです。

かんざし（hairpin)

コスプレの人はとてもコスプレが上手ですね。私のコスプレはかんだゆうです。八人は私のしゃっしんをとりました。私はうれしいです。

カツオンには私はワクショップ(workshop)やパネル(panel)にいきました。かんざしを作りました。とてもむずかしですね。どおですか。

クリスマンフリマンのパネル

そして私はクリスピンフリマンのパネルにいきました。フリマンさんのパネルはアニメとミトロギィ：ナイトとヅラゴンス（Anime and Mythology:Knights and Dragons）です。パネルはとてもおもしろいですね。フリマンサンはかっこいでアニメヴォイスアトル（voice actor）です。



私はよく アニメエクスポ（Anime Expo）に行くのでカツコンは地裁コンベンチオンです。アニメエクスポに一万五千人はいきます。カツコンに七千人はいきます。私はアニメエクスポのしゃっしんです。たくがんひとがいますね。

Katakana Analysis Draft

たとえば一：

D. Gray-Man まんが

Tyki (antagonist character): コイツ(said to the protagonist)

こいつis a 日本語 word that is written in カタカナ, and it identifies a person with contempt, a word with negative connotation. This word was most likely written in カタカナ to denote emphasis on the word itself, and how the antagonist feels about the protagonist interfering with his plans. This word could have also been written in カタカナ to emphasize masculinity and the 'evil' that the antagonist represents, with the sharp, cutting lines that denote the word.

たとえば二：

はつねみうのPoster (released in 日本）

The katakana to analyze:
 アイテムフレカラーイストand ブツク

I could not find what this means in English on the Internet, but seeing as it talks about a CD/DVD/book set, I think it means full-color illustration. Also interesting to note is that the poster spells book in カタカナ as well instead of the simple kanji. This poster was originally distributed in Japan, so it had no reason to have these words in カタカナbut I think that the poster writers wrote it this way, again, to emphasize the word in カタカナ. Books are included in CD/DVD sets when they are limited edition or for special copies, so for it to be included here denotes the product as unique and the カタカナ could attract more potential buyers. The same could be said for the full-color illustration, which is uncommon as well.

The poster is for Hatsune Miku, a popular pop singing hologram (a product of advanced voice software) whose fans are young adults. Hatsune Miku is propagandized as an object of the future, and Western ideas and concepts are associated with that theme, so that Western civilization appears linked to modernity and the future. That could be the reason why these words are written in カタカナ, in order to create a connection to Western culture and further support the idea that Hatsune Miku is modern and futuristic.

I think each textbook is different in explaining the concept of カタカナ because of all the varied and uses that カタカナ has in 日本 culture, such as for emphasis, onomatopoeia, loanwords,  foreign words, etc.  In the first textbook example, カタカナ is described as consisting of loanwords and onomatopoeia, but the text does not describe it is such specific terms, only giving two examples. The second textbook excerpt also just describes カタカナ for foreign names and loan words. The third example actually mentions a vague descriptions, that カタカナ is used for loanwords, onomatopoeia, and for emphasis by the writer. The last textbook gives the most detailed example, dedicating a whole section to カタカナ. This is most likely because that particular textbook teaches カタカナ separately from the other forms of writing. Overall, the textbooks are also an introduction to 日本語 and a vague (or too categorical) description of カタカナ could confuse the student learning 日本語 and may make them disillusioned about ever learning the language well.

Anyway, that's my analysis, what do you guys think?

じゃあまた！

たべものは好きできらいです。

こんにちは、みなさん！どうですか。

私のははは食べものをつくりますから私はセビチェ（ceviche）とみどりスパゲテイが一番好きです。







チキンやステーキやおすしが好きです。デゼートはチョコレートやケーキガ大好きです。きゅう私はチョコレートをつくりました。チョコーレトをおいしそうですか。

私はオリブ（olive）とメロン（melon）好きじゃあないです。そして私もビールが好きじゃあないです。でぜーとはミントアイスクリーム（mint）をおいしくないです。





私はエビが大好きですから私のレストランはレドロブステル（Red Lobster）一番好きです。よくエビスバゲテイをちゅうもんとります。いつ私はかぞくとレストランにいってたのしいです。

みなさんはどんあたべものが好きですか。

じゃあ、また！

PE4 Goals

こんにちは、みなさん！おげんきですか。

日本語のクラスをはじまるので、私はたのしいです。

PE4 Goals

• To improve listening comprehension by working on understanding whole sentences and not parts of them and then trying to combine them into a coherent meaning.
• To improve speed of comprehension of spoken Japanese, recognition-wise and not get confused when unfamiliar vocabulary is used.
• Work on pronunciation of tonal elements, especially with pitch-specific words.

Activities

• Listen to dialogues from textbook twice a week.
• Listen and practice some shadowing dialogues a few times a week.

Listen to Japanese songs and pick out words and their meanings.　(Kalafina's music, such as Red Moon and Gloria are really good for this because they are ballads)

That's my plan for this round.

じゃあ、また！

ふゆ休み

私はうちにかえりました。ニューアーク（Newark）からロサンゼレス（Los Angeles）までひこうきで六時間かかりました。ひこうきの中に私はしゅくだいをしてアベンジャス（Avengers）をみました。えいがが一番好きです。






私はうちにビデオゲームをしてたくさんねました。べっどの中にねる方がビデオゲームをするより好きです。





クリスマスに私のかぞくはたくさんたべものをつくりました。たとえば中ごくとペル（Peru）スタイル（style）タリキ（Turkey）やハム（Ham）やくだもののサラドをつくりました。たべものはとてもおいしかたです！

私はははのたべものが一番好きです！いつはははうちにかえて私はいっしょにははとツワイライトゾン（Twilight Zone）をみました。

私は日本語のじゅぎゅうにべんきゅうしてしゅきだいをしました。ふゆ休みはたのしくてゆっくりしました。

みなさんのふる休みはどうでしたか。