Re: [tlug] Remembering the Kanji

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "Stuart" == Stuart Luppescu <s-luppescu@example.com> writes:

    Stuart> As a recovering linguist and ex-language teacher, I have
    Stuart> to agree that learning language in context is WAY better
    Stuart> than memorizing kanji, using flash cards, etc.

Sure, but having the kanji vocabulary puts you way ahead of the game
if you're depending on Japanese skills in daily life.  Especially if
you're out in the country where they don't even have furigana on the
road signs, let along "furiromaji".  And I had to deal with the bloody
meeting minutes, too; sometimes there was stuff in them that I
couldn't afford to blow off.  That's a little too contextual!

    Stuart> When I came to Japan, I had studied the language a bit,
    Stuart> but I'm sure the reason I was able to advance in
    Stuart> oral/aural skills was having a Japanese girlfriend,

You were very fortunate to find one who didn't insist on practicing
English all the time!

    Stuart> and in reading/writing was reading Young Jump from cover
    Stuart> to cover every week.

I found even the salaryman-on-the-train-level weekly manga way below
boring, though.  Golgo 13 and stuff like that was way too hard.  I
tried reading Heinlein and Asimov in translation, which was (about a
year into the process) the right level, but the translators were _so_
bad, I had to give it up.

The Nihon Keizai Shinbun has a "seminar series" of textbooks for the
layman; some of these have manga equivalents.  Those were quite good,
at least for me, an economist interested in Japan's business
environment.

    Stuart> Thank God I'm an atheist!

But even atheists can benefit from a little Bible study.  The only
literature for adults with furigana!

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