Introduction to Japanese
Cathy Zhang
Tue Jan 19, Thu Jan 21, 05-07:00pm, 4-370
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants requested to attend all sessions (non-series)
Prereq: Interest in the Japanese language
Come and take a drink from the firehose in this foundational Japanese language class -- you'll get thoroughly drenched from head to toe in enough Japanese that learning more through further self-study will be made much simpler (if you've ever tried studying a language on your own, you know how difficult independent study can be). We'll cover the writing system, basic vocabulary, and grammar, jam-packed into these two sessions, so be prepared for fast-paced fun!
Contact: Cathy Zhang, zhangc@mit.edu
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Learn Asian!
Cathy Zhang
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)
Prereq: Interest in Chinese/Japanese/Korean
Have you ever wondered... What is the difference between all those Asian languages? How people read those bizarre squiggles? Why actors talk so much while subtitles say so little?
Come find out! This class will cover three East Asian languages: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. I will provide a basic background in each and teach what no other C/J/K class offers: a cross-linguistic analysis comparing and contrasting them in topics ranging from politeness-hierarchies to pronunciation.
Note: Each session will probably last no more than 90 minutes; extra time will be used for Q&A.
Web: http://web.mit.edu/zhangc/www/learn_asian/
Contact: Cathy Zhang, zhangc@mit.edu
Cathy Zhang
This first session will start us off with a study of Chinese characters, because they are used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, at least at some point in their histories. We will examine how Chinese characters have evolved as they have moved through time and between languages, their basic structure, and how they have affected various aspects of the three languages.
Mon Jan 11, 07-09:00pm, 32-124
Cathy Zhang
Having covered the Chinese writing system, we will move on to the other part of the Japanese writing system: kana. After learning all you ever wanted to know about kana (helpful memorization hints, usage, and a small introduction to the Japanese lexicon), we will continue on to pronunciation and grammar across the languages.
Mon Jan 18, 07-09:00pm, 32-124
Cathy Zhang
Our last session will kick off with the Korean writing system, continue on to commonly useful expressions in the three languages (you'll be able to see how the expressions compare and contrast and how that falls in line with what you've learned about them up to this point), and conclude with some exercises and fun examples (read: movie clips!) in translation.
Mon Jan 25, 07-09:00pm, 32-124
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