- Why learn Japanese?
Business, trade, economics, politics, movies, pop culture, food, music, martial arts, East Asian religions, history, literature, etc..the list can continue on and on for the many reasons to study Japanese. However, one of the most important reasons to study Japanese - or any other language for that matter - is to develop a broader understanding of the people of Japan , the world, and yourself!
- How hard is it to learn Japanese
Although Japanese is different than English in terms of grammatical patterns, the different use of writing systems, and phonetics, it is an intuitive language. There are distinct grammatical patterns and rules that guide you throughout learning. For example, the subject is always expressed at the beginning of a sentence, the verb always at the end. There are no masculine/feminine nouns like many European languages, and verb tenses has distinct rules. The pronunciation is very syllabic, with no major intonations like Chinese. All in all, learning the language can be a fun, as well as challenging, endeavor that can pay off in many ways.
- I heard that Japanese uses four sets of "alphabet." Is this true?
Yes, this is true. Modern Japanese uses a combination of kanji - Chinese characters first brought to Japan between the 3 rd and 5 th centuries AD, hiragana - an alphabet based on syllables and phonetic sounds rather than letters, katakana - another alphabet based on syllables and phonetic sounds primarily used for words borrowed from other languages, and Romaji - Roman letters and Arabic numbers borrowed from the West.
- What is the focus of the program here at St. Edward's University?
The focus of the St. Edward's Japanese program is to develop a well-rounded, comprehensive knowledge base of the language, focusing on speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills.
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