In this study, a comparison is made between dyslexia as experienced by both L1 and L2 speakers. In addition, L1 dyslexia in English, German, Hebrew and Hindi is compared with L1 dyslexia in Japanese.
Currently, there are three main systems of rōmaji that are used in Japan (Gottlieb 2010, 78), although oftentimes these systems are mixed or slightly modified by their users, as this thesis will...Show moreCurrently, there are three main systems of rōmaji that are used in Japan (Gottlieb 2010, 78), although oftentimes these systems are mixed or slightly modified by their users, as this thesis will demonstrate. With these various ways to transliterate the Japanese language, one might expect that confusion occurs in the actual use of romanization. In fact, many researchers have written in support of or against certain systems of romanization. In this thesis, I will consider the issue of romanization against the backdrop of Japan’s language and education policy and the attitudes of the users of romanization. I will examine whether and to what extent the existence of multiple romanization systems is problematic, and to see whether (if at all desired) a solution can be proposed.Show less
This paper examines patterns in Dutch and Japanese regarding how motion is expressed. The basis for this research was performed by Talmy (1985). He argued in his article that languages could be...Show moreThis paper examines patterns in Dutch and Japanese regarding how motion is expressed. The basis for this research was performed by Talmy (1985). He argued in his article that languages could be divided based upon where manner and path are expressed in the sentence. According to Talmy the verb-framed languages use their verbs primarily to express their verbs to express path, while satellite-framed languages use satellites to indicate path and use their verbs to show how an action is performed. Due to this article receiving a fair amount of criticism, I have looked into this two-sided way of dividing. By comparing literature I have established a field of what sentence constructions and patterns I am looking for. For gathering data I have chosen to use novels. The clauses I found that fit with the view provided by the literature were my data pool. By analyzing the data there shows a tendency that Dutch behaves according to the theory of Talmy. Japanese however does not conform to this view. Rather, Japanese uses a wider variety of grammatical constructions to express path and manner.Show less
The Quran is one of the most influential texts in the world, being the ultimate religious authority for the Muslim community, which is estimated at 1.5 billion people worldwide. This paper provides...Show moreThe Quran is one of the most influential texts in the world, being the ultimate religious authority for the Muslim community, which is estimated at 1.5 billion people worldwide. This paper provides a closer look at the Japanese translations of this important text, with focus on the translation of the cultural references (CRs) within it. The aim of this research was to provide a set of translation techniques that can be used in the translation of CRs from Arabic to Japanese. Furthermore, it aimed to test the applicability of the Retranslation Theory to the Japanese translations of the Quran. Both these aims were fulfilled by analyzing Japanese translations done by three different translators of a group of CRs found in the Quran. The analysis was done using the translation techniques proposed by Pedersen (2005). The result showed that Pedersen’s list of techniques was able to account for the majority of the techniques used, with the need for one additional technique, resulting in a total of 8 techniques that may be used in future translations of texts from Arabic into Japanese. The analysis also proved that the Retranslation Theory is applicable in the case of the translations of the Quran from Arabic to Japanese.Show less
This thesis has two major purposes: (1) to identify and determine what the preferred translation methods are for Japanese mimetics in the official English translated version of the manga Azumanga...Show moreThis thesis has two major purposes: (1) to identify and determine what the preferred translation methods are for Japanese mimetics in the official English translated version of the manga Azumanga Daiō, and (2) to investigate whether the translations of Japanese mimetics found in the the English edition of the manga sufficiently convey the sound-meaning correlations, which are established by previous studies. The thesis is divided as follows. First, a theoretical framework regarding the sound-meaning correlations of Japanese mimetics is provided. This is followed by the analysis, which consists of two parts. In the first part, the results of the quantitative analysis of Japanese mimetics and their translation methods are presented. The results show that giongo are often translated into equivalent sounds by using existing mimetics. Gitaigo and gijōgo, on the other hand, are usually translated into words that can be divided into multiple translation methods (hybrids). In the second part, the qualitative analysis investigates whether the translations of the Japanese mimetics found in the English edition of the manga Azumanga Daiō are true to their original meaning. That is, whether they sufficiently convey the established sound-meaning correlations of their Japanese counterparts. The results show that in this manga, this is not always sufficiently done. Thus, the translations run the risk of missing nuances, resulting in loss or undertranslation.Show less
本論文は金水の｢役割語｣と言う概念に基づいている。日本語では、話者が社会的 なアイデンテイテイに基づいて特定の方法で話すことが期待される。しかし、言語と社会はいつも変化している.この数年間、頻繁に持ち出された日本語に関する変化の一つは、日本語の話し手が役割語を使う時、紋切り型の役割語から逸脱していて、自分のアイデンテｲテｲと一致しない言葉使いで話すのを始めたことである...Show more本論文は金水の｢役割語｣と言う概念に基づいている。日本語では、話者が社会的 なアイデンテイテイに基づいて特定の方法で話すことが期待される。しかし、言語と社会はいつも変化している.この数年間、頻繁に持ち出された日本語に関する変化の一つは、日本語の話し手が役割語を使う時、紋切り型の役割語から逸脱していて、自分のアイデンテｲテｲと一致しない言葉使いで話すのを始めたことである。本稿では日本社会の男性の役割語の使用に関系する変更を検討する。具体的には、本研究における問いは伝統的な男言葉との現代の使用を比較すると何が違うのか、また、その変化を引き起こしたのは何かである。夏目漱石の坊ちゃんと言う本の初版本とその2004年版で使用する終助詞と人称代名詞を調べた。結果は、2004年版で利用した典型的な男言葉の頻度は初版本で利用した男言葉の頻度より低いことを示した。それに結果によると、特に主人公の場合で、典型的な男言葉はもう少し中立性な言葉で置き換えた。そして、その理由としては、明治時代の日本社会で広める価値観が時代とともにかわって、男性が男性的なイメージを持っている必要がゆっくり変わっているようである。Show less
This study starts with setting a linguistic framework by introducing the theory of ‘thinking for speaking’ by Slobin (1987), arguing how speakers attend to features of their own language and...Show moreThis study starts with setting a linguistic framework by introducing the theory of ‘thinking for speaking’ by Slobin (1987), arguing how speakers attend to features of their own language and project a different view on the world, after which implications for Japanese-English bilinguals are discussed. Furthermore, it summarizes research showing how bilingualism has cognitive effects on performing different tasks. Based on research of Kutsuki (2014) and Bialystok (2009), several cognitive differences between bilinguals and monolinguals are discussed, where it seems that bilinguals perform better in tasks that are based on executive functioning than tasks that include lexical retrieval. By contrasting the current Japanese educational system to examples of different types of bilingual education and experiences of Japanese-English bilinguals, this study finally suggests how an early partial immersion system can improve the current educational system in Japan.Show less
Due to a gap between gender language ideology and actual language use, knowledge of linguistic features that are indexed as feminine or masculine and their uses might not be as accurate as it could...Show moreDue to a gap between gender language ideology and actual language use, knowledge of linguistic features that are indexed as feminine or masculine and their uses might not be as accurate as it could be. This is problematic for learners of Japanese as a foreign language, for they require proper learning materials that focus on more than stereotypical norms in order to obtain pragmatic skills.Show less
This thesis questions the phenomenon called gender speech in Japan and the ideology of it. To answer this doubt, theories about the origin of gender speech are discussed and research has been...Show moreThis thesis questions the phenomenon called gender speech in Japan and the ideology of it. To answer this doubt, theories about the origin of gender speech are discussed and research has been conducted to come to a conclusion if Japanese gender speech is still important till this day.Show less
This thesis is a sociolinguistic study of the phenomenon of 'fanspeak', the use of Japanese words by English-speaking fans of Japanese manga and anime, in computer mediated communication. The...Show moreThis thesis is a sociolinguistic study of the phenomenon of 'fanspeak', the use of Japanese words by English-speaking fans of Japanese manga and anime, in computer mediated communication. The internet has enabled fans from all over the world to communicate with each other and form an online subculture of sorts. The abundant use of loanwords from Japanese in this online discourse is striking. Using data collected from various manga and anime related websites and message boards, and interviews with the fans who use this kind of language, this thesis aims examine the characteristics of fanspeak from multiple angles. First its origins and social functions are discussed; why does fanspeak exist? Next, the semantics of fanspeak are analyzed; are the borrowed words used in the same meaning as in Japanese, or have their meanings and connotations shifted in the adaptation for use in English? Lastly, the morphological properties of fanspeak are addressed; what kind of grammatical transformations do Japanese words undergo in their adaptation? By addressing these issues I hope to clarify to what extent Japanese fanspeak has been incorporated into English internet discourse, and why and how this is diversifying the subcultural language of English speaking manga and anime fans.Show less
In the globalizing society we live in today, movies are made available to a broad and international audience through the translation of their contents – dubbing, voice-overs and subtitling. Of...Show moreIn the globalizing society we live in today, movies are made available to a broad and international audience through the translation of their contents – dubbing, voice-overs and subtitling. Of these, subtitling has proven to be an effective tool for the transmission of the core message to a different target audience without affecting the original too much. It is common practice in Japan to add Japanese subtitles to American film productions; regardless of genre, motion picture rating and popularity. The same is done for domestic Japanese cartoons (anime) and TV programs through the use of open captions. These types of subtitles are especially appropriate for hearing audiences of whom the people can hear the dialogues, sounds and background music themselves. Subtitles for non-hearing audiences, like deaf and hearing impaired viewers, need a different approach as the translation of sound to (written) language is also necessary. Only with this second layer of translation, can the deaf have a complete cinematic experience and be exposed to all cinematic clues. Nonetheless, in Japan this second layer of translation of American movies is insufficient, if not almost absent. In recent years, this issue has surfaced in the academic field of audiovisual translation studies in Japan. This thesis attempts to contribute to this nascent research area and takes a closer look at the subtitling options for a deaf Japanese target audience and tries to detect areas of improvement.Show less
In Japanese, the phrase A yō na can be used to modify nouns. One of the ways that an A yō na B construction can be used, is to lend a sense of indirectness to an expression. In this thesis, I will...Show moreIn Japanese, the phrase A yō na can be used to modify nouns. One of the ways that an A yō na B construction can be used, is to lend a sense of indirectness to an expression. In this thesis, I will investigate whether this sense of indirectness can be traced back in English translation, and what this can say about the features of the two languages. First, in order to grasp the diversity of usages of the A yō na B construction, I will provide an analysis of the several meanings, making use of a classification using the framework introduced in Takahashi (2009). Then, I will analyse within these categories how the construction can be translated. In order to do this, I will use a parallel corpus created from examples taken from a Japanese novel and its English translation. Finally, I will discuss my findings in the view of indirectness within language.Show less
In this thesis two forces contributing to a changing language ideology in Japan, adopting the Okinawan case as an example, are examined. The first factor is a political one, namely the influence of...Show moreIn this thesis two forces contributing to a changing language ideology in Japan, adopting the Okinawan case as an example, are examined. The first factor is a political one, namely the influence of international human rights treaties, that also guarantee linguistic rights, and its enforcement bodies on the Japanese government. The second one is a social factor: the (re)emergence of pride in Okinawan identityShow less
