Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Japanese language

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 17
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    'Weeaboo Japanese' : exploring English-Japanese language-mixing in online Japanese popular culture fandom : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master in Philosophy in Linguistics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Gardiner, Rowan Elizabeth Arbuthnott
    The complexities of a globalised modern society pose methodological and theoretical issues for linguistic research in areas such as Language Contact, Language-Mixing, and Sociolinguistics, due to the commodification and transmission of language and language features resulting in new language interactions. The boundary between definitions of language borrowing and code- switching is currently a matter of increased interest, particularly in terms of research identifying cases of language use involving unskilled participants. This study investigates and linguistically analyses the presence of Japanese language features within English language contexts that are produced by members of online discussion forums who are fans of Japanese popular culture, and for whom fluency in Japanese language is not assumed nor required for participation. Corpus linguistics techniques were employed on data gathered from two online sources in order to identify what linguistic features were present and establish their extent according to frequency. These same corpora were qualitatively analysed to establish community attitudes towards English-Japanese language mixing and what these results indicated in terms of policing and community norms, and overall what both the quantitative and qualitative results meant for how the language phenomena could be defined according to current theoretical paradigms. The results showed that the most frequent word class was nouns, and the semantic domains found were mostly related to Japanese fandom concepts that were topical to the forum, such as specific interests, clothing and fashion, food, media related terms, and religion and cultural terms. Most instances were single-word insertions, and where the few multi-word segments occurred they were specifically in reference to a negative stereotype within the community (weeaboo). This stereotype also indicated language policing was a factor affecting language use, and the results showed that while the Japanese language had high status, language use was socially restricted to specific situations and extents of use. The language phenomenon is described as mostly language borrowing behaviours, but as the words retain a high level of knowledge of related assignations and also occur concurrently with a few code-switching type behaviours, the usage-based approach where both elements are considered different aspects of the same continuum is seen as a preferable theoretical paradigm.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An aspect of the Japanese language in relation to dyslexia : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1987) Roberts, Joan Gladys
    These studies were conducted to examine the processing of two kinds of Japanese orthography, namely, kanji and hiragana by a group of dyslexic Subjects and Subjects in a control group of similar age, in order to ascertain the effectiveness of hemispheric specialization. An analysis of variance showed that in visual-learning there was a significant main effect for script type for both groups, F(l,36), = 28.125, p < .001. There was also significance for the dyslexic group in verbal-recall, F(l,36), = 13.15, p < .001. There was a significant interaction between group and script for direction-orientation with kanji showing higher correct responses, F(l,36), = 4.142, p < .05. These results confirmed expectations based on research and also identified left brain (Right Hemisphere) strengths. Thus it seems that a much closer examination of learning styles and modes of learning is crucial for the dyslexic group. Japanese brain lateralization, seen to differ from Western lateralization, appears to be linked with environment which is closely related to language type. This study is an investigation from a culture-specific perspective with a consideration of neurolinguistics in cerebral hemispheric lateralization. This is considered in view of the existence of certain difficulties with regard to reading and the possible influence of life-style and familial career selections to which those difficulties might accrue.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Stative sentences in Japanese and the role of the nominative marker "ga" : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2000) Halliday, George Charles
    The Japanese nominative particle ga is normally associated with the marking of subjects. However, there are several constructions involving stative predicates, where it has been claimed, notably by those working within a generative framework, that a ga-marked NP can be an object and that such sentences are transitive. Such an analysis has particularly arisen in the case of sentences with more than one ga-marked NP, exhibiting so-called double ga marking. The following study makes two claims. Firstly, that one of the functions of ga in such sentences is to provide a discourse frame akin to the topic marking function of the postpositional particle wa. Secondly it argues that stative sentences associated with double ga-marking are in fact intransitive and that the ga-marked NP's that have been claimed to be objects are in fact subjects.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Sentence-final expressions-- rasii and yoo : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Tochigi, Asuka
    In the Japanese language there is a group of sentence-final expressions, which indicate the speaker's attitude toward the proposition they are maintaining. Included in this group are expressions such as kamosirenai, tigainai, hazu, yoo, mitai, rasii, soo (hearsay) and (si) soo. This thesis is an examination of the functions of the two expressions yoo and rasii. In many cases rasii and yoo are interchangeable in the respect that they work as evidential markers that the speaker makes a judgment based on evidence. However there is a subtle difference between them. The distinction between them is made by the degree of the speaker's perception. Even though the same types of evidence may be used, rasii indicates that a lesser degree of the speaker's perception is involved, whereas yoo indicates that a higher degree of the speaker's perception is involved. A closer investigation of the uses of rasii and yoo, based on Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, is carried out and it is concluded that both rasii and yoo work as politeness strategies. That is, the speaker utilises the function of either rasii or yoo to satisfy the other's feeling and to establish a good rapport between the speaker and the addressee in human interactions, as well as to maintain the speaker's own desire.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The QTKanji project : an analysis of the relationship between computer assisted language learning (CALL) and the development of autonomous language learners : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2002) Corder, Deborah Mary
    An analysis of the relationship between computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) and the development of autonomous language learners Computer assisted language learning (CALL) software is being introduced into tertiary language programmes for a number of reasons. Research has indicated that CALL is effective for language learning, that it caters for individual learning needs and that it promotes independent learning. By providing structured learning, students can study in their own time without a teacher. Whilst it is now commonly accepted that CALL material must be carefully integrated into the curriculum for it to be effective, there is a move in CALL research away from just evaluation of software to a greater focus on the learner. It is maintained that understanding different learning styles and learner preferences is essential in the creation of CALL packages, and that packages are sufficiently flexible to cater for learners of different ability to manage their own learning. However, while an attraction of CALL is that it fosters independent learning, it is not clear what learners do when they are in the process of becoming independent learners, what CALL environments will foster the development of independent learning skills, and the type of learner who will benefit. This thesis examines the in-house development and trialling of kanji software at the Auckland University of Technology, taking into account the direction of current research into CALL. It provides an initial evaluation of the software design and use, within the framework of research into second language acquisition, learner differences and independent learning. Findings from this initial study will be used to modify the software where necessary and to provide the basis for further research into CALL and language learning.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Japanese women's language : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1998) Morimoto, Keiko
    Japanese women's language has a long history. At first, it was created by women themselves. Its important characteristic was the avoidance of Chinese words. As time went on, men took advantage of women's language to condition women. For the most part, contemporary women's language was established in the Meiji period, reflecting prewar values. Therefore women's language has traits such as a higher level of politeness than men's language, sentence final particles to soften the statement, and avoidance of assertive and imperative forms and of derogatory expressions. Women born after the war, who were educated based on the ideal of sexual equality, began to feel awkward using women's language. Evidence of gender difference in language was obtained from the analyses of survey results and of two TV programmes. Most feminine expressions are used predominantly by women, and most masculine expressions are used predominantly by men. Women use politer expressions than do men in the situations surveyed. However, some contrasting tendencies were also demonstrated. Two feminine expressions which strongly demonstrate femininity (no when used with polite forms, and kasira) are not used by many women. Two masculine expressions which do not have derogatory connotations but function to show solidarity, dekkai and umai, are used by many women. One feminine expression which has emotional function but does not sound feminine, Ussoo!, is used by many men. Women's and men's social roles are beginning to overlap, so too therefore are women's speech and men's speech. From comparisons of the results between Japan and New Zealand, it was verified that in general women's speech is less feminine and men's speech is less masculine in New Zealand compared with that in Japan. This would appear to be a result of the influence of New Zealand society, in which gender difference in social roles is small and there are many mixed-sex interactions. As far as ways to ask a favour of a person are concerned, generally speaking, both women and men in Japan use politer expressions than women and men in New Zealand, respectively. This would appear to be a result of the strong reflection of the importance attached in Japan to conforming to social conventions (a phenomenon labelled "discernment" by some authors, and called wakimae in Japanese). It was certified that most women and men in both Japan and New Zealand regard women's language as necessary. Even though the gender difference in roles is becoming smaller, there is little possibility of the gender difference in language disappearing, as well as the gender difference in social roles in Japan. This is because wakimae is deep-rooted in Japanese people's minds. It seems likely that, in the future, stereotyped feminine expressions which demonstrate femininity, and masculine expressions which have derogatory connotations, will be abandoned. However, Japanese people will leave the gender difference in language to a certain extent, because of their desire for discernment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The development of English and Japanese phonology in a bilingual child aged 1 year 3 months to 1 year 8 months : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Social Science at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1978) Natusch, Barry Antony
    Language used by a child between the ages of 1;3 and 1;8 was recorded while she was being brought up in a bilingual English-Japanese home environment. The words used by the child were phonologically analysed to determine whether there was any evidence for a structural theory or a frequency theory of phonological development. Evidence was found to support and to contradict each of these types of theory. It was found that either a) the child chose to attempt only words which contained a high proportion of phonemes she knew she could utter or b) the frequency of the parents' phonemes was modified from the frequency of standard adult speech when the parent was talking to the child. Little evidence of phonological interference between the two languages was observed during the course of this study.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A study of Japanese native and non-native language speakers' perception of gairaigo and the future of gairaigo in the Japanese language : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2003) Slater, Susan Barbara
    This thesis deals with language change in Japanese in relation to loanwords. Japan has a tradition of borrowing from other languages, in particular, from the Chinese language. This tradition continues to the present day with borrowing from Western languages. This thesis first looks at the historical background of loanwords in Japanese. It then sets out to ascertain what the current perceptions are of both native speakers of Japanese and non-native speakers of Japanese in regard to gairaigo from the English language, and what they predict the future holds for gairaigo from the English language in Japanese. The Japanese will use English more as they become increasingly reliant on international trade due to the downturn in the Japanese economy. This thesis will investigate any effect that gairaigo from English might have on Japanese language acquisition by non-native speakers, and determine what effect gairaigo have on native Japanese speakers and their acquisition of English as a second language. It is suggested in this thesis that gairaigo in Japanese that have come from English will in future be used as English by the Japanese. In other words, this thesis suggests that one main purpose of gairaigo may be to facilitate the acquisition of English as a second language by native Japanese speakers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Syntax and semantics of the nominals mono and koto in Japanese : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1999) Murata, Masami
    There is a group of words which are usually referred to as keisiki-meisi (i.e. formal nouns) in Japanese. The formal noun is defined as a noun which does not have a substantive meaning, and is not used in isolation, but requires a preceding modifier. In this thesis, examinations of various aspects of the Japanese nouns mono and koto, which are widely acknowledged as typical examples of formal noun, will be presented. Mono and koto occur with a variety of terms to produce additional derivatives. For example, when the copula da is attached to mono or koto at the end of a sentence, it becomes a sentence-final modality which strongly reflects the speaker's emotions or feelings. However, owing to the fact that mono and koto are also used on occasion as substantive nouns without preceding modifiers, scholars tend to merely clarify the boundary between the use of mono or koto as a substantive noun, and its use as a formal noun, giving two separate labels to the same noun. In this study, the existence of continuity between these two usages - substantive and formal - is hypothesised. The syntactic and semantic features observed throughout the derivative forms of mono and koto offer a chance to explore and identify the unifying features of the two different usages. It is also demonstrated that, viewed in the light of the framework of grammaticalisation, the category 'formal noun' is only a label that has been put onto a group of nouns which can be grammaticalised or which have already been grammaticalised.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Main strategies of internet-based Japanese language teaching and the associated risks : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Tretiakov, Takako
    This study formulates two models of using Internet in classroom based Japanese language education. The models identified, the static model and the dynamic model, can be used in planning the strategy of introducing Internet as an educational medium in Japanese language classroom. Apart from elaborating the features of the models, and clarifying their relationships to recognized foreign/second language teaching approaches, we determine the risks, associated with Internet based Japanese language education and consider the ways to mitigate them. Our study is backed by 2 surveys, and by qualitative and quantitative analysis of Internet search engine data and of a database of teachers' beliefs data. This study may be of value to Japanese language teachers and learners, education administrators and to designers of CALL software.