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    Thread: 6 week challenge
Post: 6 week challenge

The point is to push yourself to do more that you otherwise would. With a fullt-time job, side projects, a wife and kids, there's no way I could ever compete for the top. I also don't think every hour...
AlexandreC Remembering the Kanji 14 3,070 2012-12-13, 11:44 am
    Thread: Video on Japanese Pitch Accent
Post: Video on Japanese Pitch Accent

Sorry for my late reply, I hadn't noticed your post. ASAIK, a compound like 一段動詞 is considered a single unit and will have a single pitch -- I would guess it's on DO, though I have absolutely no idea...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 39 10,239 2012-12-11, 9:37 am
    Thread: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 Days
Post: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 D...

Her approach was clearly geared towards gaining a passive knowledge of the language, ie. understanding the language, NOT producing it, which is another thing entirely.
AlexandreC Learning resources 25 7,872 2012-12-10, 7:46 pm
    Thread: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 Days
Post: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 D...

Two quick points: 1) She chose that series because she liked Go. Perfect way to motivate yourself. 2) The series tightly revolves around playing Go. This implies that there is a fair amount of redu...
AlexandreC Learning resources 25 7,872 2012-12-10, 12:51 pm
    Thread: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 Days
Post: Video: Understand Your Favourite TV Series in 30 D...

I'd like to introduce a nice video that presents how to use Anki to learn to understand your favourite TV series in 30 days: [Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2auoGIfqWUM&sns=em] It's made ...
AlexandreC Learning resources 25 7,872 2012-12-09, 1:41 pm
    Thread: Core10k with Accent
Post: Core10k with Accent

Pitch changes in verbs are predictable if you know whether a verb is accented or not. It is more important to know whether it is accented, then where the accent is. For instance, the -te or -ta ending...
AlexandreC Learning resources 18 4,975 2012-11-25, 1:57 am
    Thread: Pitch Accent Lesson
Post: Pitch Accent Lesson

@uisukii I understand your position; I hope it helps you in the future. @comeauch The part about verbs is what I wanted to cover in the third video. Some verb endings impart pitch to any verb (MAsu, ...
AlexandreC Learning resources 3 728 2012-11-16, 10:50 pm
    Thread: Pitch Accent Lesson
Post: Pitch Accent Lesson

How would learners of Japanese who are interested in Pitch Accent feel about a lesson like this one? http://bit.ly/UKkkFs (safe link from my dropbox account -- offered temporarily) These lessons wou...
AlexandreC Learning resources 3 728 2012-11-16, 9:03 pm
    Thread: Video on Japanese Pitch Accent
Post: Video on Japanese Pitch Accent

I've uploaded a second video in the series on Pitch Accent. This one teaches learners how and where to find pitch info on their own and gives an overview of what a mora is. http://youtu.be/ZKWrmxYmdy...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 39 10,239 2012-11-11, 2:03 am
    Thread: How to be less shy when talking to Japanese People
Post: How to be less shy when talking to Japanese People

Self-talk http://tiny.cc/mac57
AlexandreC General discussion 9 2,236 2012-11-07, 11:47 am
    Thread: Looking to join or start a study group in Tokyo
Post: Looking to join or start a study group in Tokyo

What do you mean by study group? Why would someone leave home to go all the way to an unstructured study group where everyone does their own thing? I think you need a more defined description of what...
AlexandreC Group study 3 2,108 2012-10-16, 8:13 am
    Thread: NHK's "Cool Japan": Learn Japanese Culture Without The Sensationalism!
Post: NHK's "Cool Japan": Learn Japanese Culture Without...

I find the show so annoying. The guests are often portrayed as idiots. I certainly wouldn't say it introduces Japanese culture without sensationalism. Which is not to say I haven't learned a thing or ...
AlexandreC General discussion 23 9,871 2012-10-10, 7:56 am
    Thread: Musicology Master's in Japan
Post: Musicology Master's in Japan

I wonder if Peter Barakan might not be able to provide some insight. He's on Facebook.
AlexandreC JLPT, Jobs & College in Japan 7 2,420 2012-10-10, 7:53 am
    Thread: hacks for better pronunciation
Post: hacks for better pronunciation

When the objective is to produce a sound the way natives produce it, what can prossibly constitute a hack? There are no bypass or tricks involved and there is only one way (or a range of ways) to make...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 13 2,793 2012-10-05, 3:03 pm
    Thread: What are the most complicated languages for native English speakers to
Post: What are the most complicated languages for native...

magamo Wrote:In one sense, the commonly told reason why nonnative speakers can't tell two different phonemes is backward. It's not the nonnative speakers that don't hear subtle differences. It's the n...
AlexandreC General discussion 62 13,148 2012-10-02, 8:20 am
    Thread: What are the most complicated languages for native English speakers to
Post: What are the most complicated languages for native...

The FSI list is a nice indication, and I wouldn't disagree with what it says, but it only covers very few languages. I thought Japanese was harder than Mandarin, but I'm not that advanced in Mandarin...
AlexandreC General discussion 62 13,148 2012-09-30, 6:39 pm
    Thread: Looking for a study parner
Post: Looking for a study parner

I think you need a native speaker, but I don't think they have to have the same ability as you. However, you need to set up a certain amount of structure right from the start. And I recommend looking ...
AlexandreC Learning resources 10 1,922 2012-09-25, 2:03 pm
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

JimmySeal Wrote:undead_saif Wrote:AlexandreC Wrote:Every teacher I ever asked told to listen and copy. I always understood that as and admission of ignorance. Hmm, if you asked different teachers then...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-09-22, 11:50 am
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

Every teacher I ever asked told to listen and copy. I always understood that as and admission of ignorance.
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-09-22, 11:27 am
    Thread: Monolingual dictionaries
Post: Monolingual dictionaries

I don't really see the need to use a monolingual dictionary. In my view, your word search should be as efficient as possible, which means it should be clear, simple and fast. Unless you are quite adva...
AlexandreC Learning resources 15 3,610 2012-09-20, 9:33 am
    Thread: The best way to learn any language?
Post: The best way to learn any language?

First of all, people have different goals. Mine is to speak and use the language, others prefer to read; I can only speak for myself. Japanese was the 14th language I studied; it's the 5th language I ...
AlexandreC General discussion 23 5,399 2012-09-18, 10:38 am
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

I worked on video number 2 today, even had a Japanese friend say some words, but the takes weren't good enough and my camera battery died... Might get to it again tomorrow. I had my friend say some w...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-08-31, 9:48 pm
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

vonPeterhof Wrote:AlexandreC, it's your video isn't it? Do you still intend to continue the series? Yes, it is. The second video is technically ready to be recorded, but I've been busy working on anot...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-08-30, 12:07 pm
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

warakawa Wrote:I have been re-studying my core2000 with pitch accent, I found that most words are pitch accent type 0. Most nouns are 0 indeed, but this isn't true for adjectives and verbs. Let's also...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-08-30, 6:37 am
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

Zorlee Wrote:. However, after 2,5 years of intense study (and JLPT N1 under my belt) I still didn't pronounce basic verbs like "aru" "naru" "dekiru" with the correct pitch. And that's why I think that...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-08-28, 11:37 am
    Thread: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?
Post: Why is Japanese pitch accent almost never taught?

The average Japanese teacher won't teach pitch because they can't. They don't know how it works and they never paid attention to it. Those with proper training will tell you it was brought up in their...
AlexandreC General discussion 133 26,569 2012-08-28, 11:29 am
    Thread: A Norwegian guy speaking Japanese?
Post: A Norwegian guy speaking Japanese?

Zorlee Wrote:I'm working hard on improving it, currently studying pitch accent and just started using "self talk". I really have to thank AlexandreC for all the great posts he has written - it has rea...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 76 22,487 2012-06-22, 9:25 am
    Thread: Help with phonetics
Post: Help with phonetics

English r is a retroflex sound, so if you combine sh and r you will most likely get the ʂ you are looking for. To me, ɕ is between she and he. In fact, the difference between Japanese hi and shi is f...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 3 1,027 2012-06-15, 8:52 am
    Thread: Considering making a video on Pitch Accent - What do you want to know?
Post: Considering making a video on Pitch Accent - What ...

Marble101 Wrote:If I hear a word and try to mimic it as close a possible, would that suffice, or would I need to specifically train my ear for pitch accents. How do you know what what parts to mimic a...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 33 6,537 2012-06-12, 10:40 am
    Thread: Considering making a video on Pitch Accent - What do you want to know?
Post: Considering making a video on Pitch Accent - What ...

partner55083777 Wrote:nadiatims Wrote:Just regularly have conversations with people, and you'll start to pick up their speech habits, words phrasing and also pitch. I believe AlexandreC argues that th...
AlexandreC The Japanese language 33 6,537 2012-06-12, 10:37 am