Katakana Analysis

Two katakana words or expressions that I chose are コンサート (concert) and ディザイン (design).

These two words were written in katakana just as they sound in English, so they are loanwords. There seems to exist two purposes of using katakana in this case. First, by pronouncing them in the same way as in their original language, it has the effect of conveying the exact meanings. Also, by writing them in katakana, instead of hiragana and kanji, it has the effect of making these words easily noticeable as loanwords.

These effects are produced, because katakana are not used as frequently as hiragana or kanji in daily life, so it is easily noticeable. Also, employing the similar pronunciation, these words can be easily understandable to both Japanese and foreigners.

Japanese textbooks have been different in explaining katakana, because exact usage of katakana also seems difficult to define even for Japanese academics.

Why Japanese?

So, I have been procrastinating too much in writing any further posts on my blog, so I will write a blog about the topic that I should have written like a month ago.

So why Japanese??

Living in South Korea for the past 18 years of my life before coming to the States last year as a freshman (I've also lived in Canada for a year when I was like 13), I have been constantly exposed to the Japanese culture in different ways. When I was a little kid, I loved watching Japanese cartoons, Pokemon, and movies; I would buy these Pokemon cards, trade with my friends the ones that I didn't have with the ones that I needed, and play them, even though I now all forgot how to play them. When I grew, my interest moved slightly from young-kid cartoons to music, especially j-pop. I especially liked Nakashima Mika, whose music I first had a chance to listen to because of this Korean singer who sang a translated version of her song. That song was 雪の華, and after that, I listened to some of her other songs, not to mention many other Japanese singers.

Thus, all the point of learning Japanese now in college started purely from my interest in the culture, but I think I can also make use of the language a lot in the future when I grow up and get a job. I mean getting to learn a foreign language is always a good thing. And I know that Japanese classes will always be fun, as Hamada Sensei always says, and I hope to make most out of it.