Well... Yes and no. It really depends on how you work with it.
I personally object Rosetta Stone because, for one thing, it's overpriced. I have actually tried a friend's copy of Rosetta Stone and I simply have no need for it. A full package costs $400, with the online tutor an extra $240/year. Why pay more when I have resources that already do the same thing for less money or even for free? (iKnow! for vocab and dictation, EduFire for the tutor, Livemocha)
Another thing. There is still more to learning a language than sitting at your computer. The brain is like a muscle. It needs exercise. Use what you learned with Rosetta Stone to keep it in your head. Watch movies/youtube, read books, listen to music, make friends who speak the language. In my five years of experience, immersion requires more time and effort than what Rosetta Stone touts.
Am I saying that Rosetta Stone is a bad resource that nobody should try? No. Far from it. The software provides the basic needs for learning a language like flashcards, dictation exercises, reading and listening. It can be beneficial for a person's ability to learn. if you can afford it and it seems to work for you, then go right ahead. But try to combine it with another resource. Maybe fill the gap by watching movies, and communicating with native speakers on Skype or Lang8.
Language learning works like a multiplayer game. By this, I mean there are multiple combinations of classes and perks to choose from. My preferences involve watching Japanese movies with Japanese subtitles combined with an iPod dictionary. I have Japanese friends for conversation, and I use flashcards with mnemonics for vocab. Another person may choose to buy Rosetta Stone and combine it with movies and social interaction with a tutor on Edufire or maybe a friend on skype.
Overall, when it comes to language learning, to each his own. I may not be a huge fan of Rosetta Stone, but if it works for you, I say do it. Just remember that no one resource by itself is perfect.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Monday, 28 November 2011
Guh... Crazy... Month...
I know I haven't posted a blog entry in a while. I apologize for that. It's just that I find it incredibly hard to balance so many things at once. At this point I am starting to regret taking three elective classes...
Masui-sensei's class is what I'm having the most trouble in, but that's mostly due to me not focusing on vocab, where half of the quizzes are. At this point I'm scared stiff about my grades, especially since I got sick a second time in a row and had to skip out on a lecture last week... At least I'm finally starting to catch up on my vocab thanks to an SRS flashcard software called Anki.
Still... There is also the typing class in building 14 that I am unsure about. I feel a bit misguided in what I need to do, and at this point I'm afraid of how my grade will turn out in that class as well.
Organization was never really my strong suit. And anxiety about keeping track has made me slip up in my classes even more. I can't even think very well in the language I am trying to learn because of it.
Either way... I'll close this article by talking about the subject from last week's Seminar lecture. The idea that Japanese men tend to focus on the cuteness and child-like appearance of their women. As opposed to America's view of women, being big-breasted and hour glass-shaped. I will try to make this as to the point as I can. I don't really mind the appearance of a woman as much as I care about her personality. There are some things related to looks that I often find more attractive, but I don't let it override what I see in a woman's heart.
Masui-sensei's class is what I'm having the most trouble in, but that's mostly due to me not focusing on vocab, where half of the quizzes are. At this point I'm scared stiff about my grades, especially since I got sick a second time in a row and had to skip out on a lecture last week... At least I'm finally starting to catch up on my vocab thanks to an SRS flashcard software called Anki.
Still... There is also the typing class in building 14 that I am unsure about. I feel a bit misguided in what I need to do, and at this point I'm afraid of how my grade will turn out in that class as well.
Organization was never really my strong suit. And anxiety about keeping track has made me slip up in my classes even more. I can't even think very well in the language I am trying to learn because of it.
Either way... I'll close this article by talking about the subject from last week's Seminar lecture. The idea that Japanese men tend to focus on the cuteness and child-like appearance of their women. As opposed to America's view of women, being big-breasted and hour glass-shaped. I will try to make this as to the point as I can. I don't really mind the appearance of a woman as much as I care about her personality. There are some things related to looks that I often find more attractive, but I don't let it override what I see in a woman's heart.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Weekend Trip to Nagasaki
Anywho, I just got back from a weekend trip to Nagasaki with my Seminar II class. Guh... I did not get any sleep last night because the Japanese and Korean students were up all night drinking at the hostel.
Onto the topic at hand... It felt really strange, and eerie, visiting the second city in history to have an atomic weapon dropped on it. Standing there at the black monolith marking the hypocenter... Looking up to see that I was standing in the spot directly underneath the bomb's detonation point. The feeling was not unknown to me though. Two years ago during my first trip to Japan I traveled to Hiroshima and felt the exact same sensation.
Comparing the two, I guess I'd have to say that the A-bomb dome in Hiroshima had a slightly more profound effect. At Nagasaki, there were the very few remains of the entrance to the Urukami Cathedral. Just the right side of the entrance. In fact, churches and cathedrals are seen all over Nagasaki. The streets and structures are also oddly European. Then again, it isn't surprising when you know that Nagasaki has had the most historical relationship with the West than most cities in Japan.
Back on topic, the Peace Park outside the museum was beautiful. Very vast and open with monuments spread out all over, and a huge sky-blue statue overlooking the entire place. It was here that we met a survivor of the atomic blast, who was 14 when the event happened. Describing the sight of those who weren't so lucky, lumbering about with shards of glass sticking from them, and purple skin sliding off... And how he tried to give water to them, using a futon as a sponge.
Overall... I had the same experience as Hiroshima on a smaller scale. I could say that the reason why Hiroshima seemed to leave a greater impression on me was due to no subtlety in displaying everything that happened. Right down to human remains. At Nagasaki, the museum seemed to focus on inanimate remains, such as melted bottles. There still seemed to be a very eerie essence floating around though. And it would definitely leave an impression on people who haven't already been to Hiroshima.
On a lighter note, after visiting the museum and the Peace Park, we went to the Nagasaki Chinatown. I guess I could say it's a warm-up to my visit to Hong Kong come Christmas break. What can I say? I can't get enough of Char Siu buns. It did feel fairly authentic, which isn't surprising given how Nagasaki has one of the most recognized Chinatowns in Japan. Like I said before, Nagasaki is historically the most open Japanese city to international trade. I may have to wait until I go to Hong Kong for a final verdict on Nagasaki Chinatown's authenticity though. There is a possibility that some food might have been altered ever so slightly for the Japanese palette.
Well, nothing much happened after that. Having slept most of the way there, it feels great to be back in my own bed.
ではまた次回！
Onto the topic at hand... It felt really strange, and eerie, visiting the second city in history to have an atomic weapon dropped on it. Standing there at the black monolith marking the hypocenter... Looking up to see that I was standing in the spot directly underneath the bomb's detonation point. The feeling was not unknown to me though. Two years ago during my first trip to Japan I traveled to Hiroshima and felt the exact same sensation.
Comparing the two, I guess I'd have to say that the A-bomb dome in Hiroshima had a slightly more profound effect. At Nagasaki, there were the very few remains of the entrance to the Urukami Cathedral. Just the right side of the entrance. In fact, churches and cathedrals are seen all over Nagasaki. The streets and structures are also oddly European. Then again, it isn't surprising when you know that Nagasaki has had the most historical relationship with the West than most cities in Japan.
Back on topic, the Peace Park outside the museum was beautiful. Very vast and open with monuments spread out all over, and a huge sky-blue statue overlooking the entire place. It was here that we met a survivor of the atomic blast, who was 14 when the event happened. Describing the sight of those who weren't so lucky, lumbering about with shards of glass sticking from them, and purple skin sliding off... And how he tried to give water to them, using a futon as a sponge.
Overall... I had the same experience as Hiroshima on a smaller scale. I could say that the reason why Hiroshima seemed to leave a greater impression on me was due to no subtlety in displaying everything that happened. Right down to human remains. At Nagasaki, the museum seemed to focus on inanimate remains, such as melted bottles. There still seemed to be a very eerie essence floating around though. And it would definitely leave an impression on people who haven't already been to Hiroshima.
On a lighter note, after visiting the museum and the Peace Park, we went to the Nagasaki Chinatown. I guess I could say it's a warm-up to my visit to Hong Kong come Christmas break. What can I say? I can't get enough of Char Siu buns. It did feel fairly authentic, which isn't surprising given how Nagasaki has one of the most recognized Chinatowns in Japan. Like I said before, Nagasaki is historically the most open Japanese city to international trade. I may have to wait until I go to Hong Kong for a final verdict on Nagasaki Chinatown's authenticity though. There is a possibility that some food might have been altered ever so slightly for the Japanese palette.
Well, nothing much happened after that. Having slept most of the way there, it feels great to be back in my own bed.
ではまた次回！
Friday, 4 November 2011
My Opinion on "Sōshokukei-danshi"
Today in Seminar II class, we talked about a recent trend in modern Japanese culture. "Herbivores" or "Grass-Eating Boys" have been popping up in Japan in recent years. The term defines the decline in the expected macho masculinity in males since the bursting of Japan's economic bubble, where boys have taken on a more feminine side. These "Grass-Eating Boys" often take up an effeminate appearance as a way of going against the usual expectations of men in Japan. Often preferring shopping, cosmetics and aren't as status-driven as previous generations.
What I find rather disturbing is how these men are actually starting to revert to plastic surgery to achieve a more feminine appearance. In one video clip we were shown, one man actually got his lips altered to look more like an AKB48 singer. Some men even go to special workshops where they learn to adjust their vocal cords to sound more like a lady...
As for my overall opinion, I don't think it is wrong for guys to show a bit of a feminine side. Men who have a soft spot will often have an easier time with women. But it's a completely different ball game when they actually go about physically changing their appearance just to fit in. And another huge problem with this particular demographic is how they aren't very interested in sexual activity. This does not contribute at all to Japan's declining birth rate in the least bit.
It's definitely an interesting topic to think about with a lot to cover... Well, I have to go to bed. It's after 1:30 in the morning and I have to get up early for my trip to Nagasaki.
ではまた次回！
What I find rather disturbing is how these men are actually starting to revert to plastic surgery to achieve a more feminine appearance. In one video clip we were shown, one man actually got his lips altered to look more like an AKB48 singer. Some men even go to special workshops where they learn to adjust their vocal cords to sound more like a lady...
As for my overall opinion, I don't think it is wrong for guys to show a bit of a feminine side. Men who have a soft spot will often have an easier time with women. But it's a completely different ball game when they actually go about physically changing their appearance just to fit in. And another huge problem with this particular demographic is how they aren't very interested in sexual activity. This does not contribute at all to Japan's declining birth rate in the least bit.
It's definitely an interesting topic to think about with a lot to cover... Well, I have to go to bed. It's after 1:30 in the morning and I have to get up early for my trip to Nagasaki.
ではまた次回！
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