Japanese Linguistics: An Introduction

by Toshiko Yamaguchi

This introduction to Japanese linguistics is designed to introduce students to all of the main areas of the subject. What makes this book distinct from other textbooks on Japanese linguistics is that linguistics is introduced by means of authentic texts which students might encounter in contemporary Japan. The book
* Speech sounds and sound structures
* Japanese vocabulary
* Writing in Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana and Roman letters
* Word structures, ideograms, morphemes and compounding * Sentence structure
* Word meaning

Each chapter contains an explanation of the key concepts of Japanese linguistics, followed by activities, which are designed to promote the students' active understanding of the forms and functions of the language in authentic texts. This textbook will be an essential introduction to Japanese linguistics for advanced undergraduates, and postgraduates, studying either Japanese language, or linguistics.

Genres: Linguistics, Japanese Literature, Nonfiction, Academic

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2007

Reviews

[Nathan Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick read, but very enlightening on some important subjects. It's explanation of wa and ga were short but sweet.
This book is not an introduction to linguistics, or Japanese. It was more of a primer for anyone who wants to understand Japanese at a deeper level, and also learn the terminology to go with it. As an introduction, it does an excellent job of encouraging the reader to think critically about passages and word nuances. Plenty of passages are provided, along with directions for further study.

[Mizumi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably my favourite among all the books I had to read for university. It's clear, interesting, and very useful. It helps you understand the Japanese language at a deeper level, and I think just the way this book was written was one of the reasons why I wanted to pursue more courses in linguistics.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice, concise book for introducing anyone to Japanese linguistics. The exercises in each chapter are particularly good. I'd recommend this for any undergraduate course in Japanese linguistics.

[Tampines House]

B21476937F

[Toyotake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!