Principles of Japanese Discourse: A Handbook

by Senko K. Maynard

Principles of Japanese Discourse offers the first detailed description in English of the structure and rhetorical effects observed in various genres of Japanese discourse. Drawing on Japanese bunshooron and incorporating results of Western discourse studies, the book covers principles of overall rhetorical organisation including ki-shoo-ten-ketsu, topic structure, danraku, and sentence chaining, and presents a variety of rhetorical strategies frequently used in contemporary Japanese texts. After presenting these principles in thirty compact entries, Professor Maynard invites the reader to apply the knowledge gained to the comprehension of contemporary authentic Japanese text. Seven selected readings are presented with vocabulary lists, discourse notes, and other tasks. Translations are provided in the appendix. In this book Professor Maynard has created a new category in the area of Japanese language learning and provided an excellent reference source not only for students but for instructors of the Japanese language worldwide.

Genres: Japan

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 5, 1998

About the author

Senko K. Maynard is professor of Japanese language and linguistics at Rutgers University. She received her bachelor's degree from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and her doctorate in linguistics from Northwestern University. She has published extensively in the field of Japanese linguistics, especially in the area of discourse analysis and conversation analysis. Among her books are Japanese Conversation: Self-contextualization through Structure and International Management (1989), An Introduction to Japanese Grammar and Communication Strategies (1990), and Discourse Modality: Subjectivity, Emotion and Voice in the Japanese Language (1993). Author of numerous articles in Japanese, U.S., and international scholarly journals, Professor Maynard is the founding and current editor of Japanese Discourse: An International Journal for the Study of Japanese Text and Talk.

Reviews

[Phil Yff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A student of Japanese who has acquired a significant vocabulary and knowledge of grammatical structures might still have trouble putting this knowledge to practical use. "Principles of Japanese Discourse" by Senko K. Maynard is an invaluable tool to help such students harness the power of the language they have already acquired and help them reach the next level.
The book uses interesting examples taken from sources ranging from the Japanese constitution, literature, newspapers, novels, and popular literature including comics. It compares the manner in which Japanese authors present their ideas in contrast to English prose.
While instructing the reader on how to best assimilate Japanese prose, the book provides rich insight into Japanese conceptual thought and culture. I recommend it highly. In fact, I consider it a must-read for any student of Japanese who wants to appreciate prose from manga to mysteries to Mishima.