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HomeMapsJAPANESE a language map® (Language Map Series) (Japanese Edition) |
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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review:
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 Very Helpful Dec 21, 2008
This is a very basic and easy reference that can be taken with you around town to refresh your memory as you go. The Japanese people really appreciate the effort to try and speak their language and are extremely patient as you look for the right thing to say. The more I used this guide the more comfortable I became actually speaking Japanese. If you have the time to take formal classes or use a Rosetta Stone program before you go great! However, this will still come in handy as a crutch until you become more comfortable.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 A very handy little item for travelers Mar 13, 2005
As my wife and I prepare for our second trip to Japan, our fears of linguistic isolation are much smaller. This time around, we have taken conversational Japanese lessons and found out that the spoken language is not as hard as we expected (except for counting things, a real brain twister for Westerners). This Language Map helped us greatly on our first visit with the little questions, answers and bits of courtesy needed in any language. We will bring it again this time for a quick reference on the details we will inevitably forget.
There is an English phonetic pronunciation beside each Japanese word or phrase. It may not be enough for someone with no knowledge of Japanese to pronounce the phrase correctly. The format of the Language Map may be too small to provide enough coaching (although, on the other hand, the compact size is a big plus). The Language Map does not inform you about the relative lack of inflection in Japanese compared to Western languages or the subtle inflections in many words. For example, many Americans think they know the Japanese equivalent of "thank you" and they almost always pronounce it "ah-ree-GAH-toh," with a strong accent on the third syllable. Of course, that's not the way the Japanese say it, with something between flat intonation and a very soft accent on the second syllable. The phonetic pronunciations do omit all those unspoken or whispered u's (saying dess instead of desu, for example). The Language Map contains the common phrase "ikura desu ka" (how much is it) with the phonetic pronunciation "ee-koo-rah dess kah." The first-time visitor to Japan may not notice the silent vowels.
The Japanese may not understand us if we try to read the words provided here with English phonetic pronunciation. With luck, they would think it funny, perhaps even cute, and appreciate the effort we make to speak their language. A little knowledge of the basic rules of Japanese pronunciation would make this tool more useful.
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