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Living Japanese: Diversity in Language and Lifestyles (Conversations with Native Speakers) Paperback – 2 Jan 2007

by Karen Colligan-taylor (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 customer reviews
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Product details

  • Paperback: 220 pages
  • Publisher: Yale University Press; Pap/DVD edition (2 Jan. 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 030010958X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0300109580
  • Product Dimensions: 17.9 x 1.7 x 25.1 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 455,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

About the Author

Karen Colligan-Taylor is professor emerita of Japanese Studies at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Asian Languages and Literatures at Stanford University.

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Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent study material for intermediate and advanced students
By S. Wilson on 9 Mar. 2009
Format: Paperback
The DVD that accompanies this book contains interviews with Japanese speakers of all ages and backgrounds discussing various aspects of Japanese life and society. There are no subtitles or translation on the DVD.

The book contains the script of the interviews (all in Japanese - with a some furigana), some introductory or background material in English, and a glossary of some of the more difficult words. There is no English translation.

Basically, this is suitable for Japanese comprehension practice at an intermediate to advanced level. I could have done with something like this in the final two years of my degree.

If you are studying Japanese to beyond JLPT level 3, or it is a major component of your degree, or you are living or planning to live in Japan, this is excellent study material.

It isn't particularly cheap, but it is high quality and worth it if you are beyond basic Japanese and want to study the spoken language further. There really aren't too many books that go up to this level.
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5.0 out of 5 starsLiving Japanese
By PJ on 7 Dec. 2007
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
I have been looking for something like this for some time. Rather than listening to cds or tapes the DVD lets you see people talking real Japanese rather than artifically constructed conversations. The transcripts also help in attuning your ear to what is being said. It's intermediate level at least, I think, but very good.
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5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful !
By MICHAEL JAY on 23 Jan. 2013
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
A fantastic production! This video and book has video interviews with various members of Japanese society such as a housewife, architect, farmer, priest, children etc., professionally filmed with clear sound and picture. The accompanying book has transcriptions in English, Romaji and Kanji with explanatory notes. The video is at normal conversational speed so it will not be easy for the beginner to understand but, if you already speak good Japanese as I do, this is fantastic to improve your ability both in listening and speaking and to keep your ear in training. The various accents are extremely useful and your vocabulary will improve. All in all, this is an incredibly good, top-quality production and I highly recommend it. Superb!
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5.0 out of 5 starsBrilliant for intermediate/advanced learners
By Cristina on 29 Aug. 2015
Format: Paperback
Just started using this, and so far loving it! The speeches are indeed very natural spoken Japanese, and it's great to hear a range of speaking styles - by gender, age etc. I've got about 4 years of Japanese tuition at University, but that was a while ago, so trying to get back in the game, and this looks like a great tool as it gives you a rounded practice: listening (of course!), but also reading the scripts, writing your own (if so you wish), and then speaking, through the handy discussion topic pointers after each set of transcripts.
Only regret I am having is that, as a sole learner, I can't make full use of the discussion sections in the book so currently trying to introduce this book to my language exchange group.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)

Amazon.com: HASH(0x8d28c93c) out of 5 stars 12 reviews
28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8d5a6f0c) out of 5 stars Good resource for exposure to 'real' Japanese 21 Jan. 2007
By C. McDowell - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
This book/dvd set is very good for bringing Japanese as it is really spoken to those who are learning the language and don't have the fortune of actually living in Japan. It's especially nice that all the dialogue on the dvd is given in written form in the book, with proper explanations. One thing that lacks in many language learning devices is the opportunity to hear the language applied in reality, and this program fills that gap. Instead of set dialogues and situations, you hear unrehearsed responses to questions about daily life, such as family, work, and school.

However, because of the nature of this work it is not for beginners; I would recommend it for at least intermediate learners, unless one wants only to listen and train their ear.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8d2ff3d8) out of 5 stars Bingo! 8 Jan. 2008
By Michael Callaghan - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Wow! Japanese people in Japan being interviewed, their responses being transcribed in natural Japanese (with furigana to clarify) and vocabulary lists to define some of the more difficult terms! I've been wanting something like this for a loooong time... even the aizuchi is transcribed. Everything - and there are no English translations - perfect! This is REAL Japanese, not from a textbook. The speech is all natural speed, the people interviewed are all different ages and genders, the questions are all about aspects of Japanese culture and society. This DVD / book combination feels long overdue.

Please note, as I mentioned, that there are vocabulary lists, but no English translations of the interviews. You might take this as too difficult, but it really isn't. Dive in and get to work.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8d3ce5b8) out of 5 stars Unique and much needed 13 Sept. 2008
By Nano - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback
Just a couple of lines to confirm that I fully share the views of the two reviewers before me. I have just finished listening to the book/DVD (I did it over several weeks, more or less one chapter a day). I intend to do a few more passes (I am far from having "learned" the book - I still need the written text to follow the spoken words). I am an intermediate student, with good reading skills (but sadly negligible speaking skills), so I don't mind the fact that there is no English translation - but in the end working back and forth from a translation can be cumbersome, and it would not be a realistic setting for listening to interviews. Ample vocabulary notes are provided, anyway (which helps a lot). A caveat: some of the speakers are harder to follow than others - but that's to be expected from speakers of any language. So that's just a fact of life with a book that gives you "real spoken language", as opposed to the sterilized textbook version. Moreover, they all have something interesting and real to say, so you feel that the effort to understand is well spent. Speaking of which, I found the story of the old lady who had to miss school because of the war work her country imposed on students really touching. She was very dignified (a teacher of traditional ikebana), but hearing her speak you could feel that her grief was still alive 60 years or so later. Sounds like a small thing compared to all the evils of war (some students might even consider it a plus), but it brought home the cruelty and nonsense of war more clearly than reading a history book or watching the news.

I will recommend this book to the other students in my weekly Japanese night-class - but I am certainly NOT going to lend them my copy, this is too good to risk losing...

One last point, I reviewed here a few years ago a book with 3 CD that had lots of good "real sounding" spoken Japanese, including lots of "aizuchi" (no video and no real interviews, though, so not at all the same thing as this one). It's called Aozora, and if you loved Living Japanese, you will probably like Aozora too (albeit not as much).
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8d6b3990) out of 5 stars Wonderful concept, needs broader range of subjects. 31 Oct. 2009
By Marty McNutt - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Let me begin by saying that my criticism of this book is far outweighed by its benefits. This book and accompanying DVD are divided into twenty chapters, each dealing with different social phenomena. The one criticism I have is that many of the chapter titles deal with womens' issues (womens' views on marriage, women in the workplace) and environmental issues (environmental education, organic farming). These are certainly hot topics, but I feel like they were over-used at the expense of other advanced topics like economics or government.

Still, this book gives learners the opportunity to "interview" native Japanese speakers, and listen to their stories in 100% natural Japanese. For those looking to improve their accents or brush up on listening comprehension, this is an incredibly useful source. Moreover, the text provides background information, vocabulary lists, and full transcripts of each chapter's interview.

When using this book, I recommend getting the most out of each chapter by following these five (or four) steps:
1. Watch the DVD chapter first, without consulting the text.
2. Read the chapter introduction and review the vocabulary list for the chapter. Focus on words that are new to you.
3. Watch the DVD chapter a second time, listening for those new words.
4. (Optional) Watch the DVD chapter a third time, following along with the transcript in the text.
5. Watch the DVD chapter a fifth time, without any text, listening for every word. If you have time, pause after each sentence to see if you can repeat it verbatim. Repeating a full sentence someone has just said is easy in one's native language, but in a foreign language it can be very difficult.

Overall, this book is a wonderful addition to any intermediate or advanced student's library. In the future, I hope for a book that utilizes this same format with a wider variety of topics.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
HASH(0x8d32793c) out of 5 stars Perfect for intermediate to advanced learners 19 Feb. 2009
By dm - Published on Amazon.com
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Just what I had been looking for- a product geared towards intermediate to advanced learners for listening and vocabulary practice.

I've only seen about half of the video (which is 2 1/2 hours long) but I can tell you that the quality of the video is first-rate, and the interviews are very interesting and educational.

Some of the interviews are extremely easy to understand; particulary the ones about family structure...others are more taxing.

Best of all is the accompanying book which has a transcript of all interviews, an introduction to the topics in English, and vocabulary lists.

A great buy for the classroom or for individual study.
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