Home | Forums | Mark forums read | Search | FAQ | Login

Advanced search
Hot Topics
Buraku hot topic 'Paris Syndrome' strikes Japanese
Buraku hot topic Looking for the Japanese Elon Musk
Buraku hot topic Those Koreans got a lot of nerve
Buraku hot topic Japanese jazz pianist beaten up on NYC subway
Buraku hot topic Warm and Toasty
Buraku hot topic Debito reinvents himself as a Uyoku movie star!
Buraku hot topic Russian Shenanigans
Buraku hot topic Iran, DPRK, Nuke em, Like Japan
Buraku hot topic This is the bomb!
Buraku hot topic Massive earthquake hits Indonesia, Tsunami kills thousands.
Change font size
  • fuckedgaijin ‹ General ‹ Campus

Strange question

Discuss learning Japanese, study abroad and ryuugakusei life. Thinking about studying in Japan? Get the scoop here!
Post a reply
15 posts • Page 1 of 1

Strange question

Postby canman » Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:53 pm

One of my students asked me if I knew of a site where you can type in English and it will give you the katakana style of the word. His Mom works on the military base and she needs to use English words while teaching kids about shodo and taiko. She isn't interested in English itself just how to say the words so the students will understand her.
Any suggestions? Thanks
User avatar
canman
Maezumo
 
Posts: 1765
Images: 0
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2002 11:08 pm
Location: Hachinohe
  • Website
  • YIM
  • Personal album
Top

Postby Big Booger » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:13 pm

http://bisqwit.iki.fi/source/deeng.html

I am not sure if that's what is needed or not... but it's worth looking at. Though it's to romaji rather than katakana.

http://www.mauvecloud.net/charsets/asian/fastromaji.html

That works, but the words have to be written in romaji first.

Combine the two, and it should get her to the stage where she wants to be.
User avatar
Big Booger
 
Posts: 4150
Joined: Sat Jan 11, 2003 8:56 am
Location: A giant bugger hole
  • Website
Top

Mmmm

Postby kurohinge1 » Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:14 pm

canman wrote:One of my students asked me if I knew of a site where you can type in English and it will give you the katakana style of the word. His Mom works on the military base and she needs to use English words while teaching kids about shodo and taiko. She isn't interested in English itself just how to say the words so the students will understand her.
Any suggestions? Thanks


What about Jim Breen's WWWJDIC Server ?

Or a denshi-jisho (electronic dictionary)?

Image

Image
  • "This is the verdict: . . . " (John 3:19-21)
  • "It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others" (Anon)
User avatar
kurohinge1
Maezumo
 
Posts: 2745
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:52 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Top

Postby omae mona » Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:45 pm

canman wrote:One of my students asked me if I knew of a site where you can type in English and it will give you the katakana style of the word. His Mom works on the military base and she needs to use English words while teaching kids about shodo and taiko. She isn't interested in English itself just how to say the words so the students will understand her.
Any suggestions? Thanks


Do I understand right that she knows the spelling of English words and is trying to figure out the pronunciation? for example, she sees "tough" and doesn't know whether to pronounce it like "toe" or "tuff"? If so, looking up the closest katakana transliteration is guaranteed to help her pronounce it in a way that's incomprehensible to her American students.

Instead, I'd suggest she try something like http://www.answers.com where she can click on an audio recording of the word.
User avatar
omae mona
 
Posts: 3184
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:08 pm
Top

Postby Ol Dirty Gaijin » Mon Jul 03, 2006 8:38 pm

http://www.alc.co.jp/
Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.
User avatar
Ol Dirty Gaijin
Maezumo
 
Posts: 892
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 4:27 pm
Location: Sunning by the Sumida
Top

Postby omae mona » Mon Jul 03, 2006 11:14 pm

Ol Dirty Gaijin wrote:http://www.alc.co.jp/

alc was the first place I checked... but where does it show the katakana for English words? I sure couldn't find it. Maybe I misunderstood canman's question.
User avatar
omae mona
 
Posts: 3184
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:08 pm
Top

Postby Ol Dirty Gaijin » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:42 am

Never underestimate the power of very stupid people in large groups.
User avatar
Ol Dirty Gaijin
Maezumo
 
Posts: 892
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2004 4:27 pm
Location: Sunning by the Sumida
Top

Thanks

Postby canman » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:06 am

What my student's mother wants is someway to use English words that she doesn't know the pronunciation of. So I guess she just wants to write down the katakana pronunciation of the word and then say it to the students.
I agree she should try and use the proper English etc., but she is a housewife teaching a little bit of culture to US military families and she is not too interested in learing English, but only to be able to explain her instructions.
User avatar
canman
Maezumo
 
Posts: 1765
Images: 0
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2002 11:08 pm
Location: Hachinohe
  • Website
  • YIM
  • Personal album
Top

Mmmm

Postby kurohinge1 » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:35 am

canman wrote:What my student's mother wants is someway to use English words that she doesn't know the pronunciation of . . .


The simple way would be to list the ones she needs and have a native English speaker pronounce them for her.

Otherwise, I still think a denshi-jisho would help.

I have one (it's a Sony) that also has useful phrases in (besides English) German, French, Spanish & Italian which has the pronounciation in katakana. Thanks to that, I have at least some idea of how to pronounce those words in those languages - from my Japanese dictionary!

I only know basic French, like 'I surrender'.
  • "This is the verdict: . . . " (John 3:19-21)
  • "It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others" (Anon)
User avatar
kurohinge1
Maezumo
 
Posts: 2745
Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 12:52 pm
Location: Sydney, Australia
Top

Postby GomiGirl » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:01 pm

We have a keitai site that will do just that. (Warning self promo below)

Sougoeigojiten 総合英語辞典

This uses all of the American Heritage Dictionary content but we have also designed the output to include the katakana prounciations as well as the POS in Japanese. There are also 70K prerecorded sound files that will read out the word to you in American English pronunciation.

This is a commercial site - 105 yen per month unlimited useage and is our most popular keitai product to date. But she can use this anywhere and anytime - so during the classes she can look up words and get the pronounciation.

This is not available for desktop browsers and only on mobile phones in Japan on all three carriers.

Just as an aside, I thought that including the katakana prounciations was doing a diservice to learners of English as it is not an accurate method of speaking English. But it is something that customers demand so we give the people what they want.
GomiGirl
The Keitai Goddess!!!
User avatar
GomiGirl
 
Posts: 9129
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 3:56 pm
Location: Roamin' with my fave 12"!!
  • Website
Top

Postby Greji » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:33 pm

GomiGirl wrote: (Warning self promo below)


I have been wondering how long it would take for this post to miraculously appear. GG, I admire your restraint to wait this long before firing up your CM.

I could just imagine all the beer and saliva spilled all over the keyboard, with "post it now", "no, let's wait a bit", "post, it now", "not yet," etc.

Sorry, I should have given you a straight line, so you could slip in your home page! Well, you know us yanks!


:cheers:
"There are those that learn by reading. Then a few who learn by observation. The rest have to piss on an electric fence and find out for themselves!"- Will Rogers
:kanpai:
User avatar
Greji
 
Posts: 14357
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2004 3:00 pm
Location: Yoshiwara
Top

Postby GomiGirl » Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:39 pm

Nah - I was just away for the weekend and got back late last night. Took me a while before hitting FG to see what was happening over here.

Sure it was self promotion - but the site is just what he is looking for so consider it a public service announcement. :)

BTW went to Saipan over the weekend for the BF's birthday. We had a great time - different but interesting. Got me a nice suntan while drinking fruity cocktails in a beach chair by the ocean!!
GomiGirl
The Keitai Goddess!!!
User avatar
GomiGirl
 
Posts: 9129
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 3:56 pm
Location: Roamin' with my fave 12"!!
  • Website
Top

Postby omae mona » Tue Jul 04, 2006 7:59 pm

User avatar
omae mona
 
Posts: 3184
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:08 pm
Top

Postby Mulboyne » Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:13 pm

omae mona wrote:Good lord... the first word I typed in, "distinguished", has 6 different katakana pronunciations listed.

Isn't it a little optimistic to be thinking you'll need that word?
User avatar
Mulboyne
 
Posts: 18608
Joined: Thu May 06, 2004 1:39 pm
Location: London
Top

Postby omae mona » Tue Jul 04, 2006 11:11 pm

User avatar
omae mona
 
Posts: 3184
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2003 12:08 pm
Top


Post a reply
15 posts • Page 1 of 1

Return to Campus

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

  • Board index
  • The team • Delete all board cookies • All times are UTC + 9 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group