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[/floatr]Mainichi: 'Dosa?' 'Yusa' - Foreigners try to get tongues around Aomori dialect in speech contestA speech contest for foreign residents using a local dialect was held here over the weekend. Thirteen foreigners -- including those from the United States and China -- took part in the 13th annual "Tsugaru dialect speech contest for foreign youths," entertaining the audience with their witty skits. "Dosa?" (Where are you going?) questioned one of the performers during a skit, which was replied by another, "Yusa" (To a bathhouse). The Tsugaru dialect -- which is spoken in Aomori Prefecture -- is known to be difficult to understand even for native Japanese living in other areas. Allison Reed, a 25-year-old assistant language teacher from the U.S., and her fellow four performers, were awarded the grand prize in the contest held at Tsuruta on Saturday. "I don't understand standard Japanese. I've even forgotten English," said Reed, a resident of Goshogawara, Aomori Prefecture, in the Tsugaru dialect upon receiving the prize for her group's skit set at a farm stand selling melons. The contest is sponsored by the Tsuruta Municipal Government and is aimed at promoting cultural exchange between locals and foreign residents through the Tsugaru dialect.
