2011年11月11日
The Decline of Television (Feedback)
Thanks for all your comments, and thanks for the kanji suggestions. Actually, I have another favour to ask. We are going to start selling one of my books in regular bookshops next year, and when we do that, we will need to give it a Japanese subtitle. (The English title is "An A-Z of Common English Errors for Japanese Learners.") The editor and I have been thinking about a few ideas, and the one we like at the moment is:
日本人のための
自然な英語ガイドブック
What do you think? Please let me know whether you would find that appealing or not.
The discussion about TV has been interesting. As I said, I never watch TV anymore, and I think that as more and more shows become available "on-demand" on the Internet, TVs will disappear. Actually, I think that what will happen is that computers and TVs will merge to become the same thing. Actually, many of the newest TVs already have Internet connections so that you can surf the web on your TV. I think those will become so easy to use that even older people will be comfortable with them.
Anyway, here is some feedback on your comments:
This is really an interesting topic to me.
(This is a really interesting topic for me.)
My husband is always complaining that there is no interesting TV proglam at all.
(My husband is always complaining that there is nothing interesting on TV.)
Only if I were much better at computers, I might find my computer gives me everything I need.
(If only I were better with technology, I might find that my computer could give me everything I need.) [I used "technology" to avoid repeating "computer."]
I am getting better, but I still have a runny nose.
(I hope you are feeling better now.)
Pursuing subtitles,...
(Regarding subtitles,...)
You can watch films on your pc, with no fee.
(You can watch films on your pc for free.)
He said that it may have been a pertussis/ whooping cough!
(I hope you are feeling better too!)
He said again that patients who are in their 40's are increasing.
(He said that the number of people in their 40's who are getting this disease is increasing.)
Having said that, the Japanese programs I regularly watch are only news in the morning and in the evening.
("Having said that" is a nice expression to learn if you don't know it.)
I don't see each program when it is aired, and record it. I watch it at my convenience.
(I don't watch each program when it is aired. Instead, I record it and watch it at my convenience.)
I prefer reading to watching TV.
(A useful sentence structure to learn if you don't know it.)
They even talk to people on the screen, like "Good Morning" in the morning although the person doesn't talk back.
(That's like me! I often talk to my car navigation. She is called "Ai chan." She never answers me, though.)
After I grow-up, My life style had changed.
(When I grew up, my lifestyle changed.)
In Japan, everyone is wacthing less and less TV is an accepted fact.
(In Japan, it is an accepted fact that people are watching less and less TV.)
I think this is one of the reasons that I stopped watching TV shows. Those subtitles are really annoying.
(Nice sentence. And I am glad to hear that Japanese people hate the subtitles too!)
I didn't watch TV much even before the switch to digital broadcasting.
(Very nice sentence.)
You too have been a bad condition,haven't you?
(You have been feeling a bit rough too, haven't you?) [We do not use the word "condition" in everyday English.]
Kanji may look mysterious and exotic to non Japanese or non Chinese, however, kanji character tattoos are often poorly translated.
(I agree. That's why I wanted something simple.)
Hi katherine,
May I gently suggest that you use a spell checker before you hit the post button?
(Spell-checkers are useful, but please don't think that you have to write perfect English on this blog. There are a wide range of learners who take part, and I want everyone to feel welcome. Native speakers make lots of spelling mistakes, so I don't think we need to worry too much about Japanese people making them!)
That's it for today. Have a great weekend, and I will see you again on Monday.
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Comments
That is very true, although I often have problems with spell checkers because of the differences between British and American spelling. I sometimes forget which is which.
davidbarker- 2011年11月11日 16:36
Hi David,
Thank you for your gently suggestion. And I will do that from the next time.
katherine
- Katherine
- 2011年11月11日 20:47
Hi David,
Thanks for your feedback. About your book, I can't think of any good titles at the moment, if something came to mind, I will let you know.
Guess, where I am now. I am at Hilton Tokyo Bay. I am going to stay here and going to weather Disneyland or Disneysea tomorrow. It is still raining but according to the weathercast, it will be fine tomorrow, so I am relieved.
Good night and have a nice weekend;)
amo
- amo
- 2011年11月11日 21:11
Hi David,
Thanks for your feedback. I've learned a lot from your feedback as usual. Oh, I didn't know we don't use the word "condition" in everyday English!
As for the title of the book, the one you mentioned sounds good. I can't think of any other ones at the moment.
Hi amo,
Lucky you!
Hope you enjoy a Christmas fantasy there.
Have a lovely weekend,everyone,
Anne
- Anne
- 2011年11月11日 22:09
Hi David and everyone,
Thank you for your feedback. Just a quick answer to your ask. If I were, I would write as below.
1) 日本人のための「自然な英語」ガイドブック：I'm afraid that '自然な' can modify not only '英語' but also ガイドブック, so to make the meaning 'natural English' clearly, maybe 「」or 『』would be useful.
２）日本人のための自然な日本語のガイドブック：it is because of the same reason as the above, but 'の' is used three times in a sentence, that doesn't sound so good. Maybe, the following is an alternative way.
３）日本人用、自然な日本語のガイドブック
Personally, I like the first one best. Look forward to other member's ideas.
See you on Monday, everyone.
- 匿名
- 2011年11月12日 00:03
Sorry, the above comment without name was mine.(tsuneko)
- tsuneko
- 2011年11月12日 00:05
It was not "日本語のガイドブック" but "英語のガイドブック." Sorry for the careless mistakes.
- tsuneko
- 2011年11月12日 00:10
Hi Tsuneko,
Thanks for the suggestions.
- davidbarker
- 2011年11月12日 00:35
Hi David,
I would say that 日本人のための自然な英語 ガイドブックdoesn’t accurately characterise the book
because it sounds like a book for travelers to me. How about そこが変だよ日本人の英語? I’m sure it will make your book stand out from the other books. Besides it’s easy to remember.
Ash
- ashmoleanmuse
- 2011年11月12日 09:42
HI David,
Thank you for the correction and the messege.
Oh, "condition" is not an everyday English?
Okay, I keep it in mind, thanks.
>He said that the number of people in their 40's who are getting this disease is increasing
..."disease is" shouldn't be "are"?
Would anyone tell me about this please?
To David,
How about,
「これも間違い？ 日本人にありがちな○○個の落とし穴。」
とか。
noriko
- 匿名
- 2011年11月12日 12:46
Hi Noriko,
"The number... is increasing." "Number" is singular, so "is" is correct.
- davidbarker
- 2011年11月12日 13:33
Thanks for your feedback, David.
Several Japanese subtitles are suggested and each one is so attractive!
I think of one, but I was shocked to know I have no sense of making titles.
日本人のよくやる 間違い英語 あれやこれや
- panda
- 2011年11月12日 17:53
Hi David and everyone,
Thank you for the feedback.
(That's like me! I often talk to my car navigation. She is called "Ai chan." She never answers me, though.)
Ha ha ha! Talking about car navigation, our old car navigation had some option of voices from standard to Osaka dialect one, other dialect ones. We laughed at announcements of dialects.
I think people shoould choose their favorite car navi voice, for example, lonely women choose nice male voice because he might be a good company while she is driving.
About the title of your book, I have similar idea with Ash.I think 日本人のための自然な英語ガイドブックis too 普通。There are tons of English learning books in bookstores. So let people notice and take the book(手にとって）and flip through it, more catchy title would be better like あなたの英語ビフォーアフター or その英語ネィティブはカチンときます. Havig said that I can't think of good title. I think Ash's one、 そこが変だよ日本人の英語 、is very good and easy to remember.
Mine isn't good but ... 日本人にありがちな英語のまちがい。
Catch you later!
Fumie
- Fumie
- 2011年11月13日 05:40
Hi David,
Thank you for the answer to me^^
I see. I didn't know this grammer basiclly.
Thanks for your help.
As for your new book's title, I agree with ash and Fumie, and sorry to say that but original one is not attractive.
At the same time, I thought the title should put this word on "ネイティブ".
This is the important factor to choose books who are interested in English learning I believe.
でもわたし、素人なんで、話半分で聞いていただいていいですよ＾＾
noriko
- noriko
- 2011年11月13日 07:51
Hi David and everyone,
Are you having a great holiday? The weather is fine around here in Nagoya.
As for the title of the book, it's very interesting to see member's ideas. I'm afraid I don't have a sense of naming the title that draw people's attention...
Anyway, I dropped by a bookstore and saw the book section that these types of book are sold. Yeah, some are very catchy, and some are very normal、or formal(難い). The image depends on the title, the color of the book, the design of the book.... Some books look very casual, and some looks look very formal.
I guess the title "日本人のための自然な英語ガイドブック" sounds a bit formal.
Ash's idea "そこが変だよ日本人の英語" sounds very catchy and nice, but its title reminds me of the TV program called" ここがヘンだよ日本人" that was aired several years ago; it was popular and I liked it.
I also tried thinking the title.
＞自然な英語への道AーZ（ A to Z)
---（subtitle..)
Hmmm...難しい！Anyway, I like the word"A to Z."
See you soon,
Anne
- Anne
- 2011年11月13日 14:25
Hi David,
As always, thank you for the feedback.
Hi Anne, thank you for the coment.
The title of the book ...,
What came to my mind is
よくある間違いA to Zー日本人のための自然な英語ー
Jazmín
- 匿名
- 2011年11月14日 00:46
Hi Anne,
> it (ここがヘンだよ日本人) was popular and I liked it.
Japanese people tend to be sensitive about how other people see them and that they are eager to know how non-Japanese view Japan. They are happy even if they get critical comments. That's why the programme made a great hit.
Ash
- ashmoleanmuse
- 2011年11月14日 22:04
What a fun pattern! It’s great to hear from you and see what you’ve sent up to. All of the projects look great! You make it so simple to this. Thanks
- abercrombie and fitch deutschland
- 2011年11月16日 12:17
I know no one is perfect, David. What I wanted to say is that...
We can find and correct the mistakes by using spell checkers which help us improve our writing skills!
Have a lovely weekend to all.
Ash