Harry R. Lawrence III
“Nihongo Phonopoeia” is an entertaining guide to learning, remembering, and using Japanese onomatopoeias.
Hilarious illustrations coupled with a phonetic- based memorization system entertain you while allowing you to quickly and easily commit the onomatopoeias to memory. Included are expanded notes and over 150 practical sample sentences to assist you with building usage skills.
Nihongo Phonopoeia is the fastest, simplest, and most entertaining way to learn Japanese onomatopoeias.
Originally from Melbourne Florida, Harry came to Japan as a member of the U.S. Air Force in 1987. He currently works in the IT department for the University of Maryland University College Asia. He also teaches and develops curricula for English as a Second Language courses for Japanese corporations and high schools.
He began his education of Japanese language through courses offered by The University of Maryland. Private study combined with over sixteen years of living in Japan and interacting with Japanese people are how he acquired most of his knowledge of Japanese language. His love for Japanese language and for developing memorization systems for studying material are what inspired him to write this book.
He holds a B.S. in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland. During his free time, he enjoys developing language teaching materials, watching K-1 fighting, lifting weights, and thinking of ideas for new consumer products.
Yumiko Sugihara is a native of Japan and has experience teaching Japanese language privately. She works in a health care related occupation and enjoys helping others. During her free time, she enjoys sewing, baking, and watching movies.
INTRODUCTION
Assignment Japan
My stay in Japan began in 1987 when I was assigned to Yokota Air Base as a member of the US Air Force. Having had an interest in Japan since I was a child, I was thrilled to hear of my assignment. Now, instead of learning of Japan through watching martial-arts movies and TV animations, I would finally have the opportunity to experience Japan first-hand. A four-year assignment would somehow turn into a 17-year stay during which I would acquire a wealth of knowledge about Japan, its people, and Japanese language.
Exploring Japan
I was eager to learn about Japan and immediately began getting out and exploring. I actually climbed Mt Fuji, a famous mountain located near Tokyo, my first weekend in Japan. Over the next few months, I spent a lot of time riding trains, exploring and learning my way around Tokyo and other parts of Japan. In the process, I discovered many interesting shops, historical monuments, good restaurants, and met a lot of interesting Japanese people. It was when I began meeting and attempting to communicate with Japanese people that I realized that Japanese language skills would be essential to enjoying my stay in Japan. Consequently, learning Japanese language became a priority.
Quest for Japanese Language
Learning Japanese would be a time-consuming process that would involve a great deal of both formal and informal study. I started my education in Japanese language by taking formal courses offered by the University of Maryland University College at Yokota. Through taking courses with UMUC, I was able to acquire a fairly solid background in formal “proper” Japanese. That foundation enabled me to communicate fairly well in most situations that required Japanese. The problem was that in some casual social situations, I was often told that my Japanese came across as too formal. Those comments made me realize that I needed to expand my Japanese language skills to include learning colloquial forms of speech as well. At that point, self study became the means I used for expanding my Japanese language skills. Practical application, an array of study methodologies, and more advanced Japanese language learning resources are what I used to help me achieve my objective.
