Answer Guy on Nostr: I'm studying Japanese (日本語) on my own. So far I've managed to over 215 days ...
I'm studying Japanese (日本語) on my own. So far I've managed to over 215 days going through at least one lesson in each of two iPad apps: Duolingo™ and Kahootz!'s Language Drops™.
At some point, chasing around some rabbit 🐇 rabbit hole, I came across 日本の歌百選 — Japanese Hundred Songs Collection.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_no_Uta_Hyakusen
Without commenting on their specific collection of songs, it occurs to me that this concept could be tremendously useful to foreign students of any language. Nursery/kindergarten level songs to learn and help remember various connected collections of terms and phrases.
One song for parts of the body (hand, arm, finger, chest/torso, head, …). Another for familial relationships (mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin, …). Others for days of the week, months of the years, and other temporal terminology (today, yesterday, tomorrow, now, morning, evening, etc).
100 songs, topics, composed and recorded for each language — entwined with culturally appropriate themes, in multiple voices (male, female, child, chorus) and licensed for free use.
Then apps could incorporate these into their lessons, and karaoke (からオケ) packs for each could be available.
Songs are amazing mnemonic devices, if they're of competent composition. Most attempts to explicitly write songs for pedagogic purposes are cringeworthy. But just raises the bar. Fund contests for every language and category, and select by popularity.
Who's in? How has spare funds to donate?
At some point, chasing around some rabbit 🐇 rabbit hole, I came across 日本の歌百選 — Japanese Hundred Songs Collection.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihon_no_Uta_Hyakusen
Without commenting on their specific collection of songs, it occurs to me that this concept could be tremendously useful to foreign students of any language. Nursery/kindergarten level songs to learn and help remember various connected collections of terms and phrases.
One song for parts of the body (hand, arm, finger, chest/torso, head, …). Another for familial relationships (mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin, …). Others for days of the week, months of the years, and other temporal terminology (today, yesterday, tomorrow, now, morning, evening, etc).
100 songs, topics, composed and recorded for each language — entwined with culturally appropriate themes, in multiple voices (male, female, child, chorus) and licensed for free use.
Then apps could incorporate these into their lessons, and karaoke (からオケ) packs for each could be available.
Songs are amazing mnemonic devices, if they're of competent composition. Most attempts to explicitly write songs for pedagogic purposes are cringeworthy. But just raises the bar. Fund contests for every language and category, and select by popularity.
Who's in? How has spare funds to donate?