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Thanks for reading the Multilingual Books newsletter, your source for foreign language news, information, and product information and specials from Multilingual Books. This is also available as a web page at our website, www.multilingualbooks.com. In this issue:
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Japanese Loanwords Pose a Challenge to Tradition
Just what are loanwords? Loanwords are foreign words (mostly American-based English) that are rapidly becoming part of the Japanese lexicon.
Why the concern? Many elder Japanese people are finding the younger people speaking to be indecipherable. This is because many loanwords either sound similar to other words in the Japanese language or are completely modified foreign words. They also believe that their own language is slowly being devoured and will become extinct.
Japanese linguists argue that they are many suitable words for these loanwords if they look hard enough. For example, instead of using the trendy "staffu" for an employee, the linguist suggests using the traditional jyugyoin. However, the younger generation, raised on McDonalds and the Internet, are finding these words antiquated and not relatable at best. To them, jyugyoin - although suggesting a respectable workplace, suggests a workplace that is tedious and less progressive.
Another problem with the loanword phenomenon is that some Japanese believe that they are actually speaking English when the utter these words. An example of this is the loanword for dot-com, which is dotsuto comu (this word is very similar to the Japanese term for "crowded". To utter "dotsuto comu" and think it is English would be incorrect.
These traditional linguists are battling it out with the high-tech industry's vocabulary. International entertainment, sports and advertising are also major influences on the new Japanese lexicon. Plus, the trend to sound sophisticated is another factor. Leaders use English words to impress others on the international stage. Often, even to fellow Japanese people, they sound incomprehensible.
The future evolution of the Japanese language is a mystery. The changes to the language are either being greeted with excitement because of the richness it can add to the language or else it is being met with animosity because of the tradition it challenges. The emergence of Japanese loanwords is an important phenomenon as we all gather together to communicate in our international tower of Babel.
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Foreign Service Institute Courses on CD: Thai For a limited time, we are celebrating our new CD release of FSI Thai Level 1; on sale now for $199! Just use promo code TCD-117 when ordering to receive your special. Order today and save! |  |
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Four New Levels of Platiquemos Things are getting exciting for the Platiquemos Basic Spanish Course. As you may know, there are already four great levels to this super course. This new cause for celebration is the release of FOUR additional levels! Don Casteel, language expert and creator of Platiquemos, has announced that he has finished his revision of the classic Foreign Service Course. Platiquemos uses the reknowned Foreign Service Institute Spanish course as a base, adding enhancements for both the text and the audio. Such improvements include: new male and female voices, updated learning experiences and music! The Platiquemos program carefully maintains the core content of the original FSI program, but has been extensively revised for "user friendliness", appropriateness and timeliness of content, and usefulness as both a self-study program, and for classroom use. The Platiquemos program is used by a growing number of language schools in Mexico, and is available in classes at an increasing number of locations in the U.S. The complete Platiquemos program consists of eight levels, with almost 1400 pages of text and 54 audio CDs or cassettes. We now have 8 levels of the Platiquemos Basic Spanish Course available. Buy the full course now at the special price of $669 for all 8 levels (You save over $90.00 by buying them all!). Read more about Platiquemos at https://www.multilingualbooks.com/fsi-platiquemos.html. And if you mention this newsletter, we will give you FREE SHIPPING! Contact us today!
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The winner of our first-ever trivia contest is Darell Farris! Darell won a Platiquemos course of his choice. The other winning participants won a Talk Now CD-ROM course of their choice. Darell correctly answered that there are 92 languages spoken in the Los Angeles County School District. As an interesting side note, there are over 200 languages spoken in Los Angeles County. Congratulations, Darell Farris!
Here is this month's trivia question: Garage Gong Kiosk Llama Marmalade Sofa No purchase necessary to enter! The first three people who send correct entries will win great language prizes! The answers and results will be in our next newsletter. |  |
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Maria Kosinski, Director of Directed Independent Language Study at the Yale Center for Language Study, sends the following:
I am currently trying to find a faculty person who teaches Malagasy and who would be interested in being the Malagasy Examiner for our Directed Independent Language Study Program (DILS).
Students in the DILS program are responsible for studying on their own. They meet with a native speaker "Language Partner" twice a week for one hour each session, in order to review and practice the material they have studied.
At the end of the semester we invite an outside Examiner to test our students in the target language. Please let me know if you know of any one teaching Malagasy.
Interested parties should contact Maria at:
Maria Kosinski
Director, Directed Independent Language Study
Yale Center for Language Study
370 Temple Street
PO Box 208349
New Haven, CT 06520-8349
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$30 Off Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Thai CD course! Buy our latest release, Foreign Service Institute (FSI) Thai course on CD and save $30! This digitally remastered CD course has greatly improved sound quality as compared to the commonly available cassette courses and is exclusive to Multilingual Books. Please use promo code FTC-1212 to receive your special. For ordering and more information, please visit our FSI page. |
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$20 Off Talk Now CD-ROM courses! Talk Now! is a beginning-level language course on CD-ROM available in over 50 languages from Afrikaans to Zulu, and is excellent for travelers who must pick up a language in a hurry. Available for Windows and Macintosh computers. We recommend the Talk Now! series for any language beginner who wants an entertaining self-study course to learn basic phrases, colors, numbers, food, shopping, time, countries, and so on. Regularly $ Use promo code HOL-02 to receive this special. Talk Now information and ordering... |
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Order Today, Receive by Dec. 24! |
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Get a FREE Level of Platiquemos when you buy 3! The world's best Spanish course just got better! Don Casteel, fluent in several languages and a former Foreign Service Officer, has completely revised and improved "the course that works." This 2002 Edition has improved audio with both male and female voices and over 200 illustrations with factoids, and the content is more contemporary than ever. Eight levels are available to lead you to mastery of Spanish. Once completed you will be able to understand spoken and written Spanish; it will also allow you to actively engage in conversations with an abundant vocabulary of several thousand words. The complete Platiquemos program consists of eight levels, with almost 1400 pages of text and 54 audio CDs or cassettes. We now have all 8 levels of the Platiquemos Basic Spanish Course available. Buy any 3 levels and receive a fourth level FREE! (A $99 value!) Use promo code PL4-1212 to receive this special. Read more about Platiquemos at https://www.multilingualbooks.com/fsi-platiquemos.html. |
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Over Half Off Contemporary Business Japanese! Contemporary Business Japanese offers business professionals a complete foundation in the Japanese language. This course presents the language using authentic business situations, and provides special emphasis on the cultural insights necessary to communicate effectively in Japanese. Includes ten 70-minute cassettes and hardbound coursebook. This course is regularly $195: Now on special for $89! Use promo code CBJ-1212 to receive this special. For ordering and more information, please visit our Japanese courses page. |
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