Margaret M. Williams's Blog

Dec 15, 2008

Visiting Kyoto

Posted by Margaret M. Williams

One reader made this comment in reference to (I think) the photo of the Torii Gate in Kyoto, Japan that accompanied my article Japanese Language Learning Programs:

eeto... hontoni kirei desune, Kyoto ittakotonai kedo.. demo ii basho datte! kanarazu ikuyo, ikitaikarane!!

Roughly translated, it means, "It's very beautiful, isn't it? I've never been to Kyoto, but it seems like a good place. I will definitely go! I'd really like to go!!" (Arigato, JoshuaSan, for the translation help!)

Yes, Kyoto is an amazing city. Quite beautiful. And culturally significant, as it was once (a long time ago) the capital of Japan. Kyoto is filled with history. You can walk the Philosopher's Path, visit many beautiful temples and shrines, wander through the Gion District. You'll see women out and about in their kimonos. The Niskiki Market has something in the neighborhood of 100 food vendors. A gourmet cook's idea of heaven, I would imagine. The sights, sounds, and smells were so intense, they were almost overwhelming for me. But an image of Kyoto not to be forgotten. I found a wonderful website dedicated to the Nishiki Market.

I had the pleasure of spending a week in Kyoto in 2005. My family and I went to Easter Mass at the Cathedral in Kyoto, celebrated by the Bishop. What an amazing experience! We also went to a HUGE flea market and spent time with a local family.

If you go to Japan, you'll want to know some helpful things ahead of time. Check out these articles:

Visiting Japan? What to Know!

Traveling to Japan For the First Time

As for Kyoto...I hope to go back soon. Kanarazu ikuyo!


Kyoto Torii Gate, Mark B. Williams
        

Oct 22, 2008

Extending Foreign Language Vocabulary Through Cognates

Posted by Margaret M. Williams

It’s amazing, when you study various world languages, how many words there are in common among languages, and particularly between English and other languages. Of course, since English is an amalgam of Romance, Germanic, and other languages, perhaps the numbers of these common words are not so surprising.

These look-alike words, if they are derived from the same root, are called cognates. They tend to be easy to remember because they have the same meaning and very similar spellings. It strikes me that cognates can be a good starting place for building usable vocabulary in a new language.

I’m working on a series of articles about cognates connecting English to a variety of world languages. I’ve built lists for French/English, Spanish/English, and Italian/English cognates. Not surprisingly, many of the cognates can be found in all three languages, because they all have roots in the Romance language of Latin.
I have plans to include cognate lists for other languages as well. As I study Japanese, I am continually surprised by the number of words Japanese and English have in common. And no, it’s not just the tech words. Watch for a Japanese/English cognate list to arrive soon!


Oct 2, 2008

New Feature Writer for Language Study

Posted by Margaret M. Williams

I am excited to be assigned as the Feature Writer for Language Study here at Suite101. My fascination with learning new languages goes back to high school when I studied Latin and then Spanish. I switched to French in college. Sadly, I never followed through on any of them. But I must have been a good influence on my children, because my daughter majored in French in college, and my son minored in Japanese. Both are fluent in their respective languages. And now I am studying Japanese.

I am also a public school teacher. My first grade classroom combines native English speakers with those for whom English is their second—and sometimes brand new—language. As a result of my recent Japanese studies, and time spent in Japan this summer where I tried really hard (but failed miserably) to make sense of conversations going on around me, I feel that I have a renewed understanding of what my ESL students are going through in my classroom.
While I am in no way an expert on world languages, I am good at asking questions, and I will be contacting experts for insights and information as I write my articles for the Language Studies section. I have lots of experience and access to many resources for covering the ESL topic(s). So I’m hoping that readers will enjoy my articles and find them informative and useful.
Check out some of my first language articles:

Or if you are looking for an ESL lesson plan for primary grade students: