A Reference Grammar of Japanese
A Reference Grammar of Japanese
Just curious if anyone is familiar with this book, and/or uses this book to supplement a traditional textbook. I'm wondering if it would be useful to look up a grammar point I am studying for more in-depth discussion about it.
It's cool it's a hardcover. My most-used Japanese books (Japanese: The Spoken Language, Japanese for Everyone, and Reading Japanese) are very used-looking.
It's cool it's a hardcover. My most-used Japanese books (Japanese: The Spoken Language, Japanese for Everyone, and Reading Japanese) are very used-looking.
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- Yudan Taiteki
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Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
It's a very dense, high-level linguistics book. You could certainly learn a lot from it, but it's not really intended for learning Japanese.
-Chris Kern
Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
I was going to use it as a supplement to Japanese for Everyone, which explains the "how" but not the "why" of grammar. And linguistics are interesting to me, but I don't have a degree in linguistics - does this book use a lot of technical jargon that only linguists would be able to understand? Or can I look up whatever grammar point I'm studying in JfE for a full description of the "why" a given construction is the way it is?
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- Yudan Taiteki
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Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
Personally I think Japanese: The Spoken Language is pretty good for that.
Do you have a library you could look at the book in first (or a nearby university library)? It's dense, but not impossible.
Do you have a library you could look at the book in first (or a nearby university library)? It's dense, but not impossible.
-Chris Kern
Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
I checked my school's library's website and according to the site website they have two copies, both available! Awesome. I'm going back next week, so I'll put off my purchase until I get to examine the book and see if it will fit my needs. I'll post my opinion of it here next week some time.Yudan Taiteki wrote:Personally I think Japanese: The Spoken Language is pretty good for that.
Do you have a library you could look at the book in first (or a nearby university library)? It's dense, but not impossible.
The linguistic focus is very attractive to me. I have the first volume of Japanese: The Spoken Language, and it's a well-worn copy. I wish it came in hardcover. when it comes to JSL and the Reference Grammar of Japanese, the fact that RGJ is one volume and is hardcover and will last a long time is what makes it attractive to me.
Thanks so much for your comments!

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Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
Perhaps you would like to use The Japan Times' "A Dictionary Of Basic Japanese Grammar" and the intermediate/advanced ones as well? They do a fantastic job of explaining grammar and giving examples, as well as loads of extra information. I just wish there was a workbook you could get for these so I could use it for straight-up learning! 

Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
Hey thanks! I'll check it out!Instant Radical wrote:Perhaps you would like to use The Japan Times' "A Dictionary Of Basic Japanese Grammar" and the intermediate/advanced ones as well? They do a fantastic job of explaining grammar and giving examples, as well as loads of extra information. I just wish there was a workbook you could get for these so I could use it for straight-up learning!

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- Yudan Taiteki
- Posts: 5609
- Joined: Wed 11.01.2006 11:32 pm
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Re: A Reference Grammar of Japanese
Although note that DBJ and Martin are two different approaches.
DBJ takes a very surface-level approach to grammar; the emphasis is on example sentences and brief explanations, whereas Martin's approach is more linguistic and gets more into the innards and the foundations of Japanese grammar.
DBJ takes a very surface-level approach to grammar; the emphasis is on example sentences and brief explanations, whereas Martin's approach is more linguistic and gets more into the innards and the foundations of Japanese grammar.
-Chris Kern