

Fun Friday 06: Interview with Tomo Akiyama
Dec 15, 2017
In this podcast, Tomo Akiyama, a fascinating expert linguist and well known Twitter user from Japan, discusses the difficulties of learning Japanese, common mistakes non-native speakers make, the importance of learning Japanese phrases, the connotations of 'nerd' and 'geek' in Japanese, the declining birth rate in Japan, the importance of speaking Japanese and setting goals for language learning, the limitations of Google Translate, the significance of katakanaization in Japanese, and the controversy of whitewashing in movies.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Introduction
00:00 • 2min
Language Learning Backgrounds and Difficulties
02:19 • 18min
The Importance of Learning Japanese Phrases
20:09 • 11min
Japanese words for 'nerd' and 'geek'; Declining birth rate in Japan
31:25 • 4min
Importance of Speaking Japanese and Setting Goals for Language Learning
35:16 • 6min
Twitter, Katakanaization, and Controversial Casting
40:52 • 6min
Controversy of Whitewashing, Japanese Perspectives, and Language Translation
46:24 • 3min