| Japanese Pronunciation Vs. KatakanaAs a native | | | | "Scott" and assault it with the Katakana system. "Su |
| English speaker hearing non-natives (especially Asians) | | | | Ko Tto" is the basic end result of my name in |
| trying to speak the English language I sometimes can't | | | | Japanese. You can see the extra "U" and "O" have |
| help but chuckle, or cry, over the way they slaughter | | | | been added because of the two sounds per |
| the words. As I presently reside in Japan and | | | | character from the Katakana writing system. Actually |
| understand the Japanese writing system I have come | | | | if I am to say my name as it should be pronounced the |
| to understand, in one word, why they tear apart the | | | | Japanese perceive it as the word "Skirt". Yes, many |
| English language... Katakana! | | | | young children have had their fun with my name in this |
| Katakana is one of the four Japanese writing systems. | | | | respect. |
| The other systems being Kanji (the characters ((not | | | | You may think that the Romaji system would save |
| cartoon)) you see on tattoos), Hiragana, and Romaji | | | | the Japanese from needlessly abusing the English |
| (the Roman alphabet). The early Japanese written | | | | language but it does not. Though Japanese children are |
| language came from China. This system is called Kanji. | | | | taught the Roman alphabet at a fairly young age, their |
| Through the development of the Japanese language it | | | | school teachers almost always teach them the |
| became necessary to implement Hiragana which is | | | | alphabet's pronunciation utilizing Katakana because 1: it |
| used for words of Japanese origin and Katakana to | | | | is easier to teach the children that way and 2: the |
| help in the pronunciation of Kanji. | | | | Japanese teachers are not able to make the correct |
| Still further into the evolution of the Japanese written | | | | distinction and pronunciation themselves. |
| language, Katakana started being used to help | | | | As children grow up without knowing the correct |
| Japanese people pronounce borrowed words from | | | | phonetic pronunciation of the English words they |
| other languages. At this time, the language which has | | | | gradually lose the ability to hear and differentiate |
| the most borrowed words transcribed into Japanese is | | | | between them. Soon enough words like "Rice" and |
| English. It is important to note that the Japanese | | | | "Lice", "Sip" and "Ship", "Than" and "Dan", become the |
| language does not contain the sounds "L", "R", "V", "Si" | | | | same to the Japanese ear. Though the famous |
| (as in "See"), "Hu" (as in "Hoop"), "Th" (as in "Thank"), | | | | tongue twister may be difficult for us, hearing a |
| and "Zi" (as in Zebra). There are a few other phonetic | | | | Japanese person saying "She shells she shells by the |
| sounds that are not originally contained in the Japanese | | | | she shore" over and over again (and thinking they are |
| language, but through the further development of the | | | | saying it properly) is quite humorous. |
| Katakana writing system the Japanese people are | | | | What should we do about this? Put an end to English |
| able to pronounce the foreign sounds almost like a | | | | words being transcribed by the Katakana writing |
| native speaker. | | | | system. Have well qualified and preferably native |
| Another point worth noting is that the Japanese | | | | English speakers teach Japanese children the actual |
| system phonetically combines two of our English | | | | sounds of the Roman alphabet. If we work together |
| sounds per character with the exception of the "N" | | | | we may just be able to put a stop to the Japanese |
| sound. As an example of this let's take my name | | | | abuse of the English language. |