Timing the Introduction of Kanji in the Study of Japanese as a Second Language

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Kerilee Grames and Dr. Robert A. Russell, Asian and Near Eastern Studies The Japanese language has a reputation of being difficult for native English speakers to master as a second language because of kanji, a complex, character alphabet that the Japanese borrowed from China. One of the greatest struggles for teachers of Japanese as a […]

The Ritual Use of Music in Ancient Israelite Worship

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Mindy J. Anderson and Dr. Stephen D Ricks, Asian and Near Eastern Languages Music was an important part of the ancient Israelite worship experience. The Hebrew Bible includes multiple references to music, including verses which specifically associate music with prophecy and temple ritual. Within the Israelite religious hierarchy, certain Levites were set apart as musicians […]

Vocabulary Learning of Kanji and Kana Words in Japanese

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Rachel (R’el) Johnston and Dr. Masakazu Watabe, Asian and Near Eastern Languages Japanese has two types of writing: kana, which is essentially phonetic, and kanji, which is primarily logographic. I hypothesized that although they are not phonetic and orthographically more complex, learning kanji actually improves vocabulary learning. In order to test this hypothesis, I created […]

Impact of the Sudanese Members of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Cairo, Egypt Branch

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Christiaan James and Dr. James A. Toronto, Asian and Near Eastern Languages The Middle East may rightly be considered the final frontier of Church expansion. Though branches dot the region, they remain small. The Cairo, Egypt branch is an exception. It has been established for over 25 years and is vibrant due to its varied […]

Fighting Cross-Cultural Battles: The Chinese-American Assimilation Experience

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Karin Mei Li Inouye and Dr. David B. Honey, Asian and Near Eastern Studies The immigrant experience for overseas Chinese during the early 1900’s involved extreme adjustments to a new land, new communities, new occupations, new cultural standards, new language, and new livelihoods. The political background and social conditions left behind in China, as met […]

Differences Between Japanese and English Conceptualization and Use of Verb and Adjectives

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Aaron P. Cooley and Dr. Masakazu Watabe, Asian and Near Eastern Languages The main focus of this project was to highlight, explain, and reconcile differences between Japanese and English conceptualization as it pertains to verbs and adjectives. Verbs are arguably the most troublesome element of Japanese for the foreign student. Whereas most textbooks deal with […]

Analysis of Elements in Modern Taiwanese Society that Preserve Traditional Confucian Values

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Benjamin J. Coffin and Drs. Edward Enhua Peng and Gary S. Williams, Asian and Near Eastern Languages The deterioration of society based on a definitive moral standard has become a global phenomenon. Social structures that were once reinforced by strong moral standards are being bombarded by an onslaught of dubious social norms and standards. Taiwan, […]

From Pencil to Keyboard

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Mark Chang and Dr. Masakazu Watabe, Asian and Near Eastern Languages In America, online courses have grown in popularity over the past few years throughout universities nationwide. These courses will continue to complement, or even replace, traditional courses taught in the classroom due to their flexibility and convenience to both students and teachers. Pencil and […]

Analysis of the Role of Women in the Business World of Korea

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Anna Kearl and Dr. Bruce Grant, Department of Near Eastern Languages Confucius wrote “Between Husband and wife: distinction.” This aphorism, also translated as “separation of function” or “obedience,” provides the foundation for social relationships between men and women in the Republic of Korea. With the election of a liberal president ten years ago and the […]