HANNAH KUNERT

I set up this account for students in my linguistics classes (英語で学ぶ教養: 言語学), but it might be of interest to anyone into linguistics, languages, and Japanese!

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

点字のオンラインアンケート調査が行っています！視覚障害者の方の意見を聞きたいですので、是非、参加したり、リンクを回してください！よろしくお願いします。https://t.co/ParnCIr4i5… #点字 #視覚障害者　@nittento

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Happy Halloween! How cool is this?! Kit-kats with sign language on them. It's a collaboration with 'Talking hands ', a group that turns sign language into art! #koma_ling #sign_language #talkinghands #キットカット ＃手話　#japan

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

This hippo is multilingual!🦛 The internal organs are labelled in many languages... Including braille! How wonderful! 👏 It's such a great idea but the braille is wearing down from all the kids walking on it 🙃 #koma_ling #linguistic_landscape #braille #japan

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

This is an interesting solution to the problem of how many languages you can fit on a sign... Beneath the Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, it seems others are accessible via QR code. #koma_ling #linguistic_landscape #japan

[Ron Rosenow @RosenowRon]

While doing my #translanguaging presentation today to a G3 class, a boy said “My languages are my superpowers.” After almost fainting, I immediately had him make a poster with that sentence for the classroom. #multilingualclassrooms

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Pasta, curry, donburi, dekitate... It's interesting these two Japanese words are in ローマ字 and not translated. I guess 'rice-bowl' is possible for donburi? But what about dekitate? #koma_ling #translation #linguistic_landscape

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Please, please, please... Are English speakers really so polite?! There's no ください in the Japanese versions... #koma_ling #translation #linguistic_landscape

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Football Avenue, サッカー通り. It's interesting how soccer has been 'translated' to football. 'Soccer' is used in Japan, but maybe 'football' aligns better with British football culture ... #koma_ling #translation #linguistic_landscape #identity

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

"Say 'no' to undertake underage drinking". Ok sure, but why English for the 'no'?! To be cool for young people? Maybe 'no' is being used as a euphemism for the Japanese word いいえ, less direct, less confrontational. What do you think? #koma_ling #loanwords #Japanese #typography

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

タピる? Another word combining and English loanword タピオカ/tapioca, which is a noun, with the Japanese verb ending る. I guess it means 'do you wanna get a tapioca drink?'#koma_ling #loanwords #japanese #typography

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Bilingual jokes aren't unusual as product names but they usually combine Japanese and English. This one is Japanese and French: Ca va? (How are you?) sounds likeサバ (mackerel) #koma_ling #japanese #french #typography #bilingual

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

I found some hayfever medicine I bought in the Netherlands. I just realised it has Braille on it-what a great idea! #koma_ling #braille

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Katakana is sometimes used to show non-fluent language (either Japanese people speaking English or foreign people speaking Japanese). In this comic, the American character's speech is written in a mix of characters.#koma_ling #typography #Japanese #katakana #identity

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Hiragana is often said to be soft, gentle, feminine, Japanese-like... I can't see an obvious connection here 🤨 I wonder if it's to make a 'foreign' food (kebabs) appealing to a Japanese market? BTW seen at the airport #koma_ling #Japanese #typography #hiragana

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Ecoる😍 This word is so cool: half romaji, half hiragana; it's also an adjective (eco) turned into a verb with the る ending. #koma_ling #loanwords #Japanese #linguistic_landscape

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Braille at a train station lift. I wonder what it says? Is it a translation of the sign below? It's interesting that the heights are chosen for different readers: standing Blind people and lower for wheelchair users. #koma_ling #linguistic_landscape #braille
#translation

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Braille on the doors separating the platform from the train at the train station. It must be so important to know which car of the train you're on, and at which of the doors! #koma_ling #braille #Japan #linguistic_landscape

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

I love these signs at Komazawa station! They are both Japanese so not technically bilingual signs... But they show 2 different kinds of Japanese for 2 different readers: adults and kids! #koma_ling #linguistic_landscape #Japanese

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

This is the first time I've seen an English translation include BOTH British and American English (AmE: stroller, BrE: pushchair) (incidentally neither of which is the Japanese approximation: ベビーカー, baby-car) #koma_ling #identity #translation #Japanese

[HANNAH KUNERT @hannah_kunert]

Noodles can be やわ, ふ��う, or...カタ? Why is only 'カタ' in katakana? Because it's 固い and doesn't suit hiragana? #koma_ling #Japanese #typography