On TV, I'm trying watch nothing but the programs in English. When I watch TV news, I hear them in English. And I am recording TV programs which are broadcasted in English, such as dramas, movies and so on, one after another.
For example;
CSI New York, Alias, HEROES, Re:Genesis, Sponge Bob, Nature Dramatic (I don't know its correct title in English), Desperate Wives (I don't know its correct title too.), CBS Documentary and so on.
Many kind of genres. It doesn't matter if I'm interested in or not. It's the point that it's broadcasted in English.
But it's difficult to understand them perfectly. Depending on the programs, I can't understand AT ALL. But If I'm interested in a program, I want to understand it perfectly, such as HEROES. In that case, I watch them in English at first, then watch in Japanese or with Japanese subtitles, and then I watch them in English again. It's good for studying English.
But of course, it takes me a lot of time, so it is not mandatory activities. When I turn on the TV, I watch them.
The programs which I can't understand English are crime dramas, such as CSI and Alias. Unexpectedly, English in Desperate Wives is easy to understand. Actually I can't understand well English in Sponge Bob, because voices of characters are not normal. Too high or too low? Anyway, abnormal. So I also can't understand Sesame Street. I respect toddlers.
By the way, foreign dramas broadcasted in Japan are just from the U.S. and Korea. How about other countries ones?
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17 comments:
S - it's interesting to read your blog about learning English. Ganbatte!
I think the title of that drama is Desperate Housewives, but good guess anyway!
Have you ever seen LOST? That's one that I just started watching.
Cheers,
Rick
I think British dramas, comedies, and TV in general would be of little interest to the majority of Japanese. On the surface it's quite dull, I guess. Unlike American stuff which look like films.
I think Japan had Mr. Bean at one stage, no? But no-one watches that anymore here and it's dated badly.
PA - I'm American myself, but I heard the Japanese sense of humo(u)r is more akin to the British one than the American one. But then again, after 20 years here, I must say the Japanese sense of things is rather unique!
We did indeed have Mr. Bean here. I recently saw an interview with him where he ACTUALLY SPOKE! IN SENTENCES! Lol, it surprised because I thought he mostly just mumbled.
When I visited Southampton in the south of England, I saw a show the name of which I forgot, with a woman who was very funny, but had a really sharp tongue! She really let her guests have it, but I suppose that's the appeal.
Cheers,
Rick
I wonder who that woman was. Was she really fat? Jo Brand? She's very cynical and sharp.
Yeah, I always think the British sense of humor is similar to that of the Japanese, things like Monty Python, Faulty Towers, Little Britain, Harry Hill, or even more recently The Mighty Boosh, but that the British language makes them seem too different and ungraspable. After all, most Japanese learn American English,eh. When I watch Downtown, I feel I'm watching British stuff though.
A speaking Mr.Bean?!? Impossible ;-)
cya
PA
Ah, PA, it was Anne Robinson. A quiz show, not a talk show. Brain's getting foggy - maybe I _am_ the weakest link. :-)
I have not seen some of those shows - it would be a pleasure. Maybe I can get a DVD of them.
Yeah, Downtown are good - I like them, and the recently-very-popular Enta no kamisama. Seen it?
There's one called Red Carpet on now that's faster paced than Enta, which has all those comedians (Downtown're too big for it, but...), and they have a moving red carpet. If the group don't do well, they get dragged off - it's pretty hysterical, because they are forced to do their routine pretty quickly.
Cheers,
Rick
Speaking of Downtown, have you seen their older "tokage otoko" skit? It's absolutely gut-busting funny, and disgusting at the same time. Matsumoto wears a lizard suit, hence the name, and has slimy eggs ooze out of a sort of cloaca he has on the abdomen area of the suit. Ew!
Cheers,
Rick
Heh, leave it to Google and YouTube. Here's a site with some Matsumoto links:
http://www.noyt.morungexpress.com/tag/hitoshi-matsumoto
It's Tokage "Ossan", not otoko. Oops. Should have known, him being from Kansai. Anyway, funny all the same.
Cheers,
Rick
Hi, Rick-san,
Thank you for visiting my blog! How are you?
I see, housewives. Thank you.
I haven't seen LOST yet. Its suspense would be killing me. haha.
Yes, ganbarimasu to study English!
Hi, PA.
It's been a while since you gave me comment last. Thank you for putting the comment again!
I didn't know Mr. Bean was a British. I've heard that he was a well-educated and intelligent person. I remember that his expression in his comedy was a bit too intense for me. haha.
Rick-san and PA,
Oh, I didn't know the Japanese sense of humor is similar to the British one. I've indeed thought that American jokes are not fit for Japanese sometimes.
Downtown is a sort of British flavor? I see. I wonder what part of them is... because they are cynical?
@sand - doing good, how are you?
LOST is really suspenseful, at least it is for me. I've only seen four episodes, but I want more!
Well, I'm no expert and I'm not British so maybe I'm not the right guy to comment, but I think perhaps the personality of British people is somewhat similar to the Japanese.
Perhaps both the people of both countries are self-effacing? You know, if a Japanese says "oh, my English is terrible" this is after 15 years of hard study, when her knowledge of English grammar far surpasses mine. But you ask an American if they speak Japanese, and even if it's only one or two words, they'll say they're fluent. It's pretty different, in general.
Better shut up before I start embarrassing myself!
When I was growing up in the US as a kid, I used to stay up late to watch the British shows on late-night TV.
For example, Benny Hill or Monty Python. Benny Hill was "iyarashii" to the nth degree, so for a teenager, that was pretty fun (loved his rendition of "A Tale of Two Cities" with the T and S sounds switched) :-D
And, I've seen lots and lots of Monty Python.
Have you seen any of that, sand?
--Rick
Also - the link above with the Matsumoto videos is mostly broken, so check this one that is still working:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ePZu7LNjoA
@sand - have you seen Enta?
I love Joyman and Jungo, these days.
Regards,
Rick
Rick-san,
I don't know about Monty Python and others you and PA mentioned... Actually I am really unfamiliar with foreign dramas, actors and even famous music. haha.
I've never seen Enta no Kamisama. You know Japanese "owarai" much more than me who is a Japanese!
I'll check out those Matsumoto links, Rick san.
At the moment, my wife watches a lot of 'I can't remember her name' but she's fat and does impressions of high school girls. Not quite sure about her...
Hi PA - ah, I think you might mean Kanako Yanagihara. She's really funny. Does a great impression of various young shopkeepers or students.
Here she is on youtube on a comedy competition show called Iromonea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRwIdwRQrio
They pick 5 judges from the audience, then they have to do 5 types of comedy - skits, impressions, "silent", short gags, and props. If they get five judges to laugh, on all five skits, they win a million yen.
I like kanako Yanagihara. Her observation on people's behavior is great, and her impressions are accurate and fun!
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