A language learners’ forum

Speakeasy wrote:eido, upon reading your post, I referred by to PeterBeischmidt’s comment above, and Googled “Japanese Language Patterns Nihongo ban vols 1 & 2” for which a reported set of 74 one-hour audio-cassettes were recorded. I had a few hits indicating that Anthony Alfonso also authored “Japanese language patterns. A structural approach” for which the year(s) of publication, 1966 and 1971, fit very nicely into the period when the audio-lingual method was still very popular. One of the listings indicates that the publisher was “Sophia University L.L. Center of Applied Linguistics”: http://www.worldcat.org/identities/nc-l%20l%20center%20of%20applied%20linguistics%20sophia%20university%20jochi%20daigaku/

My understanding is that Sophia University (https://www.sophia.ac.jp/eng/) is a private Jesuit research university in Japan, with its main campus located near Yotsuya station. Presumably, or perhaps only hopefully, they would have (might have) a copy of the audio recordings in their archives. Obtaining a copy of the complete set of course manuals, too, represents a challenge. Good luck with your quest! Finally, should you get your hands on the complete set of materials, perhaps you could ask the university if they could provide permission to host them on the Yojik website (whine, pout, push, strong-arm, finagle).

PS: While in the process of bookmarking this discussion, I discovered that I had previously bookmarked a source for both publications mentioned above (memory failure): http://www.trussel.com/jap/jbooks01.htm#166

PSS: The last time I communicated with PeterBeischmidt, which goes back about a couple of months, he was in the midst of preparing for major international relocation. So then, as he might not be following the activities on the forum, should you intend sending him a Private Message, let me know and I will send him an Email drawing his attention to your PM.

eido wrote: … The only thing I can't find are the tapes, which I suppose I will contact the university for. Here's hoping they know what I'm talking about, and don't mind being emailed in English … EDIT: Oh gee, I can't just email them. The library only has a phone number to call, nothing else. And I imagine they'd answer in Japanese. But I don't know. I wonder how else I'd contact them.

aokoye wrote:Another option would be contacting their Center for Language Education and Research which might be your best bet.

eido wrote:

aokoye wrote:Another option would be contacting their Center for Language Education and Research which might be your best bet.

Good idea.
I didn't even think of that. My inexperience shows.

eido wrote:I sent them an email early Sunday, which would’ve been late Sunday or early Monday there. No response so far.

aokoye wrote:Also do remember that people are very busy and i know more than a few professors and instructors who get well over 50 work related emails a day (i suspect I don't know any who get fewer emails than that). Try not to take it hard if they don't reply quickly. One of my favorite professors (who isn't at my university) once took months to email me back. Mind you even she was a bit perturbed by her having lost my email for that long, but still. It could take a long while for them to get back to you.

eido wrote:

aokoye wrote:Also do remember that people are very busy and i know more than a few professors and instructors who get well over 50 work related emails a day (i suspect I don't know any who get fewer emails than that). Try not to take it hard if they don't reply quickly. One of my favorite professors (who isn't at my university) once took months to email me back. Mind you even she was a bit perturbed by her having lost my email for that long, but still. It could take a long while for them to get back to you.

I guess I’m just used to the quick replies from the people at my community college.