Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Lee Tonouchi


What do you think of Tonouchi? Why?

27 comments:

  1. I think that Tonouchi is a brilliant that he came up with a pidgin dictionary. To me I think it is something unique because its a dictionary of all pidgin talk. He states that some people consider pidgin as a different language but to him its something separate. I agree with him because pidgin talk is still english its just said differently and some of its meanings may be talking about something else. Pidgin talk is also changing as years go by. Pidgin may also be called slang. Tonouchi says that pidgin will never die, and i agree with him on that.
    Brittney Kiana

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  2. I think that Tonouchi is a smart and inspiring man for creating the Pidgin dictionary and trying to spread and teach the pidgin language to others. I think Tonouchi is smart because not many people think of the idea to create a pidgin dictionary and try to teach, spread, and keep this language alive. He's inspirational because by creating a pidgin dictionary it is inspiring others to learn the language and even join in helping spread and teach the language to others. He is also a driven person who won't give up on teaching this language and will never let the pidgin language die out, even if it evolves over time.
    -Christina Perreira

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  3. I think Tonouchi is very inspirational because he really is passionate about his work and the language. I think Tonouchi is creative in thinking about making a book full of pidgin because there are many languages in the world that are disapearing and having this languae written down will make the language last forever.I think Tonouchi is an interesting man because he is not ashamed of speaking and teaching a language that is a slang version of another language. i also think that Tonouchi is a very determined man because he his determined to find the old pidgin words and find some of the new pidgin words to put into his book.
    ~Ashley Seki~

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  4. Pidgin is a grammatically simplified form of a language with elements taken from local languages. I think Pidgin came out from standard English which means they are not separate languages. Sakoda said there is a pidgin way of saying things that has the same meaning as English with the difference being in the inflections, or pitch or tone, in the voice.If the only difference is the voice or the tone, isn't it basically the same language? For example, Chinese and Taiwanese use mandarin and they understand each other. However, their tones and voices are different when they speak. Does that mean they speak totally different languages or are they just sharing the same language in different ways?
    I think it is better for younger people to learn standard English instead of Pidgin since it has been generally used by lots of people.

    Chloe Yim

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  5. I think that Tonouchi is very smart and intelligent. I think that coming up with a pidgin dictionary was a great idea because most people that live in Hawaii speaks pidgin and like most people they don't know the meaning of what other people are saying so if they don't they can just look it up in the pidgin dictionary. I also think him creating a pidgin dictionary was a smart idea because a lot of tourists come to have a stay in Hawaii and the pidgin dictionary can really help them for their stay.

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  6. I think that he's somewhat inspirational but a little silly. It's nice that he wants to keep the language of pidgin alive and is doing something to make sure that it is. I wouldn't consider pidgin a real language so i think it's funny that he's trying so hard to continue the "language" of pidgin. It's nice to see someone to determined to ensure that pidgin doesn't die out. He teaches kids to never give up on what they believe in and to try their best to succeed in what they do even if it seems crazy.

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  7. Pidgin is a grammatically simplified form of a language with elements taken from local languages. I think Pidgin came out from standard English which means they are not separate languages. Sakoda said there is a pidgin way of saying things that has the same meaning as English with the difference being in the inflections, or pitch or tone, in the voice.If the only difference is the voice or the tone, isn't it basically the same language? For example, Chinese and Taiwanese use mandarin and they understand each other. However, their tones and voices are different when they speak. Does that mean they speak totally different languages or are they just sharing the same language in different ways?
    I respect the idea of how Tonouchi believes Pidgin as a language and try to preserve it, but I think it is better for younger people to learn standard English rather than Pidgin since English has been generally used by lots of people.

    Chloe Yim

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  8. I think Tonouchi is a very unique and brave man. He wasn't scared to speak his mind and go against what many people think. Majority of people don't consider pidgin a real language but he didn't let that stop him. He spoke his mind and created the very first pidgin dictionary. Even though to most people creating a pidgin dictionary isn't a big accomplishment but I think he did so much more. He serves as an example for people to stand up for what they believe in.

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  9. I think Tonouchi is a man who will speak his mind about what he believes in. He does believe that pidgin is a language and that it is not dying out in our country. He wants others to listen to him and realize that he is right. Pidign may not be spoken a lot during school or when people are working, but outside of situations like that I always hear people talking in pidgin. I think that he will say whatever comes to his mind about what he believes in because he has gone to a point where he has started to create a pidgin dictionary. He wants people to read this dictionary so that they understand old and new pidgin.

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  10. Lee Tonouchi has accomplished creating a pidgin dictionary that people can learn from, especially tourist. He has made it a bit easier for myself and others to understand the pidgin language. Although some people thought it was a ridiculous idea it was brilliant to others and to me. He accomplished more than what a normal american could and should be praised for his strong beliefs in the language. People shouldn't look lowly on this accomplishment because one day it may come in handy.

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  11. I think he made things easier for all of us so that we can understand pidgin a little better. I think without this book, it'd be hard for us to comprehend the different meanings. I honestly don't think pidgin is a necessity in life these days, yet, many people still use it today so it is quite helpful to have a book like Tonouchi's.

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  12. I think that Tonouchi was very smart in making a pidgin dictionary. It shows that the pidgin speaking language is still alive and that people still use it. I think he is a very strong and passionate person about pidgin which helps others see that there is such thing as a pidgin language, which is what some people from Hawaii tend to forget. I think it was a great idea for him to make this dictionary to help everyone learn about the old pidgin speaking ways and the new ones.
    Tiana Spain

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  13. Lee Tonouchi is a very smart man, his idea of creating a Pidgin dictionary has helped to keep the language alive. Pidgin is used all over the place throughout Hawaii as well as other parts of the country by Hawaii people who have moved away. Lee is very passionate about the Pidgin language and it is good to have such a thing as a Pidgin dictionary because it helps to not only to preserve the language, but also teach the old and new generation of Pidgin speakers words that are new to them. Although some Pidgin words have died in the past, the creation of this dictionary helps to keep the language alive. He is a determined man who should be admired for his dedication to the preserving of the language and his ability to not feel any shame in speaking and teaching the language he is so passionate about.
    Dorienne M.

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  14. I really like Lee Tonouchi because he's really enthusiastic about keeping the pidgin language from dying out. He even wanted to make a Pidgin Dictionary and get words from anyone who wanted to contribute to his dictionary. I have friends who use pidgin and I use some pidgin, so it's still alive and in great use. Also people who don't understand pidgin as well as others can use the book and comprehend what people are now saying. He's someone that doesn't want to give up on what he wants and can be someone to look at when you're in a situation where you feel like giving up.

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  15. I think that Tenouchi is a very brilliant guy who thought about making a pidgin book because some people around us don't know what we say when we talk pidgin. His pidgin dictionary has helped a lot from keeping the language alive. The way he made the book made it easier for myself and others who would want to learn or speak in pidgin. Speaking in pidgin isn't really that hard to learn because once you get used to it, you start talking the same way. In my own experience, I have a lit bit hawaiian in my family so when we have parties or special occasions I hear my cousins talking in pidgin so to me I understand the language. Once your with a bunch of people who talk pidgin, it makes you want to talk in it too but when your not you talking normal english. The book that Lee Tonouchi was a very brilliant idea, even I wouldnt think about making a pidgin book.

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  16. Nikki Stewart
    I think that Tenouchi is a very creative man. Never in my life would I ahve thought about making a "pidgin" dictionary. I think it's very unique. When people think of a dictionary, they think of over the top words that have these long definitions, but you put pidgin in front of it, & it gives it a whole new meaning. A lot of my friends use pidgin, and majority of my family talks pidgin so I get used to hearing it all the time. Especially when I can be out in Waikiki & that's pretty much all you here. I love how he wants to keep the pidgin alive & going in Hawaii. He's brilliant!

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  17. I personally think that Lee making this dictionary was a good idea. Not many mainlanders can understand Hawaiian culture and ways so making this will help people understand it better. This is also beneficial because it preserves the Hawaiian way. Overall I think that it was a great idea

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  18. I think Lee Tonouchi is wasting his time by living in the past. Now generation you have to be well educated and speak proper English to succeed in life. Cause if you was to visit a different state or country and spoke the pidgin language they would look at you very strange.

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  19. Many people, especially those who don't live in Hawai'i, may think that Lee's actions are not good because it encourages the use of broken English. But what those people do not realize is that Pidgin is more than broken English, Pidgin is a dialect of English. Not only does Lee help those who do not know Pidgin learn the language, he also provides each word or phrase with a history of it's meaning. Lee is a teacher but he also gives an opportunity for others to enlighten us with Pidgin, he allows for the public to submit the Pidgin words that they know to add to his dictionary. Pidgin is the language of Hawai'i's history, it is the language of the plantation workers and early Hawai'i, those who speak Pidgin are most likely our grandparents or even the generation before them. This is why Pidgin is dying. Lee's dictionary helps preserve the language.
    -Kristen P

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  20. Tonouchi is a very inspiring person, because he creates his new ways regardless of what others say. Creating the pidgin dictionary is very interesting because others say it is a dying language. Since Tonouchi does not believe so, he strongly stands up for what he thinks about the Pidgin language. Him creating the dictionary with others is a great way for him to show others what he thinks is right and why he believes that. By believing and saying that Pidgin is not a dying language, he shows great respect for the past and the Hawaiian culture. While others move on with the new ways forgetting about the original culture like the industrialization in "Kamau," Tonouchi is like Alika respecting the tradition. Tonouchi is determined, but also open-minded at the same time. He believes that Pidgin is not dying, but also that it is evolving while incorporating aspects of other languages like English. It is also inspiring how Tonouchi took action for his belief by creating the dictionary. While many people have a hard time actually stepping out to take action for their belief, Tonouchi is very strong in moving people to spread his belief about the Pidgin language.

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  21. I think Tonouchi's reasons behind creating the dictionary full of pidgin words and their meanings are well-thought out in accordance to the future of Hawaii's people. While understanding that people living in Hawaii nowadays are influenced and inspired by other languages and ways of talking, Tonouchi wants to preserve the knowledge of pidgin speaking. For this, Tonouchi, in my eyes, is not only intelligent, but very aware of what can possibly happen during future generations of Hawaii's people. Over time, pidgin might lose some of its followers or the amount of people speaking it in daily conversations with friends or family. Pidgin is a part of Hawaiian culture and history, so forgetting it at this point in time is a waste. So Tonouchi idea of creating this pidgin dictionary is a very smart idea.

    -Courtney Seki (period 7)

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  22. I thought that Lee Tonouchi was clever for making the pidgin dictionary. It was a way for him to long live some of the traditions that we as locals have. He was a smart man to bring back some of the words that may have been lost over the ages and also intelligent for writing the words that many of us teenagers use. Although pidgin is not the literate way of speaking, it gives us a chance to show that we can be relaxed and laid back and still have a sense of intelligence as well. Code switching is a major role in Hawaii today, and for Tonouchi to come up with this dictionary dedicated to pidgin is smart, effective, and fun. It keeps the local traditions thriving.

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  23. Tonouchi has a progressive mind. He made a dictionary for something others don't even consider as an actual language. He is very engrossed in the Hawaiian culture, and him publishing a dictionary specifically for the colloquial language of Hawaii really shows it. It is inspiring to know that part of our traditions can still be carried on into the evolving future.
    -Rachel Stollenmaier

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  24. Baylie Caires said...
    To me Lee Tanouchi and his idea of creating the Pidgin dictionary is successful. Pidgin is definitely a language that is used everyday by many local people in Hawaii which is why it is important. It is a language that only people here and from Hawaii use and understand. It is a way of speaking in a comfortable way. Not only to Hawaiian and local people of Hawaii would buy this dictionary, but also to tourists. I feel that the tourists would love to have this dictionary as a souvenir also. It is fun and exciting.

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  25. Tonouchi's challenge of trying to keep pidgin alive and Alika's challenge of trying to keep his family together are very related. Both people are trying to carry on something while trying to move on at the same time. At the end of Kamau, Alika says that he would teach Stevie how to fish so they can carry on the tradition of Hawaiian fishing. Tonouchi wants to carry on the learning, speaking, and understanding of Pidgin.

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  26. I believe that Tonouchi is a very inspirational man. He has strong beliefs about keeping the pidgin language around and alive. Tonouchi is a very smart man and can do whatever he sets his mind to. It's great how he is trying to continue on the "dialect" of pidgin because not many locals here speak it to often. I myself don't even speak pidgin, maybe sometimes, a few words here and there, but because I'm not surrounded by the dialect everyday, I don't catch on to it.
    -Jessica Baginski Period 7

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  27. I believe that Tonouchi is a very interesting person. He takes a subject that isn't very common, and turns it into something significant. He believes that the pidgin language should stay alive and I completely support his idea. Although I find this true, I also think that is shouldn't be used in serious occasions, such as applying for a job. I feel that the most acceptable way to use this dialect is in a casual environment such as around family and friends. This is because it separates work time from your own time. I myself speak a little bit of pidgin and also my parents. Even though my parents are immigrants, it shows that the pidgin culture has grown on to us.
    -Chaztity Mendigorin7

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