News Yamagata Pref. creates dialect guide for foreign workers

[thomas]

Yamagata Prefecture in Tōhoku created a "dialect manual" (やまがた方言マニュアル) for foreign workers at nursing homes who might get lost in translation when communicating with locals.

Six care homes for the elderly conducted a survey in their facilities, selecting 27 commonly used words. The words are explained in English, Romaji and Japanese and take the differences between the dialects of the four local regions into consideration. According to the prefectural government, 124 foreigners, mainly from Vietnam and Myanmar, were working in care facilities in the prefecture. At a training session held once a year by the prefecture, some participants voiced their concern that the dialects were particularly difficult to understand. According to Yamagata health care officials, the number of foreigners is expected to increase in the future.

The official dialect manual can be downloaded here:

https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/documents/28591/hougen.pdf

「け」は「食べてください」　介護職の外国人向け方言マニュアル、山形県が作成 | 河北新報オンライン

　山形県は、県内の介護施設で働く外国人を支えようと「やまがた方言マニュアル」を作成した。標準語を学んできた外国人にとって、高齢者が話す山形の方言は理解が難しく、スムーズに会話できるように役立ててもらう…

kahoku.news

Yamagata Prefecture creates guide to help new foreign workers understand local language quirks

Today’s the big day! You’ve finally made it to Japan and starting your new life in Yamagata Prefecture. After months, or maybe years, of studying Japanese, you show up for work, excited to put your language skills to use. However, while self-study and classroom instruction are great ways to...

japantoday.com

 

[nice gaijin]

This manual is almost as cute as the dialect itself. I don't quite understand the information in the yellow sections, how it all relates to each other. But otherwise this is very neat!

 

[thomas]

I believe the sections in the yellow boxes refer to local dialect variations.

置賜、最上、庄内、村山４地域の方言の違いも示す。

 

[musicisgood]

Will one day the Japanese govt. will require permanent residents to have a working knowledge of the Japanese language ?

 

[Majestic]

I think its unlikely. I think they are trying to find ways to make it easier for people (well, rich people) to immigrate to Japan.