"Examining the pragmatic development of Chinese JFL students" at Pitt, February 5.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will present MA Candidate Taranee Cao and her colloquia "Examining the pragmatic development of Chinese JFL students" on February 5. The abstract, via the DEALL website:

This cross-sectional study explores the development of pragmatics of Chinese learners of Japanese in foreign language contexts (JFL) by examining their request usages, which incorporates pragmatic transfer as a tool to interpret data. Discourse completion task (DCT) questionnaires were distributed to first-year, second-year and fourth-year Japanese learners at a university in China, as well as to some native speakers in the U.S. to elicit requests. Not only study years, but also the role of different questionnaire situations (balanced by hierarchy and propriety) are taken into consideration. Requests are examined according to the following categories: perspective, speech level, strategies, syntactic downgraders, semantic downgraders, and supportive moves. Based on data analysis, the preliminary findings are: 1) A significant leap from first-year group to second-year group can be observed. 2) In general, fourth-year group performed similar to or less native-like than second-year group. 3) Regardless of the improvement, the gap still exists between learners and native speakers in terms of pragmatics proficiency. 4) In Japanese, hierarchy plays a more important role in the request-making process than propriety. Hopefully, the study can reveal current teaching and learning situations of Japanese pragmatics at universities in China. By discussing learners' success and potential areas that need improvement, the findings could in turn shed light on language pedagogy.

The talk will begin at 12:00 in 4130 Posvar Hall (map), and is free and open to the public.

Noodle bar, Japanese-style crepes, bubble tea at Love Yogurt in Oakland.

Stopped into Love Yogurt in Oakland the other day, a newer self-serve yogurt place at 229 Atwood St (map) in what used to be an office equipment store. It opened in November after relocating from the South Side, and---along with Fuku Tea and T4U---was one of three Asian tea and dessert places to open in Oakland the second half of 2015. It's recently begun to advertise its noodle and crepe offerings on Forbes Ave. Here's a look at the menu:

Michael Chow aka Zhou Yinghua: Voice for My Father at The Warhol, from February 13.

Via ArtAsiaPacific.

Shanghai-born restauranteur and actor Michael Chow will hold the first US exhibition of his Michael Chow aka Zhou Yinghua: Voice for My Father at The Andy Warhol Museum, from February 13.

Artlab interactive event with Chiharu Shiota's "Traces of Memory" at Mattress Factory, February 6.

"Stairway", from Chiharu Shiota's official website.

The Mattress Factory will host an interactive event with Chiharu Shiota's "Traces of Memory"on February 6, as part of its regular Artlab series.

Jung-ho Kang back in Pittsburgh.

PennsylvAsia reporting on the Korean media reporting on Jung-ho Kang's Instagram. The Pittsburgh Pirates infielder posted this on his Instagram (@sdew0405) on Wednesday:

너무 무리하지 말고, 푹 쉬고 지내게

Teppanyaki Kyoto named Best Japanese by Carnegie Mellon's 2015-16 C-Book.

via Teppanyaki Kyoto's Facebook page.

Teppanyaki Kyoto was named the Best Japanese restaurant in Pittsburgh by Carnegie Mellon University's 2015-16 C-Book directory. It's a big win for the Highland Park restaurant, which is popular among Japanese people in Pittsburgh but which normally doesn't turn up on lists of the best, or rather most popular, Japanese places in the city.

Grit & Grace to rebrand to "G & G Noodle Bar" and "approachable Asian-style street food".

The Post-Gazette writes today that the Cultural District restaurant Grit & Grace will rebrand and reopen tomorrow as "G & G Noodle Bar". The restaurant will move to a

more casual menu at G & G Noodle Bar than the one at Grit & Grace, with options like big eye tuna sushi and addictive snacks like General Tso’s cauliflower for dim sum. For mains, look for noodles like tsukemen-style ramen ($15) and spicy dan dan noodles garnished with a poached egg ($13), along with dishes such as crispy Sichuan chicken over noodles ($14) and bulgogi lettuce wraps with flank steak ($10).

CAST-P 2016 Chinese New Year Gala (猴年春节晚会), January 30.

The Chinese Association for Science and Technology - Pittsburgh chapter will hold its annual New Year Gala on Saturday, January 30 in the North Hills:

We warmly welcome you to our 2016 CAST-P Chinese New Year Gala!
You will enjoy performances from excellent cultural and art organizations and teams such as: Yanlai Dance Adacemy, Win-win Kongfu Culture Center, Lydia Music Center, Pittsburgh Haihua Youth Orchestra, Pittsburgh Chinese School, Organization of Chinese Americans - Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University Chinese Student and Scolar Association, University of Pittsburgh Chinese Student and Scholar Association, Yu-ge, Qi-Wu-Zhongguofeng Dance Team.
There will also be a lucky draw for all the attendees to bring you good luck and fortune in the new year!r

Tickets are $5 for CAST-P members and $10 for non-members. North Allegheny Senior High School is located in Wexford, PA (map), roughly 13 miles north of downtown Pittsburgh.

Ka-Man Tse at Silver Eye Center for Photography, from January 29.

An exhibition featuring the photography of Ka-Man Tse will open at the Silver Eye Center for Photography on January 29. Tse was one of two winners of the Fellowship 16 international photography competition.

Fellowship 16 features solo exhibitions from our International Award and Keystone Award winners, selected from an open call for entries in mid-2015. International Award winner Ka-Man Tse (Brooklyn, NY) showcases her series Narrow Distances, which seeks to draw connections between LGBT culture and the Asian Pacific Islander community, as well as Tse’s own ongoing exploration of home, identity, and isolation as someone who was born in Hong Kong and raised in the United States.

An opening reception for Narrow Distances will be held on Friday the 29th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The Silvery Eye Center for Photography is located at 1015 E. Carson St. (map).

Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at Row House Cinema this March.

The Row House Cinema in Lawrenceville recently announced its Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival coming in March. The three films scheduled are 1949's Late Spring (晩春), the 1991 Studio Ghibli film Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ), and the 1985 Kurosawa film Ran (乱), with a fourth still to be determined. Details will follow on the theater's official site.