Eleanor Jorden
Encyclopedia
Eleanor Harz Jorden was an American linguistics scholar and an influential Japanese language
educator and expert. Born Eleanor Harz, she married William Jorden
, reporter and diplomat; the marriage ended in divorce.
Dr. Jorden earned her Ph.D. at Yale University
under the direction of Bernard Bloch
in 1950. She was best known for her seminal textbooks on the Japanese language, including Beginning Japanese and Japanese: The Spoken Language
. The latter text included Jorden's JSL system of romaji for transcribing Japanese into the Roman alphabet. Her explanations of the subtleties of Japanese grammar and usage are still widely referenced today.
Jorden taught Japanese at many educational institutions, including Cornell University
, Bryn Mawr College
, Johns Hopkins University
, Williams College
, the University of Hawaii
, International Christian University
in Tokyo and Ohio State University
. For many years, Jorden also served as Chairman of the Department of East Asian Languages at the U.S. State Department's
Foreign Service Institute
(FSI).
Jorden also founded several programs, including the intensive FALCON Program at Cornell University
and the Foreign Service Institute Japanese Language School in Tokyo, Japan.
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
educator and expert. Born Eleanor Harz, she married William Jorden
William Jorden
William John Jorden was a diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times, United States Ambassador to Panama, and author....
, reporter and diplomat; the marriage ended in divorce.
Dr. Jorden earned her Ph.D. at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
under the direction of Bernard Bloch
Bernard Bloch
----Bernard Bloch, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., was an American linguist.He is one of the post-Bloomfieldian linguists.He taught at Brown University and Yale University.- Literary works :...
in 1950. She was best known for her seminal textbooks on the Japanese language, including Beginning Japanese and Japanese: The Spoken Language
Japanese: The Spoken Language
Japanese: The Spoken Language is an introductory textbook series for learning Japanese. JSL was written by Eleanor Harz Jorden in collaboration with Mari Noda. Part 1 was published in 1987 by Yale Language Press, Part 2 in 1988, and Part 3 in 1990...
. The latter text included Jorden's JSL system of romaji for transcribing Japanese into the Roman alphabet. Her explanations of the subtleties of Japanese grammar and usage are still widely referenced today.
Jorden taught Japanese at many educational institutions, including Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
, International Christian University
International Christian University
There are several rankings related to ICU, shown below.-Alumni rankings:According to the Weekly Economist's 2010 rankings and the PRESIDENT's article on 2006/10/16, graduates from ICU have the 24th best employment rate in 400 major companies, and their average graduate salary is the 4th best in...
in Tokyo and Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. For many years, Jorden also served as Chairman of the Department of East Asian Languages at the U.S. State Department's
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
Foreign Service Institute
Foreign Service Institute
The Foreign Service Institute is the United States Federal Government's primary training institution for employees of the U.S. foreign affairs community, preparing American diplomats and other professionals to advance U.S. foreign affairs interests overseas and in Washington...
(FSI).
Jorden also founded several programs, including the intensive FALCON Program at Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and the Foreign Service Institute Japanese Language School in Tokyo, Japan.
Honors
- Order of the Precious CrownOrder of the Precious CrownThe Order of the Precious Crown is a Japanese order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan. Originally the order had five classes, but on April 13, 1896 the sixth, seventh and eighth classes were added....
, 1985. - Japan Foundation AwardJapan FoundationThe was established in 1972 by an Act of the Japanese Diet as a special legal entity to undertake international dissemination of Japanese culture, and became an independent administrative institution under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry of Japan on 1 October 2003 under the "Independent...
, 1985 - Anthony Papalia Award for Excellence in Teacher Education, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign LanguagesAmerican Council on the Teaching of Foreign LanguagesThe American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages is an American organization aiming to improve and expand the teaching and learning of all languages at all levels of instruction...
(ACTFL), 1993. - Williams CollegeWilliams CollegeWilliams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
, honorary doctorate. - Knox College, honorary doctorate.
- Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury CollegeMiddlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
, honorary doctorate. - University of StirlingUniversity of StirlingThe University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...
(Scotland), honorary doctorate.
Selected bibliography
- Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Chaplin, Hamako Ito (1962) Beginning Japanese: Part 1. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Chaplin, Hamako Ito (1963) Beginning Japanese: Part 2. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Chaplin, Hamako Ito (1976) Reading Japanese. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Noda, Mari (1987). Japanese, The Spoken LanguageJapanese: The Spoken LanguageJapanese: The Spoken Language is an introductory textbook series for learning Japanese. JSL was written by Eleanor Harz Jorden in collaboration with Mari Noda. Part 1 was published in 1987 by Yale Language Press, Part 2 in 1988, and Part 3 in 1990...
: Part 1. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. - Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Noda, Mari (1988). Japanese, The Spoken Language: Part 2. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Jorden, Eleanor Harz & Noda, Mari (1990). Japanese, The Spoken Language: Part 3. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
- Jorden, Eleanor H., with Richard Lambert (1991). Japanese Language Instruction in the United States: Resources, Practice, and Investment Strategy. Washington, D.C.: Natl. Foreign Lang. Center.